Gibbons, Burke and Carney families from Ballyart, Parke, Turlough, Castlebar

[bren1974]

Hi Mike

In the last few months, I've got a couple of records from Mayo Ancestors, and me and my cousin paid for a Gibbons family report from the North Mayo Heritage Centre.

Griffiths Valuation shows Michael, Tobias and Pat as the 3 Gibbons Ballyart landholders.

Michael (my great great grandad) died in 1896 aged 80. His wife Julia died in 1881 aged 85, with Michael as the informant. However, Julia had children as late as 1853, so it looks like her age is wrong on the record. She was probably nearer to 65 when she died.

Tobias granddaughter Maria Gibbons married Michael Burke around 1900. The Burkes left Ballyart in the 1950s, and I know some of the Burke family in Birmingham.

It looks like my great great grandad Michael and Tobias were brothers. They leased adjoining fields in Griffiths Valuation and shared the rent on another field. There's no death record for Tobias, but his name is on land records in 1882. He must have died between 1882 and the 1901 census.

We're not sure if or how Pat Gibbons from Griffiths is related to Michael and Tobias. He died in 1885 aged 74, so it's possible he was their brother. Pats daughter Biddy married Anthony Carney from Drunganagh, near Ballyvary in 1869. The Carneys left Ballyart in the 1940s.

We've also found my great great grandparents Michael and Julia had 4 children. Apart from Anthony and Mary, there were Michael and Patrick. Michael is head of house in Rockfield, Turlough and Patrick is head of house in Lower Cashel in both censuses. We also believe there was a 5th child, John. He is head of the other Gibbons house in Rockfield in the censuses. 

We think other Gibbons families from Griffiths in the area may originate from Ballyart, but there are no records available. An 1838 survey shows that Moran and Kelly were prominent surnames in Ballyart, so we don't know when or how the Gibbons came to be there.

[Teresa Wilcox]

I am descended from great grandparents Michael Gibbons (dob 1841) & Mary Quinn(dob 1843) married 20/2/1868 Turlough. The Tolans are my relations sharing our grandparents Patrick (dob 1/9/1870 and Bridget Howley married 1905.
My Father told me that the Gibbons' brothers of Rockfield were related both on their paternal and maternal sides.
The Gibbons family he seemed to think had arrived in Rockfield from Westport. However I do not have anything to back this up.
 My interest follows what you are doing and would be grateful if you have had any more success? I find everything very patchy.

[bren1974]

Hi Teresa

I've been researching the Gibbons family for a couple of years, but I didn't know about the Tolan family connection, until I read the article in the Parke/Turlough 100 year history book, which was released a couple of years ago. You may have already seen it, but there's a whole page about the Tolan's in Rockfield with photos and their history. It says that Michael Gibbons from Ballyart bought land in Rockfield in the 1860s. I don't have a copy of the book, but it does say who Michael bought the land from.

After reading this, I wondered who Michael was, as there were 3 Gibbons families in Ballyart in the 1850s. I found his marriage to Mary Quinn at Mayo Ancestors.com in 1868, which confirms he was from Ballyart. It also gives his father's name on the wedding certificate.........Michael Gibbons.....my great great grandad.

We are 3rd cousins. Your great grandad Michael and my great grandad Anthony were brothers. Their parents were Michael and Julia Gibbons. Your great grandad would have left Ballyart in the 1860s, while my great grandad Anthony took over the farm. He married Mary Walsh in 1878.

Our great great grandad Michael Gibbons died in Ballyart in 1896 at the age of 80. The informant was his daughter-in- law Mary Walsh.

Our great great granny Julia Gibbons died in 1881 aged 85, according to her death certificate. It says her husband Michael was the informant. This would mean she was born around 1796, however this is impossible, as her daughter Mary was born in 1853. She was probably around 60 when she died, and the wrong age is on the certificate.

The story passed down is that our great great grandad Michael was a bachelor living in Ballyart, and he employed a young girl, Julia, from the workhouse in Castlebar to cook and clean for him......and they got married !! We don't know Julia's maiden name or where she came from. Michael was known as Michael Mor (Big Michael.)

The Castlebar workhouse opened in 1842, so it's possible Julia could have lived there briefly before moving to Ballyart. Maybe your great grandad Michael was born around 1843-1844, as the census records are not always accurate ?

We'll never know if the story about Julia coming from the workhouse is true, but it looks like it is. Comparing passed down stories with birth/marriage/death records and it all matches up.

The parish records in Parke/Turlough began in 1848. My great grandad Anthony and his sister Mary were born in 1850 and 1853. Michael and Julia are listed as their parents. Your great grandad Michael and Patrick (who married Julia Kerins from Lower Cashel) were born in the early 1840s, so there are no birth records available for them. I have marriage records of Michael to Mary Quinn and Patrick to Julia Kerins which prove they came from Ballyart.

There are 2 Gibbons families in Rockfield in the 1901 and 1911 censuses headed by your great grandad Michael and John. Were they brothers ? If so, this would prove John was a 5th child of Michael and Julia.

