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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Monaghan => Topic started by: Pontop on Wednesday 15 June 11 21:45 BST (UK)
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I am looking for any info in Monaghan on Owen Shevelan (or Shovelan) who married a Catherine McKeogh (or McGurk) born in Louth. All I know of Felix's age that he was a lad about 5 years old on the night of the big wind.
They had a daughter Mary in 1846 who is shown on the 1851 Census of Conside-cum-Knitsley (Berry Edge) now known as Consett as being born in Monaghan.
Felix left Monaghan for Consett in County Durham about 1947/48 and Catherine and the children left later for Liverpool and walked to Consett where she arrived in 1849/50.
Edited to correct name from Felix to Owen. Got GGranfathers names mixed up.
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The Big Wind was in 1839 making Felix born c1834 ??? in that case couldn't have a daughter Mary in 1846. Could the 5 year old Felix have been a brother of Mary's?
Unfortunately it looks like all the family left Ireland before the start of civil registration.
To find Irish ancestors for such an early period you need to see if church records exist.
Have a look at Introduction to Irish Records (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,442233.0.html) and My Ancestor came from Ireland - where do I start? (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,498742.0.html).
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Thank you aghadowey for letting me know the date for the night of "the Big Wind". It was my mother who told me the story 30 years ago before I started searching. I may have misheard her and he was 15 which would fit better. Felix's age varies on every Census from 1851. I know Mary's birth date is correct and my ancestor Rose was born in Consett in March 1851.
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If he marriage took place in Ireland and Catherine was from Louth, the Shovelins (many variant forms) where likely to be from one of the adjacent Monaghan parishes and indeed two Catholic parishes Inniskeen and Killanny span both counties where Shevelins dwelt and it was from these parishes that a large amount of families emigrated to Consett to work in the newly established ironworks so I would concentrate your research in that district.
The Night of the Big Wind, 6th January 1839, was exactly 70 years earlier than the introduction of the Old Age Pension for over 70 year olds, 1st January 1909 and those elderly Irish who weren't sure of their age could determine it by whether they were born before or after the The Night of the Big Wind, but because they could not prove it with a birth certificate, as registration did not commence until 1864 and many baptismal records were lost during the Famine they could apply for a search of the 1841 and 1851 census returns to prove their age. Some of these census records have survived and are a wonderful source if you are one of the lucky ones whose records have survived.
Good luck
J.T.A.
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I am lucky in knowing some information passed down by word of mouth and then backed up by census info and Church records in Consett area. However I have no real idea where they came from such as a town or parish. Thank you for the clues. Owen and Catherine were my GGGrandparents.
Owen
1851 Census shows age 28 (Born 1823) 79 Berry Edge
1861 Census shows age 41 (Born 1820) 79 Consett
1871 Census shows age 56 (Born 1815) 79 Iron Works Cottages Consett
1881 Census shows age 64 (Born 1817) 39 Princes Street Consett
1891 Census not Shown, Presumed died but not yet found the records
Oral Story states that Owen left Ireland escorting horses to Siloth. They they been told to get out or be burnt out.
He then continued across to Consett where he obtained work at the newly developed Consett Iron Works. He did not know his exact age and used to say he was a boy about 15 years old the night of the big wind. The night of "The Big Wind"
First trace in N.W. Durham as Godfather to Mary Campbell Born 5 April 1849 Daughter of Michael Campbell and Alice Rourke. Baptized in St. Cuthberts Chapel, The Brooms on 25 May 1849
Catherine
1851 Census shows age 27 (Born 1824) 79 Berry Edge
1861 Census shows age 38 (Born 1823) 79 Consett
1871 Census shows age 50 (Born 1821) 79 Iron Works Cottages Consett
Place of birth is shown as Ireland Louth
1881 Census shows age 57 (Born 1824) 39 Princes Street Consett
Holy picture has name Katie Shevlan written on it
They lived in the same house just it kept getting the address changed.
Their daughter Mary was born in 1843 in Monaghan She Married John McGeoghan 22 June 1866 in Blackhill near Consett and lived 2 streets away from her parents.
Catherine walked from Liverpool to Consett. She was reported to be carrying a child which died on the road and was burries somewhere on route. I don't know if she was pregnant or the child was an infant.
Rose my GGrandmother was the first child born in England in March 1851
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All the early Shevlins who settled Consett as far as I know came from the parish of Killanny.
Are you sure your ancestor landed Dublin as that was a long way round; quickest way to get to Consett by foot and boat was to sail from Dundalk to one of the Cumberland ports. Liverpool would be miles out of the way.
Good luck
J.T.A.
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Thanks for the reply JT Arthur.
The story told me by my mother was that Owen took the route by Cumberland, but that Catherine went to Liverpool. There are other Shevelan's in Liverpool and she and her daughter (Mary born 1843) then walked to Consett to join him. I presume there must have been others with her.
The Shevelan's in Liverpool later dropped the second "e" and are now Shevlan I spoke to a descendant a few years ago and got that info. Other members of my Shevelan branch are in Manchester and Settle in Yorkshire or are still in or within a few miles of Consett.
The other bit is that my mother told me (from a conversation with my Grandfather) was the the family had French connections and that they came to Ireland from France because of the revolution. She thought is was to escape the French revolution but I now wonder if it was in connection with the Irish Revolution in 1798. She thought the name was originally Chevelan. Interestingly the Liverpool Shevelan is first recorded as Pierre Shevelan.
