I have been given help in the past regarding my GG Julia (Leary), however, further research proved I had the wrong Julia Leary!!! After checking my research I am 100% confident my Julia Lawlor married a Michael Leary (labourer) in 28 Feb 1871. They were RC and found the marriage record. Michael's father was Cornelius but I don't know where he came from. They had 8 children (7 girls and 1 boy). Griffiths valuation for Scartaglin, Co. Kerry shows a Michael Leary on plot 1 and plot 2a where it appears he has a lot of land, house, office and a bog. Then I find in 1901 the same family with Michael, Julia and the 2 youngest girls (Julia Anne-my GG and sister Hanna) living still in a house in Bawnaskehy, Scartaglin,Co. Kerry but they appear to be in a small 2 room house with a cow barn and piggery. To go from having so much to so little seems strange and I have no idea how this could have happened?
In 1902 Julia leaves from Queenstown and by herself at 17, heads for the United States where she is meeting her two oldest sisters, Nellie and Mary in New York. After 1901 Michael and Julia Leary seem to disappear and I have no clue how else I can search for what happened to them. Would it have been common for the parents to travel to the US or would they have just encouraged their children to leave for the prospect of a better life.
It is also strange that although they were RC, only the youngest girl was recorded in the Church Records, where all the others were civil birth registrations. Why? Checking the RC Church records, I can't find any marriages for the girls where their Father is listed-and death records, I'm just getting nowhere. My question is have I done all I can to trace this family or is there something else I can check. Michael was born around 1847 and Julia Lawlor in 1851. If most of the children left and or some died, and they were very poor, I am also wondering if they ended up in a workhouse due to illness . I hate to give up but I may have no other choice and I guess I just need someone to advise me if there is something I have missed.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions and or opinions.