I have a marriage record of John to Kitty McHugh in 1869 which says he is the son of Michael Gibbons. However, it doesn't give Michaels address. Anthony Gibbons was one of the witnesses - my great grandad and your great uncle.

I am also related to the Howleys. Where was your grandma from ?

We dont know how or when the Gibbons families came to be in Ballyart, and I haven't heard of a Westport link. Ballyart is about 2 miles from Rockfield. The Tolan family seemed to know a lot according to the book. I'd be grateful for any information.

If you send me your e-mail address via the inbox I can send you certificates, etc.


All the best


Brendan




 

[Teresa Wilcox]

Hi Brendan,
Not sure how to use the inbox as I have just joined and am not too hot with computer technology.
My father is the child shown on the 1911 cenus aged 5.
My grandmother Bridget Howley was from Lack and the eldest of her family. Her Mother was Mary Jordan. A member of her family had the Howley's pub in Castlebar. I have contact with descendents of her family.
Yes the story with regard to the brothers is what I had been told.
Where are you located? I am in Rio de Janeiro at present.
Teresa.

[bren1974]

Hi Teresa. I live in Birmingham, England and have visited Ireland a lot over the years. If you click on 'MY MESSAGES' you will see my e-mail address. Thanks for the info. Do you live in Rio or are there on holiday ?

[mulamae]

My research on the Mark McHugh line is that Mark was born about 1804 and died Aug 15, 1894 in Chancery.  I believe he was part of the McHughs in Carrowkeel, prevalent on the 1857 Griffiths Valuation for that townland, possibly a brother/cousin to James, Daniel, Patrick, William, and Peter.

He married Margaret Carney, who died Dec 28, 1903 in Chancery, age 90.  Their son Michael, who married Mary Gibbons, applied for a pension under the Old Age Pensions Act of 1908.  Proof of age was a requirement (http://censussearchforms.nationalarchives.ie/search/cs/home.jsp), so a search of the 1841/1851 censuses (since destroyed) was done.  However, the results of the search were filmed and the image is available online.  Michael's parents were listed as Mark McHugh and Margaret Canny (spelling or transcription error).  Since Michael had not yet been born the notation is that he was not listed on sheet 5 of the 1851 census.  Unfortunately, unlike searches completed for others who listed Toormore, the researcher did not jot down the names of the family members who really were on the 1851 census. 

Mark appears on Griffiths Valuation of 1857 as a landholder in Toormore East - adjacent to John Kearney and Patrick Kearney.  He also appears on the Landed Estates Court Rentals images as a tenant there in 1855 and again in 1878, when these lands were put up for auction.  He has 1 mention in the 1882 Petty Sessions register just for good measure.

I have found a marriage record for Mary McHugh, Currabrone (Toomore), daughter of Mark McHugh to Patrick Groark in 1871 in Keelogues, with 3 children following, Michael, Anne, Margaret.  Patrick died in 1877.  Annie appears on the 1901 census as Michael McHugh's niece, residing with his family.

My own interest is in my gggrandmother Catherine McHugh, who married Thomas Rowland, of Gort, Ross, Castlebar in 1876.  The Keelogues parish register seems to have a badly written/misspelled record which was unfortunately not recorded with civil authorities so I cannot verify her parentage.  Sigh.  But, there is a baptism registered Nov 10 1848 in Keelogues for Catherine, daughter of Mark McHugh and Margret, with William McHugh and Maria Carney, sponsors.  I think they are one and the same person.  And, Kate has a number of legal issues outlined in the Petty Sessions registers, including a stint in jail at one point.  Feisty.

[gortonboy]

Has anyone here had a DNA test?

[mulamae]

Just got my results from Ancestry.com last week.  Confirmed my Mayo and Down roots, so it was legitimate. Now, I am trying to get the various cousins it identified to respond to messages to fill in the blanks on connections.

[Lancs2Yanks]

I've not used RootsChat for quite some time and just re-registered to get involved in the McHugh/McCue conversation.

My mother, siblings and I have kits on Ancestry. Our direct maternal ancestor (and my current brick wall) is Eliza McHugh, born about 1835 in Ireland (but DNA tests show Galway/Sligo/Mayo as likely areas), daughter of James McHugh, shoemaker (as per her marriage record). She was in Manchester, England, by the 1851 census, but I cannot I can find her family. She married James Perry, also a shoemaker, in Manchester on 21 April 1857. Witnesses to the marriage were Simon Yates and Jane McHugh. I cannot be sure Jane is her sister. There's a Jane McHugh-Simon Yates marriage record for 1853, but I thought it odd her maiden name would be on the 1857 record as a witness if she were married to Simon in 1853.

Anyhow, I'm interested in connecting with McHugh/McCue descendants who have ancestry in these area and especially those whose ancestors ended up in Manchester in the 1850s. As did many, mine lived in and around Angel Meadow. That's a whole other story!

Interested, too, in trying to make connections via DNA. I've also got a kit on 23andMe and MyHeritage.

Regards,
Julia