Rose McDunn/McDonald abt 1812 in Westmeath County

[nynie86]

Hi all!

I'm looking for Rose McDunn or McDonald born around 1812 in Westmeath County.

Her parents are Frances and Thomas. According to what I have, but still nothing to prove it, Frances would be a McDunn too...

I wanna know exactly where she's from, and everything you can find about her parents or family.

I've had a look to everything that is available on the web, but found nothing at all... If you have an access to the catholic records of any catholic parish of Westmeath County and you can have a look there for me...

Thank you very much!!

[Sinann]

If you haven't already,it might be worth redoing your search using McDaniel, which I have found quite often as a variation of McDonald and McDonnell in Westmeath records.

It also might be worth asking a moderator to move this to the Westmeath board.

[Denis Savard]

I did see a few McDon's in a Westmeath listing a little after the departure of the family. I think that is probably the migrant family's surname. I've been told by few Westmeath genealogists that there are no McDunn there. Here are the variations on the name for each mention of her in records. I specify the priest to outline if the scribe was anglophone or francophone which may influence the spelling, and to show variances under the pen of the same scribes. Paisley was Irish obviously. Note Qc Records use maiden names, incl. under Paisley's pen.:

18.5.1833 Rose McDonald (Paisley) godmother to Lawrence Breen
15.4.1834 Rose McDunn «d/o Thomas McDunn and Frances McDunn of the county of Westmeath». (Paisley) - wed. to François Lévesque:
19.1.1835 Rose McDunn (Paisley) child birth
24.1.1837 Rose McDunn  (paisley) child birth
7.7.1839 Rose McDunn (Paisley) child birth
15.1.1841 Rose McDonald (Paisley) child birth
12.10.1844 Rose McDonall (Destroismaisons) child birth
1.12.1846 Rosalie McDonald (Nadeau) child birth
2.1852 (1851 census) Metis Rimouski, Rose McDonald 39 ans “canadienne-française (sic)”
28.7.1856 Rose McDown (Blanchette) dau marriage
14.2.1859 Rose McDoe (Blanchette) dau. marriage
27.5.1859 Rose McDoe (Duguay) own sepulture
4.2.1861 late Rose MacDown (Duguay) son marriage
7.7.1862 late Rose McDoe (Cloutier) dau.'s marriage

Have not seen the actual marriage record of my gg-grandfather Thomas in Old Town Maine on 2.9.1868 to see what she is called there.

Callum McNeil a gaelic speaking genealogist in Scotland's Hebrides explained McDown (there anyway) means son for the brown haired one, and was siding with this name as viable option when presented with this problem.

[Mary Geraci]

I know it has been awhile since you asked your question but I am a mcdunn and the family has had a presence in westmeath for many years. I'm doing some research right now, lots of Marys and roses. Good luck!

[Denis Savard]

Very interesting. Which parishes?

[nynie86]

It is really interesting!

Denis, do you have a clue why Paisley switched from McDunn to McDonald after all these years "knowing" her?

Mary, like Denis, I'd like to know which parishes!! This could be really helpful, as I'm stuck there for years...

Thanks for your help!!

Jany

[Denis Savard]

Jany, a guess might be that Paisley was hard of hearing... But who knows. He did also call her MacDonald in the initial entry in 1833 where she is a godmother.

The parish records for Westmeath are now online at NLI. Unfortunately, many parished only have records from the 1820 or 1830s on... I am going through them now...

On the plus side, McDunn – if indeed they exist as such, are very rare, just like the first name Frances. So it should be easier to confirm their ID if they show up there.

I've heard rumours that Thomas and Frances also came over, but kept going past Quebec. Why? To where? I wish I knew. Why would Rose stay put along the way? I find no trace in the 1850/1851 censuses.

[nynie86]

Denis,

I don't know if that information is right, but my mother told me that according to what she heard from her mother (Rose was the g-grandmother of my grandmother...) Rose left Ireland for the US and came in Quebec AFTER landing in the US?!... East coast I guess, but where?... I don't know if its something you can confirm with what you know about her? Maybe her parents landed in the US too and stayed there...?

If you find something, just tell me!

Jany

[Denis Savard]

I had never hear of the US stepping stone theory... interesting. Maybe she is related to the US McDunns, who arrived pre-civil war, and claim to hail from Mullingar (in co. Westmeath). But I didn't see any McDunns in the Mulligar registers.
Would she have come to Canada alone (or without her parents?)