James O'Gorman - Irish farmer in South Africa during 1st Boer War

[caroline_wex]

Hello!
Hope this finds you well!

I'm trying to find out more information about my great, great grandfather who went to South Africa possibly late 1860's from Killegney, Clonroche, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford in the Republic of Ireland.
From what we can gather he may have had a horse farm near Durban or Port Elizabeth(?) possibly having dealings with and supplying the British Army with horses during the Boer War. (I know, don't get me started!!!) He had relatives in the area called Fitzhenry (as one of his cousins was a priest) but I have no notion of where his post may have been...

Love to hear from you and hopefully I'll be able to pass on information, etc from this side!
Caroline

[mellomom]

Hi Caroline,
I don't know if this is at all relavant to your family but you never know. My daughter in law's name is Denise O'Gorman and as yet I haven't done any research into her family. She did tell me that her grandfather was Sydney Albert O'Gorman b. 21-11-1913 who came from Ireland. He came to South Africa (where we live now) when he was a baby. His Dad came first to get settled then he sent for his wife and children. Her father's name is Terrence b.20-03-1935.
Does this ring any bells with your research?
Mel.

[caroline_wex]

Hiya Mel!

Not sure... who knows! Do you know which part of Ireland they're originally from? I was going to suggest you look up the Irish national archives on www.nationalarchives.ie but we only have 1901 and 1911 census documents available... so if Sydney was born in 1913... he won't be on there... BUT! If you know his parents' names... you might well be able to find out loads more about the family.

James O'Gorman went out to South Africa as a single man. We have no idea what happened in between his going out and his getting married in Dublin in 1898 (at the age of about 50!) to his lovely Irish wife 18 years junior... It's possible he had been married or at least had a love interest out there before that - (50 was really old to be a groom back then in Ireland!) and we may well have cousins out there!!?

Speak soon,
Caroline

[caroline_wex]

Oh! I found I'd written down that Fr. Fitzhenry may have been in Grahamstown/Gramstown?! There is some thought that James O'Gorman farmed around Natal and maybe had ties with Zimbabwe?!

Any help hugely appreciated! Is there an online census database I could access or land registry for the country?!

Thanks!
Caroline

[Jo Fitz]

Hi Caroline
I've charted out the Fitzhenry family which included Father James Fitzhenry. They came from the Templeudigan area, but the family is interred in the St Mullins graveyard on the Wexford/Carlow border.
Father James himself is buried in South Africa according to the gravestone commemorating him.
They link to the O'Gorman/Gorman family through a marriage between James Fitzhenry and Margaret Gorman.
Another O'Gorman married into the Prendergast family of Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny and the three famlies were corresponding from Ireland to South Africa during the 1880s.
See here for my blog posting about the family gravestones here:
http://fitz-henry.blogspot.com/2010/12/st-mullins-graveyard-county-carlow-1.html
Please feel free to contact me
Best wishes
Jo Fitz-Henry
The Fitz(-)henry one name study
Please use Private message tool to communicate. Email address was removed to prevent spam.

[Olivia2015]

Hello Caroline,

Have you found any more information regarding James O' Gorman?

Olivia

[alison ogorman]

Hi Caroline, my GG Grandfather is James O'Gorman originally from Cork, I don't know what age he was when he had his children, but I do know that he died before my grandad was born in 1920. My G grandad Edward has 3 sisters all birth registered in Kilkenny, Mary Kate, Jane & Annie. The reason it might be the same James is that he is recorded as a Sargent major & or recruiting Sargeant so he will have likely had a substantial service history, and highly likely he was in the boer war.

[caroline_wex]

Hello Alison!
Unfortunately cannot be the same James O'Gorman.
Mine was born in Co. Wexford!
He was out in South Africa but we think he may have bred horses for the army and/or sold fruit, unlikely he was himself involved in military action...
Afterwards, he returned to Ireland, married and raised a family and died here.
Best of luck finding info on your James!
Caroline

[Olivia2015]

Hi Caroline,

I’m an O’ Gorman of Killegney. I’ve never heard much about James O Gorman wife, did you follow that line. Would love to hear more.

Thanks
Olivia