Felix and Bridget McMorrow (Cloonclare Parish)

Hi Steve, I see no one has answered your query as we probably have no volunteer in the area, I take an interest in Leitrim as my ancestors are from the south Leitrim area around Mohill but in my case they left in the 1940s. 

As you are no doubt aware Irish records at that remove are scarce if not impossible to locate, the main records are church records so including the religious denomination is always a great help. There is a private Facebook page called Leitirm History and Genealogy and you could apply to join as post some queries etc answers not always fortcoming. 

I myself have taken to looking at history books of the area to see what I can glean, there is a book on Hamilton, he of Manorhamilton which I have, I will check the index for any McMorrows etc, there is also an excellent book on nearby Kinlough which I do not think is available, I had a borrowed copy.

The local studies section of Leitrim Library I have always found most helpful http://www.leitrimcoco.ie/eng/Community-Culture/Library/Local-Studies/ I am not sure if newspapers were in circulation in 1845 or so but some court case records may be about if it was malicious, Find My Past has them but just short pieces of what is was about and who was there.

Felix's death entry is on Irish Genealogy Civil records, free but sign in and do the I am not a computer test. https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/  There are no church records for Leitirm on the site. The RC registers are here but they only start baptisms for Cloonclare in 1841 https://registers.nli.ie/ There was also a recent book published on Tracing Your Leitrim Ancestors by Tom Coughlan, he contributes to the FB site also but mainly on south Leitrim. I assume you have checked the tithe applottments and Griffiths online but in case you have not here are the links. http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/index.jsp and http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=place…;

Regards

Pat

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your reply.

I looked up Mohill and it is about 55 minutes south of Manorhamilton.  I hope to visit Manorhamilton in the next two years to continue my research.  Have you been to Mohill?    

Felix had five children, who all emigrated to America at the time of the great potato famine.  However, Irish suffering under the English probably predisposed them to emigrating beforehand. Do you know why did your ancestors left? 

Indeed, I have found Irish records back that far (1800-1880) to be scarce.  I find bits and pieces here and there, but it is very difficult.  The rent records and tithe Applotment books have been very useful.  

I assume Felix was Catholic because my family is Catholic and I think 90% of the people in County Leitrim were Catholic.  However, I do not have any record proving that.  Even if he was Catholic, he might have “taken the soup” and converted to being a Protestant during the great potato famine.  As you probably known, the Protestant Church gave soup to starving Catholics on the condition they convert to Protestantism (shameful).  His denominiation is on my list of many questions which I hope someday will be answered.  

I am not quite sure how to proceed in finding records from local churches and parishes.  I have connected with a distant relative, another McMorrow, who lives near Manorhamilton (in Carrickleitrim) and he spoke with Fr. Oliver Kelly, Parochial House, Manorhamilton.  Fr. Kelly said old parish records were kept in the County Library in Ballinamore (aka Leitrim Library).  I explored the library site a bit, including newspaper searches, but either got no matches or 325 matches for the keywords I entered.  I did find a reference to an 1887 court case that looked promising, and asked for it to me emailed to me.  It has not shown up yet.  I will call the library to ask for help. 

I do not use Facebook, but my wife does.  We did a search using keywords Leitrim History and Genealogy and it came up with three links.  Can you tell me which one to select?  How do you know if it is private?

I also have started reading books on Irish History.  Irish History for Dummies is very good.  The Great Hunger by Cecil Woodham-Smith is OK, but I had to stop reading 2/3 of the way through because stories of the famine are too awful.  Can you tell me where to purchase Hamilton, he of Manorhamilton and the book on Kinlough?  Perhaps names of authors would help.  I ordered Tracing Your Leitrim Ancestors by Tom Coughlan.  Thanks for the suggestion.

I took a look at the Find My Past site, but it was $129 after a 14-day free trial.  I am leery of the free trials because I don’t remember to cancel and even if I do, I suspect then sell my email address for advertising.  Does this site offer anything I can’t get on Ireland Reaching Out, Ancestry, The Leitrim library or Roots Ireland? 

By the way, I found Felix death record on RootsIreland and was able to get a copy of the original from the General Registration Office (GRO).  That was a major find.  I thought he died after his children emigrated to America around 1845, but it turns out he went to the Workhouse (not a nice place) and lived there until he died in 1887.  More questions:  How did he get into the Workhouse in 1845 when there were hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants for every opening?  Who lives in a Workhouse for 40 years?

Steve McMorrow

Ventura, CA

Hi Steve, firstly the McMorrows were in Leitrim long before I thought they might be, appears ye were big shots in Manorhamilton before 1600, the books I mention are often published locally just the once and in the case of the Kinlough one this appears to be a one off, I understand it was published by a local school teacher when he retired, the big house family were Johnston. 

Four Courts Press publish a lot of history stuff, the book I have is The Life and Times of Sir Frederick Hamilton 1590 to 1647 by Dominic Rooney, with 4 mentions of a McMorrow family. The the publisher is here and they have a US agent i understand think in Washington state or  thereabouts.http://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2013/sir-frederick-hamilton/ 

I have inquired about the other book for myself in Leitrim to no avail but will see if I can learn more, have forgotten the title but Bunduff is in it.

A private Facebook page is one you apply to join, usually no issue, you may be asked why or to list names of interest. The only query Re McMorrow was this one, County Leitrim History & Genealogy is the correct page that I use, you could search for a Manorhamilton one too as often someone sets up a page for their area to put up old photos etc.

Hello! My great grandmother was Annie McMorrow O'Toole from Manorhamilton, Leitrim (The O'Toole fellow came from Wicklow) Annie's parents were John McMorrow and Catherine Cullen. I believe the Cullens were from Sligo. When I was in Manorhamilton last year I was told there is an attorney there named McMorrow who is very involved in genealogy. I was not able to find him - does anyone know him/how to contact him?

