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Hello,

Can anyone help me please ?

My GG Grandmother Mary Twiggs (name on Church marriage record) married my GG Grandfather John Otto Russell

on 26th June 1829 in Wigston Leicestershire England.

On the 1841 census it shows that she was from Ireland. The only other people from Ireland in the 1841 census for Wigston  was a Catherine Twigg aged 60 (possible mother?) and a Catherine Marshall aged 55 both worked in Woollen Hosiery.

On the 1851 census it said that Mary was from Calla Co Mayo

On the 1861 census it said that Mary was from Killala Mayo

On all subsequent census up until her death it just said Ireland.

Why would they come to Leicestershire?

However, I am in touch with a person from America, who thinks the following :-

Richard Twigg from Quorn Leicestershire, was in the Prince of Wales Leicestershire Fencibles he went out to Killala in 1798 to surpress the uprising. They were there the day General Humboldt of France landed at the request of the Irish rebels to help fight against the English Crown in Ireland.  Richard was not there as a pro Catholic Irish, but rather was a Protestant English Soldier. My friend's hunch is that Richard was captured immediately on the first day that the French arrived, because by 1800 he was married to a local girl Catherine Fallon, he does'nt think that this would have happened if he had been a ruthless soldier. Catherine was apparently protestant and loyal to the Crown. They had a son Thomas Twigg in Killala in 1800. He believes that they had a daughter Mary, but this is not confirmed. Could this be my Mary? Could Catherine Twigg on the 1841 census in Wigston be Catherine Fallon? 

By 1840 their son Thomas Twigg was in BallyMachola, Ballysakerry outside of Ballina with Mary Kearny on her farm. 

They had a son Thomas Twigg born in 1840, they may have had a son John Twigg who was born in Killala that became the head of the household in Castlebar, but he has no proof of that. Thomas junior (born 1840) became a wheelwright/cart maker in Crossmolina he married Margaret Mash in 1861 St Tiernan's church he died 1882 in Crossmolina. My American friend's GG Grandfather was their child Patrick born abt 1863.

If anyone can shed any light on the above ...find  out who Mary Twiggs is related to or connect Mary to Thomas Catherine Fallon and Richard Twigg's son? Find a death or immigration for Richard and Catherine or Mary.

Basically any help would be truly invaluable.

Thank you

 

 

 

 

Brenda of England

Tuesday 29th Sep 2015, 08:03PM

Message Board Replies

  • Dear Brenda

    Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

    I have passed this to our Kilalla Volunteer who will be in touch with you

    Best wishes

    Clare Doyle

    Genealogy Support 

    Clare Doyle

    Wednesday 30th Sep 2015, 09:03AM
  • Hi Brenda,

    The area around Killala suffered from several famines in the early 1800s, so that would be one reason to relocate to England. There were also a series of evictions throughout the 1800s in Mayo, including the 1830s, again making another reason to leave. 

    There is a John Twigg living at Poorhouse Hill in Aglish Parish, county Mayo in 1855 on Griffiths Valuation. There are several living in Castlebar, listed here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~deesegenes/ball.htm

    I also found this reference to someone looking for Twigge family in 2004: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/IRL-MAYO/2004-03/10784262…

    There are some posts here as well, you might want to look: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;area=showposts;…

    I have quite a bit of info on the 1798 uprising, as my ancestors were involved on the Irish side against the English. I will look to see if I can find anything about your ancestors there.  Also, you might want to note that there English regiments stationed in Castlebar in the 1800s.

    Finally, you might like to look at the Regiment of the Foot, as they served in Ireland and quite a few were English. I noticed that some Twiggs were listed, which were actually born in Ireland.  If you have an Ancestry account, look under "All UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Registers of Soldiers Who Served in Canada, 1743-1882" - note Ancestry has it named & filed wrong.

    For example:

    Name:Edwd TwiggBirth Place:Donegal, AntrimRank:DrummerRegiment:36th Regiment of FootResidence Date:15 May 1817Document Type:Regimental Registers of Pensioners

    So, it could have been your Twiggs were involved in the 1798 uprising on the English side, were stationed in Killala, married and had children there. Being a military family, they could have then relocated to the garison in Castlebar but then eventually being stationed in England.

    John

    h

    Kilcummin Mayo

    Monday 30th Nov 2015, 03:02AM
  • Hi John 

    Sorry for the delayed reply. Thank you so much for all of the information, I am a member of Ancestry and I will check the Regiment of th Foot. I am hoping to travel to the area next summer and possibly find out more. If you come accross anything else I would be eternally grateful also if you could shed any light on my other post for my "American Cousin" entitled

    Mary Kearney lived on a farm in BallyMachola,Ballysakerrry abt 1840

    that would be much appreciated too.

    Warmest Regards 

    Brenda Garner

    Brenda of England

    Monday 14th Dec 2015, 09:18AM
  • Hello!

    I am also a Twigg descendent, also through OP's friend's ancestor Patrick Twigg. I am currently creating a family tree, and I am getting stuck on the Twiggs past Patrick's father John. I am just curious, where did you find this information on the family Brenda? I really hope you are still using this forum almost 10 years later :) Thank you!

     

    Kayla of NYC

    Kayla

    Thursday 29th Feb 2024, 01:08AM

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