Notes for later.. (More Irish queries)

Digging in Irish recs again. Is this Mary Rice Boyd?
1900 Census

Event Place:

Precinct 41 West Town Chicago city Ward 10, Cook, Illinois, United States

Household	Role	Gender	Age	Birthplace
James Boyd	Head	M	40	Ireland
Mary Boyd	Wife	F	42	Ireland
Martha Boyd	Daughter	F	18	Illinois
Mary Boyd	Daughter	F	15	Illinois
Andrew Boyd	Son	M	12	Illinois
Louisa Boyd	Daughter	F	10	Illinois
Samuel Boyd	Son	M	7	Illinois
Lilly Boyd	Daughter	F	4	Illinois

Is this a death record for James Rice's wife, Mary Donnelan?

Illinois, Cook County Deaths

Name:	Mary E. Rice
Event Type:	Death
Event Date:	09 Jun 1904
Event Place:	, Cook, Illinois, United States
Gender:	Female
Age:	43
Marital Status:	Widowed
Ethnicity:	American
Race:	White
Occupation:	housewife
Birth Year (Estimated):	1861
Birthplace:	England
Burial Date:	12 Jun 1904
Cemetery:	Mt Carmel
Record Number:	43
Source Reference:	cn 15362

GS Film Number: 1239705 , Digital Folder Number: 004004490 , Image Number: 00983

O'Neills. I have a new DNA match indicating possible relationships to O'Neills. What can I find in records?

If we recall from the Griffith's valuation down lower on this page, who is very likely may ancestor Catherine Hurst is listed next to a Dominick O'Neill. If this is my Catherine, as all evidence indicates so far, her maiden name was Catherine. My DNA match is to a descendant of Mary O'Neill who married Michael O'Malley. I have in my notes that Mary O'Neill was born in Islandeady. the O'Malleys seem to have widely inhabited Co. Mayo, but especially the area of Westport, and Mary O'Neill O'Malley and her husband Michael, as well as several of their children, came to Dane Co., Wisconsin and started the town of Westport, which is ALSO where my ancestor James Hurst settled.. aha. 

Mary O'Neill O'Malley had a son named Dominick who is tied to my Walsh/Hurst family via several documents. Dominick O'Malley. Hmm. Dominick O'Neill? So, who was the Dominick O'Neil on the 1855 Griffith's valuation of the towns in Islandeady parish? I'm finding a couple of Dominick O'Neils who had kids in the 1840s and beyond in Islandeady Parish... First is this guy, who married a Sabina Rodgers:

Name:	Dominick	O'Neil		Date of Death:	25-Aug-1876
Age:	78y			Parish / District:	Islandeady district
Address:	Derrycourain			County:	Co. Mayo
Status:	Married			Denomination:	Civil Parish
Occupation:	LANDHOLDER			Sex:	Male
Graveyard				Informant
Graveyard:				Relationship:	Householder
Parish:				Name:	Sabina O'Neil
County:				Address:	Derrycourain

b. about 1798? Catherine O'Neill Hurst was b. about 1813 according to her death rec.
Living in Derrycourane? Well, this sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Kids of Dominick & Sabina (Rodgers) (remember recs started around 1840 or later, so there could be earlier kids than this):


1) Catherine baptized 28 May 1844, res. "Derrycourane," Islandeady RC parish, witnesses: Daniel Rogers and CATHERINE O'Neil.

2) Dominick baptized 12 Jun 1847, res. "Deracourane," Islandeady RC parish, witnesses: not recorded.

3) Patrick O'Neal baptized 15 Feb 1853, residence not given, Islandeady RC Parish; witnesses: John RYCE & Bridget RYCE.

4) Honor O'Neil baptized 1 Dec 1854, residence not given, Islandeady RC Parish; witnesses: PATRICK HURST and ELLEN HURST.

5) Daniel O'Neal baptized 29 Mar 1861, residence not given, Islandeady RC Parish; witnesses: Edward Gillen and Bridget Molloy.

I think there are very likely other children that aren't popping up in the list above, possibly not easy to find based on the variations possible with the name "Dominick" so we may need to wait until the parish registers come out this summer to search by hand and see if any other children pop up. Though, judging from the death rec, if Dominick was really born in about 1798, he's having these kids in his 50s and 60s.. so, possibly had a first wife before this, and other kids born before the 1840 start of records.


Other Dominick O'Neils having kids baptized in Islandeady Parish:

1) Michael O'Neil son of Dominick O'Neil and Anne Stephens; baptized 27 Apr 1846, residence "Derychoran"; parish Islandeady. Witness: Michael Brady.

2) Anne O'Neil daughter of Dominick O'Neil and Anne O'Neil; baptized 19 Dec 1840, residence "Derrahoran," parish Islandeady. Witnesses: Patrick Walsh and Margaret Calaghan.

3) Dominick O'Neil son of Dominick O'Neil and Anne Hopkins; baptized 7 Jan 1844, residence not given, parish Islandeady. Witnesses: James Corcoran and Bridget Hopkins.

Walsh family from Galway?

In addition to my recent search for my Hurst ancestors from County Mayo, I've also been on the hunt for my Walsh ancestors; another brick wall of mine.

