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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Cork => Topic started by: cacasmum on Thursday 18 August 11 20:48 BST (UK)

Title: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Thursday 18 August 11 20:48 BST (UK)
Hi There,

Can anyone help me please as I'm hitting a brick wall at the moment, I'm trying to find information on my grandmothers family .

Her name was Josephine Monica Donovan her fathers name was Daniel, siblings Daniel, Tom and Agnes dont know their mothers name or if there were any other siblings.

We know they lived in Ahkista Bantry but when on a visit recently i couldn't find records of their births or  baptism's in the RC parish records.


Where to next any suggestions.

Cheers Sharon


Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Thursday 18 August 11 21:00 BST (UK)
Can you give us an idea of when your grandmother was born and any other details you know about the family.
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Thursday 18 August 11 21:17 BST (UK)
Josephine was born in 1891, Daniel 1887. Josephine left Cork and went to Swansea to work Daniel emigrated to America dates unknown. My grandmother married in Swansea in 1918.

 Daniel married Elenore Sweeney ( nurse) she was from Dunmanway not sure if the marriage took place in Cork or America. Tom and Agnes remained in Grove House Ahkista until they died.


Cheers Sharon
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: skibbgirl on Friday 19 August 11 19:52 BST (UK)
Where is Ahkista in Bantry? 

I cannot find that placename in either of these references:

http://www.thecore.com/seanruad/
http://www.logainm.ie/

Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 19 August 11 20:07 BST (UK)
Where is Ahkista in Bantry? 

I cannot find that placename in either of these references:

http://www.thecore.com/seanruad/
http://www.logainm.ie/

Thought it was just me that couldn't find it in those 2 sites (or 1901 and 1911 census). Perhaps it's not an actual townland name.

Did find a place called Ahakista-
http://www.cork-guide.ie/hillcrest-farm/location.html
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Friday 19 August 11 20:10 BST (UK)
Its near Rossnacaheragh there is a Air India Memorial on the entrance to Ahakista.  Its between Durrus and Kilcrohane.

Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 19 August 11 20:13 BST (UK)
It shows on the map (link in my previous post) but doesn't look to be an actual townland. To find records (census, land, bmd) the townland is crucial.
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: skibbgirl on Friday 19 August 11 20:19 BST (UK)
Okay, found it.

Where did you search for records?  Did you talk to Rev Gerald Galvin ?

http://www.corkandross.org/parishes.jsp?parishID=49#records
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Friday 19 August 11 20:27 BST (UK)
Yes i did and together we went through the Parish Records but found nothing, the RC church was a major part of their lives so it seems inconceivable that they would not of registered their births, baptisms or even deaths.


Cheers
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 19 August 11 20:35 BST (UK)
You've done the right thing by checking church records but the fact they can't be found there makes me wonder if they lived elsewhere when the children were born/baptised.

"We know they lived in Ahkista Bantry"- how do you know this?
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Friday 19 August 11 20:43 BST (UK)
My grandmother would return often on visits taking my mother and older siblins.
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 19 August 11 20:49 BST (UK)
Your grandmother visiting with her children (after 1876) doesn't mean that she and her siblings were born or reared there.

Have you found grandmother in any census records?
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Friday 19 August 11 20:56 BST (UK)
Indeed no...... i'm begining to think that  they were born elsewhere.
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Friday 19 August 11 20:57 BST (UK)
And no i have been unable to find anything for my grandmother in Ireland.
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 19 August 11 21:03 BST (UK)
Right, one step at a time then.

Where would your grandmother have been in 1901 and 1911? Married in 1876 but any idea when she was born?
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Friday 19 August 11 21:10 BST (UK)
She was born in 1891. Married in Swansea in 1918. I was always lead to believe she left Cork for Swansea age 14 that would of been in 1905.
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 19 August 11 21:32 BST (UK)
Husband's name?
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Friday 19 August 11 21:38 BST (UK)
Joseph Patrick Butler living in Merthyr Tydfil at the time of marrage but originally from Waterford. They married September 1918.


Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 19 August 11 22:29 BST (UK)
Can't even find a record of their marriage  :-\

Closest I can find is for a Patrick J. Butler/Josephine M. Donvan July/Sept.1913 Swansea volume 11a page 2238.
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Saturday 20 August 11 10:44 BST (UK)
Thats them she was 24 at the time my grandfather 38.

 After the marrige my grandmother left Swansea for Castle Street Dowlais Merthyr Tydfil where she remained until her death in 1962.

Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Saturday 20 August 11 11:30 BST (UK)
It's very confusing when you give conflicting or incorrect information. Yesterday you said grandmother married Joseph Patrick Butler in September 1918 but it was actually Patrick J. Butler in 1913  :-\

Have you searched for Josephine in 1911 census living in Wales?
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Saturday 20 August 11 11:53 BST (UK)
Hello,

I am so sorry so many dates swirling around in my head at the moment, Josephine Monica Donovan married Patrick Joseph Butler on 6th September 1913 in Swansea  she was 24 he was 38.

 Her address at that time of marrage 164, St Helen's Road Swansea here she was employed as a housemaid.

I have  located the 1911 census for this property unfortunately my grandmother was not there at that  time..

Again sorry for the confusion.

Sharon
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Saturday 20 August 11 12:30 BST (UK)
If she was 24 in 1913 then she was born c1889 not 1891 as in your original post.

There seem to be no births in Ireland for a Josephine Donovan 1880-1899 according to the civil registration index. I have also searched for a possible birth in Wales without finding a likely match.

I'm also unable to find any of the family in Cork in 1901 or 1911. Perhaps if you check the census records for Wales you'll find a trace of the family. Many people of Irish descent living in Wales considered themselve Irish even if in Wales for a generation or two.
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Saturday 20 August 11 14:46 BST (UK)
My grandmothers brother Daniel did live in Wales for a short period of time and worked in the Dowlais Steel Works i have found evidence of this on the 1911 census.

He returned to Cork before emigrating to America, then again returning to Cork and   Grove House as an old man and died at the family home.

Agnes and Tom never left Grove House and neither married.


Thanks so much for you help it is very much appreciated.

Sharon
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: aghadowey on Saturday 20 August 11 14:51 BST (UK)
Does the 1911 census list Daniel's birthplace as Ireland or Cork? How old was he in 1911? if he can be found in birth registrations it might make is easier to find the rest of the family in Irish records.

What townland is Grove House in?
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: shanew147 on Saturday 20 August 11 14:58 BST (UK)
....
What townland is Grove House in?
...

the village of Ahakista (http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=bantry,+cork&daddr=Ahakista,+Ireland&hl=en&ll=51.628248,-9.555016&spn=0.096331,0.217667&sll=51.605864,-9.567032&sspn=0.096378,0.217667&geocode=FeaWFAMdfsxv_ym5dJn7VgpFSDEgojGXqccACg%3BFV5aEwMd3A5t_ykBDMgJvJ1FSDFhUbsZqMcAJg&mra=ls&vpsrc=6&z=12) is at the junction of four townlands : Reenacappul, Rossncaheragh, Gorteanish and Rosskerrig.

I have found three of these on the 1911 census returns :
  Rosskerrig (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cork/Seefin/Rosskerrig/) 
  Reenacappul (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cork/Glanlough/Reenacappul/)
  Gorteanish (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cork/Seefin/Gorteanish/)



Shane
Title: Re: Donovan's
Post by: cacasmum on Saturday 20 August 11 15:00 BST (UK)
place of birth Cork,   Age 36 year of birth 1875.