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I am researching the Young family that lived in Caddagh Glebe with a bit of a twist.  My great grandfather (c.1875), who came to Canada in 1904, states on all documents here that he was from Dromahair and mentions Cadda/Caddagh on a few as well.  He states that his father was George Young on these Canadian documents as well.

Here's the twist.  He told my grandfather and my aunt that he was born in Sligo (unknown where there) and orphaned young.  He was sent to live with an aunt and uncle in Leitrim, names unknown. There is no birth record for my ggf who adamantly stated his birth as March 9, 1875.  On all Canadian documents he repeated that without fail until the 1911 census where he states his birth as April 1878.   

In my research, I have cast the net wide in the hopes of getting an overall picture of the Youngs in both counties and have come up with a ton of information.  I have records of Youngs living, being born, marriages and deaths in both Leitrim and Siigo.  There was a fairly substantial group of Youngs in Sligo and only a few in Leitrim which helped.  I found evidence of Youngs from Sligo actually going to Caddagh Glebe specifically and having children there before returning to Sligo.  So I do have a ton of information but still nothing of Robert Young, my great grandfather, who claims he was shuffled about as a boy.  I have one good lead.  A George Young was married in Leitrim in 1872 to Margaret Hamilton.  They had their first child that year, George, who died at two months of age and then the two of them disappear.  I also have a George Young in Clooneen in Sligo married in 1870 to Catherine Brett.

I guess my question here is where to go from here.  I am trying to think outside the box and find something that keeps the research moving forward.  I have BMD records coming out my ears for the Youngs of the area in the hopes of connecting them together between the two counties.  This would help substantiate the claims of being born in Sligo and raised in Leitrim.  On the 1901 Irish census my ggf is in Dundalk managing a boot warehouse.  Family stories said he was originally working in boot and shoes in Donegal but that his shop was burnt out and so he set up in Dundalk.  I believe the boot and shoe work was a family apprenticeship as two Youngs in Sligo, William and Patrick, were both boot and shoe makers.  When my ggf came to Canada, he brought his cobblers form with him that was handed around to the family members every time they needed to fix up their shoes.

I think that the Caddagh connection is fairly concrete in that my ggf came to Canada with George Young of Caddagh (around the same age as my ggf), son of Patrick, on the same ticket.  Here in Toronto they lived together at times, raised kids together and buried lost young ones together so I don't doubt that my ggf was raised in that town.    

Thoughts?  Comments?  Any help would be tremendously appreciated.  I thought of schools records as he was well read.  He also stated his religion in 1901 as Methodist.

Thanks everyone!  

 

Windwolvz

Monday 21st Nov 2016, 02:47PM

Message Board Replies

  • Windwolvz:

    Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

    I spent some time looking at Roots Ireland, the civil birth records on www.irishgenealogy.ie and the 1901 census and could not locate any new information or leads that might assist you with your longstanding effort to pinpoint where Robert was born and the names of his parents.

    I wanted you to know that someone had reviewed your message and made some effort to research your ggf. You may want to consider autosomal DNA testing. You may match someone who has info that may be helpful to your research.

    Roger McDonnell

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Monday 21st Nov 2016, 05:32PM
  • Thank you so much Roger for your help.  It is a tough nut to crack.  I am going to be in Ireland for my first time this coming spring and I am looking so forward to it.  I am planning to visit the area and hopefully come up with something new in the local library archives.  Do you know if there are any existing school records?  Also, there was a methodist church in Dromahair wasn't there?  I think so and they may be of some help.

    I am at the point now where I have to clearly think outside the regular strain of investigation.  I have considered the DNA testing but I'm not convinced of its efficacy.  Do you have any experience with it or someone you know?  Was it truly accurate?

    Once again Roger I thank you for your help and I will update with anything I find.

    Tracy

    Windwolvz

    Monday 21st Nov 2016, 11:39PM
  • Tracy:

    Hope you have a great trip to Ireland next spring. My wife and I just returned from Ireland late Saturday night from our ninth trip to Ireland.

    The Dromahair library branch is only open two days a week but I would e-mail them and see if they can assist with school records and whether there was a Methodist church in the area. http://www.leitrimcoco.ie/eng/Community-Culture/Library/Locations-Openi…

    I have taken two autosomal DNA tests, one with Ancestry and the other with Family Tree. I prefer Family Tree DNA.

    I have been able to break down one brick wall on a line in Donegal with DNA by comparing notes with one of my matches. Same with one line for my wife.

    Roger

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Wednesday 23rd Nov 2016, 12:19AM
  • Edgehill Methodist College in Belfast has a historian (Robin Roddie) who is, or was, gathering records and other data on all Methodist churches in Ireland. He was copying the surviving baptism and marriage records too. You might want to get in touch with him or his colleagues there to see if they can help trace Methodist records for Dromahair.

    http://www.edgehillcollege.org

    Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Wednesday 23rd Nov 2016, 10:15AM
  • Hi Roger,

    Thanks so much for the info on the library.  I will get in touch with them for sure.  Insofar as the DNA test, I am the daughter of the daughter of the son so in my mind, it would make more sense for my aunt to do the test following the paternal line rather than me as it would be the most direct and I guess accurate.  Don't know how she feels about that but I might ask.

    Thanks again for all of your help.  Any idea helps!!

    Tracy

    Windwolvz

    Wednesday 23rd Nov 2016, 03:03PM
  • Hi Elwyn,

    That's great!  Thank you for your help and its a great idea.  Was at a loss who to contact regarding the Methodists in Ireland and so this is a good move forward.  I'll update if I find anything.

    Tracy

    Windwolvz

    Wednesday 23rd Nov 2016, 03:04PM
  • Tracy:

    I would have your aunt and you take the test. Family Tree currently has a $59 special on the autosomal/Family Finder test.

    Roger

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Thursday 24th Nov 2016, 05:02PM

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