My ancestor Mary Ann Walsh was supposedly born 24 Oct 1848 in "Galway," Ireland. I've never known if this meant the county or the city. Her parents were John (1811-1878) and Bridget (Feb 1809-12 April 1895). I have not been able to find anything about these guys, including Bridget's maiden name. We have a picture of Bridget and I have copies of her probate file, but I haven't found anything useful from them. According to a cousin via Mary Ann's sister Bridget (Walsh) Busby, Bridget's maiden name was also Walsh but she supposedly wasn't related in any way to her husband John Walsh. According to this same source, Bridget killed an English soldier who was burning her father's hands because he wouldn't tell the soldier where his "pots of gold" were (this is directly from her letter). Because of this, Bridget had to flee and the letter continues, stating that Mary Ann was born at sea rather than born in Ireland. I've never heard this story before and neither had my grandma, so we are both really curious as to the veracity of the story. I have no idea how to prove it, though. I've always been told that the Walshes immigrated when Mary Ann was six months old, but I've never found a ship manifest for them, yet.

I thought I'd look on rootsireland.ie for her and did not have any luck finding either Mary Ann nor her parents. I searched for any children born to parents named John Walsh and Bridget (no maiden name specified). I found a lot of them in Co. Galway, and also expanded my search to Co. Mayo, just in case. Nothing I found matches what I know about the make up of my Walsh family.

I've assumed that John and Bridget, based on their ages, were likely married in the early 1830s. If that's the case my information is very lacking on their children, as I only have four confirmed children, those being:
1) Thomas Welch b. ~1840 in Ireland; married Hannah O'Malley in Wisconsin; d. 17 Nov 1880.
2) Judy Walsh b ~1845 in Ireland; appears only on the 1860 census and listed as "deaf & dumb." I've never found anything else about her.
3) Mary Ann Walsh b. 24 Oct 1848 in Ireland? married James Hurst; d. 24 Dec 1925
4) Anna Rachel Walsh b. 29 Sep 1850 Dane Co., WI; married Thomas F. Ryan; d. 20 Mar 1932
5) Bridget Walsh b. 10 Dec 1854 Dane Co., WI; married William A. Busby; d. 23 Jun 1932

I didn't find any records matching this family profile for the children b. in Ireland; but it could just be that there are no records online yet for the parish they were born in. I thought I would post what I did find in case it becomes relevant later:

CO. Galway

Children of John Walsh and Bridget Kenny of Sorreltown (Parish Dunmore, Co. Galway)

-Martin Walsh bap. 16 Nov 1836

Sponsor(s): Martin Glynn & Mary Duane

-Mary Walsh bap. 30 Sep 1838

Sponsor(s): Michael Scarry & Mary Burke

-Michael Walsh bap. 20 Sep 1841

Sponsor(s): Thomas and Margaret Glennon

-Thomas Walsh bap. 20 Dec 1844

Sponsor(s): Mary Kenny

-Bridget Walsh bap. 12 Jan 1846

Sponsor(s): Patrick and Honor Devine

Children of John Walsh and Bridget Walsh of Oranmore Parish, Co. Galway

-Thomas Walsh bap. 21 Nov 1842

Sponsor(s): Patrick Farrel and Bridget Tierny

-Margaret Walsh b. 14 Dec 1845; bap. 28 Dec 1845

Sponsor(s): Bridget Connell

-John Walsh bap. 29 Jun 1849

Sponsor(s): James Baley and Mary Ward

John Walsh & Bridget Walsh of Kilcummin Oughterard, County Galway

-Patrick Walsh bap. 24 Dec 1837

Sponsor(s): Samuel Maxwell & Mary Walsh

-Mary Walsh bap. 4 Feb 1845

Sponsor(s): Thomas Sullivan and Mary Rutledge

John Walsh & Bridget Fahy (cripple) of Kilcummin Oughterard, Co. Galway

-John Walsh bap. 14 Jun 1842

Sponsor(s): Martin McHoy and Mary Rall

John Walsh & Bridget Folan of Truskee West (Rahoon Parish, Co. Galway)

-unnamed Walsh bap. 11 Dec 1837 (Knockanacarragh)

Sponsor(s): Martin Folan & Honor Walsh

-Margaret Walsh bap. 1 Nov 1839 (res. Knockanacariagh)

Sponsor(s): Martin Folan and Honor Walsh

-Honor Walsh bap. 20 Oct 1846

Sponsor(s): Sabina Joyce

-Michael Walsh bap. 5 May 1850

Sponsor(s): Sabina Joyce

-Martin Walsh bap. 18 Sep 1853

Sponsor(s): Mary Hickey

John Walsh & Bridget Triston (Trisnane or Preston) of Palinee (Rahoon Parish, Co. Galway)

-Thomas Walsh bap. 19 Dec 1836

Sponsor(s): Mary Flaherty

-Owen Walsh bap. 1 Jul 1839

Sponsor(s): Patrick Preston & Bridget Kelly

-Mary Walsh bap 4 Sep 1842

Sponsor(s): Patrick Trisnane and Mary Flaherty

-John Walsh bap 1 Nov 1844

Sponsor(s): Patrick Triston & Mary Flaherty

John Walsh & Bridget Mullins of Parkavera (Rahoon Parish, Co. Galway)

