Conway - did they come from Mayo?

[Sandgrounder1]

I have been researching this family in Ireland for years with no luck .  Maybe someone elso could look at the information for me.

My 3x great grandad was David Conway.  He was married to Mary (surname not known).  They had 4 children that I know of:
Mary born c 1821
James 1827-30
Bridget 1837
Ann 1846/48

I have documented proof that Mary and the children came to Lancashire and died here.  Mary died in 1860 aged 62, therefore born c. 1798.
I am assuming that David was born between 1790 and 1800.

Family stories say they came from Westport, Mayo.  James is in Ormskirk in 1851 with a birthplace of Westport.  The others don't appear in the 1851 census, and Mary died before 1861.

I have trawled records worldwide with no luck.  David was dead in 1852 according to his son James' marriage certificate and as Ann was born c 1847, assuming he was the father, he must have died between 1846-52.

Another distraction is that James' birthplace is Cork in the 1901 census!

I have recently discovered another family in Thomastown, Kilkenny and wonder if they are one and the same.

David Conway b.c. 1792, Kilkenny
Wife Judith

MARY. 1822
Edmund  1824
Honor 1827
JAMES 1828
Catherine1833
John 1831
Margaret 1835
William 1837
BRIDGET 1837
Peter 1839
Michael 1841

All born Kilkenny.

I always thought there could be more children because of the gaps.  Three of my family names fit in.

Some of the names were the same as James' children - Mary, Catherine, John, Margaret, Peter.

Questions:

Would a family travel from Kilkenny to Mayo then on to England?

Is it likely that Judith died, and David married Mary, with Ann being their daughter?

Why would James say he was born in Westport?

I would love to be able to prove this theory.  There was a death of a Judith Conway in Thomastown in 1871 which would discount all of the above but I can't find if it was David's wife or not.

The Heritage centre and my trip to Westport didn't turn up a single clue!

[heywood]

Hello,

A cautionary note - in 1851, everyone in the household is dittoed as Westport, so James may not be Westport at all.
However there are other Conways in Ormskirk who also give Mayo as birthplace - dittoed in some cases.
Regards
Heywood

[heywood]

Is this James in 1871 3873/83/19 with  wife Ann and children living in Southport?
He gives Mayo as birthplace.

Where do you have the rest of the family?

[Sandgrounder1]

Hi Heywood. 

In all censuses the birthplace is given as Ireland, Mayo or Westport, Mayo for all the family members except for James in 1900 which says Cork!  In the 1871 census that is " my" James.

[Sandgrounder1]

I have just re-checked the censuses for James. 
Birthplaces as follows:
1851. Westport
1861. Ireland
1871. Mayo
1881. Ireland
1891. Ireland
1901. Cork

[heywood]

My 3x great grandad was David Conway.  He was married to Mary (surname not known).  They had 4 children that I know of:
Mary born c 1821
James 1827-30
Bridget 1837
Ann 1846/48

I have documented proof that Mary and the children came to Lancashire and died here.

Hello again,
Do you know that these are the same family through their marriages?
Do you have them in other censuses?
Heywood

[Sandgrounder1]

Yes, I have marriage certificates for all of them  - father is David.

[Sandgrounder1]

Mary married Edward Sweeney, Bridget married Patrick Madden and Ann married Thomas Horan.  All in the censuses in 1861-91