Hi,
I had a look to see James's parents. I got them in the 1870 and went back to 1860 as his mother was a widow in 1870.
So his father was James born in 1820ish and Mother was Ellen.
James had an elder sister Mary born in New York c 1853ish and another sister called Margaret c 1857ish.
Going back to the Ireland records I have found a James in Drumcornath born 1819, Father Matthew and Mother Mary Rogers.
There are quite a few Mooney names listed in the area of Drumcornath.
Is this a help?
I can't get into a site at this time but will gladly do more searching for you.
Let me know what you would like to see.
Maggsie
Hi Maggie,
yes, this is the ethnologist's family, Ellen noted in several records as maiden surname Devlin.
According to the family info gathered by the writer of the 2012 article in "Records of Meath Archaelogical and Historical Society", primarly from letters in the Mooney papers at Washington, an uncle of the ethnologist, Daniel Mooney, in 1899 wrote that his father's father, unnamed there but identified from other records as Matthew Mooney, was from Castletown, about 8 miles from Drumconrath in the Navan direction, and married about 1815 to Mary Rodgers, he then aged about 40 (b.~1775), she aged about 19 (b.~1796).
Matthew and Mary reportedly had 11 children, James senior, father of the ethnologist being third eldest, Daniel himself being youngest. Daniel further states his father Matthew died 11 October, 1846, and his mother Mary died "about 14 or 15 years ago" (d.~1885). Mary's family having been several centuries there, and by her Matthew acquired the land. Daniel notes his unnamed grandfather (father of Matthew) was buried at Mitchellstown with the oldest stone there. Another letter, from Mary, m.s.Rodgers, Mooney, notes her own mother's father was buried at Drumbride.
Though the marriage of Matthew and Mary is not in the Drumconrath register, the baptism of the reportedly third child, James (father of James the ethnologist), is recorded as May 27, 1819, which fits to Daniel's suggestion marriage of Matthew and Mary was about 1815.
James Mooney, father of the ethnologist, reportedly lived near the Devlin family, and first proposed to Ellen Devlin at Liverpool, then again in New York, though a ships list suggests they were married before emigrating.
For my own family, the Parish Register notes marriage 28 June, 1823 at Drumconrath (Drumcondra), County Meath, Ireland, of Thomas Mooney to Catherine Wall, witnesses were a Michael Mooney and a John Wall, relationships not noted but my guess is siblings of Thomas and Catherine. This was within a few years of the reported marriage of Matthew Mooney to Mary Rodgers, and my guess is Matthew, Thomas, and Michael were brothers. My Mooneys lived at Largy, only 184 acres in the townland, and as few as 11 familys there in 1901, so I think presumption of relationship is safe, just details unclear.
1854 Griffith's has Michael renting from Mary Mooney, that Mary thought to be Mary m.s.Rodgers, mother of James (father of ethnologist) and Daniel. That 1854 Michael may be another son of Mary, or brother of her late husband Matthew, and so witness to "my" family marriage in 1823
In 1870 my gt-grandfather, Thomas Mooney, son of Thomas Mooney and Catharine Wall, married at Drumconrath to Catharine Fegan ("Fagan"), one of the witnesses was Daniel Mooney, uncle of the ethnologist, my guess is father of the 1870 Thomas, the Thomas who married in 1824, was brother of the Matthew who married about 1815, which would put witness Daniel as first cousin of groom Thomas in 1870.
As you can see there is a lot of supposition and guesswork above, and any insights are welcome!
Donald.
