Is it Cleggan or Claggan?

[Jax49]

Hope someone can advise me.

I have just received a baptism record for Bridget Butler 13/5/1855 address Cleggan, Parish Clonbur. Mother Bridget Sullivan, father Walter Butler. Informants Patrick Butler and Mary Sullivan. Straight forward you may think!
I decided to look on the Griffiths Valuation for Walter, there were none, but a Walter Butler and a Patrick Butler for Claggan, Cong.
When I checked the townlands neither are in the parish of Clonbur. Cleggan is in the parish of Ballynakill and Claggan is in Cong. Does anyone know which could be the most likely, I tend to think Cong because to have both Walter and Patrick listed on the Griffiths Valuation does make it seem more likely particularly as the year is 1855.
Does anyone agree or am I missing something. Help

Jacqui

[Christopher]

Hello Jacqui,

Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) is a great site if you are having problems finding Irish townlands ... it can help identify townlands which may not be listed in any of the townland directories such as the www.thecore.com/seanruad IreAtlas website. Use the 1837 Dictionary of Samuel Lewis in conjunction with Sean Ruad's IreAtlas as this may assist in finding that elusive townland. www.from-ireland.net/lewis/allcounties.htm

Christopher

[aghadowey]

Jacqui- the Griffith's Valuation record will be under the civil parish. Is it possible that the baptismal record lists the religious (Catholic) parish ?.

[Jax49]

Christopher

What a good thought....I will investigate further!
 I did e-mail Galway West FHC but they dont have the actual record of the church, surprisingly.They did very kindly give me a couple of priests addresses to contact, so I do have something to go on.
Thanks for your reply,

Jacqui

[Christopher]

A couple of priests sounds like a good idea Jacqui. They should have a direct
line to a higher authority than the West Galway Family History Society

Christopher

[leckavrea]

I have just received a baptism record for Bridget Butler 13/5/1855 address Cleggan, Parish Clonbur. Mother Bridget Sullivan, father Walter Butler. Informants Patrick Butler and Mary Sullivan. Straight forward you may think!
I decided to look on the Griffiths Valuation for Walter, there were none, but a Walter Butler and a Patrick Butler for Claggan, Cong.
When I checked the townlands neither are in the parish of Clonbur. Cleggan is in the parish of Ballynakill and Claggan is in Cong. Does anyone know which could be the most likely, I tend to think Cong because to have both Walter and Patrick listed on the Griffiths Valuation does make it seem more likely particularly as the year is 1855.
Does anyone agree or am I missing something.

You're barking up my family tree! Lewis' Topographical Dictionary shows it as Claggan,  but you may also find it as Cluggam. Walter Butler (abt 1797-1888) and Patrick Butler (1803-1881) were brothers. Walter Butler and Bridget Sullivan (1822-1899) had a least 10 children. One of those was the Bridget (b 1855) that you mentioned. Walter Butler and family were evicted from Claggan in 1870 and moved to Carrick West (Cornamona).

Bridget ("Delia") Butler emigrated to Boston, MA where she died in 1928. In 1900, there was a “Bridget Butler of Cleggan, spinster” renting a property (lands and buildings) in Claggan from Col Clements (of Lord Leitrim’s family) for £2-5-0. Not sure if this is the same Bridget Butler (i.e., Walter's daughter), which would mean she didn't emigrate until after 1900 when the property eventually transferred to Patrick Keane.

I'm not sure if you're related to these Butlers or are you following up various Sullivan threads in that area? The Sullivans are much more difficult to sort out. Not that the Butlers are easy but at least the surname is not as common in the area.

[Jax49]

Many thanks for the information you have given me via a PM. It seems I may have been barking up the wrong tree. Fancy your mum having heard of my grandmother from Cornamona.
Many thanks

Jacqui

[leckavrea]

Hi Jacqui:

I sent you a couple of e-mails about the Sullivans.

Now I've gone back to have a second look at Bridget Butler of Middle St, Galway. I think that you probably looked at Griffith's Valuation for Walter Butler and found Walter Butler and Patrick Butler in Claggan. Walter and Patrick were brothers and Walter was the mother of Brigid Butler (1855-1928).

You said Bridget Butler of Middle St, Galway married Martin Ryan in 1871 and Walter Butler, Middle St, Galway is listed as Bridget's father. There are 14 Walter Butlers listed in Griffith's Valuation, but the only one in Co. Galway is Walter Butler in Claggan. I wonder does this mean that Walter Butler moved to Galway sometime between 1856 and 1871.

Although Walter Butler of Claggan is known to have been married twice and we think he had children from his first marriage, it seems unlikely that there would have been two Bridgets born around the same time.

I will send you a spreadsheet that shows all the Butlers listed in Griffiths Valuation.