The only answer was a suggestion to Google him, an attorney here would be a solicitor or lawyer I see a number of hits in Donegal, Bundoran is almost in Leitirm and close to Manorhamilton. This link is from a site about Irish buildings http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=DG&…;

Back to the book on Frederick Hamilton, page 26, McMorrows lost their land in a divey up and retained far less than previously, This appears to an early plantation about 1620. In 1640s other significant Irish Leitrim gentry lost land including the McMorrows. This appears to be near Mohill. The final mentions on pages 121 and I22 are it mentions a Hugh McCahill McMorrow, Hamiltons chief tenant had become the leader of the rebels against Hamilton, a contingent sent to capture him failed as he escaped into the fading light. You have Irish Chieftains in your past.

I doubt anyone was in the Workhouse for 40 years unless they worked there as in manager or staff member. I have been to Mohill but I live in Ireland and only about 70 miles away. I will revisit your query but visitor expect in a few minutes so must go.

Regards
Pat

Hi Pat,

It is interesting that the McMorrows were in Leitrim before you thought and were big shots in Manorhamilton before 1600.  Did you find that out from the book published by the local school teacher?  If you have any documentation on that, I would love to have it. 

I ordered The Life and Times of Sir Frederick Hamilton.

The attorney from Manorhamilton must be my relative who has been so helpful in gathering genealogical info for me. 

Your thought re someone living in the Workhouse for 40 years being a manager or staff member makes sense.  There are Workhouse minute books to memorialize the meetings of the board overseeing the Workhouse.  My relative in Manorhamilton looked through some of them, but said it was very time consuming.  That is now on my list of things to do when I visit Manorhamilton.

I look forward to hearing more from you.  By the way, yesterday I got 35 emails saying “New Reply has been added” for Irelandxo.  I hope you did not have that problem.

StevieMac

Hi Steve, yes I got the emails myself and notified the admin, they apppear to have stopped. I got the info from the book you ordered, that is the only mention of McMorrows in it. The other book was a loan I had from a McGowan in Kinlough (it is full of McGowans, the Irish version of Smith). I think it is no longer available as I have asked two friends living nearby to check, I had a query some time ago from a lady Re Johnston who arrived post Sir Fred, she was an author in the US, Diana Farr. 

I checked the local library site who I have always found most helpful, it is based in Ballinamore for Local History stuff and you can searrch their site, for local history use MacMorrow as the search engine refuses McMorrow for some reason. You can search under newspapers, photos and local studies, photos are in the last 20 years. http://www.leitrimcoco.ie/eng/Community-Culture/Library/Local-Studies/ Some stuff is available to copy and is reasonable but you must send money and cannot do it over the internet other than send and receive email. 

I see in the newspapers that your ancestors were a bit like mine in the charges they faced. 

I see on my DNA matches a 4th cousin under McMorrow and more distant ones too, no idea why or how but every name in Leitirm appears to match in some way so not surprised but I know what they did before television.

Regards
pat

Thanks, Pat, for your input and notifying the administrator.  The multiple emails have stopped on my end as well.

I have an email into the Leitrim County Library to get a copy of an 1887 notice in the Leitrim Advertiser that was never sent to me.  I will explore their site for more history

I am waiting for my DNA results from Ancestry.

Hi Steve, my McMorrow line is from Cloonclare and I suspect we are likely distant cousins.  Have you taken an Ancestry DNA test that would allow us to confirm?  My 3rd great grandfather was Patrick McMorrow (1813-1904).  I believe he was the son of Denis McMorrow who would have born about 1788.

Hi Steve et al, I've been very interested to try to find out about my lineage re my great great great grandfather, Felix McMorrow, from Manorhamilton.  I've attached the April 1876 civil wedding record of his son, Thomas McMorrow (my great great grandfather), to Bridget Burke (born in Co Galway) in Dublin.  On this cert, it states that both Felix and Thomas are 'bootmakers' and that the name of Thomas' mother was Catherine. (also happens to be the name of his wife Bridget's mother).  I have not been able to locate any baptism record for Thomas.  Nor have I been able to locate any death record for Thomas (he died between 1878 and 1886, when his widow, Bridget, remarried again in Dublin to a Mr William Reilly).  I did wonder if Felix McMorrow was the Felix who died in the Manorhamilton Workhouse ?  I also wondered about a shoemaker called Thomas McMorrow who died in Manorhamilton Workhouse at the age of 35 in 1878 - but was listed as 'single' ?  I also checked UK records and saw a death in early 1885 at the age of 37 but would need to see if I could get any more information re a proper death cert.  Any thoughts or insights would be much appreciated as this has been a brick wall for some time.  Thomas and Bridget had two children:  Mary Catherine (born June 1876) and my great great grandfather, Thomas (born 1878).  Many thanks, Rose

Steve, I have accessed some the that book locally, it only mentions that there were 30 McMorrows in Rosclogher in 1659 and a detail mainly about the MacClanceys and later the Johnsons. Also discovered there is another book on Rosclogher which a cousin is to send me, I attach the cover below. I can send you some of the info from the other book if you wouldlike to email me at the site email for myself stpeters@irelandxo.com 

I cannot up load the book cover as the site will not accept the file type and I am not smart enough to change it. the book is Rosclogher to Rooskey by Lorcan O' Runai, sub title the Leitrim Story, if you get in touch I will mail it on.

Stay Safe

Pat

Hi Pat,

It has been some time since we communicated.  I hope all is well with you. A lady from the John Johnston (1842-1911) line reached out to me recently and asked me to contact you.  She said you and she may be related.  Her name is Connie and her email is cleaearly@gmail.com.  She somehow found our conversation and asked me to contact you on her behalf. 

Steve