James Mathews 1869 Blackrock, Louth, Ireland

[aghadowey]

The extracted Irish births on www.familysearch.org aren't complete so it's not a good idea to base your Irish research on the basis of the most likely records found there.

[AngelaRohlfs]

  ok... I will keep digging... That's why I was hoping that John (eldest) being a fisherman would help lol but it really doesn't lol I thank you again for your invaluable info!

[Sinann]

As Aghadowney said it would be unwise to get too excited by this couple but that doesn't mean they are not worth looking at.
With that in mind I tried RootsIreland again
John Mathews and Margaret McGuinness baptised a John in Haggardstown RC in 1868 but I can't find a James in any parish until I take out Margaret, than with John Mathews as father and mother McGuinness I get James 1866 Haggardstown RC but there is also another child in 1864.
Felt it was worth a search credit so the other child is Anne and the name for all 3 is spelt Matthews. (Which would be the usual spelling in Ireland)
Interesting indeed.

[dathai]

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KMQR-FK1

could this be a brother
https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3AMathews%20%2Brecord_country%3AIreland%20%2Bbirth_year%3A1864-1880~%20%2Bfather_givenname%3Ajohn~%20%2Bfather_surname%3Amatthews~%20%2Bmother_givenname%3Abridget~%20%2Bmother_surname%3Afinigan~

sorry about the long link i dont know how to shorten it yet.

[Sinann]

Could be the wrong couple but
In Griffiths Valuation print date 1856 in Haggardstown Parish, Village of Blackrock in section 65 which is the Main Street facing the sea there is a Philip McGuinness with a House and garden at 26 and a John Mathews with a house and yard at 33.
There are several other Mathews on the same street.
As this John Mathews doesn't have even a garden never mind land how does he earn a living?
No proof but oh so tempting.
Of course your John probably wasn't even married by than so he may not even be listed, more likely one of the Mathews on the street is his father.

[AngelaRohlfs]

WOW!! Ok... well... how common is it for families to name each generation after the previous generation? lol If Margaret McGuinness is mine then there's a Margaret and a John having a James a John and an Anne and that James having a James a John, an Annie, a Margaret and a Desmond... Then that generation Annie had a James and a Desmond... and that Margaret had a Desmond maybe the name Desmond will get me somewhere? lol

Also... would the answer to the question (as to where income would come from) in previous post be the fact that John was a fisherman?

[Sinann]

It all sounds great but could be totally incorrect.
First thing I'd do if I was you is get a look at that Census in England.
One step at a time.

[AngelaRohlfs]

ok... checked out census and yes they are all at the same address... then I really dug for info... I hope this makes sense... When James Mathews (b 1866ish) & wife came to the U.S. I found the passenger info... they were going to his cousin's in San Francisco. Cousin James (but of course lol) Crosby with an address of 459 30th st. I searched that info and there was in fact a James Crosby at that address... that got me thinking... Crosby's parents names (IF he were truly a cousin) would be a sibling to John or Margaret McGuinness... found his fathers name is Thomas and mother Bridget (1901 Ireland census cross referencing his brother Nicholas who was reflecting on a California census)... so there was a Patrick James Crosbey born at right time to Bridget McGuinness Crosbey... I am now trying to locate a McGuinness family with both a Bridget and a Margaret... lol

[Sinann]

What does the Census say for Where Born?