RootsChat.Com
Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Mayo => Topic started by: pollyalewis on Friday 18 March 16 08:56 GMT (UK)
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Researching grandfather Patrick Lavin born 1864 in Mayo. There were three Patricks born in Mayo in that year, but he helpfully states on the 1911 Census that he was born in Kilkelly. I have narrowed my search to a Patrick Lavin born in Clooncarha to John Lavin and Bridget Higgins, who were married in Kilmovee in 1858. Another child, Bridget b. 1870. married Pat Caulfield of Carnalacky, son of Owen Caulfield. I am aware that Clooncarha is to the east of Kilmovee, and I am wondering whether a man born there would state his birthplace as Kilkelly which is further west? Could it be that Kilkelly was a registration area for BDM's? I would also like to look at school records and note that there was a National school just outside Clooncarha, and a schoolhouse in Kilkelly itself. Does anyone know where the archived school records are likely to be held? I would appreciate any help that can given.
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Does his civil marriage certificate given name and occupation of his father? (might help narrow down birth record)
If he married in a Catholic church then the register might show names of both parents which would be useful to identify the correct birth record.
However, 1864 was the start of civil registration so 1) his birth might be unregistered or 2) he could have been born shortly before registration began
SeanRuad's site shows the Poor Law Unions for every townland (these were usually the same as the civil registration districts). http://www.thecore.com/seanruad/
Kilkelly is in Swineford PLU (Kilmovee Parish). Clooncarha is in the same parish and PLU.
Can't help with school registers but if you don't get an answer here the County Library might know-
http://www.mayolibrary.ie/en/LocalStudies/GenealogyResources/
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Margaret Higgins ?
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01haa/
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Thank you both. His marriage certificate (m. 1892 in Hull) shows his father as John LavIN - farm labourer (deceased). I found two other Patricks born in 1864 with a father called John:
1. Born July 1864 to John LavAN and Kitty (Catherine) McDonnell in Altenia Bohola parish, and
2. Born March 1865 to John LaVAN and Mary Feehily or Feehly.
Both of those births were in the Kiltimagh district.
I am not worried about the different name spellings, but what has caused doubt in my mind as to whether I have the right one is the fact that upon marriage he declared his father as dead, whereas John Lavin and Margaret Higgins were very much alive and living in Clooncarha in 1901 and 1911. This has made me look again at the geography of the villages and note that Kilkelly/Kiltimagh/Bohola are all so close to each other.
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When looking at Civil records for the area the registration district(SRD) is Swineford which is further partitioned into what are known as dispensary districts. The dispensary districts For Swineford are Foxford, Kilkelly, Kiltimagh, Lowpark and Swineford.
People from the Kilmovee area would more commonly associate Ballaghaderren ( part of Roscommon from 1898) as their primary centre of population and when they left they would use Ballaghaderreen on mail as this was the centre from which their mail was distributed. Such is the connection to Ballaghaderreen, Roscommon today that a large part of the parish have Roscommon Eircodes (postal/zip codes) rather than one for Mayo.
I would look for a connection for the Lavin people of Clooncarha with Kilkelly by way of land transfer (http://www.valoff.ie/en/Archives_Genealogy_Public_Office/ ) or marriage into the townland as the Lavin name is not present at the time of the Griffith valuation.
A Michael Lavin and Mary Leech of Kilkelly had a daughter Mary in 1859 and by virtue of location may be a connection to your John. The earliest births for a Lavin/Lavan connected to the townland Clooncarha appear about 1864 and the earliest marriage was again 1864 for a Thadeus Lavan to a Catherine Hopkins which may support the view that they moved into the townalnd between 1856 and 1864. I would also be very flexible with you birth year reference from the census. Dates of birth/ages were at best estimates as they were rarely the preoccupation they are today.
As for School records the only records which have been microfilmed in the parish relate to Clooonamna School which falls between Kilkelly and Clooncarha and would not have drawn children from either area.
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Thank you Padraig, that it is all really helpful information. I am very grateful to you. Polly