Doherty Family Donegal to PA- Brick wall?

[eilean donan]

Hi

Any assistance to trace this my emigrant  family would be greatly appreciated. My information is very sketchy but names and  birth dates are accurate.

Annie Doherty born  1st May1876 in Cashel/ Mevagh Co Donegal emigrated to the US.
 Her sister Shelah born 31st May 1879 in Cashel/ Mevagh also emigrated. Sister's Mary and Julia  also went along with brother's William and James.  I do not know if they went one by one or as a family or if they were going out to someone they knew. 

Possibly they sailed from Londonderry or Belfast  guessing around 1896 making Annie around 20 years of age.  There parents were Hugh Doherty and Shelah Gillespie.

One of the Doherty girl's married, and her  grandson  or great grandson searched in Letterkenny and Creaslough a few years ago for relatives his surname could be Carr/ Kerr/or  Jones and he was from Pittsburgh PA .  It is believed that the 3 of the girls were in Pittburgh.

 Has anyone a suggestion for solving the needle in a haystack or is it  the brick wall!!  Hoping to be lucky. 
Thanks for taking time to read this.
Regards

[nickgc]

Hi - if they are your family how far back do you have them on US censuses, US birth/marriage/death records, etc?  Have you looked for their arrival on the Ellis Island website?  Some Irish alternatively came into Canada and "sneaked" across the border.

Biggest problem with this surname (one of my 2x grt grandfather's brothers married a Doherty in Nova Scotia) is the variety of spellings you will come across because of the pronunciation:  Dockerty, Daugherty, Dougherty, etc.  I have even found Dehorty.

Good luck - I will try to spend some time on this later.

Nick

[shellyesq]

Have you looked for them in the census yet?  There are many free census records at www.familysearch.org, including the 1900 Census. 

[Anna D]

Hi my grandad John Doherty was born in Cashel, I think he might have had an uncle Hugh and perhaps even a brother hughie. The sisters I know of are Nellie, Annie (both lived in Manchester, UK) I know Annie died a few years ago, and Bridie. He married Annie Mae Tansy and the lives in Killasser until they were older then moved to Irishtown, Foxford. Not sure if there is a connection but happy to talk through any connections. Anna

[eilean donan]

HI Anna

Have been trying to send you a personal message with no success.  I think it is possible we could make connection. Regards

[*Sandra*]

Hi eilean donan,

It doesn't look as if Anna D has been online since the reply was posted. Anna D would need to make 3 posts before the pm system works.
Hope this helps.

Sandra

[Anna D]

Eileen

I'm so sorry I didn't get any notification of your reply, strangely I received an email when you just posted on the site. Do you have an email account I email you at?

Anna

[shellyesq]

New members must make at least three postings before being allowed to use the PM facility.
See Help-Page:  http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php

You get e-mails to notify you when there are replies to the thread you posted on.

[Anna D]

So I guess this is my third.

I'd forgotten I'd posted the original message.

Anna