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Hello,

I am keenly aware that there are many, many Boyle families in Ireland.  What I am looking for is some guidance on finding what Irish county my 2nd Great Grandmother Elizabeth Boyle came from.  From there, I hope to find what town and parish Elizabeth grew up in.   I would love to find baptism records, marriage records of parents, siblings, etc.     Unfortunately, I do not have any idea what Irish county my 2nd Grandmother Elizabeth Boyle came from.   Elizabeth married James Reed on December 25, 1866 in New York City.  I have attached the marriage certificate.   They were married in a Catholic church.  The certificate does indicate that her parents were Ann Keely and William Boyle and both were from Ireland. It also indicates that one of the witnesses was a William Boyle.  This witness could have been Elizabeth's father or brother.    Her death certificate (also attached) does not list any parents, but indicates they were from Ireland.  The death certificate does not have a birth date, but does estimate her birth year to be 1838 (1889 - 51 years = 1838).  The death certificate also estimates her arrival in the US being 1860.   Now,  here is where it gets interesting.    It is family lore that Elizabeth had a twin sister, Bridget.     Bridget Boyle marries James Reed's older brother Charles Reed in ca. 1862.  I cannot find any record of Bridget and Charles' marriage.   However, Bridget passes away in 1920 and her death certificate indicates her birth date is June 11, 1838.   Additionally, it lists her parents as William Boyle and Nancy Burus (or Burns).   Since the death certificate (attached) information probably came from Bridget's daughter, the Nancy Burus/Burns person may have been a 2nd wife for William Boyle.    Not knowing where to start in Ireland for my 2nd Great Grandmother has been the highest brickwall for me.    If you can provide some help, I would be most appreciative.

Let me know if I can provide any more information and I will try my best to do that.

Thanks,

 

Tim Reed

    

Tim

Wednesday 5th Oct 2022, 09:27PM

Message Board Replies

  • Tim:

    I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and searched for baptismal records for an Elizabeth Boyle with father William and mother Ann. The earliest Elizabeth Boyle record was in 1848 in Co. Leitrim. No luck with Bridget Boyle either.

    The surname Boyle was found in every county in Ireland in the mid-19th century. By far, Co. Donegal had the most Boyle records and other counties in Ulster province also had a lot of Boyle records. 

    Maybe your next step is a DNA test. You should get matches with possible 3rd or 4th cousins and hopefully some on the Boyle line. Some DNA tests e.g. Ancestry also can provide some info on where in Ireland your DNA originates.

    Roger McDonnell

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Thursday 6th Oct 2022, 02:51PM

  • Thank you Roger for your reply.  I have had my DNA results posted on Ancestry for some time and using their DNA Matches & ThruLines tools I do not show any matches for Elizabeth Boyle or William, her father.    I will keep at it and hopefully come up with something soon.

     

    Best Regards,

     

    Tim

    Tim

    Thursday 6th Oct 2022, 03:51PM

  • Hi Tim

    Nancy is a nickname for Anne, so there is a chance the mother's surname was misrecorded in one of the records. 

    To narrow down possible counties of origin see John Grenham's map of where Boyle and Keely coexisted HERE.  If you can identify matching parishes in that list that correspond with the William Boyles listed in the Tithe Applotment records you may narrow down your potential starting points. 

    Hope this helps!

    Rua, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘︎

    Saturday 29th Oct 2022, 08:01AM

  • Hi Rua, 

    Thank you for your reply!!   I did not see it right away and I apologize for the lateness of my reply.  I found six (6) records in Griffith's Valuation that had both a William Boyle and Keely families.  I have attached them here.   However, in the Tithe Applotment records, I found only one matching county for William Boyle (Monaghan), but no matching parishes within Monaghan.   Not fully understanding what Griffiths Valuation and the Tithe Applotments represent, what other possibilities are there?  I appreciate the time you have put into this puzzle of mine.

    Thanks,

    Tim

    Tim

    Wednesday 23rd Nov 2022, 05:30PM

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