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My Great grandfather, Patrick Ryan (PR2), came to Australia from Co. Kilkenny about 1862. In 1869 in Rockhampton, Queensland he married Ellen Heffernan from Co. Carlow. Patrick’s father, James, came to Australia in 1866. All three were illiterate.

Information provided by illiterate foreigners with an accent and recorded in Australia was frequently misinterpreted. Such was the case with the family name of Patrick’s mother, recorded as Catherine “Lurrill” on the marriage certificate of Patrick and Ellen but Catherine Purcell on the death certificate of James. “Lurrill” or any variants does not seem to exist as a name, so her family name, more than likely, was Purcell.

No date of birth for either James or Patrick is recorded but Patrick’s age recorded on his marriage and death certificate, and on the birth certificate of a son, my grnadfather, all indicate 1840 unless he was born in late 1839. There are 81 records in Roots Ireland for the baptism of a Patrick Ryan in Co. Kilkenny from 1835 to 1845, but only three with a mother having the family name Purcel or Purcell. The names of parents for one (bap 1837) are Geoffrey and Judith - so he can be ruled out. The other two were both baptised in 1840 (Parish of Clough), the parents of one being Patrick Ryan (PR1) and Catherine Purcell, and of the other James Ryan and Eleanor Purcell. Address for both was recorded as Cloneen. Now, the first names for the parents of PR2 on all official documents in Australia where this information was recorded are James and Catherine, not Patrck, not Ellenor.

Griffith Valuation records show James and PR1 having adjacent lease holdings in the townland of Cloneen and with houses in close proximity. This would suggest both men were closely related, probably brothers, and the women were possibly sisters.

James and Ellen had 11 children, PR1 and Catherine had 9. Childrens’ names: James, John, Mary, Patrick, Stephen and Thomas were common to both families; James and John repeated in the family of PR1 and Catherine; Anne, Elizabeth, Ellen and Judith were in the family of James and Ellen only with Elizabeth being repeated; Richard was only in the family of PR1 and Catherine. Information provided by PR2 for the death register of James lists the only children as being himself, 2 dead males and one dead female – not hard evidence for anything but at the same time, provides no corroboration of other information.

I have no data to enable crosschecking and so cannot be absolutely certain that my Great grandfather, Patrick Ryan (PR2), is from Cloneen though I would be reasonably confident that he is. Assuming that he is from Cloneen, however, who were his parents: James Ryan and Ellenor Purcell or Patrick Ryan and Catherine Purcell? I suspect the former since it was James who came to Australia but why the confusion?

PRion5

Wednesday 12th Dec 2018, 04:38AM

Message Board Replies

  • I suspect Lurrill is a mistranscription of Purcell; rr for rc i for e

    For the Patrick - Cath / James - Ellenor question, have you applied the Irish naming pattern to the children of James & Patrick? First son named after father's father etc?

    Col

     

     

    ColCaff, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Friday 14th Dec 2018, 03:06AM
  •  

    My paternal grandmother was Mary Purcell, born in Clogh abt 1856.

    Her parents were

    Tobias Purcell b abt 1830

    Anne Kelley b abt 1830

    In addition to Mary, she had 3 siblings

    James b 1851

    Anne b 1853

    Martin

    Mary married Edward “Ned” Ring and had 12 children.

    4 of the children died at an early age < 2 yrs.

    A 5th child, Michael , died at 19 years in Ireland.

    Tobias Purcell, Ned Ring and Michael Ring were all coal miners.

    Ned and Mary emigrated to the US in 1896 with their 5 youngest children, and settled in South Boston.

    Mary’s sister Anne married James Ryan.

    Their children were: Michael, Mary, Pat, Catherine and Anne.

     

    Tim Miller

    Friday 14th Dec 2018, 07:09PM
  • Col,

    Thought about transcription errors. Possible, though Lurrill was recorded twice, Purcell once and all in original? records, ie, the registration ledgers.

    I've looked also at the naming patterns which seem to have been applied but inconsistently so in this case, not a reliable guide.

     

    Tim,

    I've been following the Ring/Purcell posts, including yours. Tantalisingly close, I'm sure there must be a connection somewhere. All the males that are connected with my lot, from early 1870s through to 1911 have occupations listed that are associated with mining (miner, collier, carman).

