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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Offaly (Kings) => Topic started by: brenig on Sunday 01 November 09 08:10 GMT (UK)
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Hi
I am currently delving into my family history and there is a linkage to the Blongs emanating from the Clonmore area. In particular my great grandfather was Peter Blong (b 1855, d 1907 and married to Mary Murphy)
If anybody has any information that can help me in my search I would be extremely grateful.
Thank you
Brian (Australia)
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Have you found their marriage yet? There's a Peter Blong (b.Ireland) in 1881 English census at Widnes, Lancs.- is this the same person?
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No it isn't that one. He is a son of Peter Blong and the brother of my great grandfather - Edward Blong (b1878, m 1897, d 1957).
I meant to say Peter Blong (1855) was my gg grandfather.
It is the same clan and there had been movement across to Widnes (and the USA).
Thank you for responding
Brian
I haven't found the marriage. All I know is that his wife was Mary Murphy (b 1854, d 1935)
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The 1881 family is living at 8 West Bank St., Widnes, Lancs-
Peter Blong 24 Ireland [born c1857]
wife Mary Blong 26 Ireland [born c1855]
son Edward Blong 2 Widnes [born c1879]
son Peter Blong 1 month Widnes [born c1881]
It certainly looks like this could be Peter Blong and wife Mary Murphy- and if that's the case I would search for the marriage in England first.
And, sure enough, they married in England-
Peter Blong/Mary Murphy, Sept.1880 quarter, Prescot registration district 8b 1063 (see free BMD).
The marriage certificate should list their fathers' names.
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Thank you very much for that.
My info has it that Peter Blong (the 1855 one) was a son of Peter Blanc (not sure why the spelling changed) and Margaret (Mary Ann) Cassidy - both from Clonmore area. Peter Blanc was born around 1818 and died 14/11/1904 and Margaret was born about 1830 and died 14/10/1919.
Any possible info on them - they were in Ireland. It was their kids that started to move out.
Brian
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Civil registration of births, deaths and Catholic marriages in Ireland started in 1864 (from 1845 for other marriages). Index is online (free)-
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails;t=searchable;c=1408347
I can't see a death c1904 for a Peter Blong (only 2 deaths actually).
You've posted this under Ireland-General board- where is the Clomore they came from? (there are several in Ireland)
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Co Offaly
I couldn't quite work out where to post it!
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That's okay- I've moved this thread to Co. Offaly board now.
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You might want to take a look at this post re. Blong/Blanc family in Portrlington, Co. Laois:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,375557.0.html
Dara.
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Brien
I have got a bit lost in all this. my understanding of the Blongs of Clonmore is this
(http://www.grantonline.com/grant-family-individuals/blong-george-1790/clonmore/peter-blong-clonmore.gif)
I was not aware that there was an Edward, and I have got lost as to when you think Edward Blong was born. And how & when did he get to Australia.
Also have you been in touch with Brien Peters who is from NZ and is a descendant of Peter Blong b 1855
By the way do not worry about the various spellings of the name, they are interchangeable!
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Well, actually, I'm the Brian Peters! I'm in Australia not NZ but my sister is in NZ and she started this crazy hunt. :-)
The history goes like this:
My father was born Stanley Blong but for lots of reasons he was always known as Peters.
His father was John Edward Blong. I never knew him and only recently found out that he actually died in the Isle of Wight in 1988.
His father was Edward Blong b 1878 in Widnes to Peter Blong b 1855 in Ireland, moved to Widnes and m in 1890. Edward was one of nine children (the others being Peter, Polly, Michael, Christopher, James, Eileen, Catherine & Joseph).
I was actually in Port Arlington last year and, on the chart you have in your last note, actually visited the house where Peter Blong (b 1855) was actually brought up. The connection turned out to be that Catherine and Bridget were twins and Bridget married a Quinn. The Quinn's are still on the property.
