My Old Ohio Home - Kilkeel

Ann Ellen (Sloan) O'Leary, Kilkeel to Cleveland

2026-09-01T00:00:00-04:00

Introduction

When my mother's cousin Nan (Gallagher) Fleming researched our family history, she included a note next to her grandmother Anna Cunningham's sister Bridget saying that Bridget married a Sloan and that she was "Ellen O'Leary's mother." Nan Gallagher evidently knew Ellen O'Leary and expected the rest of her family to know as well, since she didn't include any further explanation. So I looked for someone by that name living in Cleveland.

Anna O'Leary in Cleveland

I found an Anna E. Sloan marrying a Dennis O'Leary in September 1882, most likely at St Augustine's Parish, Cleveland. That church is located on West 14th, but by 1883 when their first daughter was born, they were living on Broadway on the Southeast side, not far from the Rodgers clan in Newburgh. They later moved to Newman Avenue, off East 65th Street where they remained at least until Dennis' death on February 11, 1920. Ann was living around the corner on East 65th when she died, July 15, 1939.

On the 1910 Census Ann is called "Ann Ellen," in 1920 she was "Anna L," and in 1930 "Helen". Her death record called her Ann Ellen. So I am sure this is the person Nan Gallagher was referring to.

But Ann (Sloan) O'Leary's records consistently said she was born in Canada. How could she be the daughter of Bridget Cunningham, who was from either Ballymadeerfy or Ballygowan Townland, Kilkeel, County Down, Ireland?

The Canada Connection

Some years ago, on Ros Davies' County Down Website, I found a listing for a Bridget "Biddy" Cunningham of Kilkeel who married James Sloan on May 20, 1846, at the Catholic church in Kilkeel and was the mother of Bridget, born 1868, and Sarah, born 1871. (Since then, I have found the marriage in the Kilkeel parish records at Catholic Parish Records, Kilkeel and the births in the civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie.) What I should have noticed at the time was the long gap between the marriage date and the two births.

A few months ago I started working on this family again. Either more databases have come on line since I looked at them last, or I was a little more diligent in searching. Whatever the case, I found two of their children baptized in Kilkeel in 1849 and 1851, filling in the gap between their marriage and the birth of Bridget a bit.

More important, I found a James Sloan and Bridget Cunningham in London, Ontario, in the mid to late 1850's. They had three children baptized at St Peter's Cathedral between 1854 and 1859, but none before or after those dates. One was a son named Henry, born September 18, 1855 and baptized November 18. Then in the Irish civil records, I found a Henry Sloan, age 9, who died in Glenloughan, Kilkeel, on November 18, 1864, son of James and Bridget Sloan.

Since I have a lot of confidence in Nan Gallagher's research, young Henry's birth and death records were enough for me to conclude that Henry's parents, James and Bridget "Biddy" (Cunningham) Sloan, began their marriage in Ireland and then spent some years between 1851 and 1863 in Canada before returning to Ireland. Making it quite possible for them to have a daughter Ann Ellen, born in Canada, yet from a family in Kilkeel.

Conclusion

I never found the baptism record for Ann Ellen Sloan herself, despite browsing every page of the St Peter's Cathedral parish registers from 1855 to 1863. Perhaps her parents moved out of that parish and into another whose records are not online. Still, Nan Gallagher seems to have been a very careful researcher and her information has always proved true, so there is no reason for me to doubt that the lady in Cleveland belongs to the family in Ireland.

James and Thomas Cunningham, Ballygowan Townland

2023-06-12T00:00:00-04:00

Earlier Cunninghams

Flaxgrowers' List, County Down, 1796

in Kilbroney and Kilkeel

Cunegan Patrick Kilkeel Down
Cunigan Arthur Kilkeel Down
Cunigan Catherine Kilkeel Down
Cunigan Christopher Kilkeel Down
Cunigan Daniel Kilkeel Down
Cunigan James Kilkeel Down
Cunigan John Kilkeel Down
Cunigan Patrick Kilkeel Down
Cunigan Peter Kilkeel Down
Cunigan Phelemy Kilbroney Down
Cunigan Shane Kilkeel Down
Cunigan Thomas Kilkeel Down
Cunnigan George Kilkeel Down
Cunnigan Henry Kilkeel Down
Cunnigan Peter Kilkeel Down

