Dolan Family

[Beard grandchild]

Can anyone help me with the family of Francis Dolan,born 1819, and Mary Lee, born 1825 in Leitrim.
 I have them getting married in 1845, in Manorhamilton, then having 7 children. It is where the children were born that I am trying to establish. I have them all being born in Ireland according to other family trees, but with no exact place, just Ireland.
My problem is, I also have the eldest child, Patrick, being baptised in Markle, Prestonkirk in 1847. I know the family did move to Haddington, in Scotland, but don't know when. I was wondering if the children were all actually born on Haddington, not in Ireland? So we have;-

Francis Dolan, Born1819, baptised Drumnafinnila Barr
Mary Lee, born1825, Leitrim

Children;-

Patrick Dolan, born1847
Bridget Dolan, born1849
Myles Dolan, born1851,
Hugh Dolan, born1857
John Dolan, born1859,
Margaret Dolan,born1861
Catherine Dolan, born1854

If anyone can find any information, either on cencuses, or of the children's births being in Ireland, I would be very grateful.
  Thanks, Pat.

[aghadowey]

As civil registration of births in Ireland began in 1864 there will be no birth certificates (if they were born in Ireland).
What you need to do is to check Scottish census records to see where they listed as their birthplaces (and be prepared for inconsistencies) but since you have a baptism for one of the children in 1847 in Scotland I suspect the children were born in Scotland.

[Jim I]

Consider spending a small sum of cash on Scotlandspeople
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/
for £6 sterling you can search for a couple of those births.

[mmcpadden1947]

Drumnafinnla Barr is a townland in  Ballinaglera,Co.Leitrim.
The local R.C. church is St.Hughs where they may have been married as Lee
was a name in that area at one time.
Manorhamilton can be misleading as it was the Registration District for a wide area including Ballinaglera.

[Beard grandchild]

Thanks mmcpadden1947,

I've just been looking on the Emerald Isle site, but for another branch of the family.

These missing Irish records are such a frustration!

Cheers,

Pat.

[mmcpadden1947]

Pat,
While I cannot promise anything,I know some Dolan families where I might be
able to help.
If you give me details I will let you know.
                                                                Maura

[Beard grandchild]

Hi Maura,
My Dolans are the ones named in my OP. My own branch is Margaret Dolan, born in Ireland, but I'm not exactly sure where. who moved to Markle, Prestonkirk  Scotland with her family, then married John Blessington in  Haddington, 1883.

The Blessington line are the ones I was having another try to trace last night. I first pick them up in West Dirleton, Scotland on the 1851 census, when they are entered as McVannechie, which I take to be a corruption of Mulvanerty.


By the 1861 census, the family has become Blest, with John having been born in 1855.

1871 they are still called Blest, but in 1881 the name is Blessington.

All I know of them is that they originate in Leitrim.

Cheers,
Pat.

[Jim I]

I have some records of Blessings/Blessingtons in South leitrim around Cloone in the 19th century.  What were the names of John's parents?  I can have a look for them possibly before they moved to Scotland.

[Beard grandchild]

John's parents were Bridget Durkin, born 1816, Leitrim, Ireland  and Miles Blest, born 1812. Leitrim Ireland.

Miles was called Michael on the 1851 and 1861 Scottish censuses, and his surname was listed as McVannachie, which I take to be a corrupt spelling of Mulvanery on the 1851 Scottish census, but Blest on the 1861 and 1871.

There were 3 children born in Ireland before they moved to Scotland:-

Mary. born 1842, Leitrim
Alice (listed as Alison on the 1851 and Helen on the 1861. )
The other child must have been a boy, and as far as I can see remained in Ireland when the family moved to Scotland. The only way I know of his existance is that, On John Blest's birth entry it says

 '    West Fenton, Dirleton, East Lothian
    John Blest (informant not present)
Born September 17th 1855 at 4PM, West Fenton, Dirleton
Father: Miles Blest, agricultural labourer, aged 50 years, born Leitrim - Ireland
Mother: Elizabeth Durcan (John, her 8th child), aged 45 years, born Leitrim - Ireland
Marriage and other children: 1835 Ireland, 3 girls living and 1 boy living, 3 boys deceased
Birth registered 2nd October 1855 by father, Miles Blest (his mark).

Now, I have Alice and Mary, then Catherine who was born in Scotland, but no other boy is mentioned on any of the Scottish censuses. I do know that the family still had relatives in Ireland when my granfather was young, so I've presumed that this was the eldest child, and that he stayed in Ireland?

Cheers,

Pat.