Monaghan Family from Baltimore, Maryland USA originating from Ireland but where?

[c_m_monaghan]

We are Monaghans from New Jersey, USA, and our Y-DNA haplogroup is R-M269.  We have been searching for our Monaghan ancestors without success.  Our immigrant ancestor was Daniel G. Monaghan, born about 1841 in Ireland.  Where in Ireland?  We have know idea.

He married Elizabeth McLaughlin in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on 12 Dec 1859 at St. John's Roman Catholic Church.  So he had to emigrate from Ireland some time before that.

Thus far I have found only one passenger list for the port of Baltimore showing a Daniel Monaghan (any spelling) -- assuming that he entered the USA via Baltimore.  Anyway, a Daniel Monaghan arrived in Baltimore aboard the ship Alexander on 29 Aug 1853 at the age of 12.  He was traveling with the following people:  Patrick Monaghan age 49 [b. abt 1804], Margaret age 19 [b. abt. 1853], James age 14 [b. abt. 1839].  It looks like Patrick was traveling with his children, no wife.  I have no proof that the Daniel Monaghan traveling in this group is my Daniel.

If there are any other Monaghans out there in Ireland whose family history includes a Daniel Monaghan that emigrated to the USA before 1859 and/or whose Y-DNA haplogroup is R-MS69, please let me know.

Thanks,
Cathy Monaghan
Rahway, New Jersey, USA

[Ruskie]

Welcome to rootschat Cathy.

I'm afraid I can't be of much help, but just have a couple of observations, which may or may not be relevant in your case.

I am not sure you can presume that Daniel arrived in Baltimore, just because he married there, so it may be wise to broaden the search to check for any other likely candidates.

I think the name would be reasonably common too.

Is there an obituary or death notice for Daniel which may give clues as to his place of birth? Does his age at death tie in with a birth of 1841 as per the Daniel who arrived in 1853? Even his wife's obituary may make mention of him. Might their headstones mention places of birth?

Regarding the Family who arrived in 1853 - not out of the question, but this Daniel would be quite young to marry in 1859. Have you tried to trace each member of this family, including their obituaries? (Working sideways via siblings can sometimes be useful). Try to see where this Daniel ended up ...

Do any of your Daniel's children have the same names as those of the family arriving in 1853? They are common names, but may hold some clues ....

Finally I have only very basic knowledge of DNA, however I think I am right in saying that R-M269 is very common and most Irish probably have this DNA. If you find someone who you suspect may be related to you, then further tests may be able to give a more accurate match.

[Ruskie]

I just had another thought ... I think you might get better replies if you posted this elsewhere, perhaps on the USA board with a subject heading mentioning the surname plus Ireland. I just don't think the DNA will solve this for you with any certainty.

Lots of the American researchers would have come across similar dilemmas and may be able to assist you with the family via the traditional means.

You can ask a moderator to move this for you and rename it. Let me know if you need help doing this.

PS. Have you joined a DNA surname project (they will match you with others who have a,so joined the project), or even a one name study?
http://www.one-name.org/cgi-bin/search.cgi?find=6195

[c_m_monaghan]

Hi Ruskie,

I know that Daniel may not have arrived in the USA via Baltimore, many came through New York and other east coast ports including Canada.  But most of these immigrants were poor and would have had to spend some time in those areas in order to earn enough money to travel/move elsewhere.

Both Daniel and his wife Elizabeth were born about 1841.  They married in 1859 at the ripe old age of 18 at St. John's Roman Catholic Church in Baltimore by the Rev. Father Dwight E. Lyman.

Other than their marriage record, I have found no other records whatsoever for Daniel G. Monaghan.  We know for sure when their son, my great great grandfather, was born in 1862.  Then Daniel's wife Elizabeth shows up in the Wood's Baltimore Directory living at 49 East Monument Street, Baltimore which means that she is the head of that household.  There are no listings in any of the prior Baltimore Directories that include her husband's name under any spelling of Monaghan.  And she doesn't show up in any of the prior directories because any entries would have been in her husband's name,  or, if they were living with a set of parents there would have only been a single entry for that head of household.

Elizabeth is remarried by August 1865 to Henry Fisher.  There is no obituary, no death certificate, no nothing for Daniel G. Monaghan.  The Civil War was raging at that time and he could have been a casualty of war or some epidemic.  But I can't find him on any of the  civil war rosters for either the Union or the Confederacy nor on any casualty lists.  So his disappearance, as well as his family and origin, remain a mystery.

-Cathy Monaghan

[Ruskie]

Well the age fits in with the Daniel who arrived in 1853. I understand that they would have been poor but still could have found ways and means to travel. Nevertheless the age, name and place of immigrant Daniel does fit in with what you know about your Daniel.

As I said, I know nothing of American research and apart from my earlier suggestions, I'm afraid I can't offer anything more. Hopefully someone else will be able to help.

If you want to trace the immigrant family in Ireland you will need to know place of birth at the very least, and even then Irish research is very difficult. (some might say impossible  )

[sarah]

Hi Cathy,

Welcome to RootsChat.

I have just moved your post to USA to see what more we can find out here first

Regards

Sarah

[Ruskie]

Thanks very much for moving the thread Sarah. I hope Cathy can get a bit more help here. I am out of my depth with USA records.