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If he marriage took place in Ireland and Catherine was from Louth, the Shovelins (many variant forms) where likely to be from one of the adjacent Monaghan parishes and indeed two Catholic parishes Inniskeen and Killanny span both counties where Shevelins dwelt and it was from these parishes that a large amount of families emigrated to Consett to work in the newly established ironworks so I would concentrate your research in that district.
The Night of the Big Wind, 6th January 1839, was exactly 70 years earlier than the introduction of the Old Age Pension for over 70 year olds, 1st January 1909 and those elderly Irish who weren't sure of their age could determine it by whether they were born before or after the The Night of the Big Wind, but because they could not prove it with a birth certificate, as registration did not commence until 1864 and many baptismal records were lost during the Famine they could apply for a search of the 1841 and 1851 census returns to prove their age. Some of these census records have survived and are a wonderful source if you are one of the lucky ones whose records have survived.
Good luck
J.T.A.
Thanks for the tip I will have to have a look at the 1941 Census.
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Extracts of 1841 and 1851 census appear in Pension Claims. The actual census records don't survive.
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Unfortunately only those over 70 on the 1st January 1909 were eligible so it could not include those who died before that date.
According to Edward Maclysaght, probably the greatest authority on Irish names, Shevlin which I think is now the most common spelling, is derived from the Irish ÓSeibhleáin, (more or less pronounced the same) and I believe the parish of Killanny, where the name was listed as Sheveland in 1860 was the most likely parish your ancestors of that name came to Consett from.
I note the Thomas Shevelan from Killanny who married at Brooms in 1850 was living just a few doors away from your family in 1851 so there is a good chance they were related.
Good luck,
J.T.A.
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Since the family left Ireland so early they won't be listed in the Irish Old Age Pension Claims anyway.
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They could claim wherever they were living in the UK; when they left Ireland made no difference, it was only when they were born that counted and the census information was accepted as proof.
I have met two people living in Co Durham with the original copies of the census information their ancestors received at the time which have survived among family papers. These documents are in addition to those listed and housed in the National Archives.
J.T.A.
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I note the Thomas Shevelan from Killanny who married at Brooms in 1850 was living just a few doors away from your family in 1851 so there is a good chance they were related.
Good luck,
J.T.A.
When I went through the parish registers at The Brooms a few years ago I noted this marriage but misread Killanny as Killarny (Killarney) in my notes. If my memory serves me correctly that record also gives names and location of his parents as well.
I have relatives on both sides linked to the Brooms. My father showed me the family graves at the Brooms as a child with wooden crosses on them, so no record on gravestone to refer too now. My father was born on the top of Pontop Pike overlooking the Brooms where he went to school.
I gave up my house 2 years ago to tour full time in my Motorhome. At that time I passed all my paper records to my nephew. At that time I had a "strays database" linked to my BK6 package but when I have restored it this week onto my laptop after finding this site, the strays are missing so I will have to get the info back from Michael and go through it again.
You seem well informed on Shevelands and variants.
I had a certificate from one of the Family Name companies that had a barrow in the Metro Centre that gave me the info on O'Shebhelan as a variant of 1068.
John Thompson
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Brooms was the very first church I visited to commence my family history just over 20 years ago after I wrote to the priest for permission to view the registers and subsequently found the marriage of my great-grandparents James Cahill and Mary Millmore in 1860 and if it were not for that record I may never have found the marriage as James, an educated man signed his name James Carrol and his wife is entered as Mary Moor on the marriage certificate, thus they are indexed as Carrol and Moor at both the GRO and local register office.
Mary was from Sligo where the original name was Milmoe and it was close to Pontop Pike where her elderly father was killed whilst attempting to cross the Pontop railway line near his home in 1873, a sad end to one who had survived the Famine and like most is buried Brooms churchyard where I have visited many times, in an unmarked grave.
Since then I have been touch with many researchers from all over the world whose ancestors lived within this once vast parish before it become subdivided and it is always a pleasure to help. I don't know how many times I have told people Killanny is not Kilarney, some of whom have refused to accept it.
Good luck,
J.T.A.
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John, as you don't appear to have a copy of Thomas Shevelan's marriage at Brooms this is my transcript of the original church record:
11th November 1850:
Thomas Shevelan of Berry Edge, son of Thomas and Ann Shevelan of Killanny Parish
to
Ellen Gormley of Berry Edge daughter of Thomas and Mary Gormley of Carrickmacross Parish
witnessed by: Patrick Gormley of Berry Edge and Margaret Cogden of Brooms.
This family had at least one son Owen, born Berry Edge before returning to Ireland where at least two more children were born according to the 1881 census at Stockton where they resurface.
I'm just wondering if you are the related to the Thompsons who came to your district from Co Kildare which I have touched on too.
Good luck,
J.T.A.
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Thank you for the info.
My Thompson Family can be traced back to 1796 with a marriage in Tanfield to an Ann Dyson.
I do have Irish connections however through my Grandmother Margaret Nelson. Her Father (John) and Mother were born in Ireland but that is all I know. She had an brother with the surname of Hammell. She is shown as being born in Ireland on one census yet on another as born at Kyo, County Durham.
Thanks for the info
John
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Pontop
I've attached a couple of sets of Burial Records from Blackhill cemetery which may be relevant - allowing for surname variations and also variations in ages shown on different record sources.
These are the complete records for these surnames in the first 100 years of Blackhill cemetery. There are no other variants of SHEVELIN or McGEOGHEGAN in the records during this period.
PatB.
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Thank you very much Pb3
It has filled in missing details.
It also as killed a family story about Ellen McGeoghan. I was told she went to america as a governess to the German ambassidor and was not heard of again after the start of WW1. This record shows she died in 1898. The 1891 census shows her as a pupil teacher. She was born in 1881.