Freeholders List, 1820

no Cunigans (or Colgans) anywhere in Kilkeel
one Divine: Divine, James Lurganreagh Same James & John Divine & W, Thompson

Tithes Applotment List, 1830

Cunigan Bernard Ballygowan
Cunigan James Jr. Ballygowan
Cunigan James Sr. Ballygowan
Cunigan John Ballygowan
Cunigan Patrick Ballygowan
Cunigan Peter More Ballygowan
Cunigan Peter Ballygowan
Cunigan Thomas Ballygowan
Cunigan William Ballygowan

only one Divine: Mary in Lurganreagh
(many Colgans)

James Cunningham

Possible children's baptisms:

Ann Cunningham baptism 1843
Kilkeel Parish Register, baptisms:
November 2, 1843, Ann Cunningham.
no parents, location, or sponsors in this section of the register
https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000633230#page/12/mode/1up

Thomas Cunningham baptism 1846
Kilkeel Parish Records, Baptisms
23 August 1846
Thomas, [son] of Jas Cunningham and Cath. ___
sponsors: Bernard and Mary Cunningham
findmypast transcribed her name as Doran
other possibilities are Feran, Toner, Teer?, or maybe Trainor or Divine if the name is cut off.
https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000633230#page/22/mode/1up

Thomas Cunningham

Children's Births

Kilkeel Catholic Parish Records

baptism: 17 December 1873 Catherine, of Thomas and Mary Ann Cunningham
baptism 5 January 1876, Mary Margaret, of Thomas and Maria Ann Cunningham
[note: found if you look for 1877]

Civil Records

Catherine Cunningham, 14 January 1874, Ballygowan, Kilkeel, daughter of Thomas and Maria, formerly Cunningham. informant: James Cunningham, his mark, occupier, Ballygowan, Kilkeel. This means James was the occupier of the house in which the child was born. OED: occupier = a person living in a dwelling as its owner or tenant
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1874/03165/2161005.pdf

Mary Margaret Cunningham, 31 January 1876, Ballygowan, daughter of Thomas and Maria, formerly Cunningham. informant: the father
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1876/03073/2126436.pdf

James Cunningham, 22 May 1880, Ballygowan, son of Thomas and Maria, formerly Cunningham. informant: Sarah Cunningham of Ballygowan, her mark, present at birth
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/cert_amends/cert_1880/2054272a.pdf

Thomas Cunningham, 21 August 1883, Benagh, son of Thomas and Maria, formerly Cunningham. informant: the father
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1883/02728/2003329.pdf

Note: Thomas, the father, is not in the Valuation Revision Books for Benagh for 1880 to 1883 or 1884 to 1898

Sarah Ann Cunningham, 6 November 1885, Ballygowan, dau of Thomas and Maria, formerly Cunningham. informant: the father
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1886/02618/1966378.pdf

Elizabeth Cunningham, 15 November 1889, Ballygowan, dau of Thomas and Maria, formerly Cunningham. informant: the father
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1889/02457/1912898.pdf

Censuses

Census of Ireland 31 March 1901

house 7 in Ballygowan
Thomas Cunningham, 53, head, farmer
Maria Cunningham, 50
Thomas Cunningham, 17
Sarah A Cunningham, 14
Lizzie Cunningham, 11
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Greencastle/Ballygowan/1235766/

Note: I didn't find a marriage record for Sarah Cunningham in Kilkeel from 1901 to 1911

Census of Ireland 2 April 1911

house 8 in Ballygowan
Thomas Cunningham, 65, farmer, house 8
Maria Cunningham, 63, married 37 years, 6 children, 6 alive
Thomas Cunningham, 27
Lizzie Cunningham, 20
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Greencastle/Ballygowan/245022/

James and Thomas Cunningham - Land Records

    Griffith's Valuation and Valuation Revision Books  
    parcel year name                acreage  
     4     1864 James Cunningham, senior    4 acres, 2 rods, 30 perches  
           1879    
           1883  James Cunningham, senior  
           1885  Thomas Cunningham  
           1913 Thomas Cunningham       in fee  
           1915  parcel 5B from Charles Cull to Thomas Cunningham  
           1924  Maria Cunningham. and 5B to Maria Cunningham  

