Shevelan or Shovelan

[Mr J T Arthur]

Unfortunately only those over 70 on the 1st January 1909 were eligible so it could not include those who died before that date.

According to Edward Maclysaght, probably the greatest authority on Irish names, Shevlin which I think is now the most common spelling, is derived from the Irish ÓSeibhleáin, (more or less pronounced the same) and I believe the parish of Killanny, where the name was listed as Sheveland in 1860 was the most likely parish your ancestors of that name came to Consett from.

I note the Thomas Shevelan from Killanny who married at Brooms in 1850 was living just a few doors away from your family in 1851 so there is a good chance they were related.

Good luck,
J.T.A.

[aghadowey]

Since the family left Ireland so early they won't be listed in the Irish Old Age Pension Claims anyway.

[Mr J T Arthur]

They could claim wherever they were living in the UK; when they left Ireland made no difference, it was only when they were born that counted and the census information was accepted as proof.

I have met two people living in Co Durham with the original copies of the census information their ancestors received at the time which have survived among family papers. These documents are in addition to those listed and housed in the National Archives.

J.T.A.

[Pontop]

I note the Thomas Shevelan from Killanny who married at Brooms in 1850 was living just a few doors away from your family in 1851 so there is a good chance they were related.

Good luck,
J.T.A.

When I went through the parish registers at The Brooms a few years ago I noted this marriage but misread Killanny as Killarny (Killarney) in my notes.  If my memory serves me correctly that record also gives names and location of his parents as well.

I have relatives on both sides linked to the Brooms.  My father showed me the family graves at the Brooms as a child with wooden crosses on them, so no record on gravestone to refer too now.  My father was born on the top of Pontop Pike overlooking the Brooms where he went to school.

I gave up my house 2 years ago to tour full time in my Motorhome.  At that time I passed all my paper records to my nephew.  At that time I had a "strays database" linked to my BK6 package but when I have restored it this week onto my laptop after finding this site, the strays are missing so I will have to get the info back from Michael and go through it again.

You seem well informed on Shevelands and variants.

I had a certificate from one of the Family Name companies that had a barrow in the Metro Centre that gave me the info on O'Shebhelan as a variant of 1068.

John Thompson

[Mr J T Arthur]

Brooms was the very first church I visited to commence my family history just over 20 years ago after I wrote to the priest for permission to view the registers and subsequently found the marriage of my great-grandparents James Cahill and Mary Millmore in 1860 and if it were not for that record I may never have found the marriage as James, an educated man signed his name James Carrol and his wife is entered as Mary Moor on the marriage certificate, thus they are indexed as Carrol and Moor at both the GRO and local register office.

Mary was from  Sligo where the original name was Milmoe and it was close to Pontop Pike where her elderly father was killed whilst attempting to cross the Pontop railway line near his home in 1873, a sad end to one who had survived the Famine and like most is buried Brooms churchyard where I have visited many times, in an unmarked grave.

Since then I have been touch with many researchers from all over the world whose ancestors lived within this once vast parish before it become subdivided and it is always a pleasure to help. I don't know how many times I have told people Killanny is not Kilarney, some of whom have refused to accept it.

Good luck,
J.T.A.

[Mr J T Arthur]

John, as you don't appear to have a copy of Thomas Shevelan's marriage at Brooms this is my transcript of the original church record:

11th November 1850:
Thomas Shevelan of Berry Edge, son of Thomas and Ann Shevelan of Killanny Parish
to
Ellen Gormley of Berry Edge daughter of Thomas and Mary Gormley of Carrickmacross Parish
witnessed by: Patrick Gormley of Berry Edge and Margaret Cogden of Brooms.

This family had at least one son Owen, born Berry Edge before returning to Ireland where at least two more children were born according to the 1881 census at Stockton where they resurface.

I'm just wondering if you are the related to the Thompsons who came to your district from Co Kildare which I have touched on too.

Good luck,
J.T.A.

[Pontop]

Thank you for the info.

My Thompson Family can be traced back to 1796 with a marriage in Tanfield to an Ann Dyson.

I do have Irish connections  however through my Grandmother Margaret Nelson.  Her Father (John) and Mother were born in Ireland but that is all I know.  She had an brother with the surname of Hammell. She is shown as being born in Ireland on one census yet on another as born at Kyo, County Durham.

Thanks for the info

John

[pb3]

          Pontop

                       I've attached a couple of sets of Burial Records from Blackhill cemetery which may be relevant - allowing for surname variations and also variations in ages shown on different record sources.

          These are the complete records for these surnames in the first 100 years of Blackhill cemetery. There are no other variants of SHEVELIN or McGEOGHEGAN in the records during this period.

            PatB.

[Pontop]

Thank you very much Pb3

It has filled in missing details.

It also as killed a family story about Ellen McGeoghan.  I was told she went to america as a governess to the German ambassidor and was not heard of again after the start of WW1.  This record shows she died in 1898.  The 1891 census shows her as a pupil teacher. She was born in 1881.