Tuam

[ele002]

Hi. I've come across some Army Records from 1814 which show a soldier as being born in Tuam, Donegal/Co. Donegal about 1795/96. However, when I searched for Tuam it comes up as being in Co. Galway.

Can anyone throw any light on this for me please.

Thanks, Eric.

[Kiltaglassan]

Tuam is both a civil parish and an electoral division in Co Galway.

https://www.townlands.ie/galway/tuam/

https://www.townlands.ie/galway/tuam-rural/
https://www.townlands.ie/galway/tuam-urban/

Tuam townlands are situated in counties Cavan and Roscommon.

Can you attach a snip of the relevant area of the form, so that we can also have a look ourselves?

[ele002]

That's pretty much what I found.

I've attached a bit of one of the items, I hope.

[Kiltaglassan]

Indeed it says….born in the Parish of Tuam in, or near the Town of Tuam in the County of Donegal 

Two other villages, starting with 'T' that come to mind are Teelin in the SW of County Donegal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teelin

....and Termon north of Letterkenny.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termon

Good luck!

[eilean donan]

Please can you tell us the full name of the soldier?

[eilean donan]

 I have relatives born in what I am told is sub- Townland that has a variety of spelling, e.g.  Toome, Toam, Toame,  Toomb, Toombe all the same place in Mevagh County Donegal  It is near the village of Glen. difficult to find on a modern map but is on the Tithe and Griffith Valuation. 

[Kiltaglassan]

Please can you tell us the full name of the soldier?

James Finlay served for 9 years and 340 days.

...born in what I am told is sub- Townland that has a variety of spelling, e.g.  Toome, Toam, Toame,  Toomb, Toombe all the same place in Mevagh County Donegal

https://www.townlands.ie/donegal/kilmacrenan/mevagh/rosguill/mevagh/
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/5505693#map=13/55.1919/-7.8171

[gaffy]

What about Toome in Lettermacaward CP, the Irish is Tuaim?

https://www.townlands.ie/donegal/boylagh/lettermacaward/lettermacaward/toome/


Edited to add: It is a documented spelling in various BMDs, for example, a Hugh Trimble recorded as living in Toome on 2 April 1911 ...

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Donegal/Lettermacaward/Toome/487783/

... was recorded as living in Tuam when he got married on 23 May 1911:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1911/09948/5616549.pdf

[ele002]

Many thanks for the replies. Plenty of food for thought.

The soldier is James Finlay and according to the 1861 Census in Scotland, was born c1785 Donegal, Ireland. I'm not even sure that this soldier is the same person, but need to start somewhere.

The info has been supplied by a cousin (which means this is all foreign to me...pardon the pun) who believes that JF was born c1785 Donegal and he married a Sarah Hunter around 1813/14 in Donegal. I did find a reference to his enlistment in 1804, which I'm trying to find again, but I think it gave him as born in Donegal.

At the moment, I'm just trying to solve this Tuam puzzler.

Thanks, Eric