Irish family "Gone to America" but where?

[TunjiLees]

Hi everyone,

I'm not very good with American records so I'm hoping someone can help me turn up some leads.

I have found this Lees family (also spelled Lays) recorded in a "parish census" in Ireland with 5 of the family members recorded as having emigrated to America. I would have thought it would be easy to find them in America with their dates of migration and their year of birth, but it's not so easy at all!

Teressan townland, Parish of Derryloran, Co. Tyrone, Ireland - July 22nd 1842
- John Lees or Lays born 1792
- Margaret McCord born 1801
- John born 15-May 1827, Gone to America Nov. 1850 (John married a Maria Lees in Oct 1850 before migrating)
- James born 15-Nov 1828, Gone to America March 1848
- Jane born 15-Nov 1830, Gone to America Aug. 1848
- Margaret born 03-Jul 1832, Gone to America Aug. 1848
- Sally born 12-Jan 1834, Gone to America 12 April 1858 (Sally is a nickname for Sarah)
- Mary born 15 Jun 1837, Married 1865
- Nancy born 1840
- Betty Eliza born 29-Jun 1842 Gone to England 1863 Novr.
- Martha born 1844
- Isabella born 11-Jun 1846

I've searched the immigration records on FamilySearch but I can't find any where the dates match. The only possible lead I have found is this entry on the 1860 census for a John and Maria Lees in New York https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCWF-MLX
I cannot find them after 1860 though and don't know how I could confirm that they are indeed the same couple who married in Derryloran, Ireland.

No luck finding anything for the other siblings.

Would appreciate any guidance here.

[oldohiohome]

There is a James Lees in Brooklyn in 1860 and 1870, but both times his birth year works out to 1823. He named two daughters Jane and Maria, though, so that is a plus.

1860
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCHX-1SK

1870
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8ND-F9L

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To confirm any of them as the ones from  Derryloran, Ireland, you are going to have to find American records matching either 1) parents' names, 2) exact dates of birth, or 3) exact birth place, wouldn't you say?  All are going to be hard to find for people born in the 1820s, since US marriage and death records didn't start asking a lot of information until sometime after 1900.

Try searching familysearch and ancestry using just the parents' names. I didn't find anything, but you could try variant spellings of the surname, and your mileage may vary, as they say.

Also, they might not have arrived at New York City, did you try Boston, Philadelphia, or maybe Baltimore? familysearch has all of them, maybe try changing the port in the search boxes. Or search each database separately. You can find them by Googling "familysearch Boston arrivals" for example.  But the manifests aren't going to provide much information and you might not be able to ID them. If you find a few of them travelling together, then you might conclude that is them.

But on the other hand, if you think you have one of them in New York City, chances are good that the others are there as well. People usually went where they had family or friends.  Have you looked in the NY City directories? If you find John and there is another Lees at the same address, there is a good chance he is his brother. A lot of the NYC directories are online free somewhere, and at ancestry.com.

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and worse comes to worse, at least you know what happened to them. based on other posts on the US boards, a lot of people just drop out of the Ireland and UK records and you have to look everywhere else in the world for them.

[aghadowey]

Looking at this from the point of Irish records-

"Mary born 15 Jun 1837, Married 1865" The closest I can find in Ireland is this 1860 marriage- Mary Lees, father John Lees a farmer-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1860/09594/5479343.pdf
Lissan Parish- https://www.townlands.ie/tyrone/lissan-dungannon-upper-portion/
Lissan Parish is just north of Derryloran Parish

[aghadowey]

"Martha born 1844"

Possibility- marriage of Martha Lees of Derryloran Parish, father John Lees a farmer, in 3rd Cookstown Presbyterian Church to William Mulholland-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1873/11259/8129500.pdf
https://www.townlands.ie/tyrone/derryloran-upper-dungannon-portion/

Children-
William John- https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1875/03106/2139231.pdf
Margaret- https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1878/02981/2092367.pdf
James- https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1884/02706/1996493.pdf
Joseph- https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1886/02607/1962886.pdf

William & widowed mother Martha in 1901- her age given as 50 (born c1851) but may not be accurate (William's age only 30 when he would have been 26)-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Moneyhaw/Teressan/1534270/

Not sure if this is Martha's death-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1909/05461/4528162.pdf

William Mulholland died 1889- https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1889/06155/4758813.pdf

[aghadowey]

The Will of William Mulholland late of Teresson County Londonderry Farmer who died 2 February 1889 at same place was proved at Londonderry by Samuel Kidd of New Buildings Farmer and James Mulholland of Drumard Tailor both in the County of Tyrone the Executors. Effects £215 5s.
Will mentions dear wife Martha, sister-in-law Nancy Lees, wife's siblings (not by name), daughter Margaret. Interesting that other sons not mentioned and farm is to go to daughter Margaret...
You can read wording of William's Will here (put in William Mulholland & Teresson (in full abstract box)- https://apps.proni.gov.uk/WillsCalendar_IE/WillsSearch.aspx

[Crumblie]

The 1865 census shows James Lees age 42 born Ireland, occupation caprpenter.
Wife Mary A Lees age 40 born Ireland
Daughter Jane age 14 born Brooklyn
Son Alexander age 12 born Brooklyn
Daughter Maria aage 10 born Brooklyn

He died 8 Mar 1882 and was widower according to FindAGrave

[*Sandra*]

New York - Index to Death Certificate

James Lees - 1824 Ireland - aged 58 years - widower - died 8 March 1882 - burial 10 March 1882 - - resided - 354 Kent Av. Brooklyn New York. occupation carpenter - father and mother born Ireland.
Years in US 41 Years
Cause of Death:   Phthisis Pulmonalis - Certificate Number 2849

New York Municipal Deaths - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WS8-7K1

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

1855 census E.D. 1, Ward 7, Brooklyn City, Kings, New York.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6WM-CKV

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

New York City city directories are available online for free:

https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/new-york-city-directories#/?tab=about

Sandra