connollys of Wicklow

[bandc]

I am researching my great grandfather's family. He was Patrick Connolly of Knockraheen, born about 1820 and died 1883. He married Mary Thomas of Ballyteskin/Ballyremmon, daughter of John Thomas and Margaret Cullen, around 1855, cant locate Patrick and Mary's marriage record. I have good information on the Thomas family and the children of Patrick and Mary Connolly, but have not been able to find out much about Patrick's origin, I believe him to be the Patrick Connolly listed in Griffiths Valuation in Knockraheen. In my efforts to find out more about him I have been looking at all the Connollys in Calary/Kilmacanogue/Bray area in the early to mid 1800s to see if they are connected. If there is anyone out there also researching these Connollys I would like to hear from you and maybe we can share our research.
Margaret

[shanew147]

where were the first children of Patrick and Mary born ?


S.

[bandc]

That is a bit of a mystery, There were 9 children in all, the last 5 were born from 1866 - 1876, and all were baptised in Kilquade parish, the only record I have for the first 4 children is a state registered birth record for Mary  in 1864 when records began, and it states place of residence as Knockraheen, and a  death record for her in 1865  also at Knockraheen. But there is no baptism record for her in Kilquade or anywhere else on rootsireland records. The land tenant record books for Knockraheen commenced in 1860 and Patrick Connolly is there on his farm from 1860 onwards and it appears to be the same farm recorded to Patrick Connolly in Griffiths in 1853. I am wondering if there are some gaps in the Kilquade church records as I was researching another family in the Kilquade parish  who also had missing baptism records for the early 1860s. While searching the Kilquade church records in the NLI I found a note in the register for one of the early 1860s stating that other baptism records for that year were contained in a seperate section of the book, but did not find any on the reel.
Someone locally told me that the church in Kilmurray, which was part of Kilquade, was burned down at some stage in the 1800s, so I was wondering if perhaps baptism records from that end of the parish might have been lost? Would anyone know any details of a fire in Kilmurray church?
M

[shanew147]

The NLI Index notes the name of the parish as 'United parishes of Kilquade & Kilmurray' with a gap in baptism records between June 1855 and December 1861. Marriage seem to be complete for the same period.

Based on my families I think some of the parish boundaries around that part of Wicklow were a little flexible at that time. (Some of my ancestors lived south west of Bray at Ballywaltin and Kilmacanogue)

Not sure which was the parish church back in the 1860s, but if Kilmurry was a chapel of ease then if event like baptisms took place there, they should have been recorded in the parish church.


Shane

[bandc]

Thanks for reply Shane, I had noticed that the NLI indicated a gap, but when I was in there researching there were some baptism records for the Kilquade parish for the missing years, so that is why I thought there might be only partial ones. On the rootsireland site if you put a common name like Byrne in to the search for those years in Kilquade parish you get results, so it is a bit of a mystery. Anyway with lack of marriage or early baptism records (with useful information on sponsors ) plan B is to try and figure out the other Connolly families in the area at the time in the hope of finding some connections with my branch. I have amassed quite a bit of information on the other Connollys and hope I can share it with interested parties.
Margaret