O'Farrell and Guilfoyle in Parsonstown

[jaymack]

Hello, I'm trying to research my mother's grandfather, a man named Peter O'Farrell. I don't know much about him except that he emigrated to Philadelphia PA around 1880 and that his mother was named Rose Guilfoyle (not sure about the spelling). He had a sister named Delia. I can't seem to find any birth records on Peter, but I found a marriage for Rose Guilfoyle in Parsonstown in 1867. There's no husband listed, just her name and the date. Just wondering if anyone can give me any tips on how to research this further.

[shanew147]

Do you have place or year of birth for your Peter ?

Parsonstown is the old name for Birr in Co. Offaly (formerly King's Co.).

The reference you found to the Rose Guilfoyle marriage is likely the entry on the BMD Index. You would need to order a cert from the GRO to see more details, such as date and place of marriage, name of the groom etc etc..
   
  Name: Rose Guilfoyle
  Registration district:   Parsonstown
  Event type: Marriage
  Year: 1867
  Volume : 3 / Page: 717

see : Introduction to Irish Records
         My Ancestor came from Ireland - where do I start?


Shane

[shanew147]

there's an extracted version Rose's marriage on FamilySearch - doesn't look like this Guilfoyle marriage fit's your family as as the groom's surname is Fieherry or Fierherry. His firstname is Frank/Francis.

here are a number of children listed for this couple - with the surname listed as Feighery

  Mary Feighery / 02 Dec 1867 / King's Co.
  Anne Feighery / 10 Jan 1872 / Kinnetty, King's Co.
  Bridget Feighery / 01 Feb 1874 / Kings Co.
  Alicia Feighery / 10 Sep 1875 / Kings Co.
  Rosanna Feighery / 11 Mar 1877 / Parsonstown, Kings Co.


Shane

[jaymack]

Shane, thank you.

I have a date for a Joseph Farrell born in Parsonstown in 1866. My g-grandfather Peter O'Farrell was also known as Joseph Farrell, especially in America. Since I found that reference to Rose Guilfoyle getting married in Parsonstown and a Joseph Farrell birth there, I thought there might be a link. However, his birth is listed as 1866 and her marriage is 1867. All I have to go one is that he had a mother named Rose and a sister named Delia. I've heard that Delia is a sort of Irish nickname for Bridget, and you found a birth record for a Bridget Feighery, daughter of Rose. I don't know if that means there's a connection. 

[shanew147]

....
I have a date for a Joseph Farrell born in Parsonstown in 1866. My g-grandfather Peter O'Farrell was also known as Joseph Farrell, especially in America.
....

Have you found marriage and/or death certs for Peter/Joseph, or even Delia ?
These could give you clues re father's name.

When you say you have a date and a place of birth for Joseph - is this in US sources ?
I would allow a few years either way for year of birth in case reported age/year is not accurately reported. This was quite common...


Shane

[jaymack]

Shane:

I have a paper copy of a death certificate for Joseph which says his birthdate was May 15 1866, and date of death was October 28 1936 in Lansdowne, PA. For birthplace it just says "Ireland". His father's name is not listed, and his mother's name is listed as "Rose Gillfile". I thought that was a misspelling of Guilfoyle, but maybe I'm wrong. On the Ireland Civil Registration Birth database on Ancestry.com I found a Joseph Farrell birth record in 1866 in Parsonstown, but it has no other details, like name of father or mother.

[shanew147]

That reference is you mentioned is probably the Index record - which provides the references needed to located the full birth record. I presume this is the one you have :

  name:   Joseph Farrell
  registration district:   Parsonstown
  event type: Birth
  Year:   1866
  Volume :   13 / Page: 591

Usually you would need check a cert to see further details, however in this case some of the details are included in the extracted collection on FamilySearch - name: Joseph Farrell / 26 Aug 1866 / 591 / Ferbane, King's Co. / Parents Patrick Farrell & Mary Mcnally

I would be careful about focusing too much on one area like Parsonstown/Birr unless you have a bit more detail - with such a common name it would be very easy to end up tracing the wrong Farrell  family. It's also worth bearing in mind that, given the early date, Peter's parents could have married before the start of civil records so would require a search of church records to locate..

Have you located a marriage record for your Peter ?


Shane

[jaymack]

Shane:

I see what you mean about tracing the wrong family. The record you found for Joseph sounds like the wrong parents. I don't know his father's name, but my mother said his mother's name was Rose, not Mary Mcnally. As I said before, he used the name "Peter O'Farrell" when he came to the U.S. I do have a marriage certificate from November 28 1888 for Peter O'Farrell and Kate Burtcel, at a church in Philadelphia. There are no parents listed, however. The death certificate I have for Joseph Farrell says he was born in 1866; my mother thought he emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 14, so that would mean he came in 1880. I can't find any Peter O'Farrell or Joseph Farrell on passenger lists from that year, however.

[shanew147]

It's a pity neither the certs include the father's name - could have been a vital clue. Have you located death notice/obituary for Peter, or a headstone ?

These can sometime mention a more detailed place of birth..

Unfortunately death certs are often inaccurate - it all depends on the details that the informant know. I'd definitely widen the dates when searching for births or baptism for Peter..


Shane