-Michael Walsh bap. 17 Jul 1846

Sponsor(s): James Sweeney and Margaret Walsh

John Walsh and Bridget Kean of Liss, Parish Abbeyknockmoy, Co. Galway

-Anne Walsh, bap. 29 Apr 1846

Sponsor(s): Mary Kean

John Walsh and Bridget Joyce of Turlagh, Parish Rosmuc, Co. Galway

-Anne Walsh bap. 23 May 1846

Sponsor(s): Colman Conry and Catherine Thornton

-Honor Walsh bap. 6 Aug 1850

Sponsor(s): Patrick Walsh and Anna Walsh

-Colman Walsh bap. 26 Jun 1855

Sponsor(s): Patrick Walsh and Anna Walsh

John Walsh & Bridget Kilroy of Parish Woodford, Co. Galway

-Catherine Walsh bap. 12 Apr 1837

Sponsor(s): Patrick Conry & Margaret Conry

-Bridget Walsh bap. 5 Nov 1841

Sponsor(s): Patrick Banfield & Bridget Gleeson

John Walsh & Bridget Hennessy of Parish Woodford, Co. Galway

-John Walsh bap. 12 Mar 1838

Sponsor(s): Thomas Gaffy & Maria Hennessy

John Walsh & Bridget Duggan of Parish Moycullen, Co. Galway

-Bridget Walsh

Sponsor(s): Thomas Walsh & Catherine Melia

John Walsh & Bridget Colmer of Parish Donaghpatrick, Co. Galway

-Bartholomew Walsh bap. 26 Jun 1853

Sponsor(s): John Kane & Mary Kane

John Walsh & Bridget Hession of Tuam Parish, Co. Galway

-Mary Walsh bap. 24 Aug 1854

Sponsor(s): John G. King & Judith Noone

John Walsh & Bridget Dempsey of Killeenadeema Parish, Co. Galway

-Mary Walshe b. 3 May 1836; bap. 5 May 1836

Sponsor(s): Thomas Mitchell and Mary Connelly

Co. Mayo

John Walsh & Bridget Brennan of Balanamorogue, Parish Islandeady

-Patrick Walsh bap 7 Sep 1839

Sponsor(s): Patrick Brennan and Bridget Brennan

-Bridget Walsh bap. 11 May 1845

Sponsor(s): Thomas Walsh & Mary McGreal

John Walsh & Bridget Swords of Derychase, Parish Islandeady

-Ellen Walsh bap. 10 Feb 1846

Sponsor(s): Anthony Swords

John Walsh & Bridget Brannelly of Islandeady Parish

-Mary Walsh bap 15 Dec 1841

Sponsor(s): Mary Walsh

John Walsh & Bridget Flynn of Aglish Parish

-Thomas Walsh bap 20 Feb 1845

sponsors John Flynn and Bridget Walsh.

John Walsh & Bridget Ludden of Aglish Parish

-Michael Walsh b. 1 May 1841

Sponsor(s): Patrick Walsh

-Patrick Walsh bap. 16 Mar 1845

Sponsor(s): Michael Walsh & Winifred Lavell

-Catherine Walsh bap 10 May 1847

Sponsor(s): Anthony Walsh and Judith Walsh

John Walsh & Bridget Trembleton of Aglish Parish

-Michael Walsh bap 3 Sept 1844

Sponsor(s): James MacGuire and Catherine Fitzmorris

John Walsh & Bridget Jordan of Aglish Parish

-Mary Walsh BORN 2 Dec 1842

Sponsor(s): Anthony Walsh and Margaret Malley

John Walsh & Bridget Canton of Aglish Parish

-James Walsh bap. 16 Feb 1840

Sponsor(s): Mrs. Fahey

John Walsh & Bridget Carney of Aglish Parish

-Thomas Walsh b. 8 Nov 1838

Sponsor(s): Patrick Walsh & Mary Walsh

-Patrick Walsh bap 6 Nov 1840

Sponsor(s): Patrick Walsh and Mary Walsh

John Walsh & Bridget Jennings of Barradruma/Burrin, Aglish Parish

-Patrick Walsh bap 1 Jan 1854

Sponsor(s): Patrick Corcoran and Margaret Walsh

-Mary Walsh b. 13 Apr 1855; bap. 17 Apr 1855

Sponsor(s): Patrick Walsh and Honoria Jennings

John Walsh & Bridget Gannon of Elmhall, Balla Parish

-Catherine Walsh bap 25 Feb 1839

Sponsor(s): Redmond Walsh and Margaret Cannon

-Honor Walsh bap 1 Oct 1841

Sponsor(s): Michael and Bridget Walsh

-Edmond Walsh bap. 10 Sep 1844

Sponsor(s): Peter Joyce and Honor Gannon

John Walsh & Bridget McHugh of Lognamuck, Balla Parish

-Michael Walsh bap 25 Aug 1842

Sponsor(s): Thomas and Bridget Walsh

-James Walsh bap. 28 Sep 1844

Sponsor(s): James Walsh & Bridget Kavanaugh

-John Walsh bap. 16 Apr 1846

Sponsor(s): Patrick Ryan & Mary Ryan

-Anne Walsh bap 1 Jan 1852

Sponsor(s): James Keans and Mary Walsh

-Michael Walsh bap. 1 Apr 1855

Sponsor(s): David and Elizabeth Walsh

John Walsh & Bridget Kilgallen of Balla Parish

-Margaret Walsh bap 2 Mar 1844

Sponsor(s): James Corbet & Ellen Timond

-Michael Walsh bap 10 Jan 1847

Sponsor(s): James Killgalin and Celia Killgalin

John Walsh & Bridget Mally of Cuilaneellane (and Bohane), Burriscarra Parish

-Patrick Walsh bap. 10 Feb 1845

Sponsor(s): Patrick Walsh and Mary Mally

-Mary Walsh bap 10 Feb 1846

Sponsor(s): Owen Mally and Anne Mally

John Walsh & Bridget Gavin of Maumeens, Burriscarra Parish

-Catherine Walsh bap 14 Dec 1840

Sponsor(s): Thomas Brennan and Anne Gavin

John Walsh & Bridget Comons/Commins of Crossboyne & Tagheen RC Parish

-Michael Walsh bap 21 Aug 1836

Sponsor(s): James and Bridget Walsh

-James Walsh bap 9 Jan 1838

Sponsor(s): Patrick Walsh and Bridget Mury

-Mary Walsh bap. 11 Jul 1841

Sponsor(s): James Walsh and Mary Comons

-Thomas Walsh bap. 9 Aug 1844

Sponsor(s): James Walsh and Honor Muney

Maybe same parents as above (wife Bridget Cormican?)