I also met Ronnie Matthews when I was there and he was the one that pointed me to the Clonmore Blongs (and subsequently Quinn).
I've also been in contact with David Grant who was also researching this whole jigsaw.
It is pretty complex and takes some time to work through!
Thank you for your help.
Brian
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There were Blongs in or around the Edenderry area between 1900 and 1950s - maybe still. I remember an older family member from there mentioning the unusual name. I thought it must have been Blanc originally, and in local/Irish pronunciation just lost the final 'c' .......?
MW.
Just looked it up : the name IS still ther, in the phonebook.
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Thanks Mike - appreciate you doing that.
Brian
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Joshua Smallhorn married Sarah (Blong) Blang 13/12/1864 - my side is Smallhorn (thru my Grandmother) Trying to retrieve as much info as I can...have just started the search and so far...found my cousin in Austalia!
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Brien
I have got a bit lost in all this. my understanding of the Blongs of Clonmore is this
(http://www.grantonline.com/grant-family-individuals/blong-george-1790/clonmore/peter-blong-clonmore.gif)
I was not aware that there was an Edward, and I have got lost as to when you think Edward Blong was born. And how & when did he get to Australia.
Also have you been in touch with Brien Peters who is from NZ and is a descendant of Peter Blong b 1855
By the way do not worry about the various spellings of the name, they are interchangeable!
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You will find that marriage on this page (http://www.grantonline.com/grant-family-individuals/blong-george-1790/blanc-george-1790.htm)
How do you descend from that marriage
Joshua Smallhorn married Sarah (Blong) Blang 13/12/1864
There is more on this thread
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,375557.0.html
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And LynJohann
You can get birth details (and marriage details) if you use the LDS index site
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails;t=searchable;c=1408347
You will find Blong/Blang/Blanc sometimes difficult to find due to mistranscriptions
Once you get the reference, you can buy the cert from the Irish Government site
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Bracknagh cemetery, Portarlington, Offaly.
Headstones;
Christopher Blong; 7/5/1967 (74)
Annie (wife); 28/10/1944 (47)
(Late of Killane, Edenderry)
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Catherine Blong (nee Dunne)
54, Paul Murphy st, Edenderry,
19/10/1952 (71)
Joseph (son); 21/1/1945 (30)
also loved by granddaughter, Eileen Johns and family.
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Joseph Blanc (Clonmore); 4/1/1971 (76)
Parents; John; 18/2/1929
Elizabeth; 11/10/1930
his wife Ellen; 14/11/1987 (90)
===============
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Edenderry RC cemetery;
Headstone;
Mona Blong
Killane, Edenderry
30/4/1991 (59)
Hus; John
29/6/1994
grand-daughter;
Michelle Mc Mahon
27/10/1997
died in infancy.
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There is a record of Blong Family in Coolbanagher, Queen's County records.
Danishdots
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There is a record of Blong Family in Coolbanagher, Queen's County records.
It might be helpful if you let us into the secret of what the record says :)
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Have just collated almost 3500 baptismal and burial records in aid of Coolbanagher Parish. Exhibition this week-end - they will be available. Will let you email to write to asap.
Danishdots
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Here's the email
coolbanagher[at]gmail.com
:)
Moderator Comment: e-mail edited, to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please replace [at] with @
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Have just collated almost 3500 baptismal and burial records in aid of Coolbanagher Parish
Are there any plans to put them on the web somewhere. Many of us reading the forum do not live in Ireland (or even close)
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Hi again,
The plan is to try to put a web-site together in the future. Coolbanagher is a small parish (which had a large population in the 1800's, and so gets frequent requests for information) and it is hoped to request a small donation (€10) towards upkeep of church and details of search would be sent.
I will have a look and see later today 'how many Blongs' are mentioned and let you know.
Good wishes,
Danishdots
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You actually open a wider discussion here, which is how to charge or not to charge for genealogical information
At a national level the IFHF business model is deeply flawed, and that seems to be recognised by the Irish government with the new free web site that has Dublin and Kerry records so far.