NI will calendar index: d 12 Feb 1922, grant of administration 8 Nov 1922  
       Full Abstract: Administration of the Estate of Thomas Cunningham late
       of 12 Ballygowan County Down Farmer who died 12 February 1922 granted
       at Belfast to Maria Cunningham the Widow Effects £47 D.B.N. P.R. 05/08/1937  
       also 5 Aug 1937 Cunningham Thomas of Ballygowan county Down farmer died
       12 February 1922 Administration (d.b.n.) Belfast 5 August to Thomas
       Cunningham junior farmer. Unadministered effects £2. Former Grant Belfast
       8 November 1922.

not found

There are no other baptisms for children of James Cunningham and Cath in the index to the parish registers.
There is no marriage for a James Cunningham and Cath early enough in the parish registers to be Thomas' parents.

to do

Catherine (Devine) Cunningham's death, 1865 to 1901,

she is not

3rd Qtr 1868, age 70 - received June 27, 2023
Returns Year 1868
Returns Quarter 3
Returns Volume No 11
Returns Page No 360

That woman died in Drummondlane, Kilkeel, and was a widow.

request this

3rd Qtr 1866, age 61
Returns Year 1866
Returns Quarter 3
Returns Volume No 11
Returns Page No 353

Some other Cunninghams in Ballygowan

Land Records

    parcel year    name                                    acreage  
    13    1864  James Cunningham, publican                  3, 1, 0  
          1878  reevaluated, increased rates, noted: public house in holdings  
          1883  James Cunningham, publican  
          1892  William Cunningham  
          1906  Henry Nicholson  
    12a,b 1891  William Cunningham  "Ho[use?]corn mill laboress", office, land  
          1895  William Cunningham      flax mill  
          1904  Henry Nicholson

Census of Ireland 31 March 1901

John Cunningham, 55, farmer, not married Mary Cunningham, 62, sister, not married

William Cunningham, 52, head Serah Cunningham, wife, 42
Patrick, 22
Ellen 18
Tessia 16
Fredrick 13
Edmond 11
Dorothy 9
Minnie 7
Nellie Cahalane, 2, grand daughter

John and Henry O'Rourke—Kilkeel to Cleveland

2018-10-09T00:00:00-04:00

Aerograph of Collinwood Yards, Cleveland(footnote)The aerial view of the Collinwood Railroad yards comes from the Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University and is found at The Cleveland Memory Project.

While looking for the John O'Rourke who came with William O'Rourke from Killowen to Cleveland (see William O'Rourke, Killowen to Cleveland), I found another John O'Rourke in Cleveland instead. This man and his brother Henry were from Kilkeel. The evidence is a bit circumstantial, but I think it is solid enough to put the family together. I'll sketch it out here—the details are in the Trees > Ohio Families section of this site.

John was baptized December 3, 1846, in Kilkeel Catholic Parish, the son of John Rourke and Catherine Rourke (that was her maiden name.) His death record in Cleveland said he was born December 6 of that year, but 1) people didn't always know their exact birth date, 2) sons don't always remember their deceased parents' information, and 3) I don't think all priests remember the exact date they baptized a child. His death record did say that his father's name was John, but didn't give his mother's name.

John's brother Henry was baptized August 27, 1848, in Kilkeel. His death record said he was born August 25, 1849, but, on the plus side, listed both parents: John O'Rourke and Catherine O'Rourke. In fact, there was an "ok" next to Catherine's name, as if to say "yes that is her maiden name."

Also tying them to Kilkeel is the fact that John married a woman named Anna Rodgers, and Henry a woman named Selina (Sloan) Sands.

If Anna was from Kilkeel and if her baptism was recorded, then she might be either the daughter of James Rogers and Anne Brennan, baptized May 5, 1850, or the daughter of Pat Rogers and Ellen Carroll [or Farrell], baptized July 21, 1854. Her American records would favor the earlier of the two.

Selina Sloan, according to her death record, was born November 12, 1849, the daughter of Henry Sloane and Catherine Colgan. This couple lived in Ballymadeerfy Townland, Kilkeel, and have four of their children on the baptismal records—but not Selina. Selina was first married to Thomas Sands, who came back to Ireland for the marriage January 11, 1870. Thomas took Selina back to Cleveland in March, and their only child, Mary, was born there in November. Sadly, Thomas died the day after their first anniversary, leaving Selina a widow and a mother at the age of 21. She remarried Henry by early 1873.

