Nelson Family, County Donegal, Malin

Ellie:

See fourth record for a November 22 1894 civil birth record for a Robert John Nelson. Family lived in Balleeghan Upper townland in Culdaff civil parish which borders Clonca parish. Also see 1901 census record. Is this your family?

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1894/02239/1843329.pdf

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Carthage/Balleeghan_Upper/1184487/

Roger McDonnell

Thank you so much, Roger!!

YES, this is a match! Although the info I thought I had been told as a child was that my grandfather was the oldest in his family and the first to emigrate to the US. I see from the 1901 census record that he was not the oldest.

I was told that he "sponsored" siblings to follow him to the Philadelphia, PA area. I remember meeting James, Minnie (who I assume according to this document had the formal name Maria), Catherine and Rachael. I also remember meeting Aunt Tillie (who must have been named Matilda) when she visited from Ireland, probably around 1960? 

I have a little more info from the Nelson family photo album that shows my grandfather, grandmother, father and uncle visiting relatives in Ireland perhaps in 1948(?).

Next BIG question is where would I go from here to find living relatives in Ireland? What would you suggest?

Thank you, thank you!

Ellie

Hi Roger --

This would be more recent info:

My sister made a trip to Ireland in 1974 and visited Aunt Tillie (Matilda) in Londonderry. Unfortunately she doesn't recall her married name.

Thank you!

Ellie

Ellie:

Matilda Nelson married John Boggs on April 22 1920. See first record

 https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1920/09259/5351857.pdf

See fifth record. They had a daughter Sarah Rachel in September 1921 

 https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1921/01176/1490004.pdf

Unfortunately our access to civil birth records stops in 1921 because of the 100 year rule for privacy purposes.

One thing you can do is take a DNA test. You may get matches on your Nelson line and the matches may be anywhere in the world Australia, America, Canada, Ireland etc.

I located the 1911 census http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Donegal/Carthage/Balleeghan_Upper/494738/  and you will see that Robert Sr. had died and that there was a Minnie and a Lena born after the 1901 census so that makes at least 13 children. Also, Rachel's mother wss living with them.

Robert Sr. died in 1904 See last record  https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1904/05628/4583150.pdf

I would try to sort out the 13 children, identify who came to America.

FYI  All my Donegal ancestors all came to Philadelphia.

I will do some additional searching.

Roger

Ellie:

I searched civil death and marriage records for the Nelson family and did not find any other marriage records other than Matilda. I also looked at the civil death records and di not find a record for Rachel Nelson in northeast Co. Donegal. The family may have moved to Derry or another county in the present dat Northern Ireland or they all emigrated to America or England or another country.

Have you tried Ancestry.com? Someone may have a Nelson family tree on Ancestry.

Roger

Thank you Roger.

I've contacted the Nelson relatives in the US that I know of and no one seems to have any more information than I do. It's really very sad that I didn't interview my relatives when they were alive.

I found the Driver's License that my grandfather had when he returned with my grandmother, father and uncle to County Donegal in 1948. It was in a photo album with pictures of their trip. They travelled on the Queen Mary. The pictures show them with groups of people, who I assume are relatives; however, there are only a few names written with some of the pictures in the album.

One picture identifies "Uncle Robbie Calhoun" and it looks like they are with someone who may have been his wife," Yvonne," and a young girl who looks to be about 10 yo, "Anita."

Is this information at all helpful?

Thank you again for all your efforts.

Ellie