The Census is online and free
I appreciate that someone has to do the work in transcribing the records, and particularly in the case of the C of I, in maintaining churches.
The reason that "pay for information" sites have appeared to fail is, in my opinion, due to the fact that most of us trawling back in time in Ireland, are doing just that "trawling". We have no idea whether our ancestor lived in parish A or parish B, nor do we have any idea who their parents were. We have to trawl many parishes and try to make sense of the information we have
In the case of the Blongs (one would think a comparatively easy name to research) it is complex as (you are aware) the Huguenots came to Portarlington, and had a decent set of surviving records, but they suddenly disappear, so one has to try to find what goes in the gap in the 1700s when families were growing in size.
With the Blongs my attempts at trawling Portarlington records are here (http://www.grantonline.com/grant-family-individuals/blong-george-1790/blanc-george-1790.htm)
I have trawled Clonmore for Blongs (http://www.grantonline.com/grant-family-individuals/blong-george-1790/clonmore/peter-blong-clonmore.html)
and I have trawled Clonbullogue for Blongs (http://www.grantonline.com/grant-family-individuals/blong-george-1790/clonbullogue/clonbullogue.html)
I have trawled Coolbanagher for Blongs (http://www.grantonline.com/grant-family-individuals/holmes-mary-1795/mary-holmes.htm)
You can see that it is not a simple question to ask of a parish in an email, either for me or for most researchers. It is is a question of vacuuming up information and trying to make sense of it.
It would not help you parish finances (and I am not sure how many donations you would get), but I will make you a genuine offer on a web site, as I am in the web business. I would be happy to register you a dot com URL and put you parish information on it and hand control over to you. Would not cost the parish anything, but the information would be out there.
I am not sure if that would help you or not :)
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Thanks for your email. Will get back in touch after our exibition.
I am acting an an individual - just donating anything that my many hours of work may bring in to the parish - saving them many hours.
Danishdots
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Hi there...
Okay, so I'll add another little twist to the "Blong" saga...don't know if it will be of any use to anyone...but their were "Blong/Blanc's" from County Kildare as welll...I have a John Blong b. circa 1885 County Kildare, who's father was George Blong...John Blong married Harriet Caroline Lawlor 20 Nov 1909, at St. Malachy's Roman Catholic Church in Belfast....(the Lawlor side are my direct descendents). This is about all the info I have on this family. Hope it helps someone.
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but their were "Blong/Blanc's" from County Kildare as welll.
I would not put too much weight on that. The Co Kildare border (if there is one!) is only about 4 miles from Portarlington - where the Blongs settled originally in Ireland
So a Blong born in Kildare may have been born only a few miles from Portarlington
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Hi there...
I'm just going by the 1911 census entry???? I have very limited info on this family, thanks for the insight I'll definitely keep that in mind while searching....thanks again.
Wendy
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My grandmother Amelia Blong was born in Widnes - could she be the daughter of Peter Blong that moved there from Ireland. Does anyone have details of Peter's children?
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They would certainly be connected because quite a few came over to Widnes.
If you can email me on '*' it would be easier for me..
Brian
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Hi, have only recently begun exploring my family's history and on the maternal side get back to Blanc/Blanche in Portarlington and to Hunter in Geashill. Blong, I know, is a variant of Blanc as is Blance, Blanch and Blanche. My great grandmother was Ellen Blance, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (nee Doyle) Blance of Kilbride (Portarlington). Ellen was born 8 August 1867. Ellen married William Johnston about 1907. Two daughters survived, Anne and Helen. I am a decendent of Helen Johnston. I have been looking but with little success for information on Henry Blance and Elizabeth Doyle. William Johnston came from Shandra (Portarlington). Son of James and Mary Anne (nee Hunter) Johnston. Mary Anne Hunter was from Geashill and her family lie buried in the graveyard at St. Mary's Church in that town. I wonder does anyone have information on the Hunter's of Geashill, particularly her father Ralph Hunter.
