Keys...family history....Garvaghy

[keys]

Hello members...I am hoping on behalf of our family members in Australia to find some of our Irish history.....

I know for sure that my grandfather and grandmother arrived in Aust. in June 1914.....all relatives with any Irish knowledge have all past on, so this is our best hope.....

The only item I have to go on is a birth certificate of my uncle.....

D.O.B...4-2-1914.....name is James Joseph Keys and was born in Garvaghy...
the births office was in Irvinestown.....

I am hoping that these names may mean something to someone to get us started...

thanks for any info........keys.....

[aghadowey]

Welcome to Rootschat. Hopefully we will be able to help you but I'm a bit puzzled by the birth information as Irvinestown is in Co. Fermanagh. Is the place of birth the same as the residence of the parents?
Details of living people can't be posted here but it should be possible to trace the family a bit father back in Ireland from 1914.
Could you also post the father's name and occupation as well as the mother's name as that will help searching Irish records.

[keys]

Hello, thankyou for such a quick reply....now that I check Irvinestown was the place that this birth certificate was  copied in 1928....

The other info from the birth certificate with all family members being deceased are as follows....

father...Thomas Keys..............Garvaghy.........labourer....
mother..Maggie  Keys.......formarly....mcgee......

also reads birth registered in the district of (Frelliak)...not sure hard to read..
                                           in the union of Irvinestown
                                           in the county of Tyrone

Thanks again for any help....if only our ancestors had told us more...keys

[aghadowey]

District is probably Trillick.

Think this might be the correct Garvaghy:
Garvaghy townland, 199 acres, Kilskeery Parish, Lowtherstown Poor Law Union [Lowtherstown is old name for Irvinestown], County Tyrone

Griffith's Valuation is mid 1800s but no Keys listed in Kilskeery Parish.
http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_family_search_form.php

[keys]

hello....yes you are right the district is Trillick....

I know the family was Roman Catholic

Reading the Obituary for Thomas Keys (grandfather) in Aust. in 1932. it reads..

He was a native of County Tyrone, North of Ireland, being the eldest son of the late Mr. and Mrs James Keys....occupation of farmer.....With his wife and two children Mr Keys arrived in Australia in June 1914.....

Having only this information, looks like we havent much to go on....
So far, looking at the sites available, nothing has turned up...will keep trying..

thankyou for assistance and valuable information.....keys....

[aghadowey]

Don't give up just yet. From the dates and places involved I think you should be able to get more information on your family.
Do you have Thomas Keys' Australian death certificate? and if so, does it give his parents' names?

[keys]

Hello...Thomas Keys's parents from the Australian BDM..show

parents being father...James Keys
                       mother..Bridget

This is a caption and not the whole certificate, but I notice a lot of past relations dont always use their proper Christian names through life and this can make it difficult to trace back

thanks.....keys

[keys]

Hello...with the help i received here I did find my grandfathers birth record..

turns out it was Moynighan Fermanagh...in 1885..

I will now try the Fermanagh section to see if I can find a bit more..thanks..keys

[Hkh]

Check the census for 1901 and 1911. James and Brigid keys are there with a number of children but not Thomas . Both James and Brigid died young and a number of the children listed emigrated to Australia. There is a lot of information on Irishgenealogy .ie births marriages deaths etc. my great grandparents are also James and Brigid keys