Anyone live near Portumna, Co. Galway?

[shanew147]

there's an Elizabeth Mary Thompson with the same index references, so a possible cross-match to Joseph.


S.

[giraffe]

Shanew, Thank you so much for all that information. I am sure I have the correct family, but I don't have any certificates so far. Is there a way of viewing and searchingthe BMDs for Ireland?
giraffe

[shanew147]

You can search the BMD Index on familysearch. You have to order the certs from the GRO to see the details.

see : Ordering Certs from GRO Roscommon
        Introduction to Irish Records
 

S.

[VRM]

Hi Giraffe! I am from Northern Ireland & also related to Joseph Gordon's wife Elizabeth. She was my Granda Thompson's sister. Her mother, also called Elizabeth, (maiden name Crowe)  was born in Gortletteragh, Mohill Co Leitrim & (aged about 18) married Robert Thompson (from Farnaught, Mohill area,) on August 5th 1867 in Cloone, Co Leitrim (the church there no longer exists, only a bell tower).  They had 11 children, 8 of whom survived to adulthood. . Sometime after 1890 but prior to 1900 the family all moved (now 8 kids surviving) to Portumna area, possibly Gorteenphadden.   Sadly Elizabeth senior died 4 Feb 1900, aged only 50, cause of death I do not know.   One of these 8 children was Mary Elizabeth May Thompson!  She & Joseph Gordon had 7 children , 6 boys & one girl , Willie, Joe, Leslie, Louis, Frank, Bertie (Robert?) & Alison. These were my Mum's cousins.  Some of these children are also buried in the Church of Ireland graveyard in Portumna as well as their mother & grandmother.  The church was previously called Lickmolassy, now called Christ Church. I and a few cousins were actually there yesterday in Portumna area checking out the ancestors ourselves !   I have some hard to read notes which have been around for a while & photocopied to within an inch of their lives! but Leslie Gordon may have gone to live in England? Sorry I have no info on Eliz Gordon's husband, Joseph's  family. Hope this is some help!

[gaffy]

... Sorry I have no info on Eliz Gordon's husband, Joseph's  family ...

Just to note this speculative lead.  The marriage record for Joseph Gordon and Mary Elizabeth Thompson indicate that the groom's father was Thomas Gordon, a farmer.  The 1901 and 1911 census returns indicate that Joseph was born in Co. Cavan, c. 1865/66.  There was a Joseph Gordon born to parents Thomas Gordon and Eliza Coote on 4 December 1865, the address given as Tully, County Cavan.  The same named couple had:

- Mary Ann Gordon, 27 August 1867, address given as Tullyboy;
- Unnamed Gordon (female), 26 May 1869, address given as Tullyboy.

They also possibly had a son Henry Edward Gordon, 8 October 1871, address given as Tullyboy (but parents listed simply and Thomas and Eliza Gordon).  This latter child would point to the following 1901 census return:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Cavan/Ballymachugh/Tullyboy/1064912/

A Thomas Gordon married an Eliza Coote in Ballyjamesduff Presbyterian Church on 26 February 1857, the groom's address was Tullyboy (Kilbride CP), his father given as farmer Robert Gordon, the bride's address was Carn (Castlerahan CP), her father given as farmer William Coote.  Griffith's Valuation has an entry for a Thomas Gordon in Tullyboy (print date 1857), also a William Coote in Carn (print date 1856).

As said, just a speculative lead until it can be ruled in or out.

[VRM]

That's very interesting Gaffy... I guess i'm not long into the ancestor search (although I have pages & pages of detail from others!)  & hadn't got around to looking into the wider connection of Gordons. The heritage centre in Woodford near Portumna are good for info. They told us that many families left Cavan & Leitrim (& likely other areas too) to come down to Galway to farm etc. 

[Springer62]

I am a grandchild of Joseph and Elizabeth Gordon. All their children are now deceased. Leslie died in England. John Albert Kenneth (Bertie) died in Canada. There is a plaque to him in the C of I graveyard in Terryglass which is nearby as his wife came from there. He and Frank were in the RAF during the war. Alison died in Wicklow. Willie and Joe died in Dublin. Louis died in Portumna. There is a plaque to him and his wife in the C of I church in Portumna. The Thompsons and other families from the north came to Portumna around the 1890 as tenants on the Estate there owned by Lord Laselles. Most returned to Northern Ireland in the early 1920's. The Gordon's stayed as by that time Joseph was estate manager. Bertie took over from  him until he joined the RAF.  Elizabeth died suddenly in 1936 after a brief  hospital procedure. Joseph died in the early 1950's. I think that Elizabeth's father Robert may have married again after his first wife died but am not sure. There are some Gordon cousins in Cavan and Northern Ireland descended from Joseph's family.

[hallmark]

It is online

http://historicgraves.com/terryglass-old-cemetery/tn-tygs-0238/grave

[VRM]

Hi Springer 62! that means you & I are second cousins, since I am a grandchild of Elizabeth's brother John Henry!   Pleased to 'meet' you   
Yes, Robert Thompson did marry again late 1901 to a widow lady (Mary) who appeared to have no children of her own. They had 16 years together til he died (I think after a stroke) up in Dublin in 1917 & then Mary died in 1919 back up in her native Fermanagh. My granda John H Thompson, did move up North when he married in 1913 to Margaret Pogue (whose family had moved to Portumna from Belturbet in Co Cavan towards the end of 1800's) .
 I use 'ancestry' website for quite good info, & your grandmother Elizabeth's mother, Eliza (nee Crowe) had a HUGE Crowe connection in Gortletteragh, Mohill area, Co Leitrim. It's been fun!  We also have a lot of family history on paper, carefully written down by an interested soul some time back! Kind of satisfying to match it up online. VRM