On their later censuses, both John and Henry said that they had arrived in America in 1871. They both settled in the Collinwood section of Cleveland, and both worked for the railroad. Although neither of their death notices named the other, the naming patterns of their sons match closely enough to link them as brothers as well.

John died in December 1929 and Henry in the following April. Both are buried in Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland. There were other children in their birth family, but I wasn't able to find any of them in Cleveland. They may have gone elsewhere, but elsewhere is a pretty big place to look.

Updated June 2, 2019: The parents of these two men were living in Corcreaghan Townland, Kilkeel, when their sister Catherine was baptized in 1857.

Edward and Anna Rodgers: the Outbound Journey

2018-10-10T00:00:00-04:00

Anna & Ned Rodgers, 1915

As mentioned earlier, the Rodgers descendants believed that Ned fled Ireland for England and then went back to get his wife. We know that Anna was in Kilkeel until their son Hugh was christened in January 1868, but had Ned left before then?

Whatever the case, they were in Liverpool by August 12, 1869. That was the day their son Hugh died at 48 Stanhope Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. And at least Anna was in 11 Court, Stanhope Street, on July 29, 1870, when their son William was born.

Well to be completely accurate, there is no proof that Ned Rodgers was anywhere. On Hugh's death record, he is listed as a laborer, but it is Anna, "of 48 Stanhope Street", who provided the information. And on Will's birth record, Ned is working as a fireman on a steamer, but it doesn't actually give his residence. But 48 Stanhope Street was near the docks, so I think we can assume that both Rodgers parents were living there.

When did they leave for the United States?

We find the following information for Anna in the New York Passengers List at ancestry.com¹:

Arrival: 15 Apr 1872
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England and Queenstown, Ireland
Port of Arrival: New York
Ship Name: City of New York

Place of Origin: Ireland
Ethnicity/Race/Nationality: Irish

65. Ann Rogers, 28, female, wife, Origin: Ireland
66. Mary " , 5, child, youngster
67. William " , 1, child, youngster

Note that Ann is listed as "wife" but there is no Edward on the manifest. I have not yet found him on any passenger lists, so I don't know when he emigrated. Was he keeping a low profile until he arrived in America?

Still it is likely that they arrived together or shortly after one another. According to their granddaughter Ellen (O'Rourke) Guarnieri, when Ned and Ann were riding the train from New York to Ohio, Ned wanted to get off in Scranton, Pennsylvania, because the other immigrants on the train were talking about how easy it was to get work in the mines. Ann said, 'I didn't come all this way to have you spend your life underground. We're staying on this train untill it gets to Ohio.' This seems to imply that they arrived together, or that one waited in New York for the other to make the voyage.

For this complete series of articles, see:

Part one: Edward "Ned" Rodgers of Kilkeel and Cleveland

Part two: Edward and Anna Rodgers: the Outbound Journey

Part three: Edward and Anna Rodgers: the Cleveland Years

Part four: Ned Rodgers and the Blind Pig

Part five: Anna (Cunningham) Rodgers, of Kilkeel and Cleveland

Footnotes

1. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, at ancestry.com. Microfilm roll: M237_355; Line: 25; List number: 288, with thanks to Steve Morse at http://stevemorse.org/index.php.

Edward "Ned" Rodgers of Kilkeel and Cleveland

2018-10-10T00:00:00-04:00

Anna & Ned Rodgers, 1915

When I started working on the Rodgers' family history I was immediately impressed by two things: 1) the accuracy of the earlier research done by my mother's cousin Nan (Gallagher) Fleming, and 2) the reliability of the oral family tradition in the Rodgers clan. Here is just one example:

Nan Gallagher's information said that Edward "Ned" Rodgers parents were Pat Rodgers and Margaret Quinn. The family said that Ned was from somewhere called "Ballamadurphy" and had been in the British Navy. His wife Anna Cunningham was said to be an excellent seamstress. Was all this true?

