Skiffingtons / Ballydavock

Barb:

I saw your prior message from two-three weeks ago and the comprehensive response from Col. The two townlands are six miles apart. The RC parish for Cornaveagh is Aglish and the RC parish for Ballydavock is Balla and Manulla. If you have not done so already, I would suggest that you get a short-term subscription to Roots Ireland and see if you can make a connection between the two families. The parish register for Aglish is here http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/1039 and the Balla register is here http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/1044    You can also review the registers for clues.

Roger McDonnell

http://www.irelandxo.com/ireland/mayo/ballyhean/message-board/skiffingt…

Hi Roger,

Thank you for your response and suggestions.  Believe me, I have made very good use of Roots Ireland, and I have spent numerous hours reading the microfilmed parish records.   My efforts to date to make connections between the various Skiffingtons in Ballydavock and Cornaveagh/Ballyhean that lived in the early 1800s has proved fruitless.  What I am hoping for is some feedback from someone whose family might have lived in either of those towns and may know of some stories about my ancestors.

Best regards.

Barb:

Hopefully someone will see your messages and react. I've seen many instances where a contact is made a year after the initial message.

Roger

Hi Barb

Joined this as google search showed your posting. My great grandmother was Norah Skiffington from Ballydavock she married John Staunton about 1901. Norah was christened Honora and her parents were Pat Skiffingon and Mary Heveran. Your Margaret might be her sister. Mine are buried in Drum cemetery.

Hope to hear from. Thanks

Linda

Hi Linda, 

Please excuse the delay in responding.  I was very excited to hear from you.  I have spent quite a bit of time researching the Skiffington families of Ballydavock and believe there is a connection with my ancestors from Cornaveagh/Ballyhean somewhere back in the very early 1800's.  I don't believe "my" Margaret is a sister as her birth date would be approx. 1835 and Nora's father Patrick was born in 1836.  

You may know this already, but your great grandmother's parents descended from John Skiffington and his wife Eleanor (last name unknown).  They are also buried in the Drum cemetery.  Patrick Skiffington and Mary Heveran had several children:  Bridget, Mary, Ellen, Margaret (not mine; this Margaret was born in 1872 and married John Garvey), Honoria (Nora), Anne (born 1876), Michael, Catherine, Anne (born 1885), and Jane.  Several of these children immigrated to either Massachusetts or New Hampshire in the USA.  I have a great deal more information that I am happy to share.  You are welcome to email me directly at bskivinnc@aol.com.  

My present research centers on finding a connection between John Skiffington, Margaret Skiffington, and my ancestor, Martin Skiffington (from Cornaveagh/Ballyhean).  If you can shed any light on this, I would greatly appreciate it.

Barb

Hi Linda,  

I've been doing a bit more research on the Ballydavock Skiffingtons/Skeffingtons and now believe that my previous response --

"You may know this already, but your great grandmother's parents descended from John Skiffington and his wife Eleanor (last name unknown).  They are also buried in the Drum cemetery."

is incorrect.  I now think the transcriber of the cemetery gravestones was incorrect with dates (listed as 1806) and Eleanor's name.  I believe this is John Skiffington (b. 1826) and Honor Loftus.  This would make John too young to be Patrick's father but could make him Patrick's brother.  

I'll be traveling to Mayo next May and the Drum Cemetery is high on my list of places to visit so that I can verify this.

Best regards, Barb

Hi Linda and Barb,

I just joined this parish as I saw the post about Skiffingtons from Ballydavock during a Google search. I, like you Linda, am also a great granddaughter of Norah Skiffington and John Staunton. I think that makes us second cousins! I live in County Mayo, although my family moved away from the Ballydavock area in the 1960's. I visited Drum cemetery many times as a child with my mother and grandmother, and I stopped off there for an impromptu visit about 2 years ago when I got lost and accidentally passed it. I can't visit right now as we are limited to 5km travel due to Covid-19.

I am guessing the pandemic also prevented your visit last year Barb. I don't know any more about the Skiffingtons - either the ones from Ballydavock, or those from Corneveagh/Ballyheane. I passed through Ballyheane at least once a week pre-Covid, so I do know the area.

I have an uncle from that side of the family living locally so I might ask him does he have further information.

If you haven't yet made it to Drum, I hope you can get here very soon. It is a lovely cemetery in a peaceful, green, pastoral setting.

Regards,
Karen.

Hi Karen,

Thank you for your message and it's lovely to hear from you.  You are correct, COVID has prevented me from visiting the Drum cemetery but when the pandemic is over Ireland is at the top of my list of places to visit, including both the Drum and Elmhall cemeteries.  I have in my records that John and Norah (Honoria) had seven children.  Can you tell me which of those you are descended from?  I also show that Honoria was the daughter of Patrick Skiffington (Skeffington) and Mary Heveran and I believe Patrick was descended from Michael Skiffington and Mary Blowick but this I can't confirm.  I'd love to know if your uncle knows any further information.

Thank you again and please stay well and safe!  Perhaps we can meet when this pandemic is over.

Best regards,
Barb Skivington

Hi Barb,

Thank you for your prompt reply. My grandfather was John Staunton. I think he was born in 1910. I know he died 10th June 1955, suddenly. He was married to my grandmother Mary Stephens. She was born in March 1917 and died September 2002. They lived on the family farm in Ballydavock. A couple of years after his untimely death my grandmother sold the farm. She lived with my family from the 1970's. She didn't drive, and enjoyed the tradition of visiting family graves during the month of November every year to pray for lost souls in purgatory, so my mother drove her, and us kids had to tag along. Hence, I remember visiting many cemeteries during my childhood!

I have passed your query to my uncle. I will let you know what he says as soon as he comes back to me.

Kind regards,

Karen.

Hi Barb,

Just to add, I remember my Gran talking about the Blowicks, so I will ask my uncle if he knows of a connection,

Kind regards,

Karen

Hi Barb,

Would it be okay to email you at the email you listed above a few years ago - bskivinnc@aol.com. I still don't have answers for you, but I do have one clue. However, I'd rather share privately.

Kind regards,

Karen