James Mehaffey from Co Antrim

[jimchelsea]

Hi, i am trying to help a friend , would anyone have any info on a James Mehaffey who emigrated from Belfast to Canada in the late 1920s or how i could find any info on him?
regards
Jim

[Jacquie in Canada]

Can you provide more information like when he was born, who his parents were, etc?

There is no central registry for BMD events in Canada as it is within the jurisdiction of each province. As well, privacy laws vary from province to province.

I did see a passenger list entry for a James Mahaffey, 23, who arrived in Halifax on the Regina on 10 Apr 1927. His nearest relative from where he came was listed as his father, James Mahaffey, ?? Fort Street, Belfast. There's a border crossing document from 1939 which indicates his middle name was Alphonsus. Is this the James you are looking for?

Jacquie

[aghadowey]

I did see a passenger list entry for a James Mahaffey, 23, who arrived in Halifax on the Regina on 10 Apr 1927. His nearest relative from where he came was listed as his father, James Mahaffey, ?? Fort Street, Belfast. There's a border crossing document from 1939 which indicates his middle name was Alphonsus. Is this the James you are looking for?

The surname is also spelt Mahaffey in 1911 census- but mother's name seems to be Ellen:
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Falls/Fort_Street/173394

Parents in 1901-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Falls_Ward/Oranmore_Street/981044

[jimchelsea]

Many thanks of replying Jacqui and Aghadowey, The only other info my friend knows is that while living in Belfast James was married to an Edith Heatley and had a son Joseph(my friends Father,who was born in 1920). James then deserted his family and took off to Canada in the late 1920s.I have asked him if he can try and find out any more info on James,ie parents names or siblings and will let you know when he gets back to me. Again many thanks for your help.
regards
jim

[aghadowey]

If the family we found in Belfast is the correct one-

BIRTH: Hugh Patrick Mahaffey, Jan./Mar.1899 Belfast registration district volume 1 page 283
? BIRTH: Jane Mahaffey, Jan./Mar.1901 Belfast resgistration distrct volume 1 page 335
BIRTH: James Alphonsus Mahaffey, Jan./Mar.1903 Belfast registration district volume 1 page 346
BIRTH: Edward Joseph Mahaffey, Apr./June 1906 Downpatrick registration district volume 1 page 583
BIRTH: Francis G J Mahaffey, Jan./Apr.1908 Downpatrick registration district volume 1 page 530
BIRTH: Bridget Catherine Mahaffy, Oct./Dec.1909 Belfast registration district volume 1 page 326

May have been other children born after 1911.

[Jacquie in Canada]

I don't think we have the right James then. According to marriage records at Family Search, Edith Heatley and James Mahaffy were married in 1919 so James Alphonsus would have been about 15.

Jacquie

[aghadowey]

I don't think we have the right James then. According to marriage records at Family Search, Edith Heatley and James Mahaffy were married in 1919 so James Alphonsus would have been about 15.

Okay, hopefully this will help-

James Mahaffy, son of Joseph, married 1919 to Edith- makes sense if son born next year was called Joseph.

[Jacquie in Canada]

I've found another possible. Here's a link to the 1911 Ireland census for Edith Heatley. She's 8 years old and the address her family is listed at is Edenderry Street:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Shankill/Edenderry_Street/176661/

There is a passenger list entry for a James Mahaffey, 25, born in Belfast who arrived in Montreal on the Metagama on 2 Oct 1926. He indicates he is going to his brother-in-law, James D. Louttit in Ontario (can't make out town as the type is really difficult to read). He lists his nearest relative from where he came from as his wife, Mrs. ? Mahaffey, 27 Edenderry Street, Belfast.

I've found Attestation Papers for a James Daniel Louttit of Acton, Ontario who listed his sister, Alice as his next-of-kin so he was single when he enlisted. The Ireland civil registration database at Ancestry has a marriage in 1919 for a James Louttit in Belfast and there is a Margaret Heatley listed as being on the same page. On the 1911 census I linked to Edith does have a sister named Maggie.

Jacquie

[Jacquie in Canada]

You might want to check this James out to see if he is the same one listed in my previous post... I found an entry in the Drouin Collection parish records for Quebec in the United Church in Verdun for a James Mahaffey, widower, son of Joseph Mahaffey and Rosina Jenkins to Elizabeth Kinney, daughter of Francis Kinney and Margaret Murphy on 6 Sep 1935. There is a death in Victoria, British Columbia for this James which indicates he was born 21 Jun 1900 in Belfast:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0tnn/

The Ireland civil registration database has a marriage in 1904 for a Rose Jenkins in Belfast that has a Joseph Mahaffy on the same page. I can't find them on the 1911 Ireland census yet.

There is also a birth for a son James Francis Mahaffey who was born 30 Nov 1932 in Verdun and baptized on 29 Jan 1940 at Grace Anglican Church in Montreal. James' occupation was listed as soldier. James Francis is buried in Maple Ridge Cemetery in British Columbia:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=106943972&PIpi=76858814

Jacquie