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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Laois (Queens) => Topic started by: Penney Eustis Hanson on Friday 26 October 18 18:52 BST (UK)
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What were the conditions for the Rathdowney area during the famine? It appears that up to half the population died of hunger or disease. My husband and children are descended from the White and Falkiner families. The William White family was from Rathdowney. 26 year old Anthony, William's son, left with his pregger wife, Mary Ann Belle Falkiner, in the winter of 48/9 for Canada. He toiled his life in Canada but gave his family, including his in-laws, the fruit of his work. My gift to our children this Christmas is their family history. I am trying to describe what drove them out of Rathdowney and Borrisocane. If anyone has any history on William White, that would be awesome. I can find nothing.
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Anthony could have been a few years younger...no DOB but lots of different ages listed. 1826 is listed on his headstone.
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Google finds information on 'queens county during great famine'. Here are a few examples-
The Famine Years in Queen's County 1845-1850 http://eprints.maynoothuniversity.ie/5165/
Crime and Punishment in Queen’s County: Agrarian Crime of the 1830s and Famine Crime 1845 – 1849 http://laoisheritagesociety.org/crime-and-punishment-in-queens-county-agrarian-crime-of-the-1830s-and-famine-crime-1845-1849/
The Great Irish Famine (Abbeyleix)
http://abbeyleix.irishheritagetowns.com/history-of-the-town-of-abbeyleix/the-great-irish-famine/
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Welcome to Rootschat
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
Above link is for Griffiths Valuation.
There may be a couple of entries for one tenant, or there could be more than one tenant named William White.
Were the family Roman Catholic?
Parish register - R.C. Rathdowney on following link.
https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/1000
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Anthony married Mary Ann 26 Dec 1848 in St. Michael's Church of Ireland parish in Limerick. They are both listed as Church of Ireland.
He is listed as a Policeman - was he RIC?
A Mary was baptised 29th May 1829 for Frederick Falkiner and Mary Leavy of Eminiska, Borrisokane. They were Catholic and it can be found in the registers on registers.nli.ie
Of course things were a bit fluid regarding religion in many families. I know my own switched back and forth a few times.