Carr family, Tonbane, Fanad

Mary,

Can you provide some dates, even if approximate? Thanks.

Hi Patricia

I have George Carrs date of birth around 1845/48..not really too sure, and he died  on 18th November 1908

I have attached his marriage details too,

Many thanks

Mary 

Hello, Here's a transcription of a baptism for a George Carr born in 1855. Father is James. Don't know if he's your George.
church Baptism Record
Name:George CarrDate of Birth:16-Jan-1855
Date of Baptism:24-Jan-1855
Address:Parish/District:CARNDONAGH
Gender:MaleCountyCo. Donegal
Denomination:Presbyterian
Father:James CarrMother:Ann Campbell
Occupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:
Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:
Notes:
Notes are disabled for this record.

Here is George in the 1901 census, which says he was 58.That would make his birth date around 1843. I correct, the 1855 Carndonagh George could not be your George.

1901 Census Record
Household Number5District Electoral Division:FANAD WEST
Address:Tonbane GlebeParishCLONDAVADDOG
CountyCo. Donegal
First NameSurnameOccupationAgeRelationshipDenominationMarital StatusOrigin
GeorgeCarrFarmer58HouseholderRoman CatholicMarriedCo Donegal
JohnCarrFarmers Son15SonRoman CatholicNot MarriedCo Donegal
SarahCarrNot Recorded52WifeRoman CatholicMarriedCo Donegal
Notes:

Hi Patricia

I did find that George from Carndonagh, with his father James. That is the only George I have found. Also George in Carndonagh is Presbyterian, and in the Census 1901 it shows George as a Catholic. I do have my doubts. George was not a really Catholic name in the mid 1800s, at least not to my knowledge. I do remember my Mother saying that she thinks he came from somewhere else, it may have been Creeslough, or even Carndonagh. Thanks for your help though, I do appreciate it. I hope I find out some day.

Mary 

Mary, I have Carrs from Tobane but know little about them. I did meet a few of them when I was in Ireland yrs aga and a few lived here near Phila.  I found a cousin on my Ancestry acc't she might have some info , I can find out. I also have a Martin cousin who still lives in Clonvaddog but she knows more about the Carrrs then I do.If you did a test I have my number A960797 you can compare, Anyway i found this record probably the one you saw first see most of those Donegal records are kept in the next town of Milford, I went there to find records for myself.I think it was the customs house but not sure now. It will not let me post the record here but it says death Oct-Dec 1908 that would be the Nov 18th 1908 record. It shows him age 60 so it would make 1848 as birth. The 1901 census not sure if you posted shows his age as 58 that would make the birth 1843. You have to realize many of these records hold wrong dates of birth. Especially in Donegal I found many people changed their age by 10 yrs to get the pension. If I find something else I will post here for you. Good luck. Mary Martin

Mary I found a 1911 census showing a Sarah with son John if this is the family. She has her age as 72 should be younger if born 1849 but as I said they changed their age to get pension. My grandfather did the same thing. sorry spelled someone wrong on the file. try to open it or go to 1911 census and see it.

Hi May..good to hear from you, and thank you so much for going to the effort to help me in my quest. My mother is a Carr from Tonbane and she filled me in with the family history, but she actually did not know a lot about her father John (who is the census of 1911, with Sarah as his mother that you have mentioned). she thought John was an only child, but he had about 2 brothers and a couple of sisters all who died quite young and as teenagers...I'm thinking TB or Cholera. I appreciate your help here. Both my parents are from Fanad and I do know quite a bit of history etc from the area, plus I lived there for a while, but I am grateful for the knowledge you have shared. Yes that is my great grandfather George who died in 1908. His birth is the problem as I cannot find his birth, but I do have his marriage details... and you are right about changing dates etc for pensions. But its so confusing for us now trying to find our ancestors.... Are you on Ancestry as 'mayofireland'?

Many thanks

Mary 

Mary, I found a 1901 census that inluded George shows him ,Sarah and son John. geore is listed as 58 age in 1901 yet in 1909 when died listed as 60. Years were often wrong. That 1911 census I don't think it will open for you. Go to Nat'l census Fanovolty West find Tonbane you will see. the 1911 Sarah has changed her age from 52 to 72 again for the pension. I think the son John is 15 then 10 yrs later 28. 

Mary

About the name George among Catholics in Fanad.

