McDermott - Glassleck Shercock

[MickMac]

I wonder if anyone can help? My Great-Grandfather Michael McDermott who died in 1947 is recorded as being From Glassleck Shercock, in Cavan, Ireland. His wife's name was Annie (possibly Clarke). He was born in 1869 and his wife in 1876. I've been trying to find any details of their birth's and ancestry but I seem to keep drawing a blank.

The only possible trace I have found is a Michael McDermott born in New York, USA to a Michael and Jane McDermott from Ireland.

The only reason I've not dismissed this out of hand is that family tradition has it at least one generation of McDermott's lived in the USA and another family tradition is that each first born son of a first born son is called Michael 

Can anyone point me in the direction I should be looking?

Michael McDermott

[EDO]

Hello Michael,

You may get some assistance by posting your McDERMOTT forebears on the following site.

www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/m/mcdiarmid/index.html
It includes McDERMOTT surnames.

Hope this helps
Best of luck,

EDO

[TessieWessie]

My Great Grandfather was Edward McDermott who lived in Shercock in c.1840 where he married my Gt. Grandmother Bridget McEntee in 1840.  They had 6 children that I know of, the first one was a Mary in 1842.  The 2nd one in 1843, a boy, who was named 'Michael'.  Other children were James, John (Thomas), Edward, Patrick, Annie.

I have traced Bridget on the 1881 English census as living in Durham with Edward, Thomas and Annie.  The other children of this family, including Michael, stayed in Ireland as far as I know.
They may have been already married when their mother left Ireland and didn't want to emigrate.  Patrick did go to England but returned to Anaherin in Cavan. 

I'm wondering if perhaps these remaining children, or Michael, may have married and named their first child Michael, raising the possibility of it being your Gt.Grandfather.  The Michael of this family would have been 26 at the time of your Gt.Grandfather's birth, so is a possibility.

T

[MickMac]

It's possible but I haven't had much luck tracing my McDermott ancestors. I've been to Cavan to have a look around - my aunt still lives in the area. The graveyard my Great Grandparents are buried in is full of McDermott's so I suspect that there must be a tie up somewhere.

I would be interested in seeing your tree for Edward to see if I can find some links.

[TessieWessie]

I haven't had too much luck either, but I can tell you just how much I have discovered about my Gt.Grandfather Edward and his family. This info I received came from the Cavan Genealogy Society.

I know that Edward and Bridget lived in an area near Shercock called Kilmacaran which is a townland in Knockbride.    When I visited Cavan I discovered a lady (a grandaughter of James) who lived on an area called Darkley.  She is a 2nd cousin of mine and knew a great deal about the family.  Her mother lived until she was 99 and told her all the stories about Edward & Bridget which she has never forgotten them.  She took me to the place where Edward's house had been on Kilmacaran, also the remains of the cottage (still standing 3 years ago) where Bridget was born and lived.  When Bridget and Edward got married they needed the Bishops dispensation to allow the marriage as they were by all accounts 2nd cousins.  I would love a copy of this document.  I was told Edward and his family were later kicked off the land by the owner because he and his family refused to take on more land to work.   Where they moved to and which year this happened I do not know for sure,  but Cavan Genealogy  told me that two marriages, one for a Mary McDermott (from Shercock) to a John Reilly in 1871, and another of a James McDermott (who's address was recorded as Corbeagh a townland in Killann) to a Mary Reilly in 1877.  Both of these McDermott's, Mary and James fathers were recorded as Edward. 

From that info I have presumed that when Edward was kicked off Kilmacaran, he went to live on Corbeagh in Killann Parish.

As I told you in my previous e-mail Patrick, Edward's son born 1852, went to England, returned around 1904 with his wife and two sons Albert Leo and Edward and bought a property on Annaherin in Cavan.  Noted on the 1901 census Ireland.

The family tree as I know of it:

Mary born. 1842 Kilmacaran - maybe married John Reilly.  Only info I have.

Michael born 1843 Kilmacaran - baptism sponsors Pat Dermott & Ally Ginty (McEntee). No other info.

James born 1846 Kilmacaran - baptism sponsors ? Dermott and Margaret Clarke. Vera's grandfather

John born 1848 - baptism sponsors John Dermott & Ally Ginty (M cEntee).

Presume Annie as register illegible - born 1855 - sponsors illegible.  Married a John McPartland in 1879 and was widowed around 1881 with a daughter to care for.  Lived in Durham.

Patrick born 1852 Kilmacaran - sponsors Eugene & Mary Ginnity (McEntee) and as above.

Thomas not sure of birth year - married an Agnes Murphy around 1885 in Durham.

Edward (family bible states born in Shercock 1857).  Edward married Mary Ann Caveney in Durham in 1895.

Edward also had a son called 'Michael' Ambrose.

No knowledge of Edward coming to England with Bridget so must assume he died at Corbeagh sometime between 1860 and 1881.

When I visited Cavan I stayed with a Clarke family, and the wife's maiden name was McDermott.

[MickMac]

Some interesting parallels.

My father (another Michael) was born County Meath in 1938. His Father (yet another Michael (was born 1912 in Cavan. He had a brother Pat and a sister Elizabeth. Their Father (again Michael was born 1869 in Glassleck Shercock. His wife was Annie Clarke born 1876.

My aunt took me to Cavan and showed me the remains of the farm that my Grandfather had been born on. The story in the family is the same as yours - kicked off the land for refusal to take on more work.

You may have noticed that my Great-Grandfather was in his forties before my Grandfather was born. I suspect he went to the USA and returned but I'm having a hard time proving it.

One other piece of information that may fit in is that I think my Great-great-Grandfathers name may have been John - That would fit in nicely with the 1848 birth.

I've gone down a lot of blind alleys so far. Hopefully this one will turn out better.

Another thing I've remembered is that one of my father's sisters was called Bridget.

[EdMcDermott79]

I know this is old news; however, I was excited to find you online.  I wanted to learn more about my my McDermott roots from the land my great-grandfather (John McDermott of Mud Butte, South Dakota) loved so much. My great-great grandfather Patrick McDermott died in February 1899 in Turfad, Knockbride parish, County Cavan, Ireland.  He was a Turfad school master and well respected man of the community.  Based on family legend from America he was a patriot of the Irish Uprising of 1867.  I noticed in your previous posts from years ago that you had discovered numerous gravestones belonging to McDermott's.  I was hoping one might be someone connected to my family.  Patrick McDermott, mentioned above, married Mary Clarke.  They had several children, many immigrated to American; however, some stayed behind.  I would appreciate any help or information that you can provide.

God Bless and Semper Fidelis,

Edward James McDermott
Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States of America

[TessieWessie]

Hi Mick
We have spoken before, but I wanted to tell you that I recently contacted my grandfather Edward McDermott's brother Thomas's grandson.  This grandson told me of all the info he could remember regarding the McDermotts from Cavan.  He was told by his grandmother that the McDermotts did try to get to the USA but on reaching the custom/health area in USA half of the family were sick and were refused entry, while the other half were allowed in.    Apparently the sick were returned to Scotland.  If this was true I would imagine that the older children stayed in USA while the younger (my grandfather Edward and his brother Thomas and sister Annie) returned with their mother and father.  If this is the case then that explain why your Gt.Grandfather was born in USA.  A possibility dont you think?

This new contact also said that the ones that remained in USA visited their English siblings around 1920 in Durham.

~TessieWessie

[Insolence]

Hi there,

                      I have just started trying to trace my family tree. My grandfather Peter McDermott was from Swanlinbar in Cavan. But I don't know how to go any further except to got to cavan and investigate.