Lafferty and Sinnott families? Possibly Oylegate

[bostonjan]

I'm searching for my paternal great-grandparents, Edward Sinnott (born appr 1849-1850) and Mary Lafferty (born either 1850 or 1858, US Census records show both) in Ireland.  Mary immigrated to the US in 1872.  I cannot find a record of their passage or their marriage.  Between 1874 and 1889 Mary bore 10 children, 6 of whom survived including Catherine, Nicholas, Edward, Mary, Julia (my grandmother who married Earnest A. Coffinger in 1908), and Martin.   Edward had an older brother, James Sinnott, born appr 1845. 

I really have no idea where in Ireland they hailed from.  My aunt had told me before she died that our ancestors were from "Ballymore" and "Baldemean", but that is very little to go on.
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Jan
PS: The two older women in this photo are Mary Sinnott and Julia Sinnott Coffinger (next to her husband of 50 years, Earnest Coffinger)

[shanew147]

Edward and Mary were born before the start of civil birth records, so you would probably need a bit more details to attempt a search of church records - e.g. a definite parish or town, along with parents names if possible. Unfortunately Ballymore is very a common placename - so doesn't really help, although Baldemean might...

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



Shane

[shanew147]

Is that your Edward and Mary on the US 1880 census in New York ?

Edward is a box maker and the address appears to be 352 10th Avenue..
Their three children Catherine (6), Nicholas (4) and James (3) - all born New York



Shane

[bostonjan]

Hi Shane,
Yes! The 1880 US Census lists my grandparents just as you've noted above.  I've been able to locate Mary (widowed) with Nicholas as head of household twenty years later in the 1900 US Census.  In 1900 they were living at 445 West 32nd Street in NYC (which is now where Penn Station is in NY, I believe).  The household then was:

Nicholas, Head of Household, Single, DOB: July, 1876, Age 23, "Heavy Box Maker"
Mary, Widowed, Age 42 (her DOB year is different here than on 1880 census but does list her immigration as 1872)
Edward, Brother to Nicholas, Age 18, DOB: May (?) 1882, "Assistant Shipping (?) Labor (?)"
Mary, Sister to Nicholas, Age 16, DOB: January, 1884, "Cash Girl"
Julie*, Sister to Nicholas, Age 13, DOB: October, 1886, "At School"
Martin, Brother to Nicholas, Age 10, DOB: July, 1889
and Joseph O'Donnell, listed as a 'border', Age 29, DOB: October, 1871, "Clerk in a Paper Store"
NOTE:  Nicholas' older sister, Catherine, is not listed on this Census and would have been 25 or 26 years old and on her own, I imagine.
*Julie is my grandmother, Julia Agnes Sinnott Coffinger.

It also lists Mary as having given birth to 10 children, only 6 of them living in 1900.  I know of one son, Joseph Miles, who had died between 1887 and 1900.  The youngest child, Martin Joseph, may have been named after his older brother who died.

Any help is great appreciated... I'm really at a road block, I feel

Thank you,
Jan

[shanew147]

I think searching for the marriage is the best course of action at the moment. Also double checking US sources for a more detailed locations for Edward and Mary. Where did the Co. Wexford, 'possibly Oylegate' clue come from - does this apply to Edward or Mary or both ?

Very few Co. Wexford parish records are available online at the moment - as far as I know transcripts of just 3 parishes are on the pay-website at RootsIreland (2 RC and 1 Church of Ireland). There are about 45 RC parishes in the county, and the dates for which records are available vary from parish to parish.

Some RC parish records are available on FamilySearch, with copies on Ancestry, but these are not comprehensive, and probably not helpful until you have a few more details. Some RC parishes have been filmed by LDS, but I dont think they include very many for Co. Wexford.


Shane

[bostonjan]

Thanks again, Shane.  I actually corresponded with Hugh Kelly at St. Aidan's in Enniscorthy as quite a few of the Sinnotts I had seen through research listed Enniscorthy as their birthplace.  Unfortunately, while there were Sinnotts baptized in the church, the years did not correspond with what I believe Edward's and Jame's birth years were.  It was Hugh who suggested that he believed both the Lafferty and Sinnott families were from Oylegate and I should check further there.

I did find a possible US Army enlistment record for James Sinnott last evening.  It listed him as volunteering in 1864 (US Civil War) and serving in Fort Kearney, Nebraska, discharged in 1876.  Perhaps that is why he is listed as living with Edward and Mary in 1880, I do not know.  The Army enlistment papers did list his birthplace as Ireland.  If, indeed, he is Edward's brother and if they both immigrated to the US together, they arrived earlier than I had previously thought.

I've exhausted the marriage record tries through the NY Brides and Grooms registry.  Nothing is found.

I'm hopeful, though, that the James Sinnott I have found may lead me to their place of birth (if, indeed, it is the *right* James Sinnott).

Jan

[shanew147]

The surname Sinnott and variations (e.g. Synott) is quite widespread in the south-east and Co. Wexford name, so I dont think it's very safe to narrow down the search area based on just that evidence.

Enniscorthy is about 10km north of Oilgate, and a separate parish.


Shane

[shanew147]

forgot to ask earlier - have you checked for death certs for Edward and Mary ?

US certs often include useful details such as parents names which could help confirm, or rule out, any other earlier findings.



S.

[bostonjan]

I'm honestly not sure how to go about finding their death certificates with so little information.  I believe they both died as residents of New York (based on Census years) but don't know how far back records go. I've checked online grave site listings and nothing is noted there.  Any suggestions?  Thank you!
Jan