McGarr Ballyraggan Kildare

Dear Allie

I am researching the Devine, Mageer, Byrne and O'Neal families who left Baltinglass with a party of settlers to Albany in the Eastern Cape of South Africa - a party led by Captian Thomas Butler of Whitehall House of Baltinglass. Your Daniel McGarr caught my eye as I have seen the Mageer surname spelt McGeer McGeere McGear Mageer and McGarr so wondered if you had explored the possibility of different spellings. A friend found the baptism of William McGeer son of Wm and Margaret of Kilshe in April 1808 and of Eliza daughter of Wm and Margaret of Kelshea in oct 1809 and I could not help wondering if there is some kind of connection between William McGeer (as the name finally settled out, mostly, in South Africa) and Daniel McGarr? Wm seems to have been born about 1766. The other thing I wanted to share with you (thanks again to my helper, Michael), was that Baltinglass, being a parish, one has to search surrounding townlands and villages to find possible links. It helps too, to know if they were Catholic or other as the parish boundaries vary widely according to religion. Othe names Michael mentioned as adjacent or possible baptismal places for my party were: Humewood, Rickeh, Rathvilly and DunlavinparishesTynock, Talbotstown and so on. The National Library in Dublin seems to hold the most extraordinary collection of records and if you could find a researcher in Dublin it might be the best solution.

Lastly check the Griffiths Valuation as it provides some possible later connections who might have info on earlier family members. I found some of the names in that in surrounding townlands. The Griffiths also provided some extra understanding of the parishes and townlands etc.

Good luck

Shayne

Plettenberg Bay

South Africa