Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone has any pointers on where to take this next? What records have I failed to examine, etc? This is a piece on my Great Great Great Grandparents Pat Nevin and Honor Hogan.
Our first glimpse of our Galway Nevin ancestors comes in an 1834 Tithe Return showing one William “Navin” as farming 94 acres of land at the townland of Derryoober East in the Civil Parish of Ballynakill, County Galway. This was land worth £7 1s and comprised around 3% of the total land of both Derryoober East and West. Among his neighbours were Pat Ford Senior and Pat Ford Junior. Another Nevin – James – lived at Dooros and farmed 36 acres worth £36 7s 9d.
By the next document – the 1856 Griffiths evaluation, William Navin had presumably died, leaving the land – now worth £8 10s in the hands of, presumably, his son – Patrick Nevin. Patrick was around 28 years old at this time. We also see mention of a house on the land at this point too - of approximate value £2 5s. Pat Ford – presumably Junior! – remains a neighbour. All 477 acres of Derryoober East was owned by the Marquis of Clanricade at this point.
The next year, 1857, Pat Nevin had a child, Michael, with Maria Forde. Godparents were Maria’s family – Owen and Maria. We do not know if they were married. There is a sizable gap in Woodford marriage records between 1843 and 1851, but this doesn’t necessarily explain the lack of marriage record here.
In the couple of years following the birth, Maria disappears – presumably dies - and young Michael gains a step-mother in the form of Honora Hagan, who was born around 1829. Again, no marriage record survives. The only other ‘gap’ in records is from 1869-1871. Either way, the first surviving baptismal record of Pat and Honora’s children is that of Francis Nevin at Woodford in July 1859. Patrick Nevin and Honora Hogan are listed as his parents, and Ferdinand Nevin (a very unusual name!) and Bridget Hogan his godparents. His sister Maria Nevin follows in July 1861, with godparents Michael Kilroe and Bridget Roughan. Following this, there is a break in the extant Woodford baptisms until 1865 (and again in 1868-1869).
However, after this time their resumption, the Nevin baptisms stop being recorded in Woodford Parish or, indeed, anywhere at all! I have examined transcripts of Woodford baptismal registers of the 1860s but find no Nevins! That said, they continue to be noted in civil registration, which picks up the rest of the family’s births with Pat Nevin on 7th April 1864, who was born at Douras to Pat (listed as a labourer, who registered the birth two days later) and Honor. There could well be another child between the parish registers concluding in 1861 and civil registration picking up Pat in 1864 (it was only introduced that year). Anyway, next followed Julia on 17th November 1869 (again with Pat – still a labourer – registering, six days later), Martin in October 1871, Ferdy (not the longer ‘Ferdinand’) in May 1873, Ellen in May 1875 and finally Letitia in August 1877. Father Pat Nevin registers all births apart from the last two – the last is registered by Honor herself - and is listed as a labourer in each one, too (except for in 1871 when he is a ‘herd’). He also always records himself as ‘Pat’ rather than Patrick.
Pat will have died at some between between Letitia’s 1877 birth and her 1893 marriage, by which point he is listed as being deceased. The most likely records for Pat’s death are in January 1885 for a 70 year old married Patrick Nevin, labourer of Tynagh, Portumna. The coroner registered his death. The other possibility is the 50 year old married Patrick Nevin who died at Portumna Workhouse in January 1878. I think it unlikely that between 1877 and 1885, Pat would have ended up living 20km away from Dooros in Tynagh, and think it far more likely that he ended up in the local workhouse, especially as several of his children settle either in Portumna, or just across the border in Terryglass.
Honor Nevin appears to have outlived Pat by thirty years, dying on 16th November 1909 in Portumna Workhouse. She had been suffering from “chronic bronchitis” for two years. She was listed as the 80 year old widow of a labourer. Martin Donohue, the “occupier” of the workhouse was the informant, although he didn’t register the death for 43 days – on 29th December. Honor is likely to have been in Portumna workhouse in the 1901 census, but I have been unable to locate her there (as workhouse residents were identified solely by initials).
Any pointers as to where to go to examine Pat and Honor more thoroughly would be hugely welcome!
