Maher family in Kilkenny

[jor77]

Elizabeth Maher of Kilkenny b.1840 seems to have run away with James McDermott of Kilkenny b.1838 to London in 1860 where they married and eventually, 1863, sailed to Melbourne Victoria on "Great Tasmania'.  They are my mother's grandparents and I would love to have some feed back on their Irish roots.

[shanew147]

Elizabeth & John were both born well before the start of civil birth records in 1864, so you will need to check for church records to see if you can locate baptisms for them. To this this you need two vital details : the denomination of these families , and also their precise location - i.e. the townland, town or parish. Have you death certs for Elizabeth & John ?

Not all parishes have records back to the 1830s and 40s, so knowing the location is quite important.

see :  Introduction to Irish Records
         My Ancestor came from Ireland - where do I start?   

Probably the best place to start would be with a search for the marriage, as this would show father's names etc which could be useful evidence for further searches. Do you have dates and locations for the births of the children ?
This could help you narrow down possible marriages...


Shane

[jor77]

Thank you Shanew for your help. I have since found that both their families immigrated to England and that James McDermott was born there. Elizabeth McDermott (Maher) died in Melbourne after a long and happy life. James died much earlier. I will continue to try and find their roots in Ireland with your good advice.