    Regards,

    Paul

    PRion5

    Wednesday 19th Dec 2018, 06:27AM
  • Paul,

    When we visited Clogh, Castlecomer, Klikenny in 2006, I was mainly focused on the birth records for my grandfather, Patrick Ring, and his siblings.

    I was fairly successful as I was able to acquire 7 of the 12 children's records. 

    At that time, I was also able to view the marriage record for Ned Ring and Mary Purcell.

    Since then, the researchers in Castlecomer have been very helpful in acquiring more records and people to contact.

    There are quite a few Rings still in the Castlecomer area, but I have yet to make the tie as to how they are related.

    I recall there was a birth record for Tobias Purcell, but I did not take a picture of it.

    My belief is the Purcells go back quite aways in Castlecomer, The men falling into the same profession as the fathers and family.

    There was very little medical help in the impoverished area.

    A testament to this is Ned and Mary losing 4/5 children under the age of 2. I don't know the reasons for their death, but he the youngest child died during childbirth.

    Michael Ring, died at age 19, presumable from exposure to the coal mining. 

    After the death of the above 2 children, Ned and Mary had enough and emigrated to the US, in South Boston, where their two eldest married daughters lived. 

    My grandfather Patrick died in 1918, and shortly thereafter, his cousin Michael Ryan, married his widow. Family takes care of family.

    I have lots of stories to tell as you can see.

    I did have a lead quite a few years back that pointed to cousins emigrating to Australia, that I dismissed. Silly me.

    I'm sure if we continue to dig in the Castlecomer area, we will fing our shared connection.

    Tim Miller

    Gloucester, MA USA

    Ps, if you wish to converse via email or share documents, my email address: Tim.miller3521@comcast.net

    Tim Miller

    Friday 21st Dec 2018, 12:18PM
  • Hi Paul,  My name is Marion and I live in Queensland, Australia.  I have just found this site and have been in contact only yesterday and today with Tim who is in contact with you and others.  I am the great granddaughter of Mary PURCELL, daughter of Martin PURCELL and Catherine PURCELL.  Mary and her sister Julia came to Australia - Mary marrying in Queensland living and dying in Queensland.  Julia married in Queensland but went to live in a little town called Emmaville in New South Wales.  I found out much later that another sister Catherine (Kate) who married in Ireland - man with the surname of HARNEY, had two children in Ireland and then came to Australia.  They lived in Queensland and Kate died here in Queensland.  I had done some research and found the surname of Ryan connected with the Purcell surname.  Would love to be in contact to share and learn anything about our family.  

    framar01@optusnet.com.au

     

    Would love to be in contact- thanks

     

    framar01

    Monday 30th Nov 2020, 01:47AM
  • Further to above post - my gg grandfather Martin was born in about 1815 and died on 31st March, 1874 in Castlecomer, Kilkenny.  My gg grandmother Catherine was born about 1810 in Firoda, Castlecomer, Kilkenny and died on 24 August 1885 in Castlecomer.

    Their children I have listed as 

    Tobias                     baptised  5 September 1840  Castlecomer

    Michael                  baptised  23 February  1843  Castlecomer        married  Catherine Doran

    Catherine               baptised  21  February  1846   Castlecomer      maried  William  Harney - came to Australia

    Julia                       baptised  11 March         1848   Castlecomer     came to Australia   married   John Brennan

    Mary                       baptised  22 May           1852    Castlecomer     came to Australia    married  James  Lewis     -   my great grandparents   James was born in Shinrone, Offaly

    Patrick                    baptised  11 June          1855     Castlecomer

     

    Does this help anyone?  Do hope so - 

    framar01

    Monday 30th Nov 2020, 01:56AM
  • Hi that's funny I've been looking for my birth father Jimmy Purcell whose father was Patrick Purcell from cloneen think it might be same family stephanie

     

     

     

     

    Friday 11th Dec 2020, 08:13PM
  • For all interested parties, I have put together a spreadsheet on Purcell births from 1872 thru 1880. The information lists the parents, both male and female Purcell, the child and birth date and the town where the parents lived. The information was summarized from microfilm for the Clogh and Castlecomer area. If you would like this information please send an email to: tim.miller3521@comcast.net
    the spreadsheet does not transfer well to this medium, so email is the best solution. 
    Tim Miller, Gloucester MA USA

     

     

    Tim Miller

    Saturday 12th Dec 2020, 02:51PM

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