-William Walsh bap 11 Apr 1847

Sponsor(s): Patrick and Mary Walsh

John Walsh & Bridget Walsh of Crossboyne & Tagheen

-James Walsh bap 5 Sep 1843

Sponsor(s): Patrick Sweeny and Mary Burke

John Walsh & Bridget Foye of Crossboyne & Tagheen Parish

-Margaret Walsh bap 2 Aug 1840

Sponsor(s): Mary Kivnan

John Walsh & Bridget Burke of Killenacough, Oughaval Parish

-John Walsh bap. 14 Sep 1846

Sponsor(s): Philip Heverin & Sally Casey

John Walsh & Bridget Walsh of Aughagower, Parish same

-Michael Walsh bap 30 Apr 1846

Sponsor(s): Michael Conway and Bridget Walsh

-Anne Walsh bap 27 Jul 1849

Sponsor(s): Michael Malley and Catherine Barret

John Walsh & Bridget Malley of Cushin, Aghagower Parish

-Anthony Walsh b. 20 Mar 1855

Sponsor(s): Anthony Malley and Bridget Cannon

John Walsh & Bridget no last name rec. of Glassvalley, Shrule Parish

-Martin Walsh bap 13 Nov 1846

Sponsor(s): Martin Heskin & Catherine Walsh

John Walsh & Bridget McHale of Bekan Parish

-Peter Walsh bap 6 Jan (1841?)

Sponsor(s): William and Ellenor Jordan

John Walsh & Bridget Henely of Cahernublan, Ballovey Parish

-Mary Walsh bap 2 Jun 1850

Sponsor(s): Patrick Walsh and Patrick Farragher

John Walsh & Bridget Bourke of Cloonboy, Kilcolman Parish

-Mary Walsh bap 1 Nov 1851

Sponsor(s): John Walsh and Ellen Clarke

-Bridget Walsh bap 26 Nov 1854

Sponsor(s): Michael Walsh and Bridget Keegan

John Walsh & Bridget Walsh of Cloonliffin, Ballinrobe Parish

-Thomas Walsh bap 22 Dec 1853

Sponsor(s): Pat Walsh and Honor O'Sullivan

John Walsh & Bridget McGrath of Cregmore, Kilmaine Parish

-Anne Walsh bap 18 Nov 1854

Sponsor(s): Patrick McGrath and Mary Conroy

John Walsh & Bridget Malley of Kilmaine Parish

-Bridget Walsh bap 26 Oct 1854

Sponsor(s): Edward and Mary Naughton

John Walsh & Bridget Walsh of Keelogues Parish

-Anne Walsh bap 27 Sep 1854

Sponsor(s): Michael Murphy and Winny Caufield

John Walsh & Bridget Hughes of Seechane, Kilfian Parish

-John Walsh b. 9 Apr 1835; bap. 12 Apr 1835

Sponsor(s): John Hughes and Mary Walsh

Misc.

Co. Waterford

Judith Walsh bap. 18 Jul 1841 Newcastle Parish, Co. Waterford, parents John Walsh & Brigid Carew; sponsors Jeremiah Carew & Mary Carew.

Hursts from Mayo Part II

It seems that there is in fact a connection between the names I mentioned in my last post... It seems certain that my DNA match's ancestor descends from John Rice and Ellen Hurst. All we need to do is confirm, via definite records, that Ellen Hurst was the sister to my James Hurst. It's almost certainly true, and if so, I've located where the Hursts lived in Ireland and can proceed with locating more records on my ancestors there. PROBABLY. Fingers crossed. I've written to an archive to hopefully receive a birth or baptismal record for James to confirm the location, and from there I'll be able to confirm this whole theory.


Which begs the question. What other siblings did Ellen and James have? (if they are siblings). A godparent of one of Ellen's children is Patrick Hurst. Could this be another sibling?


I have been photographing Resurrection Cemetery in Madison as part of an ongoing project of mine to get everyone with a photo loaded into find-a-grave. Part of my motivation was that there are a lot of Irish and German immigrants buried in the cemetery, many with common names to some of my families, but which I haven't confirmed yet. I hoped that by photographing these sections I might find new relatives.

One interesting grave that I found last year as that of a Harry Hurst (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=131471179). Hurst is not a common last name. At least, not in Madison, Wisconsin. Therefore I looked into it to see if I could find any possible common ancestry with my James Hurst. Here's a summary of the info I found last year while looking into records:

"Harry and Mary (Betty) had two daughters, Joan and Sheila (m. Merrill Owen). Harry's parents were Michael Hurst (b. 1861 Ireland) and Mary Ruane (b. 1871 Ireland). They were married 14 Feb 1893 in Chicago (witnessed by a James Hurst and a Katie [Keena?]. Michael died 2 Jan 1929 in Chicago, and his death rec lists parents as Patrick Hurst and Ellen Corcoran. Michael appears to have had a brother, James Hurst. Per his death record, James was b. 1 Mar 1868 in Co. Mayo, Ireland to Patrick Hurst and Ellen Corcoran. He died 30 Dec 1923 in Chicago. His wife was Rose Dunn and he was buried here."

Michael.. James... Patrick. Hmm familiar names. And seemingly with a connection to County Mayo. Last year when I wrote that all out, I didn't have access to rootsireland.ie because it was not a subscription site yet (it used to be pay-per-record). I just decided to dig a little more in this, since the Patrick Hurst listed as the father of Michael b. 1861 and James b. 1868 would appear to be in the generation as James and Ellen.

