Owen McQuaid/McQuaid and Sarah McGrath from parish of Killeshal, Co Tyrone

My great grandfather was Patrick McQuaid. His father was James McQuaid. 

St. Mary's RC Cathedral in Kingston, Ontario, Canada records show that on Feb 22, 1848, James McQuaid, son of Owen McQuaid and Sara McGrath, parish of Killeshal, Co Tyrone, was married to Mary Quinn, daughter of Daniel and Mary Keenan, parish of Donoughmore, Co Tyrone. St. Mary's records also show that Owen had anothwe son also called Owen.

I plan to visit Ireland in May 2017 and would like to track down relatives, family history, and related places. Also interested in where to stay and things to do.

DJMcQuaid
Sunday 11th December 2016, 06:38AM

Ireland XO Community

Message Board Replies

• I had a look at the RC parish registers for both Killeeshil and Donaghmore but I don’t see the 1848 marriage listed there. What’s your source for this information? Also do you know where and when Patrick was born?

  I do see a marriage for Owen McQuaid and Sara McGrath on 7.3.1819 in Killeeshil. (No addresses given though).

  You enquire about things to see in the Tyrone area. The usual must for most overseas visitors is the Ulster American Folk park, just north of Omagh. See:

  http://nmni.com/uafp

   

  Elwyn
  Sunday 11th December 2016, 09:47AM

• I am Daniel Joseph McQuaid, 3rd (born 1950 Muskegon, Michigan and live in Irvine, California), son of Damiel J. McQuaid, Jr. (born 1916 Denver, Colorado, married to Carolyn Ratigan, and died 1975 Los Angeles, CA), son of Daniel J. McQuaid, Sr. (born1883 in South Bend, Indiana, married 1883 to Martha Ann Binan, died 1983 in Denver, CO), son of Patrick F. McQuaid (born 1848 in Geneva, New York, married 1882 to Ellen Lorden from County Cork, died 1915 in South  Bend, Indiana),

  son of James MCQUADE (born about 1830 in Tyrone, Ireland, married 1848 to Maria Quinn in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, died 1869 in Geneva, New York).   Maria Quinn was born in 1829 in County Mayo, Ireland. 

  Note #1: St. Mary's RC Cathedral in Kingston, Ontario, Canada records show that in Feb 22, 1848 James McQuaid, son of Owen McQuaid & Sara McGrath, parish of Killeshal, Co. Tyrone, to Mary Quinn, daughter of Daniel and Mary Keenan, parish of Donoughmore, County Tyrone.  St Mary's records also shows that Owen had another son, also called Owen and the entry for his marriage to Catherine Fwery spelled the last name McQuade.

  Note #2: RC parish registers for Killeeshil show that Owen McQuaid married Sara McGrath on 7.3.1819 (no address given).

  Note #3: McQuaid family name spelled in some records as McQuade but the spouces & children are the same.  

  Note 34: The 1829 Tithe Applotment Book of Diocese of Armagh FHC Film # 258461, Killeeshil Parish, Townland of Aghanginduff 1829 to Map of Occupant Leasor Area Rate Val Acres lists #12 Owen McQuade 4-3-17.  Not sure what this means. 

  DJMcQuaid
  Tuesday 13th December 2016, 04:46AM

• You say in note 34 "Not sure what this means." The tithe applotment records were a set of records compiled for land taxation purposes. Those listed were mostly farmers. So what you are reading is that someone named Owen McQuade had a farm in Aghanginduff in 1829. I haven’t see the original document but would say that 4-3-17 is the size of the farm (ie 4 acres, 3 roods and 17 perches). So just under 5 acres. (40 perches in a rood, 4 roods in an acre).

  Whether that Owen McQuade is your Owen is not something that can be determined from the tithe records. You would need to have an idea where your family lived from other sources, to decide that. It’s worth considering too that the tithes only list those with land and only heads of household. So labourers, weavers, servants, people lodging with others etc are not listed. There could well be other Owen McQuaid households in the parish that do not appear in the tithes.

  I looked in Griffiths Valuation for Aghaginduff (as it is spelled there) in 1860 but there were no McQuade households listed, so that would suggest Owen had died or moved away by that time.

  Elwyn
  Tuesday 20th December 2016, 11:03AM

• St. Mary's RC Cathedral in Kingston, Ontario, Canada records show that in Feb 22, 1848 James McQuaid, son of Owen McQuaid & Sara McGrath, parish of Killeshal, Co. Tyrone, to Mary Quinn, daughter of Daniel and Mary Keenan, parish of Donoughmore, County Tyrone. I am trying to trace James and Sara back to Ireland. I can find James in the US census in 1860 and it notes that he was born in Ireland.  He was married to Marie/Mary Quinn.  Any possible relatives in Killleshal or Tyrone?   I will be visiting in May 2017.  Dan McQuaid, Irvine California

  DJMcQuaid
  Tuesday 27th December 2016, 07:22AM

• Elwyn - you noted that you found a marriage for Owen McQuaid and Sara McGrath onn 7.3.1819 in Killeeshil with out an address.  What was your source? Any parents listed or DOBs?  Dan McQuaid

   

  DJMcQuaid
  Sunday 26th February 2017, 06:29AM

• Dan,

  The Killeeshil RC parish records are on-line free on the National Library site:

  http://registers.nli.ie/parishes

  No, you won’t get parents’ names or the bride and grooms ages from an early 1800s marriage register. Normally all you get are the couples’ names, the date and their two witnesses names. Occasionally a townland (address) but that’s usually it.

