Bernard Goggins, Butcher, Westport

[Neil_A]

Hello

I have an ancestor - Anthony Goggins who was born in 1821 (Westport, Mayo) who married in Blackburn, Lancashire in the 1850s. His father Bernard Goggins was indicated as deceased, though a butcher by trade.
I reckon he had siblings Patrick and Ellen who joined him in England and if the naming conventions hold (which they did for a couple of generations in Blackburn) then Anthony's mother may have been a Mary Goggins.

Just on the off chance that this coincides with your research or you have any pointers as to how to progress.

many thanks

Neil

[heywood]

Hello Neil,

Looking at these records, your family dates fall outside those available unfortunately.
Aughaval parish records

The Goggins entries in Griffiths Valuation (abt 1850s) are not in Westport area either. You perhaps have already searched these records.

I can see him in 1851 in Ormskirk where the whole crowd in the house are entered as born Westport. Incidentally, he married in Ormskirk rather than Blackburn - settled there soon afterwards.

Do you have him or siblings born Westport or Mayo in any other censuses or documents.  As everyone in 1851 has been dittoed as 'Westport' it is possible that it was just that- dittoed - rather than specific places of birth being entered. Sometimes that happens.

best wishes
heywood

[muckjack]

Hi Neil,

As heywood said there are no Goggins in Griffiths in the 1850's in Westport area,  but you might consider looking at the name Geoghegan. There's a John Geoghegan in the parish of Aghagower (parish next to Aughaval) in the townland (village) of Knappaghmanagh near Westport town. Geoghegan would be pronounced Goghin or Gogin.

http://www.mayolibrary.ie/maps/data/townlands/CSP.htm

As regards the butcher occupation, townlands (villages) tended to have their own butchers who provided that service locally, rather than our idea today of a butchers shop in a town.

There are some good estate records kept for the Westport area in the Westport Estate Collection in the National Library of Ireland.

http://www.nli.ie/pdfs/mss%20lists/078_WestportCollection.pdf

There's also a historical journal for Westport town and the surronding areas called Cathair na Mart (Irish for Westport). You can find out more information about the journal in the mayo library website.

Best of luck and Happy Paddys day!

[Neil_A]

Many thanks for your time and information on this.

I am fixated with Blackburn at the moment but should know as I have the marraige certifcates and can see the census returns for a life in Ormskirk before heading off to Blackburn. Alas of the siblings (I'm assuming they are siblings shown in the 1851 census) I think I can only see Patrick (not Ellen) in subsequent decades. Alas his birth place was only given as Ireland. The 1851 census is the only document I have with Mayo and as you say this maybe a bit of a red herring. I'll contine to pursue though as somewhere (either in England or Ireland) those sibings may re-appear with more detail around location. There was a family Gillgooley that appears along side my flock, indeed they marry on occasion so that might also give me a pointer.

The name description change is something particularly I hadnt clocked in looking at the origins of Goggin. I've seen it morph to Coggin (though that could be a transposition error).

Many thanks and enjoy the celebrations!

Neil

[JWK6]

Hi,

There are still Goggins families in the Westport area, particularly Kilmeena, about 5 miles from Westport town. Although it was never a common surname in the area, it was not a wholly uncommon Mayo name either. There are no Goggins butchers (or otherwise) listed in the Westport entry in Slater's directory of 1846, but that might mean Slater's missed some OR your man operated as a butcher somewhere outside the town itself, in one of the surrounding districts. Maybe contact Clew Bay Heritage Centre (Westport); they have a genealogical service (fee) and may be able to do an initial look-up.

Good luck