Crosbie
It has been said that our ancestors came from an island off Wexford. The surviving parish registers are available in Microfilm in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin for the period up to 1870 and it may be possible to obtain some information there re: Michael (1700) place of birth, parents etc. It is possible that he came to Wexford from a parish just North or North West of the town.
The name must have been changed to CROSBIE sometime after the birth of James (1804). Crosby (like Formby, Whitby and Kirby) was the name of a Norse (Viking) settlement in North West England about 850 a.d. The Mac an Crosain (MacCrossan) changed their name to the English, Crosbie/Crosby around 1575 - There is much writing about the Crosbies of Kerry.
[color=Blue] Michael Crosby it would appear came to Wexford town to work and married a local girl Mary Roth on the 15th September 1717. She was born on the 27th April 1706, to William Roth and Margaret Hay. ( I expect that there has been an error with regard to wedding date as Mary would have only been 11yrs of age in 1717 – I would deduce from the age of their 1st born John that this should read 1727)
They had 5 sons –
John 1728,
Thomas 1730,
Miles 1732,
William 1734
My Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather James, born on the 20th July, 1736.[/color]
James married Anastasia Rossiter
They had 2 daughters and 6 sons.
The eldest, John, was born on the 8th December 1768
followed by Elizabeth 1774,
Anastasia 1776,
Thomas 1781,
James 1782,
Thomas 1793,
Michael 1785,
William 1787
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John married Mary Downes
Their children included a daughter
Elizabeth 1802
followed by a son, James who was born on the 14th November 1804.
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James married Anne Mernagh from Oylgate, Co. Wexford on the 9th November 1844. Witnesses were Peter Mernagh and John Furlong. Anne died on the 22nd September 1868 aged 43 years.
They had a daughter Mary born 27th September 1845
and several sons who included Patrick 1847,
Peter 1851 (13th June)
James,
Thomas 1861
Richard 1865.
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Peter 1851 married Margaret Bolger (89)
Margaret Bolger had a brother, James, who died at 98 years and a sister Anne, who died at 94years.
Their children were
James 1881,
Martin 1882,
Annie,
Margaret,
Michael 1890,
Richard 1892,
Peeney and Bessie (Peter and Elizabeth).
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I been researching the Crosby's for the last 40 years. My 3rd great grandfather Thomas Crosby was born in Co Wexford and it has been said that he was born in Bunclody, Newtownberry, Co Wexford in 1806. He moved to the States (Burlington, Vermont) in 1851 with his seven children. His death record says his parents names were Michael Crosby and Bridget McKenzie. I assume they were from Wexford and my best guess is that they are descendants from Michael Crosby and Mary Rath who were married in Wexford town 15 Sep 1728 according to the parish records. Any other thoughts that could be a connection?