Looking for Matthews relatives

Hi Gerry

I would certainly encourage you to contact those who you think may be connected; however I checked the Irish phone book and did not find any Mathews / Matthews in Louth I'm afraid.

We are not permitted to give out personal information on the site but if you find any Matthews in the phone book you could drop them a line (http://www.118.ie/) or 11850 Directory Enquiries

I had a look on www.rootsireland.ie/ for birth/baptisms for Matthews in the early 1700's in and found a few Marys and 1 Jane all in Drogheda in the 1740's

Col

Morning

I have passed this to a Co. Louth volunteer to see if he can give you some pointers

All the best

Clare Doyle

Genealogy Support 

Hi Gerry

Matthews is a name found here in Louth and according to McLysaghts Surnames of Ireland is from England but found in Northern Ireland and Louth.

I searched Matthews on the attached website and found an Alderman (Town or Borough Councillor) listed circa 1680, there was a siege in this town of Drogehda in 1641 and may be they arrived then when the Kings troops retook the place. When searching Matthews it also brings back Matthew but I am confident that is a bridge you have crossed before. See http://www.jbhall.freeservers.com/

I am a blow in to the town but am aware of Matthews families but not enough to approach them. You could write to the local papers, see http://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/ Address: Shop Street, Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. Also a free newspaper the Drogehda Leader here http://droghedaleader.ie/ or the local radio community section here http://www.lmfm.ie/Home The paper might be the best bet as the radio will only be a once off and then they would have to contact them. There are some local groups on Facebook but I have never seen a genealogy query on them, mainly people putting up old photos, Drogheda Down Memory Lane. 

Also here is a history site for Termonfeckin (a village about 5 miles from the town of Drogehda) and a search there brings a number of hits including a Mr Matthews teacher there in 1690 and some interesting articles.

This site gives the history of the county but you must join for a fee of about $20 annually but you can see a list of articles without joining. http://www.clahs.com/

Also if the family were Protestant the local Church of Ireland records are online at http://ireland.anglican.org/about/185 they are from 1702 to 1890.

I will ask some locals to see if they know any families who might be willing to take part but it is not as big a concept here as in the US.

Regards

Pat

Gerry

forgot to give you this site I emntioned. http://www.termonfeckinhistory.ie/

Pat

Well, I have to say I did not expect this big a response at all. So often on ancestry.com I find myself waiting weeks if not months for replies, so I am not accustomed to this. Thank all of you very much for all of these ideas. I am going to spend the next few days looking in to all of them, and I feel confident that I am going to get somewhere here, because, if like you say, genetic genealogy isn't quite as popular there as it is here, genealogy sure is! Thanks again, and I'll post again to update how things go. 

Gerry

Many thanks Pat

Best wishes

Clare

Genealogy Support 

Hello.
I am also looking for Matthews relatives. My late fathers birth mother was Margaret Matthews born in 1939 in co Louth. I don't have her parents names but I am aware that she has 2 sisters one named Frances. Margaret went to Kilburn in the UK at some stage around 1960. She lived in a hostel and did chef work in a hospital but that's all I know.

Hi All, I am a Matthews from Drogheda. Their are quiet a few Matthews families in Drogheda. 

Hello all, it’s great to see there is still interest in this. I was lucky enough to have 5 volunteers of the Matthews surname from county Louth do the dna test a couple of years ago, though none of them were matches to me but that’s ok. Have any of you considered a dna test for your genealogical research? I use familytreedna.com because it has the largest database of people to compare to, and the most options of different dna tests. I’d encourage you to consider it if you haven’t, it has helped a lot of people including myself. I’d be happy to talk more about it if you are interested. 

Regarding the inquiries for surname Matthews ...I have a Catherine Moyles (born 1825) in parish of Monasterboice who married a Thomas Matthews in 1856 also in parish of Monasterboice. They went on to have five children ..Mary Anne in  1857, Peter in 1859, James in 1861, Edward in 1865 and I believe also a John ...birth unknown. Their residence was in Castlelumney in parish of Monasterboice. Catherine's brother, Patrick married Mary Curran in 1845 had one child, a daughter born in April 1846 and they departed for USA...arriving July 14, 1847. Catherine had one sister, Anne born in 1822 who married Bernard Grogan in 1846 and she died in 1860 in Sheboygin, Wisconsin.   Any of these names or locations sound familiar to anyone?

Colleen Wheeler

Jacksonville, FL

wheelercm@bellsouth.net

Hi Tara

this post has resumed and I had not seen your message previously, the site really only deals with genealogy and  usually over a hundred years ago. The Irish genealogy site only does births up to 1915 but all the records can be seen by visiting the offices in Dublin and paying to view the records, only a few Euro. If you have dates you can write to the CRO here https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/GRO_Research.aspx 

There are Louth and Drogheda Genealogy Facebook pages but answers come from everyone with a Matthews connection.