What did I find? Children of Patrick Hurst and Ellen Corcoran, all born in the SAME TOWN as Ellen Hurst & John Rice's kids. See below:

1) Mary Hurst bap 15 Aug 1858 Islandeady RC Parish, Co. Mayo; sponsors Malachy and Sabina Corcoran.

2) Honor Hurst bap 1 Jan 1860 Islandeady RC Parish, Co. Mayo; sponsors Dominick Corcoran and Catherine O'Donal.

3) Henry Hurst b. 16 Feb 1864 in Derrycooraune, Islandeady district, Co. Mayo
-Henry Hurst bap. 21 Feb 1864 in Islandeady RC Parish; sponsors John Ryce & Ellen Hurst.

4) James Hurst b. 25 Feb 1866 in Derracooran, Islandeady district, Co. Mayo to parents Patrick Hurst and Ellen Corcoran.
-James bap. 1 Mar 1866 in Islandeady RC Parish, Co. Mayo; sponsors Luke and Ellen Corcoran.

5) Sarah Hurst b. 20 Aug 1868 Derrocooran, Islandeady district, Co. Mayo.
-Saragh Hurst bap 15 Aug 1868 Islandeady RC Parish (res. Derecorane); sponsors Malachy and Saragh Corcoran

6) Ellen Hurst b. 30 Oct 1870 Deracoorane, Islandeady district, Co. Mayo.
-Eleanor Hurst bap 24 Oct 1870 Islandeady RC Parish (res. Derrycooran) parents Patrick Hurst and Maria [anglicized? middlename?] Corcoran; sponsors John Browne and Maria Browne.

7) Catherine Hurst b. 8 Jul 1876 Derrycorrain, Islandeady district, Co. Mayo.

Here's one that I'm pretty sure fits, but the mother's name is off... Ellen was referred to as Maria in the parish record for one other kid, so maybe this is hers, too:
Michael Hurst bap 6 Jan 1862 at Islandeady RC Parish; parents Patrick Hurst & Mary Hurst; Sponsors Dominick O'Donnell and Sabina Rodgers.

If that is him, it would fit with the Michael Hurst above who is related to Harry Hurst who is buried in Madison, WI.

Deaths came, too:

Mary Hurst, res. Derrycooraun d. 16 Mar 1865, age 7 years daughter of Patrick Hurst and his wife, Ellen (reported the death). Civil Rec.


All told, it seems that the Michael and James who are the father and uncle of Harry Hurst, seem to have come from the same area as Ellen Hurst Rice and possibly James Hurst, in Islandeady district. As I emphasized above, Ellen Hurst and John Rice were sponsors of one of Patrick's son Henry. Does this absolutely mean Ellen and Patrick were siblings? No.. but being from the same tiny town, it just might mean they are. I have to find birth and marriage recs for Ellen and Patrick Hurst to confirm who their parents were.

Hopefully I can find the right archiv to get that info from!

Hursts from Co. Mayo?

I'm using this blog as a "scribble pad" tonight for some note-taking and to organize my thoughts. I've been focused lately on my brick walls. Lately, I have been doing some digging into some records on rootsireland.ie which is a site that has some, but not all records, for Ireland. I wanted to put what I've found together here, and hopefully it'll lead to further info down the road. The person of emphasis for this post is James Hurst.

Quick recap of known facts about James Hurst:
B. 1 Sept 1832 in County Mayo (census gives a range of years between 1832-1840, but this is the birth date given on his death record).
Immigrated: ca. 1862 according to census (haven't found a manifest to support, yet)
Parents: Michael Hurst & Catherine O'Neill
Possible other relatives? I've found no evidence of siblings of his having come with him to the U.S., or at least not to Dane Co., Wisconsin. I've been told also that his parents lived and died in Ireland. However, the 1880 census lists two nieces living with him, both having been born in Ireland. Mary, born ca. 1859 and Bridget born ca. 1864.

Something interesting I've noticed naming patterns. There are many versions of this but the most common convention I've found is:

Sons 
1st son was named after the father's father 
2nd son was named after the mother's father 
3rd son was named after the father 
4th son was named after the father's eldest brother 
5th son was named after the mother's eldest brother

Daughters 
1st daughter was named after the mother's mother 
2nd daughter was named after the father's mother 
3rd daughter was named after the mother 
4th daughter was named after the mother's eldest sister
5th daughter was named after the father's eldest sister

(source: http://www.igp-web.com/cork/Naming.html)

If I compare this to the kids of James Hurst and his wife, Mary Ann Walsh, I see some sort of pattern:
Children, in order of birth:
1) Catherine Ann Hurst (presumably named after James' mom, Catherine O'Neill)
2) Bridget Ann Hurst (named after Mary Ann's mom, Bridget Welsch)
3) Ellen Maria Hurst (??? see below...; Maria possibly naming her after mother Mary Ann Walsh)
4) Adeline Mary Hurst (?? Ellen died as a baby before Adeline was born; perhaps Mary again for her mother?)
5) Ella Monica Hurst (??)
6) Michael John Hurst (presumably named after both of their fathers, Michael Hurst and John Walsh)
7) Henry Leo Patrick Hurst (??)
8) James Sylvester Hurst (named for his father, James)
9) Thomas Vincent Hurst (??)
10) Joseph Parker Hurst (??)

The downfall of this formula is I do not have a confirmed list of all siblings of Mary Ann Walsh nor of James Hurst. I do, however, know that James likely had a sister who married a man by the name of Rice. Looking at the "pattern" compared to the actual known names, there seems to be somewhat of a pattern but backwards in a way as far as which parent's father's name was given to a child first. The third of each gender does appear to be named after the parent of the corresponding gender.  Beyond that there are a bunch of names that look unfamiliar- likely because of lack of info on siblings.

