James Joseph McCloskey (emigrated to the US)

[SKN01]

Hello

Questions:
1. Having exhausted all known on line searches, where would you suggest I start at the local level?
2. If the family was said to be from Dungiven and Roman Catholic, where was their likely church and National School of the early 1800's? And the graveyard?

___________________________

James Joseph McCloskey
Date of Birth:   1815 (circa)   
Date of Death:   1877 (circa)   
Townland born:   Dungiven, Londonderry   
Father:   John McCloskey (Abt. 1775-1885)   
Mother:   Jane Mullen (Abt. 1785-1860)   

Siblings:   Edward F., Robert, John, Thomas B., Ann and Henry   
Spouse:   Ellen M. Pender (Abt. 1824-1882)   

Children:   John C. or H. (1849-1918), Thomas A. (1851-1900), William J. (1854), James Francis (1856-1926), Daniel Joseph (1859-1935), Mary A. (1861-1913), Ellen J. (1866)

___________________________

I would appreciate any assistance available.

Kind regards
Susan

[shanreagh]

You might be able to find the dates of deaths where you are uncertain from here
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/

Did his father live to 110years? 

Where they lived from Griffiths Valuation
https://www.askaboutireland.ie/

Did the whole family move to the US or just James Joseph McCloskey?
Did JJ McC marry before he left? 

Snippets about McCloskeys from Dungiven
https://irelandxo.com/ireland/derry/dungiven/message-board/mccloskeyokane

[aghadowey]

See here for online Dungiven R.C. Parish records (free)- baptisms start 1847, marriages from 1864 and there are some deaths 1870/1871 (most Catholic churches didn't keep burial records)-
https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0366
There are two other resources for earlier records (from 1825)- PRONI in Belfast and a pay site-
https://www.johngrenham.com/records/rc_church.php?churchid=0366&parish=Dungiven

You'll need to consider where the family lived to see if school registers and other information exists.

I looked for John McCloskey's death in 1885 in Ireland and can't see anything in Dungiven area that matches.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/civil-search.jsp (another free site for vital records)
Dungiven now comes under Limavady registration district but formerly known as Newtownlimavady so 2 separate areas to check depending on date of the birth, marriage or death.

[SKN01]

Hello

Very informative. Thank you both for your efforts.

PS: I left the death date of 1885 for John McCloskey as I cannot confirm most of this information and hoped something would stick.

Susan

[aghadowey]

If your dates are merely estimates then that changes the period I was searching without being sure of the correct family.
There is a John McCloskey death in 1873- informant a John McCloskey-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1873/020711/7267288.pdf
I'm not saying this is James Joseph's father but merely that it is a possibility. Unfortunately there are lots of McCloskeys in Dungiven area.
Note: I checked GRONI's database to make sure it was in Dungiven district.

Did James Joseph McCloskey & Ellen Pender marry in Ireland or U.S.? if U.S. then marriage record might be helpful. If they married in Ireland there's a good chance that Ellen was also from the same area.

Usually the best starting point for Irish research for the period you are looking at is overseas resources. You may have done some or all this already but-
Checked all possible census, marriage & death records for the family born in Ireland (not just James Joseph but all children born in Ireland).
Checked with other descendants for paperwork, photos, family stories.

What about the siblings of James Joseph- did they go to America or stay in Ireland? again if to U.S. then check all possible resources there.

[SKN01]

Gosh. You're so kind to be helping. So appreciative.
___
James Joseph McCloskey & Ellen Pender (supposedly) were both born and married in Ireland. I cannot verify this information with marriage details.

Again, it has been suggested (but not confirmed) that all their children were born in the US.

Yes, all their children have been searched. Unfortunately, I cannot seem verify anyone.

Susan

[aghadowey]

As I said earlier you need information from U.S. records which I don't think you've seen. A search in Family Search for 'McCloskey' with 'Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania' then narrowed down with born 'Ireland' shows a large family tree which can largely be confirmed with the records that come up.

John McCloskey (c1785-bef.1850 Pittsburgh?) m. Jane Mullen (c1785-1860 Penn.)
1850- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M44Z-HT2 (Jane McCloskey, sons James, Henry, daughters Ann (married, 1 child) & Jane A. Note: previous household also McCloskeys
1. Edward F. McCloskey (c1810-1883 Penn.)
1850- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M44Z-JHW
Death: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZWZ-BXQ
2. John McCloskey (c1810-1870 Penn.).
1850- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M44Z-FT5
3. Thomas B. McCloskey (c1812-bef.1900 U.S.)
4. James Joseph McCloskey (1815 Ireland-c1877 1878 Pittsburgh) m. Ellen M. Pender (c1824-1882 1892 Pittsburgh)
1850 James in mother’s household, married after census?
1870- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZLH-7N2 (Pittsburgh, Ellen born Ireland)
Death (James 1878) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZW6-G4X
Death (Ellen)- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZWM-RBX (parents Thomas A. & Mary Pender)
Family tree- https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L5VJ-Z1N
   a. John C/H McCloskey (1849-1918)
   b. Thomas Alexander McCloskey (1851-1900 1893 Pittsburgh)
     Death- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZQ1-B9K
   c. William J. McCloskey (1854)
   d. James Francis McCloskey (1856-1926)
   e. Daniel Joseph McCloskey (1859-1935)
   f. Mary A. McCloskey (1861-1913) m. _ Ward
      https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9PN-BX3 (father born Ireland, mother born Penn.)
     g. Ellen J. McCloskey (1866)
5. Henry McCloskey (c1823-bef.1920 U.S.)
6. Ann McCloskey (c1827-bef.1900 U.S.)
7. Jane A. McCloskey (c1835-bef.1930)
8. Robert McCloskey (c1837-bef.1920 U.S.)

I think the next step, after checking all the FS records using the parameters I used, might be to contact St. Mary's Cemetery to see if they can give any more details from their records and suggest what church to contact so you can check there.