Thanks for any assistance.
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Hi all,
A quick update;
My great grandmother as I wrote earlier was Ellen Blanc/Blance/Blanche - the spellings are common in birthcerts/census for her. I recently acquired Ellen's birthcert (b.8 August 1867) and her father is shown as a Henry Blance, however, the Registrar has crossed out an earlier entry (I assume) for a Henry Blong. I assume the error is a pronunciation one. When I started to search using Henry Blong I located two 'possible' siblings for Ellen. These siblings are a Henry Blong b.29 April 1875 and a Mary Anne Blong b.10 June 1870. All three siblings have as their father Henry Blong/Blance and mother Elizabeth Doyle and are born at Kilbride in the district of Emo.
Henry's profession is Farmer.
Any thoughts...
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Timothy Blong born April 1858 was my grandfather. He was the son of Peter Blong and Mary Ann Cassidy who were married in January 1852 in the RC Church in Clonbulloque. One of his sisters did marry a Quinn and my father and I met Pat Quinn in Clonmore when we traveled to Ireland in the 60's. Pat Quinn's son, grandchildren and great granchildren still live in Clonmore. My grandfather had eight siblings -- John b. April 1852, Ellen b. February 1854, Peter b. August 1856, Christopher b. March 1860, Michael b. August 1862, Mary Ann b. November 1867, and Katherine & Brigid b. January 1869. The dates come from Church baptismal records. My grandfather emigrated to Canada and from thence to the U.S. where he became a well known horseman in Pennsylvania. Christopher also came to the U.S. and settled in Massachusetts and raised a family.
It is believed that my great grandfather Peter was the descendant of a Blanc or Le Blanc, a French Huguenot who came to Ireland in the army of William of Orange and that sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century the name became "anglicized" and the family became R.C.'s.
Part of the confusion in researching the family is that Blanc and Le Blanc were very common names among the French and there are many Blancs or Blongs in the Clonbullogue area who are not related to one another any more than all the Jones's or Smith's are related to one another. When my father and I were in Ireland we also met members of a family that had retaken the name Blanc after using Blong and who lived near the Quinns in Clonmore but were not related to us. The photo is a picture of the house where my grandfather grew up; the thatched roof was replaced with tin after the thatch burned.
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Just read corisande's post on Blongs in Clonmore. One "correction". The cottage in which my grandfather Timothy grew up in Clonmore is still owned by the Quinn's though they live in newer houses they have built on the prpoperty. When I was last there in 2003 the cottage was being used as a storage shed but I've heard from subsequent visitors that the Quinn's plan to restore it. One of Pat Quinn's grandsons runs a car business of some sort in the area.
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Hi Margaret I'm delighted to have read this post because my great grandfather was Peter Blong who was the brother of Timothy and his father, as you would expect, was Peter and mother Margaret Mary Anne Cassidy.
I was fascinated to see the picture that you attached because I also visited that property in 2008. The Quinn's do indeed own the property and they have a large modern house to the side and a garage on the other side. Towards the back is the house in your picture which they still use for storage. It is three rooms. The last of their children were twins and I it was Bridgit that married Patrick Quinn.
My records show that there were 10 children.
Peter Blong went to Widnes and he married a Mary Murphy. They went on to have nine children - one of whom was Edward Blong, my grandfather.
I'm just wondering whether it is possible to exchange further information because I have been trying to unravel the 'Blongs' for quite some time. I'd be delighted if you have any other pictures you could share?
I live in Australia and my sister is in NZ.
I'm attaching the Blong tree that I've been working from.
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I really don't have much more I can tell you. I know my grandfather's brother Christopher emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Massachusetts. He had one son and at least one daughter but I only met them once many years ago and don't know what became of them. My father claimed that a relative whose mother was a Blong was a member of a chicago mob in the 20's and was killed in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, one of the byproducts of our flirtation with Prohibition. He woould have been about my father's age and it's possible that his mother was one of my grandfather's sisters. I never heard my father mention that a cousin from Ireland lived with his family in Pennsylvania.
