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Greetings!

I am trying to trace my father-in-law's family, and believe they left Tralee in the early 1800s, and moved to London.

The earliest documents for them:

Marriage Banns of 1834, Christ Church, City of London (RC)

Terence McMahon and Mary "McKilligate"

"in the presence of Jn Burnley and Mary Daly"

 

1851 Census, living in London

Terence McMahon aged 49  from: Kerry, Ireland

Mary McMahon aged 44 from "Kila...y" Ireland

Margaret Mckillig aged 40 (sister) from Kerry, Ireland

unfortunately the writing is so faint, we can't make out the place name.

 

i believe that "McKilligate" is "McElligott", as Mary could not read/write, and signed the marriage banns with "x".

 

i have found several records for McMahon, including a Terence McMahon, son of Terence McMahon, and also several Mary McElligot records for the early 1800s, as well as some for Margaret McElligott.  But - I can't find records for a Mary and a Margaret with the same parents. (Of course, mother could have died, and father remarried.).

 

if anyone could confirm whether all records for Kerry are online, or whether I should be looking elsewhere (local records?), I would be most grateful!

 

Also, if there are any publications on life in Kerry in 1700-1800s, I would be very grateful for recommendations.

 

with many thanks for any suggestions!

 

sue

Fainleog

Monday 16th Feb 2015, 11:02AM

Message Board Replies

  • Hi Sue,
    Hope I can help a little. First finding is a census listing for 1851 for Appollo Court, Saint Dunstan-In-The-West, West London, Middlesex, England.
    This lists Terence as a labourer hailing from Kerry. Mary his wife is shown as born in Kilmany, Fife, Scotland. I assume Terence travelled over, met & married Mary then proceeded to have 4 daughters and 3 sons.
    The other Mary, McKillig is Terence's sister so must have married Mr McKillig.The reasoning being that Census relationships recorded are based upon relationship to the head of the household so unlikely that Mary from Fife was a McKillig before marriage. I will continue looking from here and let you know what I find. Once I have sufficient absolute info. I will point you in the right direction for your further searching.
    Regards
    Michael

    spearfield

    Monday 16th Feb 2015, 03:33PM
  • Sorry Sue, I should have looked a bit further before responding. The sister Margaret is obviously Mary's sister, just recorded as Terence's sister on census, not unusual! I agree the marriage of 20th April 1834 is Terence's and Mary's. Only concern is Margaret is shown as born in Kerry so will need researching in UK & Eire.

    Regards

    Michael

     

    spearfield

    Monday 16th Feb 2015, 03:53PM
  • Hallo Michael

     Most kind of you to take the time to help me - thank you very much indeed!

    I was under the impression from the copy of the 1851 UK census that Mary McMahon (McKilligate) was born in Ireland and I would be very interested to know your source for Kilmany, Scotland, please?  Have I misread the Census??

    And yes, I do believe that Margaret McKillig is Mary's sister.

    Many thanks once again!

     

    sue

    Fainleog

    Monday 16th Feb 2015, 06:23PM
  • Hi Sue,

    I have managed to copy/paste 1851 census below. I sourced this through 'Find My Past'. Only prob. is no spaces between details. Columns read, Name, Relationship to Head, Marital Status, Gender, Age, Year of Birth, Occupation, Where born.

    Can you confirm the children check out ok? It may help me if you have any info on these children. How is your father in law linked?

    I am struggling to extend my search as like you I cannot find a firm link between Mary & Margaret. 

    Also with Terence I cannot find a family where his age matches. Like you I have found a potential father Terence. This record produces a  mother Catherine Moriarty but date of birth for Terence junior is recorded as 1911. Still a possibility.

    Do you have any other info that might help?

    As this sight is undegoing a makeover soon, to ensure continuity would you be happy to communicate by direct email? If so let me know your email address and I will send mine.

    Regards

    Michael

     

    TerenceMcMahonHeadMarriedMale491802LabourerKerry, Kerry, Ireland

    Transcription

    MaryMcMahonWifeMarriedFemale441807-Kilmany, Fife, Scotland

    Transcription

    HonoraMcMahonDaughterUnmarriedFemale161835None-

    Transcription

    MaryMcMahonDaughterUnmarriedFemale141837None-

    Transcription

    DennisMcMahonSonUnmarriedMale121839None-

    Transcription

    MaruiceMcMahonSonUnmarriedMale101841Scholar-

    Transcription

    JohannaMcMahonDaughterUnmarriedFemale71844Scholar-

    Transcription

    MargaretMcMahonDaughterUnmarriedFemale31848--

    Transcription

    MargaretMcKilligSisterUnmarriedFemale401811ServantKerry, Kerry, Ireland

    spearfield

    Monday 16th Feb 2015, 06:40PM
  • Sue:

    www.irishgenealogy.ie is a free Irish government site which has church records for Co. Kerry and a few other counties. Luckily for you Tralee RC records go back to the late 1700s. I found an 1811 baptimsal records in the Tralee RC church. Not sure if this is your ancestor but I would search this site to see what information you can find.

