Martins of Magheracloone

[Mr J T Arthur]

Patrick and Margaret Martin born circa 1800 of Leons Beg, Magheracloone had at least three daughters and a son who came to Co Durham during the Famine period and married there. Rose Martin born circa 1836 was my great-grandmother, she married Patrick Keenan at Crook in 1855, Mary Martin born circa 1831 married Joseph White at Sunderland in 1854, Ann Martin born circa 1834 married Patrick Hoey at Sunderland 1854 and Philip Martin born circa 1830 married Ann Hanratty at Bishop Auckland in 1858. There was probably at least two other brothers named Patrick and Michael.

There is evidence that the Martins in Durham maintained contact with their folk back home as Ann Hoey born Sunderland 1872, a granddaughter of Patrick and Margaret Martin married James Joseph Duffy, a Carrickmacross merchant at Sunderland in 1895. J.J. Duffy had previously been married to Mary Ann McEntegart but she died in 1885 and one of their sons was Bernard Joseph Duffy (1882 - 1952) barrister, author and playwright.

Sadly Ann Hoey Duffy died 1903 at New Street, Carrickmacross aged 30 leaving her husband a widower for a second time with three infant children and was taken three miles for burial at the Rock Chapel cemetery next to where her Martin grandparents had lived. It was a large funeral attended by all the towns dignitaries as by then J.J. Duffy was also chairman of Carrickmacross Town Council.

Seeking information about above families and what become of the three Duffy children Anna Maria (1896), James Joseph(1898) and Mary Ellen (1899) who were orphaned on the death of their father in 1912.

JTA.

[JT Ahern]

Hello,

I'm researching a Bernard Martin and a Catherine Mary Duffy who married in Monaghan in 1852. I've traced them through their daughter, Elisha, who emigrated to Australia and married a William Jones. I've also found some information about Elisha's brother, Patrick, who owned a pub in Rockhampton, Queensland.

Would these Martins be related to the ones you mention? I'd appreciated any information you can give me about Bernard and/or Catherine and their families.

Kind regards,
Jessica Ahern.

[Mr J T Arthur]

Hello Jessica,

That is an old post (2007). After that I was in touch with a lady who must be related to you called Natalie who was descended from Elisha. I am familiar with your family and that marriage in 1852 at Magheracloone when Bernard Martin of Killaney married Catherine Mary Duffy of Leons Beg when one of the witnesses was Rose Martin, the name of my great-grandmother who also lived Leons Beg. Reading between the lines I believe Bernard was from Aghafad in the parish of Killaney and settled at Leons Beg after his marriage up to 1869 as most of his children's baptisms are recorded for that period and he is recorded there in GV in 1860 succeeded by Peter Hanratty in 1869 when he resurfaced in Aghafad possibly due to inheriting his father's land and moving back there.

Due to the lack of records I have not found it possible to establish if the Martins of Leons Beg and Aghafad were related; actually I was thinking we were more likely related through the Duffy family as the Martins and Duffys held almost all of the land in the south of Leons Beg adjacent to each other when the Tithe Books were recorded in 1828 so could have been intermarried with a good possibility that Catherine Mary Duffy and Rose Martin were cousins.

There does not appear to be a record of Elisha Martin's baptism and in my opinion that was only an acquired name as I have never seen it before in Monaghan Catholic registers so I would suggest her real name was either Elizabeth or Alice though Natalie did mention it might be Agnes.

Natalie said she was going to do further research but I never heard anymore from her after 2008.

Best wishes,
Terry Arthur.