Completed with Thanks - McCarthy's of Cloone

[Clones1818]

I am having difficulty finding any church records for my ancestors the McCarthy's. My 3*great grandfather John McCarthy was born about 1828 in Cloone, County Leitrim. He married Mary Cunningham around 1858. He had a brother Matthew McCarthy born about 1829 who married Anne Dwyer or Fass in about 1860. John & Mary moved to Percy Main near North Shields in Northumberland (now Tyne & Wear) in about 1858 and Matthew and Anne followed them in about 1860. They were all Roman Catholic.

I have tried the IFHF site but there are no marriage or baptism records. I did find a Mary Cunningham born 1833 baptised at Gortletteragh RC, father William Cunningham. John and Mary did call one of their sons William however UK census and her civil death record indicate she was born 1837 or 1838. The church does fall under the civil parish of Cloone however so it could possibly be her.

Does anyone have any information about the McCarthy's, Cunningham's or Dwyers in Cloone or can explain why there are no records of the marriages?

[johnroscommon]

Cloone-Conmaicne (AC) Catholic parish

LDS film (available worldwide) 1279223
Baptisms 1820-1927
Marriages 1823-1921
Deaths 1850-1878 & 1919-1921

Check film number www.familysearch.org/ prior to ordering film.

For the maps of all Catholic and Civil parishes and details of County Leitrim Catholic Parish records on LDS microfilm, check the Resource County Leitrim 2006 CD at your local library.

For a map of Cloone Civil parish visit
http://www.leitrim-roscommon.com/MAPS/cloone.html

John

[Clones1818]

Thanks.

[Clones1818]

I discovered that the family were called McCartan when in Leitrim and their name somehow got changed to McCarthy after they came to England. As a result I have now found a marriage and two baptism records under the Cloone RC parish registers. John's parents were Francis McCartan and Rose McCartan nee Harkin and they lived in the townland of Halls.

I am still looking for the marriage record for John and Mary but hope to see the microfilm records soon.  I did find an 1855 marriage of a John McCart to Mary Cunningham on the IFHF site but this was under County Tyrone so is probably just a coincidence.

[Jim I]

Matthew Macartan baptised 25th July 1823 married Anne Dyer in Cloone church on 18th March 1861.  Witnesses were James Reynolds and Mary Magovern.

John was born in June 1826 (20th I think but the pic on the film is cut off at the edge.

There is no entry in Cloone parish records for the marriage of John and Mary.  The most likely answer is that Mary did not come from Cloone.  The normal practice was for the couple to marry in the bride's parish.

Tyrone is not too far away but your best bet, I think, is Gortletteragh.

[Clones1818]

Thanks for that.  I had seen the marriage of Matthew and Ann on the IFHF site but it did not have the names of the witnesses you have mentioned which just goes to show that they don't always transcribe all the details.

As for Mary Cunningham the only records I have of her just show born 'Ireland'.  In the St Cuthbert's North Shields and St Aidan's Willington Quay baptism records some of John & Mary's children had John Cunningham as the godfather. 

There is a John Cunningham father William baptised 1840 in the Gortletteragh records so this could be Mary's brother and the godfather mentioned.  However after finding the 21 January 1855 marriage of a Mary Cunningham to John McCart (parish of Pomeroy in Tyrone, Witness: Thomas Cunningham) I also found an 1838 baptism for Mary Cunningham father John (parish Dungannon, Tyrone).  This is the year of birth the UK records indicate however these are very common names.  Also as John McCartan had himself as being 2 years younger than he actually was therefore he probably had his wifes age wrong as well.  I also think that Gortletteragh seems more likely but no marriage is coming up in the search.