Returning emigrant 1850s?

[KD146]

Two brothers born in Shankill, Co.Dublin, Nicholas Kearney (1818-1897) and Peter Kearney (1821-1899).

Nicholas married Sarah Hilliard in Westland Row in 1845. He next appears in the US census for 1850, 1860 and 1870, living in Northampton, Massachusetts. He had a family there, and died in 1897.

Peter married late, to Jane Toole in Little Bray in 1879. He would have been 58. They had no family, and he died in Shankill in 1899, passing his farm to his nephew.

Surprisingly, a Peter Kearney appears living with Nicholas in Massachusetts in the 1850 US census, the same age. Was it unknown for Irish emigrants to the US in the 1850s-60s to return to Ireland? Could be why he married late? Just wondering if anyone else encountered returning emigrants.

[Kiltaglassan]

Peter married late, to Jane Toole in Little Bray in 1879. He would have been 58. They had no family, and he died in Shankill in 1899, passing his farm to his nephew.

Just adding the links for others viewing-

Marriage 1879 at Little Bray RC Church, Rathmichael R.D.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1879/11057/8045467.pdf

Death 1899. Informant Peter Byrne, nephew.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1899/05782/4635131.pdf

Calendar of Wills and Administrations 1858-1922
Peter Kearney
Date of Death: 1 Nov 1899
http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/reels/cwa/005014911/005014911_00129.pdf

Shankill townland in the civil parish of Rathmichael
https://www.townlands.ie/dublin/rathdown/rathmichael/rathmichael/shankill/

[Elwyn Soutter]

Was it unknown for Irish emigrants to the US in the 1850s-60s to return to Ireland? Could be why he married late? Just wondering if anyone else encountered returning emigrants.

Yes I have encountered emigrants returning to Ireland in the mid 1800s and later. In several cases it was to take over the family farm, in another due to poor health which meant he couldn’t work to support himself in the US, so he went back to his family.

By the 1860s steamships were becoming established on the transatlantic crossings and this reduced the journey time and relative cost making a return voyage quite a bit easier.

[dublin1850]

Many of mine came home on numerous visits and came back for good in the 1890s or so having left in the 1860s. There are some passenger lists show US - UK trips.

[frostyknight]

I have the same in my tree. One returned from England, his brother returned from the US and, like your person, married relatively late in life after coming back to Ireland.

In another branch, people came back to visit.

[KD146]

Thank you so much everyone, for your prompt replies. It seems Peter Kearney is returning emigrant. Maybe something else will turn up later, to verify.

[frostyknight]

Hi KD146.
What part of Laois are your Cobbes from? Portarlington?

[KD146]

Hi KD146.
What part of Laois are your Cobbes from? Portarlington?

Emo

[Kiltaglassan]

Hi KD146.
What part of Laois are your Cobbes from? Portarlington?

Emo

On OpenStreetMap-
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/4497553#map=14/53.1028/-7.1874

Emo village with Emo Court (and its demesne) to the north-east.
https://arcg.is/0mbGiG0
(MapGenie 25 Inch in Basemap Gallery)