Clearys - Monasterevin

[Valerie Prince]

Hello,

I've hit a brick wall with my ancestor Maurice Cleary, a blacksmith, b. about 1812 in Monasterevin.  I know he was married in 1845 to Alice (Ally) Dunne and they had several children.  But I can't seem to find any leads further in the past.  Here are my questions:

• I am currently in possession of a microfilm of the Roman Catholic Monasterevin parish records from 1819, courtesy of the Mormons, but the quality of the scan is terrible.  Are there any other digitized parish records available online which I can search?  I have some leads on potential siblings of Maurice's who may have been born after him (Bridget, Margaret, William, possibly Thomas).  I'm hoping to search the entire book for Clearys.
• Are there any records dating before 1819, possibly as part of another parish if Monasterevin was served by a different church nearby?
• I know that Maurice leased his smithy in Skirteen from the Marquis of Drogheda, and that at least one of his children is buried in the Passlands cemetery.  Are there any searchable records for this cemetery?  I'm not sure where Maurice is buried (he died 4 Nov 1893) but I'd like to find his grave.
• Maurice's grandson recalled Maurice telling a story that his own grandfather was Thomas Cleary, a blacksmith in Monasterevin.  Supposedly Thomas was hanged by the British in the 1798 rebellion for secretly forging swords for the Irish.  I would love to be able to substantiate this claim but cannot find the definitive connection from Maurice to Thomas, or proof of Thomas's actions.

Thanks so much for any help you can provide!  Please let me know if you need any additional information.[/list]

[annclare]

Information on this site re Passlands graveyard.
http://www.leinsterleader.ie/news/your-community/district-notes/monasterevin-1-3840638
annclare

[Valerie Prince]

Here's what I found there:

Passlands & Yewtree Cemeteries

Booklets on the two graveyards have been compiled by Monasterevin Historical Society and the Parish office.The booklet give a brief history of the cemeteries and include a listing of the graves. and are available to buy in the Parish office. Cost is 3 euro.

Alas, I live in the US, so I'll have to see if I can get someone to pick up a booklet for me.

[Sinann]

Can't find anything on Thomas but it's clear that blacksmiths were 'questioned' after the rebellion.
http://kildarelocalhistory.ie/1798-rebellion/background-to-rebellion/government-repression/
You have to hope he wasn't one who suffered the Triangle.

Forging swords seems unlikely, it was probably pikes.

[LostAndFound]

Hi Valerie

I'm not far from Monasterevin so I'll give the parish office a ring in the morning and check they have the booklet and go pick one up for you.  I should be able to scan it and email it to you so if you can pm me your email address I'll get that sorted for you.

Regards
Lostandfound

[wyrleybart]

Not sure if there are still people actively researching from this thread. I am trying to help a friend who is researching a Thomas William Cleary who is believed to have come from Kildare to England.  He married Gladys Anne Wynn in Walsall Staffs in 1918 so would probablyhavebeen born in the 1880s or maybe the 1890s.  I have seen a reference on Ancestry to a Thomas Cleary b 1867, but maybe a tad early for a 1918 wedding in England.

Thoughts anyone please ?
Thsnks very much

[Sinann]

Have you got his father's name and occupation from his marriage?

[Sinann]

There are 9 Thomas Cleary births registered in reg districts that include Kildare between 1880 and 1900.
This will give the Reg districts
https://www.swilson.info/regdistmap.php
And here you can see images of the birth Certs
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/civil-search.jsp
But before even looking there I would get his father's name and narrow down his age if possible, in maybe on his marriage cert, is he in the 1921 Census of England and Wales?

[Eyesee]

Looks like he and Gladys are in Leeds in 1939. Birthdate of 1 Aug 1884.

Ian C