Help with a surname , please

[mkftandc]

Hi,

 I am trying to understand how and why my gg great grandfather would have changed his last name in Ireland.

Martin McGrath/Creagh b. in Co. Laois ,died in 1882 in Ballyraggett.

Martin married Anna Fry in Rathdowney, Co. Laois ( haven't found their marriage yet ) don't know if it would be under McGrath or Creagh.

Children of Martin and Anna -

John McGrath - b. Jan ,1856 in Co. Laois d. 10 Feb 1935 in Ballyragget ( I don't know if John's birth was registered under McGrath or Creagh but John stayed in Ireland and took over the family bakery on High St, Ballyragget when his father Martin died .)

James McGrath - no dates for him , married a Mary Bergin in Co. Laois and died in Co. Laois .  ( also don't know if his birth is registered as McGrath or Creagh )

[b]Elizabeth Craugh/Creagh OKeefe - b. Jun 1863 in Rathdowney, Co. Laois                                                        d. 3 Sep 1930 in Penn Yan, NY USA[/b]
(Elizabeth married a Patrick OKeefe from Rathdowney and immigrated to US)

[b]Richard J Craugh/Creagh - b. 13 Sep 1865 in Rathdowney, Co. Laois
                                                      d. 9 Jun 1941 in Penn Yan, NY USA[/b] (don't know how his birth was registered , but immigration and naturalization papers state last name as Craugh )

Michael P Creagh/Craugh - b. 18 Feb 1866 in Rathdowney,Co. Laois
                                            d. Circa 1900-05 in Iowa( Michael's birth is listed on IGI as Creagh , Immigration papers lists his name a Craugh )

Bridget Creagh - b. 1865 - found this one on IGI, she must have died soon after birth .

Martin Creagh/Craugh - b. 4 Jul 1868 on Bridge St, Mountmellick, Co. Laois
                                      d. 8 May 1935 in Penn Yan, NY USA
( Martin is listed on IGI as Creagh, birth cert. also says Creagh, ship manifest and immigration papers say Craugh. ) Martin married Anna OKeeffe in Co. Laois ?, they immigrated with their 1 year old child.

Kathleen McGrath/Craugh - b. 5 Dec 1872 in Rathdowney or Ballyragget
                                            d.  21 Oct 1933 in NYC ,NY USA
(Kathleen birth cert. say McGrath on it, she immigrated to US with her mother Anna Frye McGrath after Martin died. Immigration ship records lists them as McGrath's. But in Penn Yan where the rest of the family was living they changed name to Craugh.

Mary McGrath Creagh- b. Oct 1873 in Rathdowney or Ballyragget
                                    d. 13 Mar 1951 in Penn Yan, NY USA
( I am assuming since Kathleen's birth was registered under McGrath that Mary's must also be labeled under McGrath, although i couldn't find it in the IGI )

Can some please explain to me why the name change in Ireland. Would it have been for religious reasons ? They were all raised Catholics, but I am thinking that their mother , Anna Fry/e might not have been.

Anna Fry/e's parents were - Samuel Fry/e and Mary Prior of Rathdowney.

Sorry so long of a post , I just wanted to add everything I knew about them so someone could help me figure out the name changing.

Thank you,
Megan

[Jack2227]

I don't know why the change of surname but the people in Rathdowney cemetery all have the spelling  CREAGH and there's about 15 of them buried there.

[mkftandc]

Seanmac,
Thank you for replying to this thread .
 Is the cemetery called " Rathdowney Cemetery " or is there another name for it ? Can I find these details on a website ?

Would you happen to know who I can contact to get MI's on this cemetery?

Thank you,
Megan

[Jack2227]

The church is the 'Church Of The Holy Trinity' and a man to contact would be;
Kieran O Sullivan,
Main St,
Rathdowney
087-7615257
0505-46299

The cemetery list I have is dated 1928-2001 that contains the Creagh burials.
I can forward those names if you wish,
Regards,
Seanmac

[mkftandc]

Seanmac,

Thank would be wonderful if you could forward them to me . Thank you for your help on this.

Megan

[Jack2227]

Mc Creagh Mrs.. 45, farmer, married, Harristown, 7/5/1933

Creagh John, 75, labourer, married, Grogan, 20/11/1934

Creagh Michael, 65, farmer, widower, Harristown, 22/9/1936

Creagh Christina, 12, Harristown, 29/5/1938

Creagh Kitty, 18, single, New cottages, 12/2/1939

Creagh Christopher, 85, single, New cottages, 21/9/1941

Creagh James, 56, labourer, single, Grogan Ballybrophy, 9/1/1946

Creagh John, 55, labourer, single, Grogan, 25/4/1948

Creagh John, 80, labourer, widower, Sragh, 5/9/1951

Creagh Peter, 74, married, New cottages, 27/6/1953

Creagh Kate, 72, widow, 25/8/1954

Creagh Annie, 70, married, New cottages, 24/2/1955

(all from Rathdowney RC cemetery)

Creagh, Catherine, 24, single, arristown, 25/2/1956

Creagh Anne Miss, 63, London/Rathdowney, 5/2/1985

Creagh Patrick, 74, labourer, single, New cottages, 25/7/1990

Creagh Bridie, 89, single, Grogan, 18/8/1990

Creagh Mrs, 89, widow, Ballybuggy, 3/5/1992

Creagh Patrick, labourer, single, Ballybuggy, 16/8/2001

[shanew147]

from the McGrath clan website at http://www.cerebis.com/mcgrath/

extract : "...MacGrath is often written Magrath .... In Irish it is Mac Craith,...."

Mac Craith could be written in English as Mc Creagh...

 might be an explanation for the change



Shane

[Jack2227]

From Familysearch Irish Civil Registrations 1845-1958, that gives Births, Deaths, Marriages from the Mountmellick/Abbeyleix District, but this one also includes Donaghmore, there is a parents section and after putting in the surname Creagh, Laois, these are some 'parents' that were mentioned (one name only)
Bowe
Loughman
Bartley
Dowling
Creagh

[mkftandc]

Seanmac,

 Thank you for posting those MI's for me .And for looking further into this mystery .

Megan