I have attached a photo of Pat Quinn talking to my father (back to camera) and a neighbor that was taken during a visit in the 60's.
I believe there is information online about immigration thru Ellis Island and I know the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) maintains a large genealogical data base which is accessible online.
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Hi all
I am Ellen Johnstons (nee Blanche) great great granddaughter. Her daughter Ellens granddaughter (nee Nevin). Just looking to see could i find out any family historys at all :)
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Hi APhilips I am Ellen Blanc's great great grandson through a not too disimilar line as the one you are alluding to. I have the family history and have passed that on to your aunt Rita.
D
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Hi, I am so happy I came across this thread. I have just recently started researching this side of my grandmother's family tree. I am the great-great granddaughter of John Blong b. c1853 and great granddaughter of his eldest son John Blong b. c1878. The younger John married Catherine "Kate" Dunne and had 6 children. Mary "Molly" and Catherine "Kate" (my grandmother) both lived in Ireland with their maternal grandparents, the younger children: John"Jack", Anne, Ellen"Eileen" were born in Widnes, and I'm not sure where the youngest Joseph lived mostly. He is buried with his mother near Clonbulloge, Co. Offaly. My grandmother came to Chicago in 1920. I believe her father may have lived in the states and Canada for a while during the 20s & 30s. He died back in England. The 8 note towards the bottom of the "Blong of Widnes" family tree was probably meant for John Blong b.29.9.1885 son of Michael & Maragaret. I was recently in Clonbulloge visiting with a cousin of my grandmother's. It's too bad I didn't have this information before I went. Thank you to all that have posted here.
Sally
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Hi.
I am new to RootsChat, and am happy to see so much discussion about the Blongs.
My Irish ancestors settled in Philadelphia. My Great Grandmother was Elizabeth Blong, born in 1858 in Rathangan, Edenderry, Co. Kildare. Her Father was George Blong. She married Thomas Hunt in 1880 in Rathangan, and immigrated to Philadelphia in 1881. Her sister, Josephine Blong, was born in 1856.
Any pointers or thoughts will be much appreciated! Thank you!
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May be of interest Richard Blong son of Robert Blong a butcher married Maria Scott 1857
http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/72979e0549749
child
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRQ5-X26
Simon Le Blong
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KM76-RBZ
http://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details/b3f1e90024935
others
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Ablong~&collection_id=2043780
As Blane ?
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Ablane~&collection_id=2043780
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hi i just found this site by accident yesterday i am colm quinn i live in clonmore beside the old house someone put up in a photo in this thread that was my grandmother katie quinn looking over the half door and my grandfather pat quinn in the other picture talking to our neighbour SEAN BLANC (in the white shirt) the blancs live beside me in clonmore in a thatched cottage sean,lilly and paddy i had both the pictures posted on this thread so i presume i have met some of ye before.its a small world we live in ;D
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Hi Brenig,
Just a snippet of info but I'm tracing my grandma, she ids listed as living with the Blongs in Clonmore in the 1911 census, her name was Gertrude Conlan, at the age of 16. Not much help but interesting as I've drawn a blank.
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Hi there everybody, just come across this thread after finding a Catherine Blong married a James F (Frederick) Sankey in Prescot, Lancashire in 1923. Prescot being just North of Widnes. I downloaded the PDF format tree and saw that Catherine bn 1893, (daughter of Peter) died in 1924.
Just wondering if anybody had heard of this marriage or had any further information.
If this is the James F Sankey I am tracing it would have been his second wife, J F Sankey is my wifes Grandfather.
Thank you in advance.
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An interesting thread. Why did some only make one post? Did they all get together privately? A complicated family anyway with loads of children for everyone.