Looking for more Information on the Thomas families from the Edergole area near Lough Eske

     Some time ago I posted on this site looking for more information about the Thomas families in Ballyshannon/Donegal area. Received some great information from Roger McDonnell and from Joan Patton (info@donegalancestry.com) that led to a better understanding of where my ancestors might have lived in the Lake Eske area.  According to the "Tithe Appointment Books of the early 1820's" there was a Philip Thomas and a Phil Thomas that were listed as spinners of wool in that area. I have recently uncovered some additional data on the family that emigrated from Ballyshannon in 1824 that might provide a further lead in my research.

     The obituaries that I have of some of the descendents of those in the Thomas family that emigrated in 1824 stated that they had "emigrated from "Ballyshannon, County Donegal.  We are now understanding that to mean that they left from Ballyshannon (which was then a port of embarkation from Ireland to the United States), but were more than likely from the Edergole area near Lake Eske.

     From the information that I have from the existing obituaries in the 1900"s, Philip Thomas emigrated to the United States in 1824 with three sons: John (probably born in 1792), Philip Junior (probably born in 1807 and James.  There is no mention of a wife/mother, so we think she was deceased prior to their leaving Ireland. After a recent review of these same obituaries, I found additional information that might lead to more leads in possible research. According to the reports that I have, John Thomas, the older son of Philip, "became a school teacher in Munster Township in Pennsylvania, resuming a profession that he had pursued in Ireland". Might there be some record of teachers in that area of County Donegal in the early 1820's? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

     We are planning a trip back to this area of Ireland in early April (our grandson will be competing in the World Championship of Irish Dance in Dublin) and want to continue our research into the Thomas family. With the fire that destroyed most records in Dublin in 1922, we fear that we may not be able to find much additional information, but hope to spend more time enjoying the area of my ancestors.

Ted Thomas (st.thomas2@att.net)