So, I took to the records. As I mentioned, the records are incomplete.. it seems that for most areas of Co. Mayo, the earliest records either start in 1840 or 1864 (of those that are online- I am not sure, but hoping that older records still exist somewhere). I thought, though, that maybe by that time period, there might be a record of deaths for either of Jameses parents, considering they both supposedly stayed in Ireland and died there.

I found an interesting death rec for a Catherine Hurst d. 17 Feb 1881 in Druminahaha, Islandeady district, Co. Mayo. She is listed as a widow, aged 68, and the informant is the "householder" named Ellen Rice, of Druminahaha. Hmm.. Hurst and Rice on the same record, in Co. Mayo. Could Ellen be Catherine's daughter? Maybe.. but wouldn't the "Relationship" field state daughter instead of householder? Perhaps being the householder was a more important notation. But the name Ellen.. that's the name of the third daughter of James and Mary Ann (Walsh) Hurst.. and the pattern was somewhat backward, so could Ellen by James' older sister? I can't get caught up in the "naming pattern" since that is not 100% reliable.

Is this record definitely James' mother and sister? It could be, but it could also NOT be. I don't have enough evidence.

So, I looked further to see if I could find any "Ellen Hurst" in this area, marrying a man by the name of Rice. I didn't find a marriage record. But, I found a lot of birth and baptismal records for children of a John Rice/Ryce and his wife Elen/Ellen HURST, in Islandeady. Importantly, they have two kids specifically who might be matches for the nieces listed as living with James Hurst in 1880 in Wisconsin. Here are, in order, the births/baptisms I found, for kids born to John Rice and Ellen Hurst (all the same unless otherwise noted):


1) James Ryce bap 8 Aug 1858 Islandeady RC parish, Co. Mayo, sponsors Peter Gavin and Mary O'Neal

2) **Mary Ryce bap. 4 Sep 1859 Islandeady RC Parish, Co. Mayo, sponsors Owen Lawless & Barbara Flyn [sic]

3) Bridget Rice bap. 23 Nov 1861 Islandeady RC parish, Co. Mayo, sponsors James Hurst and Mary McNealy

3) **Bridget Rice bap. 28 Nov 1862 Islandeady RC parish, Co. Mayo, sponsors Patrick Hurst and Cecelia Stephens

4) Catherine Rice b. 12 Feb 1865 Derrycooraun, Islandeady District, Co. Mayo

5) Ellen Rice b. 27 May 1867 Driminaha, Islandeady District, Co. Mayo

6) Honor Rice (female) b. 4 Sept 1869 Driminaha, Islandeady District, Co. Mayo
-(same person) Honor Rice b. 5 Sept 1869 Islandeady RC parish, Co. Mayo (address Derecourane); sponsors Edward Gillen & Bridget Mulloy

7) Michael Rice b. 2 Nov 1871 Driminaha, Islandeady District, Co. Mayo
-(same person) Michael Rice bap. 24 Oct 1871 Islandeady RC parish, Co. Mayo (address Derecoraun); sponsors Michael Gibbons & Catherine O'Neal

8) Anne Rice b. 9 Dec 1873 Driminaha, Islandeady District, Co. Mayo

9) John Rice b. 31 Dec 1875 Driminahaha, Islandeady district, Co. Mayo parents John Rice and Ellen Hart [possibly a transcription error- address & other info match).
-(same person, presumably dates mixed up?) John Rice bap. 17 Dec 1875 Islandeady RC parish, Co.
Mayo; parents John Ryce & Ellen Hurst; sponsors Thomas Ryce & Bridget Mylott
-(a record for this same birth, found on familysearch.org lists John Rice's birthplace as Drimenahaha)

10) Patrick Rice b. 10 Jun 1878 Derrycowran, Islandeady district, Co. Mayo. (only found this one on familysearch.org)

11) Margaret Rice b. 26 Aug 1880 Driminahaha, Islandeady district, Co. Mayo. (only found this one on Familysearch.org)


Specific point: Common places mentioned: Derrycooraun, Derrycourane, and Drumminahaha are all within (according to a map) a quarter mile or less of one another. They are slightly north of the town of Islandeady.

Important highlights:

1) A sponsor named James Hurst in 1861 and no other year. My James Hurst supposedly immigrated around 1862.

2) The two girls of the same age (Mary, b. 1859) and similar age (Bridget, b. 1862) as the girls listed as nieces of James Hurst in 1880 in Wisconsin

3) The family names of the sponsors- quite a few Rices, several O'Neals and a couple of Hursts (Patrick and James).

4) The name Peter Gavin. My grandmother (whose great-grandfather is James Hurst) matched, on DNA testing, within ~4th cousin range of a woman whose great-great-grandfather's name was Richard Gavin of the Castlebar, Co. Mayo area. Richard's wife's name is Eleanor Rice. Richard was baptised in 1861 in... Islandeady RC parish, Co. Mayo, and his parents were Thomas Gavin and Cecily Cauly; sponsors James Ryce and Mary Gavin. Thomas and Cecily were married 31 Jan 1857 in Islandeady RC parish, Co. Mayo, sponsors James Ryce and Barbara Scoot.

So, is there some sort of tie between this James Ryce and John Ryce/Rice? Is there a tie between these Gavins, Peter and Thomas, and my Hursts? Is Ellen Hurst above the sister of my James Hurst? I don't have enough info to prove this yet but it's looking pretty promising.