My name is George Deeney. I am the 4th George Deeney. The original George Deeney was baptized in Massmount on 17 March 1852. His mother was named Catherine Doherty of Ballycallan. He had two first cousins named George. One was a George Doherty (of Ballycallan) and the other a Patrick George Dunleavy (mother Una Doherty of Ballycallan). They were named after an uncle named George Doherty who was born probably around 1828. There were other cousins in various degrees with the first name of George (Sweeney. Friel)

One very old man who knew my great-grandfather's family told me years ago that the name George was a sign of connection to the Doherty family of Ballycallanm

Mary

Yest I am mayofireland, you can write me mayofireland@yahoo.com email if you want. My Carrs are from Nrth Fanad as yours are West Fanad. I have a Carr cousin still liiving age of 103 and smart as a whip, I talked too her granddaughter. bye

May..thanks for picking up on George and Sarahs age, I have looked at the census and never realised the age was wrong. I will drop you an email 

Mary

George Deeney

Thanks for that information, that is very interesting about the name George, I have not heard that about the connection to the Doherty family. I also had to look up where Ballycallan was, much as I know the Fanad area, I did not know where it was. I will do some more research into what you have told me. If I come up with something I will contact you.

Many thanks again

Mary 

Hello Mary, 

While looking up what records are available for your family on ancestry.com, I can I have come across you own  Mary Woods Family Tree. You have amast an impressive amount of information already, it is a fabulous family tree taking in a few interesting Fanad families, however I see that you have had no luck as of yet finding a Birth record for George Carr that seems to have been born in or around 1845. 

This link below displays what Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths Records are available across the County of Donegal with giving also the various locations and various religious interests. You will notice that the nearer you come to the mid to early 1800’s the less and less records are available. 

COUNTY DONEGAL (Roots Ireland List):  Years that available Registers & Records started to be recorded in Co Donegal 

It is unfortunate for you when it comes to the Parish records for the Parish of Clonadavaddog (Fanad & Glenvar), the Catholic Church Records start to be recorded in 1846 (Massmount Chaple) which is only be a year or two BEFORE the dates you require. I sympathize that you really want to find that Birth Record for George more then anything else but my advice to you is to simply accept that the Birth of George Carr happened at a time just before Birth Records were being registered and not to worry or spend any more time on it than you have already. To be honest the Marriage record for George Carr gives you nearly the exact the information that you would have gotten on a Birth record. It would have given you the exact date of Baptism and his mother's name, but a part from that, it would only have shown his father as being a James Carr and nothing more as regards location of residence or anything like that. 

A few links below that may be of interest to you: 

1847-1870 Clondavaddog - Ancestry.co.uk   Massmount Register 1847- Start Page 

1847-1870 Clondavaddog - Familysearch.com   Massmount Register 1847- Start Page 

Lindel’s Site:   Donegal Genealogy Page 

This is a link to Lindel Buckleys site for the Parish of Clonadavaddog:  http://donegalgenealogy.com/clondavadogproj.htm 

Within it we have very useful lists of families, one of which is Carr famiies from Fanad. 

RC Births to Carr Fathers ~ Carr Mothers 

These all important and extremely helpful lists were compiled by no other than George Aloysius Deeney who has commented above already within this post. I hope George does not mind me expressing my sincere gratitude to him for the much work he has done and making it all this information available for whomever needs it in the many years to come.  

I will come back to you again on this again as soon as I can, but  I might ask now is there anything that you can pinpoint in particular that you might like.  

Kindest Regards Seamus Callaghan 

Volunteer for Parish of Clondavaddog  

(North-West Donegal) 

P.s Thank you George, May and Patricia for helping with this query 

Hi Seamus

Thank you so much for all the information that you supplied. I am so grateful. I was living in Rinboy from 2018 to 2019, and I had the time to really research my tree, and talk to people who would have known families and the nicknames too. I also had the Church Records which gave me a lot of information too. I did find out through this site, using Griffiths Valuation records, that there was a James Carr living in Tonbane around the time George Carr was born. So that settles my initial query, as I though maybe George had come from another part of Donegal. I know George and his wife and children who died, are all lying in Massmount. No marker on their grave sadly, such was the times. I;m glad I used this site as I have had so much help and information that I will use going forward. The Griffith Valuation records also have a fantastic old map of the Fanad area, with much of the sea and shore area named as my Mother would have called them in her day, and most still do. Your own family tree on Ancestry is fantastic too Seamus. I am still looking at it, it is so large and informative. Through my Mothers side I am related to McAteers, Shiels, Carrs, McGinleys, Wards, Friels, McGrenaghans etc....and so many more. My Fathers family came from England and his Father ran the granite quarry for years in Fanad. His family research was easier as many of the English/Scottish records go back much further, and their census records too. I did find out we are related to the Disney family as well!! Nice surprise there!!. 

You ask if there is anything I can pinpoint that I would like. All I can say is everything associated with history and ancestors in Fanad is my passion. If you ever do find anything else of interest, please post it. If I can help you with anything too, I would be glad to. I do have photographs from years ago, and many pictures and documents from the Granite quarries too that I would be glad to post up, as many Fanad men worked there and it saved a lot from having to emigrate, 

I cannot wait to start looking through the links you sent me Seamus....I'm sure I will find many more I am looking for.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer me. I am passionate about my Fanad heritage and will continue to add to my tree.

Also thanks again to George, May and Patricia for their help.

Cheers

Mary Jane Wood