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« on: Saturday 20 August 22 04:23 BST (UK) »
Hi everyone,
Just a bit of background. My husband and I decided to do a little winter time ancestry research into our families great grandparents roots. Hence my questions about the Wards.
I know a lot about Michael and Anne (Annie) when they came to Australia, their family and where they lived, etc. but was wondering about their Irish history.
I have been busy the past couple of weeks with family things, but I did find a letter from my mother's box cousin, who said that a lot of Irish records had been lost in a fire. So that may explain why we are unable to find out for sure the names of parents.
When I said I was unsure of some facts, this was the generation I was talking of (e.g. Michael's mother is either Doolan or Dolan and Anne's mother either Connor or Connelly). The father's names are listed on their marriage certificate but not the mothers.
Anne opened a shop in Melbourne and cared for her family there - they were never taken into care. By all accounts she was a generous, loving and well-respected parent and member of the community.
In all our searching, we have found that some countries have detailed records that stretch back a long time, but others are more difficult to trace and we accept that we may never be able to fill in all details, with sometimes just a name being all we can do.
I have received some information from my cousins in Australia as well. Anne definitely had a brother Patrick (Pat) who came to Australia. He never married and we have his death details. One sheet of paper I have lists Anne's parents as John Ryan and Ellen Connelly and their children as Anne 1856, Patrick 1859, Michael 1860 and John, no DOB. Anne and Patrick are recorded as being born in Athlone, County Roscommon, Ireland, but no record of the other two. Knowing how ancestry facts can get mixed up I have to say that the last two children may not be correct.
Thank you again for all your research and taking time to send the information you have.