A transcription of their marriage record, that at one time appeared at http://stage.bicsystems.com/banbridge, reads:

Ceremony Details

Date of Marriage Parish Priest Sponsor 1 Sponsor 2
01 Mar 1865 Kilkeel GEORGE MAGUIRE PAT SLOAN ROSEY DEVINE

Husband Details

Name Age Occupation Address
EDWARD ROGERS No Record SAILOR BALLYMADERPHY

Wife Details

Name Age Occupation Address
ANNE CUNNINGHAM No Record SEWER BALLYGOWAN

Husband Family Details

Father Mother Father Occupation
PATT ROGERS No Record FARMER

Wife Family Details

Father Mother Father Occupation
JAMES CUNNINGHAM No Record FARMER

Church Reference

KKLCMA

Unfortunately the transcription is no longer on line, but the original should still be accessible in Ireland. It's possible that Nan (Gallagher) Fleming, librarian that she was, sent for copies of the original records.

Another example: Her research also said that Ned Rodgers had a brother John who stayed in Ireland, and the 1901 Census of Kilkeel provides this as a likely candidate for John. Note the son named Patrick in the household:

Household 5 in Ballymadeerfy Place of Birth

John Rodgers Head RC 49 M Farmer M Down
Mary Rodgers Wife RC 49 F   M Down
Maria Rodgers Dau RC 18 F   S Down
Patrick Rodgers Son RC 17 M Farmer S Down
William Rodgers Son RC 15 M Farmer S Down
Selena? Rodgers Dau RC 13 F   S Down [Celia in 1911 image]

These are just two examples of the reliability of the earlier research and the oral tradition. It was repeated over and over. So I think we can confidently say that Edward "Ned" Rodgers also had a sister Margaret, a brother Hugh, and a brother Will who went to Australia, although I haven't found supporting records for them yet.

For this complete series of articles, see:

Part one: Edward "Ned" Rodgers of Kilkeel and Cleveland

Part two: Edward and Anna Rodgers: the Outbound Journey

Part three: Edward and Anna Rodgers: the Cleveland Years

Part four: Ned Rodgers and the Blind Pig

Part five: Anna (Cunningham) Rodgers, of Kilkeel and Cleveland

Ann Ellen (Sloan) O'Leary of Cleveland, Ohio

2018-10-09T00:00:00-04:00

See Ann Ellen (Sloan) O'Leary, Kilkeel to Cleveland.

Bridget McCartan—Kilkeel to Cleveland

2018-10-09T00:00:00-04:00

As mentioned in her husband's article, John Mcavoy—Rostrevor to Cleveland, I was pretty sure that Bridget McCartan was from the Rostrevor - Kilkeel area of County Down, but I couldn't prove it using only her records. What made the difference in her case was her death notice. It called her the aunt of Michael White and the late Thomas Fearon. That clinched it as far as the locality was concerned, but I had to work backward from Michael and Thomas to finally find everyone in Ireland. More on that in a minute.

When John McAvoy died in 1916, Bridget must have moved in with her sister Mary McCartan at 8801 Walker Avenue. They are there on the 1920 Census. But by 1921 when Bridget married Michael Downs, she was back at 9536 Meech Avenue. The landlord must have liked her as a tenant.

Michael had three children remaining from his first marriage to Bessie Perdew in Youngstown: Beatrice, Paul, and William. His first child Amy, named after Bessie's maternal grandmother, died in 1910, and Bessie herself died in Youngstown in January 1919. (For more information about Michael's son Paul see Paul Downs, 1922, Newburgh, Cleveland.)

Michael and Bridget Downs remained on Meech, Michael dying there in 1936, and Bridget still there with her stepsons in 1940. By 1945 she was back again with her sister Mary on Walker Avenue, when Mary died. Bridget herself died at that address in 1958. She and Michael Downs had no children together.

Michael White

I don't remember exactly how I went about researching Michael White. He was living at 9536 Meech Avenue, the home of his aunt Bridget (McCartan) Mcavoy Sands, when he married Agnes McIntyre in 1939. His death notice mentioned that he was the cousin of Thomas Ferron and Bridget's step-children. Neither gave me his parents' names, though, or his exact place of birth. I think at that point I just went for broke and looked for him in the Kilkeel birth register.

And he was there, born June 17, 1909, in Lisnacree, the son of Thomas White and Maggie McAlinden. Neither was named McCartan, though, so how could Michael be Bridget's nephew? I went back another generation and found that Thomas White was the son of Michael White and Rose McCartan. Rose, Bridget, and four siblings are on the baptism records in Kilkeel parish. So Bridget was technically the great aunt of Michael, not his aunt. Michael White died in 1964; he and Agnes McIntyre had no children.

