RootsChat.Com
Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Monaghan => Topic started by: Sani on Wednesday 25 November 09 06:43 GMT (UK)
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I am looking for Sarah Rock(e). unfortunately all I know is that she was born in Monaghan in 1807 and came to Australia before 1844 when she married John West. Can anyone please help me find her parents and siblings Sani
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The Rock family are listed in the Church Records of Donagh Anglican, Glennan Presbyterian & a few in Clontibret Anglican. All North Monaghan Church records are now available on CD.
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I'm working with someone on Wests in Monaghan, only have one West connected to my family.
Have you any other "crumbs" which may help narrow it down? Rumours/family tales....etc
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All I know for sure is that Sarah was born in 1807 in Monaghan and her life after she married John West in Geelong 1844. I have their family all born in Australia. There was a Doctor Thomas Rock living in Geelong about the same time and is presumed to be her father but no confirmation on that. John was b 1801 in Chigwell, Essex and is said to have been transported to Tasmania ( 1830's) as a convict and later moved to Geelong where he became a farmer and wood-cutter. Several family members have different versions of how he came to Australia so we don't really know anything for sure. As far as I know , John was never in Ireland. Sani
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Would the doc have been a doctor in Ireland?
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If he is Sarah's father, its most likely he was from Monaghan too and therefore would have worked there. I don't know John West's family so I can't tell you if he was ever in Ireland, but info suggests that he was n't Sani
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The Rock families were concentrated in the Donagh & Tyholland Parishes and were always Anglican religion. The Billis Farm in Donagh belonged to the Rocks until the late 1870's and there was another Rock family living at Killeef in Tyholland Parish.
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Sarah Rock and John West were married in Scots Church at Maud in Geelong. While I don't know what religion they were, I know they were not Catholic. I have a feeling they met in Geelong and didn't know each other before they arrived, as Sarah was born in Monaghan and John in Chigwell, England. I have no knowledge of either of them before they came to Australia, I'm sorry to say. Sani
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Just wondering if you have Sarah's death certificate and if it gives any further details on where in Monaghan she was born. Sometimes there are good details on these certs.
Without other details, family members etc you will find it almost impossible to find her exact family.
If you have the cert then where exactly does it say she was born?
There were Rock families in Monaghan and they attended various churches so obviously there were different families and you are very much at the earliest available church record dates.
Also, does her marriage cert give parent's names or any clues?
Often there are clues overlooked on the certs!
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The Rocks of Tyholland & Donagh Parishes are listed as emigrating to Geelong, Victoria, Australia. They lived at the Billis Farm, Donagh, also at Aghnagap in Tyholland Parish. They had married Steensons, Douglas, Smith, Gilmours, Jebbs, Taylors & Gordons (at Legnacreeve). Those who lived at the Billis Farm emigrated to the USA, England & Australia. Some remained in Ireland until the late 1950's and were listed as living at The Billis Farm, Donagh Parish. The Church Records of Donagh, once the Official Church of the Monaghan Militia, are huge and contain much data about the Rock Families. Another Rock Family lived at Mucknoe Parish, near Castleblayney. The family of James Rock & Eliza Jane Gilmour included Sarah (b.1865) probably died young, Letitia (b.1867), Sara (b.1868) Matilda (b.1869), Rebecca (b.1869) probably died young, Rebecca (b.1872), Martha (b.1874), James Joseph (b.1876), Isabella (b.1878), Sophia (b.1880), Charlotte Lucinda (b.1884) - the tradition of renaming children using the same name as one who had died, predominated in the family of James Rockk & Eliza Jane Gilmour at Billis Farm.
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Greetings from NZ,
I have a James Rock b1830 m Martha Littlewood b1832 , Castleblaney in my tree. James, as the tale goes,was supposedly a doctor who emigrated hurriedly to Australia in 1858. ( A price on his head?) Martha followed with 2 children Anne & William in 1864. They resided in the Malmsbury area where James ended his days in Winters Flat as a Railway employee, buried Castlemaine, 1893. There is some confusion over his father whether he was John or Thomas and maybe also have been a doctor. I was unaware of the other Rock families in Castleblaney and Geelong and would appreciate any further information.
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The "Rock" surname is very popular in Clontibret, Donagh & Errigal Trough Parishes. It seems that they were mostly Anglican in religion there. However, following the 1798 Rebellion in Ireland I notice that several Anglican - Presbyterian marriages took place with the Rock families. Prior to 1798 Presbyterians were heavily discriminated against but many laws were relaxed after 1798. The families adapted to local conditions as changes took place so it is important to take local conditions into account when researching Family History.