SWEETMAN/CONNELL - Skibbereen

[ajf25]

I'm trying to connect people whom I imagine are closely related, but alas I have no proof.  I know research is notoriously difficult in Ireland, especially if like me, you're on the other side of the world.

Here goes; it is rather convoluted:

William Connell and Jane Sweetman had 5 children (that I know of), the first three being born in Skibbereen.  Richard (1830), James (c1832), Martha (1833).  Then came Eliza Ann and William.  All 5 died in Australia.

Richard married Emily Jane Morris in Maryborough, Victoria, Australia in 1855 and witnesses were Matthew and Ann Sweetman.  I've established that Matthew and Ann came to Australia along with their infant daughter, Eliza in Oct 1852 on board the Delta.  Note: Sweetman and Sweetnam seem to be interchangeable.
Matthew's death registration names his mother as Eliza Connell.  What I'm hoping to establish is what the relationships were.  I imagine Richard and Matthew are related but I'd like to know how closely.

I also know nothing of William Connell and Jane Sweetman other than their names and the fact they were the parents of the 5 aforementioned.

Cheers,
Alison 

[skibbgirl]

Hello Alison,

I had a quick look in the online church records at http://www.irishgenealogy.ie but alas, matching records are not easily forthcoming.

Some possibilities:

-- The indexing is hideous, and Sweetnam may be Swetnam or Sweete or maybe even Sweeny if somebody is careless.  Connell might be indexed as Connelly.  I have seen other indexing horrors but I'm assuming the names are not too mangled.

-- Some Skibbereen records don't start until the 1830's (Castlehaven, which has no marriage records); the 1840's (Kilmacabea).  Some Skibbereen parish records are horribly faded, which calls any indexing on them into question. Somebody needs to extract the images and try to improve the contrast on them.

May I ask what records do you have that indicate they were in Skibbereen.  If the record implies they were from the Poor Law Union of Skibbereen (rather than the market town) then that was a considerably smaller land area at the end of the famine, when Skull and Clonakilty PLUs were carved out of Skibbereen.  It is probably natural when you are far from home and somebody asks "where are you from" to give the name of the nearest large town.

I had a quick look at the Tithe Applotment records I have copies of.  There are a few William Connells in some of the local parishes. Skull parish shows a William Connell two lots away from Austin, Mathew and Samuel Swetnam.  That's in or near a townland called Letter.  In Aghadown parish, in the townland of Knocknaraha are a William Connell and a Luke Swetnam next to each other.

I just gave a presentation today on using autosomal DNA testing as a family history research tool to land yourself in the general ballpark of the right research area.  You may want to add that to your research arsenal.


An additional question: Was this family Roman Catholic?

[ajf25]

May I ask what records do you have that indicate they were in Skibbereen. 
An additional question: Was this family Roman Catholic?

Richard's marriage certificate says he's from Skibbereen.  They married in the Court House but with the rites of the Church of England.

Richard's sister Martha married Freke (various spellings; Fricke, Fuke, Freak etc) Payne in Aghadown in 1855.  To make things more confusing, Martha's son John married Richard's daughter Jane ie his first cousin,  in Australia.  This is why I'd love to find out all the relationships as they are all my direct ancestors.

I've found Freak (recorded spelling) in the 1853 Griffith's valuation - Townland Rathmore, Parish Tullagh.  I've also found some  of Freke and Martha's children born and/or baptised in Tullagh and one who was born and died in Skibbereen.  Rathmore was obviously very important to the family as the name was used for a number of properties here.  In John's obituary is says that he was born in Baltimore.

Hope that helps.  I may need to get some more death certs. to find out if they have birth places.

Richard married Emily Jane Morris in Maryborough, Victoria, Australia in 1855 and witnesses were Matthew and Ann Sweetman.

Matthew's father was also a Matthew.

Thanks,
Alison

[shanew147]

Church of Ireland records (equivalent to CofE, and united at this time) for West Cork are not included on the IrishGenealogy website.

The town of Skibbereen is divided between two civil parishes - Creagh and Abbeystrowry. These usually correspond to CofI parishes.

The Representative Church Body Library (RCBL), Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin hold many of the available records for Church of Ireland parishes and thier list show records for Abbeystrowry with baptisms for the parish back to 1778, and  marriages, death/burials back to 1785. The only historic records I see listed for the parish of Creagh are marriages from 1845 (effectively civil records).

...
I've found Freak (recorded spelling) in the 1853 Griffith's valuation - Townland Rathmore, Parish Tullagh.  I've also found some  of Freke and Martha's children born and/or baptised in Tullagh and one who was born and died in Skibbereen. 
....
In John's obituary is says that he was born in Baltimore.
...

The civil parishes of Tullagh and Creagh are adjacent, and  Abbeystrowry is immediately east of Creagh.

Unfortunately I dont see any historic records for the CofI parish of Tullagh (Baltimore) - oldest baptisms listed by the RCBL are from 1906.


Shane

[ajf25]

Thanks for looking Shane,

I sort of thought I'd be sending people on a wild goose chase.

Alison 

[shanew147]

Have you seen Slater's directory of 1846 ?

I see several names of possible interest in the Skibbereen listing - a John Sweetman, Mrs Freke..

see : http://www.failteromhat.com/slaterm.htm


Shane

[Sonas]

Have you seen this family tree (hope it's not your own!!!)? Starts with a Sweetnam marrying a Connell. There are still Sweetnams in Skibbereen. Might be worth a letter - it's not a usual name.


http://learysweetnam.com/sweetnamfamilytree/index.html

[ajf25]

Have you seen Slater's directory of 1846 ?

I see several names of possible interest in the Skibbereen listing - a John Sweetman, Mrs Freke..

see : http://www.failteromhat.com/slaterm.htm
Shane

Interesting that they're listed under Gentry and Clergy.  I wonder if Freke, Mrs ..... means the surname is the missing part.  The time frame would certainly be correct, but for the previous generation, still a Freke Payne.

Have you seen this family tree (hope it's not your own!!!)? Starts with a Sweetnam marrying a Connell. There are still Sweetnams in Skibbereen. Might be worth a letter - it's not a usual name.
http://learysweetnam.com/sweetnamfamilytree/index.html

Thanks for the link - It's not mine.  I'd seen a pdf online from learysweetman with some information; all of which sounds very much like an extended branch of my family tree, but there was no contact details. I'll certainly follow it up.

Thanks to both of you
Alison   

[Sonas]

On that link I posted, noticed afterwards that there is a Matthew and Anne Sweetnam mentioned and they went to Australia. Wondered if they might be the same couple you mention in your opening post.