Thomas Fearon

What about Thomas Fearon, who was also mentioned as Bridget McCartan's nephew? If you are still with me, here goes. Michael White's father Thomas had a sister named Catherine. Catherine married John Fearon in Newry on September 28, 1893. They had a number of children including Thomas, born June 4, 1899, who came to Cleveland and married Mary Driscoll. Thomas died in 1957; he and Mary had at least one child, a daughter.

As a bonus, the research helped clear up the four Patrick Fearons in Kilbroney on Griffith's Valuation. Thomas' father John was living in Ballinran Townland in 1901 and had a sister Bessie and an aunt Mary McGivern in his household. Working backward it turned out that John was the youngest son of Patrick Fearon and Bridget McGivern of Ballinran. Three of his brothers, William, Thomas and Daniel left for Cleveland and John took over the family's land when his mother died in 1891. See Thomas, William, and Daniel Feran—Killowen to Cleveland.

Sources and details for all these families are in the Trees > Ohio Families section of this site.

Hugh Quinn, Kilkeel to Cleveland

2018-10-09T00:00:00-04:00

Hugh Quinn was born between 1846 and 1852 in Ballynahatten Townland, Kilkeel, County Down, Ireland.^{1, 2} He died on Dec 12, 1928 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and was buried on Dec 15, 1928 in Calvary Cemetery.³ He was the son of William Quinn and Ellen Clark. He married Maria Cunningham.

Hugh's family is found on the 1901 Census of Cranfield Townland, Greencastle, Kilkeel:

Residents of a house 17 in Cranfield (Greencastle, Down)

Quinn, Hugh, 54, head, married, farmer, born in Ballinahatten
Quinn, Hugh, 21, son, single, farmer,
Quinn, Maggie, 16, daughter, single
Quinn, Annie, 14, daughter, single, scholar,
Quinn, James, 12, son, single, scholar,

All of the children were born in Cranfield. All in the household were Roman Catholic. All could read and write except Hugh, Jr., who could read only. None spoke Irish.¹.

Although the census describes Hugh as married, I suspect his wife Maria had died by 1901. I only worked with the online records for this family, so I cannot be sure.

Hugh Quinn and five of his children left Kilkeel for Ireland in 1901, arriving in New York on May 05, aboard the SS Etruria:

Quinn, Hugh, 50, male, married, farmer
Quinn, Ellen, 23, single, housewife
Quinn, Hugh, 20, single, laborer
Quinn, Maggie, 17, single, housework
Quinn, Annie, 14, single, housework
Quinn, James, 11, single, boy

All: could read and write and were Irish. Their last residence was Kilkeel. They were headed to Cleveland, had paid their own fare, and had a ticket to their destination. None had been in the US before. Their specific destination was Hugh Sr.'s daughter, Mary Quinn, in Cleveland. All were in good health, save for for Hugh, Sr., who was described as having a "slight debility."².

Hugh Quinn and his sons Hugh and James are, no doubt, the in-laws living with the family of John and Mary Sands at 7112 Winfield Ave, Cleveland, in 1910. The census page is torn and their names are not there, but enough information is provided to identify them:

1910; Census Place: Cleveland Ward 17, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Roll:
T624_1173; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0266
at 7112 Winfield Ave

(The street comes from information in city directories. The census page was torn.)

John Sands 32, married 9 years, born in Ireland, parents also, moulder, foundry, arrived 1899, naturalized
Mary Sands 30, 5 children, 4 alive, born in Ireland, parents also, no arrival date
Marie Sands 8
Daniel H Sands 6
Helen L Sands 4
John V Sands 3
--- , father in law, 62, widowed, born in Ireland, parents also, teamster, foundry, arrived 1902
--- , brother in law, 28, single, born in Ireland, parents also, laborer, foundry, arrived 1902
--- , brother in law, 21, single, born in Ireland, parents also, core worker, foundry, arrived 1902
All Sands children were born in Ohio .⁴

Hugh Quinn worked as a teamster⁵ and later as a stable man⁶ or hostler.³ He died December 12, 1928, at home, of chronic myocarditis, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery. His parents' names were on his death record.³

Family of Hugh Quinn and Maria Cunningham

The children of Maria Cunningham and Hugh Quinn are as follows. Most of the birth dates are approximate. There were two Hugh and Mary/Maria Quinn couples in Kilkeel at the time and I only was looking at the indexed records of their births and their American census information.