    Later this summer the National Library of Ireland plans to put all RC parish registers online for free searching.

    Let me know if you have questions.

    Roger McDonnell

     

    Name TERENCE MCMAHON
    Date of Birth 16 February 1811 (BASED ON OTHER DATE INFORMATION)
    Address CLAHANE
    Father TERENCE MCMAHON
    Mother CATHERINE MORIARTY

    Further details in the record

    Father Occupation NR
    Sponsor 1 JOHN DOWDE
    Sponsor 2 ELLEN MCMAHON
    Priest REV. M. PRINDEVIL

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Monday 16th Feb 2015, 06:40PM
  • Hallo again Michael!

    Thank you - that's very interesting!  I have been researching the UK side of the family through Ancestry.com, and their copy of the 1851 Census doesn't appear to show any reference to Scotland or Kilmany, just  "ditto" (for Ireland), followed by "Kila...y".  That's all I can make out.  Of course, the writer of the Census most likely would not have been familiar with Irish place names ( or surnames), so I am not too concerned about the aforementioned.  I have browsed through the townlands of Kerry, and there are a few possibilities.

    my father-in-law's link comes from Terence's son, Dennis, and has been well-documented by other branches of the family (on Ancestry.com), so I'm happy that I have the right family line.

    And again, I'm not too concerned about the birth dates on the UK Census being particularly accurate.  I think Irish records will be more reliable.   Something that makes me doubt the accuracy of the ages on the UK census, is that Mary would have been 41 when she had her last child, which seems rather late for that era.  Also, Terence and Mary's birth years on the Census mean that they would have been in their early 30s when they married, which again, seems quite an old age for the time.

    This afternoon, on Irishgenealogy.ie, I  have come across a Mary and Margaret McElligott with the same parents (John McElligott, Mary Connor),  born in the same area near Listowel, 8 years apart.   Might be a possibility.......

    I have learnt a lot from rootsweb.ancestry.com and also mykerryancestors.com, regarding general family research, ie townlands, records, etc fr Kerry.  Most useful!

     

    regards,  Sue

    Fainleog

    Monday 16th Feb 2015, 07:13PM
  • Hallo again Michael!

    Thank you - that's very interesting!  I have been researching the UK side of the family through Ancestry.com, and their copy of the 1851 Census doesn't appear to show any reference to Scotland or Kilmany, just  "ditto" (for Ireland), followed by "Kila...y".  That's all I can make out.  Of course, the writer of the Census most likely would not have been familiar with Irish place names ( or surnames), so I am not too concerned about the aforementioned.  I have browsed through the townlands of Kerry, and there are a few possibilities.

    my father-in-law's link comes from Terence's son, Dennis, and has been well-documented by other branches of the family (on Ancestry.com), so I'm happy that I have the right family line.

    And again, I'm not too concerned about the birth dates on the UK Census being particularly accurate.  I think Irish records will be more reliable.   Something that makes me doubt the accuracy of the ages on the UK census, is that Mary would have been 41 when she had her last child, which seems rather late for that era.  Also, Terence and Mary's birth years on the Census mean that they would have been in their early 30s when they married, which again, seems quite an old age for the time.

    This afternoon, on Irishgenealogy.ie, I  have come across a Mary and Margaret McElligott with the same parents (John McElligott, Mary Connor),  born in the same area near Listowel, 8 years apart.   Might be a possibility.......

    I have learnt a lot from rootsweb.ancestry.com and also mykerryancestors.com, regarding general family research, ie townlands, records, etc fr Kerry.  Most useful!

     

    regards,  Sue

    Fainleog

    Monday 16th Feb 2015, 07:14PM
  • Roger - greetings, and thank you so much for taking the time to help me.

    I have indeed found the record you copied above (great site!).

    I'm currently in Clare this week, and am considering taking a trip down to Tralee, just to take some photos of the area for my father-in-law, call into the library and the museum.

    Strange coincidence: I know precisely where "Clahane" is, as I stopped in Tralee at the wetlands centre last year.  Clahane lies beyond the wetland centre!

    Very interesting to know that the RC parish records will be online this year; thanks for thr information.

    btw: love Roscommon!  Stayed near Boyle 2 years ago, and am returning in April.  Lovely part of the country, and very undervalued by visitors.

     

     

     

    Fainleog

    Monday 16th Feb 2015, 07:26PM
  • Sue:

    Glad I could help. I live in the States but go back frequently. My folks came from the Ballaghadeereen area of Roscommon.

    Roger

    Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Monday 16th Feb 2015, 07:30PM

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