  Researching in Ireland in the early 1800s can often be very difficult due to the lack of records.

   

  Elwyn
  Monday 27th February 2017, 08:08AM

• Elwyn - your earlier post referenced that you found a marriage 7.13.1819 for Owen McQuaid and Sarah Mcgrath..  What was the source?  I checked the link you provided for parish register but it does not have a search function.  Can you be specific?  Thx. Dan McQuaid

   

  DJMcQuaid
  Tuesday 28th February 2017, 04:43AM

• Dan,

  I double checked and the marriage appears to be in the adjacent parish of Tullyallen. There is a search function that allows you to search by marriage, year and month on that NLI site.

  http://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000632559#page/104/mode/1up

  Witnesses to the 1819 marriage were William McCormick and James O’Brien.

  Elwyn
  Wednesday 1st March 2017, 10:03AM

• I had four years of High School Latin taught by Sacred Hearts priests from Ireland but 48 yeas later I am pretty rusty.  This document has an unclear McQuaid and Saram McGrath.  It is hard to tell the first name.  Is it Eugene in Latin? My relative was Owen McQuaid.  The location and time period would be right for my folks.  Any suggestions, clarifications, other resources or possible next steps?  it would be great if I could locate relatives living in the area when I visit in May.  Big thanks.  Dan

  DJMcQuaid
  Thursday 2nd March 2017, 04:40AM

• Upon further research the name Owen can be traced back to old Irish Eugenious.  it appears I have pretty solid documentation that my 4th greatgamndfather Owen McQuaid was married in 1819 in Tullallen, Tyrone. 

  I hope to find birth or baptismal records for Owen and Sara's children - sons Owen McQuaid and James McQuaicd (my 3rd greatgrandfather)and a daughter Margaret McQuaid.  These three children appear in marriage records at St. Mary's Cathedral in Kingston, Canada.  Owen and Sara are listed as the parents in one recored from the "parrish of Killeshal", in another "parrish of Donoughmore" and another "of this city" (Kingston).  Based on "of this city" I assume Owen and Sara made it to Canada.  However, I know from US Census records that James was born in Ireland.   McQuaid and McQuade are both used in the records for Owen and Sarah (note the "h" in Sarah that was not found in their Irish marriage records in 1819. 

  I hope to be able to find the 5th greatgrandfather and also relative McQuaids now living in Ireland. I would like to talk with the parrish priest or find records while travelinng to Ireland In early May.  

  I appreciate the reply posts and research done by volunteer ELWYN.  Thanks.

  Dan McQuaid

  DJMcQuaid
  Sunday 5th March 2017, 01:18AM

• Dan,

  Yes Eugenium is the Latin for Owen.

  Unfortunately as you will have observed, most RC marriage registers for that period contain little more than the couples names, the date and their 2 witnesses. So no parents names, no townlands or occupations. Nothing that would enable you to narrow the search.

  Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church (assuming that they didn’t both come from the same parish anyway) so it’s possible she was from Tullyallen, and the groom from somewhere else (probably not too far away since most courtship was done on foot).

  The baptism records for Killeeshil and Donaghmore are on-line on the NLI site. The parish priest doesn’t normally have any other records, save for much more recent ones ie 20th century records. The priest may be able to tell you about families of those names in the congregation today but he is unlikely to have any other documentary records. (Do make an appointment, and don’t turn up unannounced).

  Unless there’s someone especially interested in family history, most families in Ireland would only know their ancestry back about 3 generations, so to 1900, say. They usually won’t be able to name family from the 1820s. So DNA testing is probably the only way to tie up with others from your family.

  Regarding spelling of names like McQuaid and McQuade, or Sarah and Sara, it will vary. The idea of a single correct spelling is very much a 20th century concept to meet the needs of modern officialdom. Nobody bothered in the 1800s, especially if you could barely read or write, and the spelling then was often down to the whim of the official recording the information. But even with literate people you’ll often see it vary.  In Irish, the spelling of a surname often varies according to the sex of the individual and the case or context that it is being used in, and so for example in the genitive case you add an extra “I” to most names. The O and Mc/Mac prefixes are also completely detachable, and can also be replaced by Mhic, Nic or Ni for women. And so on.

   

   

  Elwyn
  Sunday 5th March 2017, 08:33AM