Advice on finding David Fitzgerald, born 1826/1827

Amy,

Subscription Site  - www.rootsireland.ie  - has a record of 4 "David Fitzgerald" - 1824 - 1828. Two are 1826 and two are in 1827.

Mothers' names as follows: Cunningham, Meehan, Ronayne, Flavin. Perhaps you would get the names of David's parents.

You can access those 4 records at catholicparishregisters@nli.ie -  National Library  - Free

County Waterford is in the South of Ireland and Waterford City has an Archivist.

Regards,

I found a David Fitzgerald baptised in Stradbally County Waterford on Dec 3rd 1826. Parents transcribed as Lany Fitzgerald, possibly Larry, and Joan Mollan. 

Best of Luck

Amy:

The 1880 US census shows the four sons in age order: Patrick, Laurence, John and Thomas. I assume Patrick was the David in the obituary.

The four baptismal records that McCoy located had the following names for the fathers: John, Larry, Thomas and Maurice. I would discount the Maurice record since there was no son named Maurice. The other three records are as follows:

August 30 1826 RC parish Stradbally father John Fitzgerald mother no first name maiden name Cunningham

December 3 1826 RC parish Stradbally father Larry Fitzgerald mother Joan Meehan

January 18 1827 RC parish Ardmore father Thomas Fitzgerald mother Joanna Ronayne

I would lean towards the John record but that would be speculation on my part and there is always the possibility that his baptismal record was in a church that n0 longer has records back to the 1820s.

Roger McDonnell

Hello Amy,

To add to McCoy’s and Roger’s information:

According to the Adams County, Illinois, U.S., Card Index to Deaths, 1877-1990,” found at Ancestry.com, David Fitzgerald died on 7 September 1915. See the index below from Ancestry.com:

Adams County, Illinois, U.S., Card Index to Deaths, 1877-1990

Name: David Fitzgerald
Death Date: 7 Sep 1915
Death Place: Adams, Illinois, USA

Source: Ancestry.com
____

There is the possibility that the names of David’s parents are recorded on his death record. Without the names of his parents you will not be able to find where he was born in County Waterford with any certainty.

Birth records did not exist in Ireland when David was born, and so there may be a baptism record for him if the church where he was baptized has records that survive from the 1820s.

You can order birth, marriage and death records for certain years from the Adams County Clerk’s Office. Go to the following link for more information about ordering certificates: https://www.co.adams.il.us/government/departments/county-clerk/vital-re…

Also see: https://www.co.adams.il.us/government/departments/county-clerk/vital-re…

To apply for a death record occurring over 20 years ago in Adams County, fill out the application form at: https://tinyurl.com/5eee3wmv

At Ancestry.com I found the “Illinois, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1851-1900,”
for David Fitzgerald and Rosette McFarland, showing they were married on 13 April 1857:

Illinois, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1851-1900

Name: David Fitzgerald
Gender: Male
Spouse Name: Rosette McFarland
Marriage Date: 13 Apr 1857
Marriage County: Adams
Comments: This record can be found at the County Court Records, Film # 1845384 -1845385.

Source: Ancestry.com
____

Marriages this early may not record the names of the parents of the bride and groom, however. If you don’t have the marriage record it is also available from the Adamas County Clerk’s Office, which has marriages back to 1825.

The film number in the index above--1845384 -1845385—refer to microfilms in the Family History Library Catalog held by the Latter Day Saints (LDS). These films contain the Adams County Illinois marriage records for the years 1824 to 1923. The films are available at your nearest Family History Center. For more information about film numbers pertaining to Adams County vital records held by the LDS, see:
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/561038?availability=Family%…

Also Amy, do you know if David Fitzgerald had siblings who lived near him in Illinois? The death records of these siblings may possibly record the names of the parents.

The death records of David and Rose’s children would not record the names of their father’s parents, but they could possibly tell you where in County Waterford David was born. A town or a parish where David was born would be a help to determine if there are Catholic baptism records available for that location.

There is no guarantee however, that any of the death records of the Fitzgerald children will include the name of the town or parish in Waterford where their father, or mother, were born in Ireland.

IRISH NAMING PATTERNS

David’s obituary that you attached shows that he and Rose had eight children, four sons and four daughters. The obituary names these children as David, Lawrence, John, Thomas, Mrs. Katie Daniels, Mrs. J.W. Daniels, Mrs. Ann Pieffer, and Mrs. Nellie Sullivan.

I located the family of David and Rose Fitzgerald in the 1860, 1870, and 1880 U.S. census returns for Liberty, Adams County, Illinois. None of the three census enumeration show that David and Rose had a son named David. The oldest son they had was Patrick, who was five years old in the 1870 census.

If David and Rose followed Irish naming patterns, there is the possibility that David’s father was named Patrick.

Under Irish naming patterns the first-born son was named after his father’s father. The first-born daughter was named after her mother’s mother.

The second-born son was named after his mother’s father, and the second-born daughter after her father’s mother.

See the following irelandxo.com link for more information about Irish naming conventions and caveats: https://tinyurl.com/mr255hxz

In the 1870 census David and Rose’s six children, from oldest to youngest are:

Catherine, 12 years old
Mary, 11 years old
Anna, 9 years old
Patrick, 5 years old
Lawrence, 3 years old
John, 1 year old
____

Following Irish naming patterns, if strictly adhered to, David’s father would be Patrick and his mother Mary.

Rose’s father would be Lawrence, and her mother Catherine.

Be aware however that not all people in Ireland, or those who settled outside of Ireland, followed Irish naming patterns.

Best of luck with your research and Merry Christmas.

Dave Boylan

SOURCES

Ancestry.com
Adams County Clerk’s Office, Illinois
Latter Day Saints
Family History Library Catalog
irelandxo.com: Irish Naming Conventions and Baptism Traditions