Good Luck

Pat

Hi Gerry, 

I am originally from Drogheda, Co Louth and my family are Mat(t)hews and I have my DNA tested my kit # on Gedmatch Genesis is KF5415309 if you want to do a one to one comparison. 

Breedeen

Hello Breeden, thanks for writing. I’m working on g tying my DNA results from FTDNA uploaded to GEDMATCH as we speak, but I wanted to ask if your test results are from the YDNA or autosomal dna, like family finder? Thanks,  -Gerry

Hi Gerry,

I used LivingDNA and its the autosomal test

Breedeen 

Hello ,I too am a Mathews from Louth Descendant.

Mine is Patrick Mathews born in Louth 1840 came out to Australia about 1858/9. He was In Bourke NSW in 1860 working as a wheelwrigt/blacksmith with a Thomas Andrew Mathews ( I'm hoping this was his uncle). He married in Wilcannia NSW 1869 . Died in Adelaide Camp Booligal NSW 1885.

On his death certificate states Father  as Owen Licensed victualler,. 

I am trying to find any information that can give me a how and why did Paterick come out to Australia

what was his mum's name ?

Did he have any siblings

I know this is a long time ago but would love to find something concrete and give him a voice

Hoping to hear back from some one

Gillian.

Gillian the only Patrick Matthews born in Louth with father Owen from 1835 to 1845 was baptised in Haggardstown, Louth, this is jsut south of Dundalk, the date is 4th March 1840, mother is Anne Murphy, witnesses are James Byrne and Mary Mahon, you should be able to see the entry here but only search by year and month, https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0215 

You can see the various townlands here https://www.townlands.ie/ 

There are no siblings recorded on Roots Ireland nor can I see a suitable marriage, there are a few Owen Matthews marriages including one to an Anne Brady in 1838 in Haggardstown. No children found to that marriage. 

There are a lot of Thomas Matthews baptisms in Louth from 1800 to 1850 but no Thomas Andrew, however this may because the record was only transcribed using a first name but some parishes may not have records or missing bit as full civil records only began in 1864, even parishes that have early records have gaps too. 

As previous there are Louth Genealogy FB pages but if there are no records you have reached the end game

Griffiths Valuation in 1854 has 3 Matthews families in Haggardstown, living as tenants of Lord Clermont in the village of Blackrock. There is no Owen but these are possibly the same family, you can see this free online on the Ask About Ireland site, search under places and Haggardstown and select Blackrock one of 2 choices .

Good Luck

Pat

Thankyou Pat for being so Prompt....I will certainly look at those links. I have loved looking into my irish side. I am fairly certain that Patricks wife. Sarah Davis was the daughter of MaryAnn Early.... Mary Ann and her 2 sisters came out to Melbourne as part of the orphan programme in 1848. Elizabeth ,Mary Ann, and Ann known as Alice. came out on the Lady Kennaway. All 3 girls were Roman Catholic Housemaids from Sligo. Mary Ann Married Thomas Davis in Melbourne in 1849. (Still have to delve into Thomas ). Life in Australia was very tough, they travelled about finaly settling in Wilcannia/Bourke area . Both Dying in a very remote place called Yantabulla NSW. in 1906 and 1913. There daughter Sarah was only 16 yrs when she married my Patrick.So another late night for me on the computer...Thanks again

Gill

Hello,

I found this post and hope it is still going on. 

My grand father was John James Matthews.  He was the son of John Matthews and Mary Lester (Lyster). I have much information on the children of John Matthews and Mary Lester Matthews. 

They are Thomas Henry born 1875 in Cumberland, England. Julia born in 1876 in Belfast.(died 1877)   Mary Elizabeth born 1879 in Cumberland, Eng. Elizabeth born 1881 in Cumberland, England. Julia born 1883 Cumberland, England. Edward Francis born 1885 in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. Joseph Michael born 1887 Shenandoah, PA., Margaret born 1889 Shenandoah, Pa., Patrick Theodore born 1891 Shenandoah, PA. and Catherine born in 1894 Shenandoah, PA.

John Matthews was an iron miner in England and he and several of his sons worked the coal mines in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania.

In the 1900 Census the family lived in Newton, Massachusetts.  I have DNA connections with this family.  My DNA kit is KX 1010308 on Ged match and my tree The Matthews Tree is on Ancestry.  

I would love to make a connection with anyone that might shed light on John James Matthews.  I am happy to share my research.  I am posting to this group because there are more Matthews in Louth than any place else.  Also in a previous post Breedeen listed at DNA kit number as KFS541309 on Gedmatch Genesis.  I can't find this anywhere.  If you are out there Breedeen can you re-post your number.

Thank you

Julie Rizzello nee Matthews