c1830-1890 Purtell/Purtill family including teachers in Cahir

[kob3203]

This stems from a scanned letter posted in the handwriting forum here at RootsChat - "Letter From Ellen Purtill To Mr Going (Probably 1890s, Cahir Co Tipp)". The letter was apparently included in a bundle of papers dated to the 1890s. The letter and papers (including a 300 page maths manuscript, likely to be the 'book' referred to in the letter) belong to somebody in Cahir who recently contacted me, believing my great-grandmother Ellen Purtell to be the letter writer. I'm now fairly certain (90% ?) that the Ellen Purtell who wrote this letter is NOT my great grandmother. But it's quite likely that she's somebody else's. Here's my transcription of the letter:


Abbey Street
July 22nd
Mr Going
Sir
I ask pardon for sending you this note and book. My father Edmond Purtell in his last illness many times bade me convey to you his heartfelt thanks, and that you and your family would have his blessing and also if he found favour with the Almighty that he would remember you. He often expressed a wish that he would like this book to be in your possession. I send it to you now, hoping you will accept of it, some member of your family may find it interesting and instructive. Wishing you sir and your family a blessing from God is the prayer of my mother and myself.
Ellen Purtell


My contact has given me some further information, but I'd like to see if RootsChatters will independently build up the same connections that he has. (And of course I'm also hoping that something new will be turned up about my great-grandmother's family, who I don't think are related to these Purtells)

Pete

[Gaudcent]

Hi - I have just started researching the Purtill family in Cahir. My mother-in-law was a Purtill, born in Cahir, and my wife has just inherited some property in the town. She is descended from Edmund Purtill - there seem to have been 2 men of this name living in Cahir during the 1860s, and my wife is descended from the one who worked as a labourer (rather than the one who was a school master). It would be great to make contact and compare notes with you.   Geoff

[kob3203]

Hi Geoff,

Apologies for the delay in replying - last time I was here was way back in July ! I haven't looked at any of my family history stuff since then, so it'll take a while for me to get back into it. But here's what I found from a quick check through my records.

My great grandmother Ellen Purtill born in 1869 is the only person we're 100% certain of - we have several photos, her marriage certificate (stating her father's name Edmond Purtell), and from that we tracked down what we believe is her birth record, 1 Jun 1869 Cahir, which gives her mother as Joanna Sweeney.

We're fairly certain that Ellen's father was the labourer Edmond Purtell as that's what it says on both the birth and marriage records.

We knew nothing at all about Ellen's family, but based on her parents names from the marriage/birth records we found three other birth records that could possibly be siblings of Ellen's - John, Mary J, and Edmond.

Even more tentatively Joanna Sweeney's parents could be Edmund Sweeney and Mary Eyers (I can't remember where that possibility came from).

That's about the extent of what we know. If you send me a message I'm very happy to share the details. 

Cheers,
Pete

[kob3203]

I just had another look at the notes I have for Ellen's three potential siblings. Whereas Edmond is a good match with the date, place, father, and mother on Ellen's birth record, John and Mary have mother's name given as Judith (not Joanna) even though everything else seems a good match (including the father Edmond being a labourer). I recall that I kept John and Mary on my list in case Judith and Joanna were the same person

I just had a check on the LDS FamilySearch site and found all four birth records again (I originally found them on the IFHS site)

https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&englishSubcountryName=County%20Tipperary&query=%2Bsurname%3Apurtill%20%2Bbirth_place%3Acahir~%20%2Brecord_country%3AIreland%20%2Brecord_subcountry%3A%22Ireland%2CTipperary%22&collection_id=(1584963%201408347)

[kob3203]

I see three possibilities.

1) Your wife's ancestor Edmund Purtill could be the brother (born 31 Aug 1864 according to the LDS site) of my great-grandmother Ellen.

2) Since their father was also Edmund Purtill, it's possible that Ellen and Edmund had other siblings who we haven't yet found records of (or possibly Mary and John, with mother recorded as Judith) and your wife may be descended from one of them.

3) Or it could be that your wife's ancestor is the Edmund Purtill married to Judith Sweeney with children Mary and John, and this could be a different person from the Edmund Purtill married to Joanna Sweeney with children Ellen and Edmund.

It would be interesting to find out.

[Maggsie]

Hi,
I hope this helps........
Maggsie


Civil Birth Record
Name: Ellen Purtill
Date of Birth: 01-Jun-1869
Registration Date: 24-Jul-1869
Address: Market St. Cahir
Parish/District: CAHIR
Gender:  Female
County Co. Tipperary
Denomination:
Civil Parish
Father: Edmond Purtill
Mother: Joanna Sweeney
Occupation: Labourer
Sponsor 1 / Informant 1: Joanna Purtill
Sponsor 2 / Informant 2: Notes: INF 1:MOTHER (X)

[kob3203]

Thanks Maggsie, that is indeed the birth record that we have (except that the IFHS one didn't show the registration date) 

[Maggsie]

Hi,
I was searching for info for a lady in Australia, turns out we are related, I though we were some years ago, but I had to confirm it.
Anyway......
In my searching I kept seeing an Alexander Going in Cahir.
I thought where have I heard that name before.
I got a reply via this post and I thought I must look into this.
Alexander Going was a Mill owner / Corn Merchant. Died in 1903.
He had a son Alexander. and a daughter Georgina.
Just thought I would let you all know.
Maggsie

[Gaudcent]

Hi Pete, Maggsie

I have done some more research since my first post and found that the original Cahir RC parish registers are now on line. They show there are errors on the LDS site, because Joanna has been mis-transcribed as Judith for some of the baptism entries (Mary and John).

I am confidant that my wife is the great-great-niece of Ellen Purtill born at Cahir in 1869.  I will dig out the details are post again with more info shortly.    Geoff