Mary McGuirk and George Ellis of Powerscourt.

This is my query - mistakenly uploaded as a file. My apologies.

According to the Enniskerry RC records my gg grandparents Mary McGuirk and George Ellis were married 24/10/1827.  I have baptism records for their ten children: William 15/10/1828, Frances 29/11/1829, Catherine 25/4/1832, Thomas Oct 1834, Mary Ann 13/5/1837, Teresa 1/9/1839, Julia 5/6/1842, George 25/8/1844, James 13/3/1847 and Margaret 5/5/1850.  All of the baptismal sponsors names are ‘McGuirk’ or McGuirk relatives: Lamb, Mahon, McAnnery, Doogan, Sutton and Byrne.  The Ellis family name appears on the Griffiths indexes in Ballycoyle, Ballylerane and at their home, Oldboleys.

I have been trying to decipher this family by using the naming convention as a base, (assuming that they stuck to it).  I suspect that my Mary McGuirk might have been the one baptised in Bray on 10/2/1805, daughter to Thomas and Catherine McGuirk.  I also notice that the name Teresa does not feature in Irish baptism records at this time, and wonder where it comes from.

There is no record of any other Ellis family in the parish at the time, and given that his family is missing from the list of baptism sponsors, I have always assumed that George came from afar, but to date have not been able to locate exactly where.  I know that George was living until the mid-1860s, but I can find no record of a death or burial for George or Mary Ellis.

Seven of the children (Frances, Catherine, Thomas, Julia, George, James and Margaret) migrated to Australia and their lives are well recorded.  Teresa married Patrick McGuirk and their first three children were born in the parish before they moved to Manchester.  I have reason to believe that Catherine travelled to USA with another McGuirk family (Michael & Catherine McGuirk).  I have not been able to find any record of the life or death of the eldest son, William Ellis; I do not know if he stayed in Co Wicklow. 

This family also ‘adopted’ another son, George Sherwin, when he was only a very small child.  George Sherwin was said to be a relative.  He was the same age as the younger George Ellis and they came to Australia together.  I can find no Sherwins in Co Wicklow. 

I would love to know what happened to Mary and George and their eldest son William.  Any extra information about this family would be very welcome.  Thanking you in advance. 

Kind regards, Clare Dubay.