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I have already traced my Murphy/Crudden family back to about 1859 but don't know enough to trace them back further. My great grandfather Thomas John Murphy was born about 1858 and married Annie Crudden on 27th April 1879 in St Mary's Catholic Church, Brookeborough. She was born about 1859 and was living in Skeog townland on marriage, while Thomas was living in Breandrum townland. His father was Patrick and his witness was John McGrath, his(Thomas) occupation being recorded as farm servant. Annie's father was James and her witness was Thomas Crudden, presumably her brother. Their second child was sponsored by Jane Crudden, presumably Annie's sister. The other children were sponsored by Mary (surname not given), first and third children, who may be their grandmother but I'm uncertain about that and the rest of the Fermanagh-born children were sponsored by Anne/Annie who might be the other grandmother (or maybe even the mother?). Children's names were Patrick, Mary Anne, Margaret, Jane, James Henry, Thomas, Francis Joseph(died in WW1), Kathleen(Kay), Elizabeth. The children were born in various townlands-Skeog, Lismalore, Slushhill, Killekeeran and then Belfast. Reliable family history has it that Thomas and Annie were employed by the Brookeborough family and Annie spoke very well about them as employers. Less reliable info says that they had to leave Fermanagh after writing to the papers complaining about something or other. They seem to have moved to Belfast some time between 1893-96 and established themselves in the Ardoyne area-Leopold St and then Chatham St where they were forced to move to during the riots in the early 1920's. Thomas is described as a Carter in census records so maybe he had something to do with that in Fermanagh. All this info comes from sketchy family history and rootsireland birth records. I would be grateful if anyone can extend the family history into the period before 1858.           Seamus Bennett

 

Innisfayle

Saturday 11th Apr 2015, 01:54PM

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