Gavins from Galway

[Kerrill]

Anyone out there with any info on Gavin family from Ballymacward area?

[Christopher]

Hello Kerrill,

The parish of Ballymacward is mentioned in Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837 on Dr Jane Lyons "From Ireland" website but doesn't appear in Griffiths Valuation extracts on John Hayes failteromhat.com website.

Christopher 

[Kerrill]

Thanks for the reply Christopher,the Gavin's must have come from another place or County as there is no mention of them in the early 1800s but I will not give up searching just yet.       
             
                                     

[Christopher]

Hi Kerrill,

There are a large number of Gavins listed on familysearch.org ... some just show Ireland beside the listings but others show a townland. Ballymacward doesn't seem to be mentioned. 

What denomination were the Gavin family? You may have to go the Church registers route as Civil registration of all BDMs was not introduced into Ireland until 1864. If the family were non Catholics you may be able to find Civil marriage records as these started in 1845.

Christopher

 

[Kerrill]

Thanks again for your reply Christopher, my line of Gavin's are Catholics but when I tried searching for the church where my dad was baptised -christened I came up with a blank,I know he was born in  the townland of Ballygraney in Ballymacward and I have got a old school report from the new school which still holds the records of the old schoolhouse but no traces of church connections.