An addendum:

Griffiths Valuation for Derrycooraun, Islandeady Parish, shows many of these names of those on the baptismal records, living close together:

Thomas, John, and Austin Gavin; Mylott, Lawless, Gibbons, Malley (Mulloy), James Rice, John Rice





I can't quite add everything to my genealogy because it's not all connected yet, so I'm going to add more records here as I find them:

Name:	Ellen Gavin
Event Date:	25 Aug 1945
Event Place:	Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Gender:	Female
Age:	71
Birth Year (Estimated):	1874
Birth Date:	12 May 1874
Birthplace:	Co. Mayo, Ireland
Father's Name:	John Rice
Father's Birthplace:	Co. Mayo, Ireland
Mother's Name:	Ellen Hurst
Mother's Birthplace:	Co. Mayo, Ireland
Occupation:	housework
Residence Place:	Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Spouse's Name:	Richard Gavin
Burial Date:	29 Aug 1945
Burial Place:	Proviso Township, Cook, Illinois
Cemetery:	Mt. Carmel

Digital Folder Number: 4152319 , Image Number: 1454 , GS Film number: 1983367 , Reference ID: rn 24257

(for Ellen, all census records indicate she was born ca. 1868-1869. Her death rec is the only one that mentions 1874. She therefore fits with the Ellen mentioned at the top as being born in Druminahaha).
Find a grave for Ellen:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=107219630&ref=acom


I found this, not sure if this is the right Mary or not?

Name:	Mary Boyd
Event Type:	Death
Event Date:	12 Sep 1913
Event Place:	, Cook, Illinois, United States
Address:	1905 Burling St.
Gender:	Female
Age:	51
Marital Status:	Married
Ethnicity:	American
Race:	White
Occupation:	Housewife
Birth Date:	18 Dec 1861
Birthplace:	Ireland
Burial Date:	14 Sep 1913
Cemetery:	St. Boniface
Father's Name:	John Rice
Father's Birthplace:	Ireland
Mother's Name:	Ellen Hurst
Mother's Birthplace:	Ireland
Record Number:	925
Source Reference:	cn 25503

GS Film Number: 1287710 , Digital Folder Number: 004005103 , Image Number: 00930

James Hurst possible nephew of my James Hurst.

Name:	James Hurst
Event Date:	30 Dec 1923
Event Place:	Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Gender:	Male
Age:	55
Birth Year (Estimated):	1868
Birth Date:	01 Mar 1868
Birthplace:	Co. Mayo, Ireland
Father's Name:	Patrick Hurst
Father's Birthplace:	Co. Mayo, Ireland
Mother's Name:	Ellen Corcoran
Mother's Birthplace:	Co. Mayo, Ireland
Residence Place:	Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Spouse's Name:	Rose Dunn Hurst
Burial Date:	04 Jan 1924
Cemetery:	Mt. Carmel

Digital Folder Number: 4205897 , Image Number: 1049 , GS Film number: 1877424 , Reference ID: rn 33464

Michael Hurst possible nephew of my James Hurst

Name:	Michael Hurst
Event Date:	02 Jan 1929
Event Place:	Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Gender:	Male
Father's Name:	Patrick Hurst
Mother's Name:	Ellen Garcian
Spouse's Name:	Mary Ruan

Digital Folder Number: 4153211 , Image Number: 267 , GS Film number: 1892231

Church recs from Holy Name Cathedral, State St., Chicago, Illinois.

Name:	Michael Hurst
Event Type:	Marriage
Event Date:	14 Feb 1893
Event Place:	Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
Gender:	Male
Spouse's Name:	Mary Ruane
Spouse's Gender:	Female

GS Film Number: 001578586 , Digital Folder Number: 004284435 , Image Number: 00430

Name:	Richard Gavin
Event Type:	Marriage
Event Date:	25 Jun 1890
Event Place:	Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
Gender:	Male
Spouse's Name:	Ellen Rice
Spouse's Gender:	Female

GS Film Number: 001578586 , Digital Folder Number: 004284435 , Image Number: 00398 

Naturalization record of Michael Hurst, with a witness of James Ryce:

Family History Surveys

Whew...well, another year escapes me. Sometimes I get so busy chasing research (and with real life, too) that I don't give as much attention to this blog as I should.. I'm hoping to change that, with a couple upcoming posts.

I had a project in mind for several years and I decided to make this the year that I get around to implementing it. I have often thought about how many questions I have for my living relatives and how to get this in a simple format, and most importantly, all in one place. Too often, phone calls or other conversations are placed on note paper and scattered all over throughout my boxes of documentation. What I have had in mind is the development of a Family History Survey which allowed me to combine all of my important questions for my relatives, into one place.

I had already thought of quite a few questions I wanted to include, it just took some mental prep to sit down and type it all out. After I typed my questions, I searched on Google for any other such family history surveys, to compare my questions and see if there was anything major I was missing from the questions I had prepared myself. I was surprised to find very few of them out there. I found the following to be useful:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865595932/Genealogy-150-questions-to-ask-family-members-about-their-lives.html?pg=all#3VUqrVhXZX8JqiJe.32

and

http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm

The problem I found with some is that they were getting to be too long. I want all of my relatives- from my older relatives who have difficulty writing much at a time; to my busy younger relatives who are always on the go- to see the survey and think it is something they have the time and ability to do.

The other problem was that I had SO many questions I wanted to ask. It is a challenge to keep the survey short but also keep it to a length that gives you the information you most want to document about your relatives' lives.

Once I had settled on the questions I wanted to ask, I then began to organize them into categories: Questions about the individual; Questions about their memories and knowledge of their immediate family; and questions about their knowledge and memories about their extended family. The "Individual" category has a sub-category regarding marriage and children, for those whom it applied to.

After checking and rechecking to make sure the questions were worded correctly and there were no spelling errors, I then set about placing enough space after each question to that it could be answered adequately. Finally, my survey was nearing completion.

