Upperwood near Mountrath - CAMPION

[Eyesee]

According to his army pay book, Cornelius CAMPION was Born in the Parish of Upperwood in or near the Town of Mountrath in the County of Queens.

He enlisted in the 65th Regiment at Naas in Kildare on 3 Dec 1837 age 19, so was born about 1818. His Next of Kin is listed as his father James CAMPION, also of the parish of Upperwood in Queens County, who according to family stories was a breeder of horses.

Cornelius had a younger brother Thomas, born about 1827, who also ended up in the 65th.

The 65th regiment ended up in New Zealand by 1846 and both brothers took their discharge there.

Hoping someone knows where it was as I can't seem to find mention anywhere of the parish of Upperwood. Does not show up on current maps or Google Maps.

Thanks
Ian C

[shanew147]

Military records usually give a civil parish name for place of birth, but I dont see any parish named Upperwood on the townland database in Co. Laois (Queens). The only ...wood.. civil parishes I can find in Ireland are two named Hollywood, one in Co. Down, the other on the Dublin/Wicklow border.

I also checked for townlands, and RC parishes but nothing likely showing up...

Is the writing clear on this record -- any chance it's been misinterpreted ?

The town of Mountrath is in the civil parish of Clonenagh/Clonagheen, and the barony of Maryborough.


Shane

[annclare]

Ian
Upperwoods is a Barony in Co Laois but on googling I found a reference and map to an Upperwood just south of the town of Mountrath. Can't find much more information about it. Link

http://www.yelp.ie/map/moore-patrick-and-anne-mountrath

annclare

[shanew147]

well spotted - never tried Baronies.

Upperwoods barony contains about 150 townlands in Mountmellick and  Abbeyliex Poor law unions. Towns in the barony include Castletown and Coolrain. All of the barony is in the civil parish of Offerlane.

[Eyesee]

Shane
Definitely says Upperwood, very clear handwriting.

Definitely Mountrath, so hopefully something will show up in records there.

Ian C

[shanew147]

Think the barony was recorded instead of the the parish by mistake...

What denomination were your Campions ?

There are some Campions, including at least three Johns, listed in the civil parish on the Tithe records - dated 1828. One in Coole townland, another at Clonal, and one at Clonan.

see : J. Camp*, Tithes

[Eyesee]

Shane

They were Catholic.

Ian C

[shanew147]

now Upperwoods suddenly might make some sense - in the 1830s Underwoods was used as the name of the RC parish - see Lewis entry for Offerlane civil parish :

'...The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; it is called Underwoods, and contains four chapels, one at Cormorass, one at Rushall, one at Castletown, and one at Killinure...'

The RC parish is more commonly known as 'Offerlane' and you are very lucky in terms of dates... baptisms and marriage records go back to to the 1780s, or a little further. Free to view in the National Library microfilm Pos. 5018. I dont see transcripts for the parish mentioned on RootsIreland (pay-website) source list, but they could be under yet another alternative name..

[shanew147]

the RC parish is listed on RootsIreland as Castletown..

also mentioned as Offerlane (Castletown), on the NLI film index