Looking for Info on Bernard O'Connor

joandrum,

You mention Motalee. In the 1831 census for that townland, there was one Connor there (Charles). He had 4 in his family (1 male and 3 females). All were RC. In Griffiths Valuation for 1859 there were 2 Connor households. Edward & Charles, both had houses and small gardens. So typical farm labourers cottages. By 1901 there were 39 houses in Motalee with a total population of 159. None named Connor (or O’Connor).

The O’ and Mac prefixes in Irish surnames are detachable and are often dropped or used at whim.

If your Bernard comes from the Motalee area, a problem that you face is that the local RC parish records only start in 1848. There are no records for someone born c 1795. And that’s a general problem across rural Ireland. There are RC parishes with records from the early 1700s but most didn’t start keeping them till the 1820 (and later in some cases such as this). So very difficult to trace the family of someone born in 1795 especially if you aren’t certain where they came from.

The name Connor/O’Connor was fairly common in Co Derry. I see 159 households in the 1831 census.

Hi Elwyn,

Thanks so much for checking. I just noticed I wrote 1895 dob instead of 1795, but you understood what I meant. It's been a challenge to find anything since so few records from that time have survived, as you mentioned. Bernard had come to the US by 1831 because his first child was born in 1830, so I imagine his brother is the one showing up in the census if Bernard was in fact from Motalee.

Thanks again
Joanne