I then put together a letter to precede the survey. This would explain to my relatives what I had sent them and why. Below is an excerpt of my letter:

"I am sending, in this packet, a series of questions meant to help me understand more about you, and about our family in general. Many of the questions are open-ended, to encourage you to provide as much detail as you would like in answering them. If you run out of space, feel free to use the back of each page. I have included extra paper should you wish to expand further. Please provide as much information and detail as you can. The more information you provide, the more you help to preserve our shared family history.

I am also including packets for aunts and uncles married into the family, because in addition to having an impact on my life, your story is also important to the overall story of our shared family, your descendants.

It is very important to me that you complete this questionnaire, as it will help us all understand more about our family. I may already know the answers to some of these questions, but please answer them anyway. This survey provides a way for me to formally document these aspects of your life. While it may look long, I have chosen each of these questions carefully to create a complete picture of who you are, and to document your memories of the past.

Please write as clearly as you can, and use a pen if possible. I have included an envelope to make it easier for you to send your responses back to me. If you are inclined to do so, you may answer digitally as well via email. Please know that I do not intend to publish this information publicly but that it will instead be available within our family. If there is anything you wish to remain completely private (i.e., only I would see it), please specify.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you very much for taking the time to fill this out!"

After this was done, I began printing and assembling my packet. In addition to the letter and the survey, I also included an extra manila envelope to help encourage responses and cut down on costs to my interviewees. Everything was packaged up and taken to the post office. 

Below is the final version of my questions (I removed my spacing so as to not stretch out this post):

Part I: You

Your full name:

Date and place of birth:

Were you named after someone else? Who?

Where/when you were baptized?

What is your earliest memory?

What schools did you attend when you were younger, and where were they? Elementary, High School, College, etc.

If you attended college, what did you major in?

Did you participate in any extra-curricular activities/sports/clubs when you were in school? What were they?

What is your profession, and what motivated you to join that line of work?

Where do you work/ where have you worked in the past? When?

Do you- or did you when you were younger- have any hobbies or special interests? Please describe them.

What is your favorite book?

What is your favorite color?

What music did you enjoy when you were younger? Now?

What is your favorite memory from when you were growing up?

Who were your playmates or friends when you were growing up?

Did you travel when you were young? On summer breaks from school? If so, where?

Did you serve in the military? Please describe your service. What unit did you serve in? Where did you serve?

Where/when did you learn to drive a car? Who taught you?

Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper?

Who did you most admire when you were young? Why?

Who do you think had the greatest impact on shaping you into the person you are today and why?

What did you aspire to do or be when you were growing up?

Have you ever belonged to any organizations or groups? Which ones?

Do you have a philosophy of life you live by? Please describe.

Do you have religious leanings or beliefs? Please describe them.

Have you ever received any awards or honors? Please describe.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement in your life thus far?

What do you most want to be remembered for by your descendants/other relatives?

What memories do you have of current events you have lived through (Great Depression, wars, assassinations, presidential elections, civil rights, other important national or international events)?

In your opinion, what are the greatest inventions or advances made by humanity during your lifetime? The worst?

How would you say the world has changed since you were young?

Do you remember your first contact with newer technologies (radio, tv, COLOR tv, computers)? Describe. When did your family first obtain these items?

Marrriage (if applicable):

Where and how did you meet your eventual spouse(s)?

Describe your first date(s):

Who proposed? How?

Who were the members of your wedding party?

Where was your first apartment/home together? Did you move during your married life? If so where and why?

How/why did you choose the names you did for your child(ren)?

What values did you try to establish when raising your child(ren)?

What do you think is the key to a successful marriage?

Part II: Your Family

Describe the house(s) you lived in while growing up.

Did your family move around when you were young? If so, where and when?

Growing up, did your family live near other family members? Who?

When you were growing up, did your family have any special traditions (on holidays, birthdays, other special times of the year, etc.)? What were they?

Describe a typical family dinner from when you were growing up. Who cooked? What kinds of food did you usually eat?

When you were growing up, did you mother/family have any traditional foods/recipes? What were they? Do you mind sharing them with me?

Did your family attend family reunions? Picnics? Other special gatherings with family?

What activities did your family do together?

What did your father do for a living?

What did your mother do for a living?

What is your favorite memory of your mother? What was she like?

What is your favorite memory of your father? What was he like?

Please describe any other memories of your parents that you wish to share:

What hobbies or interests did your father have?

What hobbies or interests did your mother have?

What were your parents' political beliefs?

Of all of the things you learned from your parents (or other family members) what do you feel was most important?

Part III: Extended Family

Have you noticed that any particular traits or characteristics run in the family? Describe them.

Growing up, did you know and/or spend time with your cousins? Which ones? What would you do together?

Who was the oldest relative you remember knowing or knowing about? Please describe.

Did you know your maternal grandparents? If so, what memories do you have of your maternal grandparents? What were they like?

Did you know your paternal grandparents? If so, what memories do you have of your paternal grandparents? What were they like?

Did you know your great-grandparents on either side? If so, who?

If you didn't know your great-grandparents, did you ever hear stories about them? What did you hear?

Did your grandparents or great-grandparents ever tell you any stories? What were they?

Did your grandparents ever tell you stories about their parents? What were they?

Did you ever hear any stories about the origins of certain family names or ancestors in your family? Explain.

Did you ever hear any stories about famous/infamous ancestors in your family tree? Explain.

Are there any special heirlooms that have been passed down in your family such as photos, bibles, or other objects? Please describe.

Did your family keep in touch with any distant relatives? Do you still? Who are/were they? Do you still have any old correspondence saved?  

Enjoy! I hope to be posting again soon!