Ann Martin (b. 1822+/- - 1891) and her younger brother Barney (Bernard?, b. 1828+/- - 1881) arrived in Mobile, Alabama, USA some time in the late 1840's or early 1850's. In 1854 Ann married Thomas Donoho/Donahue (also of Ireland, but unknown as to region, county, parish). They had four children, Elizabeth (1855-1932), James (1856-1941), Mary A(nn?)(1856-1856), Thomas James (1862-1842). Ann's husband Thomas died a month before the end of the American Civil War. She survived by running a small grocery store.
Barney Martin never married. He worked in the local stone yard as a marble cutter with his future brother-in-law. He served in the CSA (Confederate States Army) - 8th Alabama Infantry, company I - Emerald Guard. He saw action, was captured, exchanged, hospitalized as either sick or wounded, and eventually returned to Mobile.
We have no records of the siblings' arrival in the US / Mobile, AL, no naturalization papers, just a few census records, some city directories, death certificates (hence we know Ann was from Co. Louth), and CSA records for Barney. Unfortunately, no family stories of Ireland or family there have been passed down either. I realize this is almost nothing to go on, but you have to start somewhere. Also just sent in my 23andMe genetics kit. Excited to hear Ireland XO is looking to team up with 23andMe. You have no idea how many Irish-Americans long to find some type of connection.
Regards,
Kevin Donahue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Kevin E Donahue
Tuesday 30th Apr 2013, 04:27PMMessage Board Replies
-
Hello Kevin
I recently answered a query from a lady in Wiscosin with Louth ancestors but not the same names, indeed I think I have Wiscosin relations myself and when I was in Mobile in 1969 never suspected I was not the first Irish person there!!!!
Irish Civil records only start in 1864 for Catholics so you will be reliant on Church records and certain other limited resources.
The tithe applottment was a church tax on owners / renters of 1 acre and up levied in 1823 to 1837. See http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp
On the site here http://www.rootsireland.ie/ifhf/search.phpe you can register and do limited searches for people in most counties but you must pay to see the full register certificate. This site gives you a record of available records too.
Of course the site Family Search is free, this is the Mormon or Church of the Latter Day Saints site.
See https://www.familysearch.org/
The site run by the Irish Times gives good information on records and family location but you must pay for records.
See http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/ From surname distribution and available records but you pay to search records.
An excellent site for Louth is http://www.jbhall.freeservers.com/ However while very interesting reading you may not find the exact family.
Also this site has a number of links of Louth interest. http://www.termonfeckinhistory.ie/links_7.html
Also in the time you are referring Drogheda would have been a major passenger port especially to Liverpool but there are no passenger records as at the time and I think still it is a common travel area.
I wll ask locally if any Martin families ahve done a tree and see fi it would assist.
Regards
Pat
St Peters Louth, IrelandXO Volunteer
Thursday 2nd May 2013, 10:55PM -
Pat,
Thanks for the advice! I will start checking things out this weekend. I knew anything would be against astronomical odds, but you don't know unless you try. I may look around for passenger lists from Liverpool to the US to see if anything shows up. If Barney and Ann traveled together, they should show up together in any lists. Question will be if there are lists that early on this side of the Atlantic. I think there are.
Thanks for the help! Was in Ireland last July/August for two weeks. Loved it. Made it up to Newgrange and Monasterboice revisited Mellifont (after 27 years when in college). I will get back more often than that. :)
Thanks again,
Kevin
Kevin E Donahue
Friday 3rd May 2013, 04:04PM