Duff - any records please

[msshanna13]

My great grandmother Catherine Duff immigrated to America from Ireland in 1914. we don;t know much about her life in Ireland because she died when my mother was very young.  I have always been told that she was born in Laois County.  Her birthdate is July 28, 1893. She had a twin sister named Mary who was supoosed to have immigrated later.  Any information on the Duff family at all would be a big help.  I keep hitting brick walls.

[msshanna13]

I am researching the Duff surname in Ireland.  My GGmother immigrated to American in 1911.  Her name was Caterine Duff, she was born in 1893 and had a twin sister named Mary.  I have been unsucessful in locating her in Ireland.  According to my grandmother, she was born in County Laois, manybe near Mountrath.  Does anyone have information om this surname?

[Christopher]

Hiya msshanna13,

Griffiths Valuation which took place in Laois in 1851-2 shows several families named Duff.

You could try posting letters to present day Duffs in the Eircom phonebook. You never know ... they may be able to assist you. http://www.eircomphonebook.ie 

Christopher

[Jack2227]

Records of land leased by Duff in 1850 Tenements list. The value is the guide to how big the land was.

Duff Patrick; Ballytarsna, Parish of Abbeyleix; £1-5
Duff Mary; Tullore, Abbeyleix; 8shillings
Duffe Catherine; Borris Great, Maryborough; £2-10
Duff Edward; Ross, Clonenagh & Clonagheen; 7 shillings
Duff Elizabeth; Ross, Clonenagh & Clonagheen; 6 shillings
Duff Mary; Knockmay, Kilteale; 8 shillings
Duff Henry; Aghnacross, Dysartgallen; £19-15
Duff Henry; Keelagil, Dysartgallen; £5
Duff Elizabeth; Coolnacartan, Clonenagh & Clonagheen; £10-10
Duff Mary; Baunree, Fossy/Timahoe; £3
Duff James; Baunree, Fossy/Timahoe; 5shillings
Duff Thomas; Ballyadding, Lea; 8shillings
Duff Robert; Bracklone St, Lea; 12shillings
Duff Honoria; Coole, Offerlane; £1-10
Duff Edmund; Ballyknockan, Kilcolmanbane; £34-10
Duff Edmud; Ballyknockan, Kilcolmanbane; £11
Duff Andrew; Ballymaddock, Abbeyleix; £11
Duff John; Ballymaddock, Abbeyleix; £11

Jack

[aghadowey]

If Catherine died in America here death certificate (depending on what date and state she died in and also depending on what information the informant gave) might contain details of her birthplace, parents, etc.
Another source to get information from might be passenger list details- do you know when and where she arrived in U.S.? or when sister Mary arrived in U.S.?

[msshanna13]

Thanks for your reply. yes my great grandmother died in the US as did her sister and I know that they are from Montrath Loais County Ireland (at the time it was still Queens County). I have their parents as Micheal and Anna.  I understand that my great great grand father came to America but at some point must have went home bc my information says he died in Montrath. I am trying to find relatives from that point. His wife was Anna Grant.  I have passenger list for arrival in the US for the twins and their brothers but I find it difficult to locate information Ireland

[Noland]

Hello Msshanna,

I've just read your message, and my Dad is pretty sure that your Great Grand Parents (Michael Duff and Anna Grant) are his Grand Parents.

They were from Coolnacart, Mountrath, County Laois (formerly Queens County).

My Dad had two Aunts, Kate and Mary, who were twins, who emmigrated to the US around about that time. Also, five of their brothers are known to have emmigrated to the US at some point.

My Dad, Jim Duff, was born and grew up in Coolnacart, until the early sixties, when he emmigrated to London, UK.

If you would like any further information, or if there's is anything else I can help you out with, please let me know.

Noland.

[pennsynative]

msshanna,

Kate (Catherine) and Mary didn't come to the US at the same time.  They arrived about three years apart; it must have been hard for them since they were twins.  Their father, Michael Duff arrived in the US about 1876, and returned with his wife Anna to Ireland abt 1884.  I don't know when or where they were married, but they were shown as a married couple in the US 1880 census in Philadelphia. I gleaned some info about them from William Duff's passport application in 1919 when he went home to visit his parents (Michael & Anna).  My dad, (Kate's son) says Michael and Anna returned to Ireland for "reasons of his (Michael's) health".  You and I have been in touch via ancestry.com and you should still be invited to view my tree, which I update periodically.  There are a lot of missings pieces, but a few can be found when you read between the lines.  There's  a photo of William on the passport application.  He definitely looks like a Duff.    I'm trying to figure out how to isolate it and add to my photos.  If you haven't seen it already, Catherine (Kate) and Bernard's wedding photo is on my tree.   I gave my dad a framed copy of the ship manifest with Kate's name along with one or two of her brothers.  Feel free to contact me.  I've added several things to the tree.
Sharon (Kate's granddaughter)

[pennsynative]

Noland,
I saw your reply to my cousin Msshanna, who I have had some contact with via ancestry.com.
If your dad is Michael Duff and Anna Grant's grandson, I would sure be happy to know anything you have about them.  They're my paternal great-grandparents.  This is what I do know (or what's been reported to me):  Michael - born 1844, died Jan 28, 1930 in Coolnacat, Mountrath, Laois/Queens; Anna Grant born abt 1861.  Michael (and Anna?) emigrated to the US in 1876 and lived in Philadelphia.  I don't know the birth order of the children, but William was born in the US in 1881.  They lost an Infant, Mary here in the US too, but I've been unable to locate the cemetery records.  I live in another state now, and hope to visit the cemetery when I'm in Philadelphia again.  The other children were Edward, Ellen, Fintan, James, William, Lawrence, Patrick, Michael, Catherine (my grandmother), and her twin sister Mary, and Joseph.  Several of the children emigrated to the US - all to the Philadelphia area.  I think Ellen and Fintan stayed in Ireland.  Michael enlisted in the US Army during WWI, but died on his way home to the US.  William died in 1933; Patrick died in 1936.  He had twin sons, Gerard and Lawrence.  Gerard became an Augustinian priest, and died in 2007.
Catherine died in 1959 - she was always fibbing about her age, even on her death certificate - someone had to cross out the date of birth.  Mary died in 1985; she missed her twin sister terribly.  Joseph died in 1980. 

I'd be interested in anything you or your dad have on the family.  It would mean a lot to me and my dad, who is now 86.  He was the fifth of 8 children.  There are three left.  Do you have an ancestry.com membership?
Pennsynative