Ellen "Nellie" Quinn. Ellen "Nellie" was born in 1878 in Ireland.² She married John Beins or Bines, and was living in Chicago in 1946 when her brother Hugh died.

Hugh Quinn. Hugh was born on Mar 14, 1879 in Cranfield Townland, Greencastle, Kilkeel, County Down, Ireland. ⁷ He married Katherine Kearney. Hugh died on Dec 29, 1945, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery.³

Mary Quinn. Mary was born about 1880 in Northern Ireland.^{4, 8} She evidently emigrated ahead of the rest of her family, but I couldn't find her in a quick look at Ellis Island. Mary married John Sands. She died on Dec 3, 1962.⁹

Margaret Quinn. Margaret was born in 1884 in Cranfield Townland, Greencastle, Kilkeel, County Down, Ireland.^1,2 Margaret did not marry. She died on Apr 2, 1961 in Parma, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.^{9, 10}

Anna Quinn. Anna was born in 1887 in Cranfield Townland, Greencastle, Kilkeel, County Down, Ireland.² She married first Thomas Lally, who died, and then William Tremelling. Anna died on Mar 24, 1961 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.^{9, 11}

James Quinn. James was born on Jul 1, 1891 in Cranfield Townland, Greencastle, Kilkeel, County Down, Ireland.^{1, 12} He was still single on the 1940 Census. James survived his brothers and sisters the last of which, Margaret, died on April 2, 1961. I didn't find a record for James' date of death.

John Quinn. He died before Dec 1928. John is mentioned only in his father's obituary and apparently died in Ireland.

There is more about the Quinn family in the Ohio Families tree on this site.

For more on the Sands family, see: Henry Sands, Killowen to Cleveland.

Footnotes

1901 Census of Ireland at the Ireland National Archives.
Manifest of the SS Etruria at EllisIsland.org.
Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953, index and images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8PS-C54 : accessed 23 Sep 2013), Hugh Quinn, 1928.
1910 US Census at HeritageQuestOnline.com.
1911 Cleveland City Directory, images at ancestry.com
1920 US Census at HeritageQuestOnline.com.
Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881, indexed at familysearch.org .
1930 US Census at ancestry.com.
Cleveland Public Library, News and Necrology File.
Ohio, Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VKLQ-QHZ : accessed 24 Sep 2013), Margare Quinn, 1961.
Ohio Deaths, indexed transcriptions at ancestry.com
WWI Draft Registrations, images at ancestry.com

John and Mary (McGee) McVeigh of Dunnaval Townland, Kilkeel

2018-10-09T00:00:00-04:00

Continued from Selina (McVeigh) Kelly, of Kilkeel and Chicago.

John McVeigh was born in County Down, Ireland, about 1813. As we have seen in the article Christina O'Rourke, Killowen to Chicago, John was a widower living in Dunnaval Townland in 1901 with granddaughters Christina and Joanna O'Rourke and a grandson James Doyle.¹ John had been on parcel 38A and 38B in Dunnaval from 1866 onward according to the Valuation Revision Books.²

In his will written June 12, 1904, John leaves a certain amount "for masses to be said or offered from time to time for the repose of the souls of the testator & his wife Mary & their son James." He leaves his property to "my grandson James Doyle (who now lives with me)." According to the indexed summary at the Will Calendars site, John died October 15, 1906, and his grandson received the property March 22, 1907.³ See Will of John McVeigh of Dunnaval Townland, Kilkeel.

This helps us to fill out the family of John McVeigh. We now know for certain that his wife's given name was Mary, and that they had a son named James who died before John. In the earlier articles, we identified two other children of John and Mary, namely Margaret (McVeigh) O'Rourke, the mother of William, Christina, and Joanna; and Selina (McVeigh) Kelly, of Chicago, Christina's aunt.

Can we find any other children for this couple?

For starters, the parents of this James Doyle who inherits John McVeigh's farm could be Jane M'Veigh and John Doyle, both listed in Volume 1, page 715, for 1870 in the Ireland, Civil Registration Marriage Indexes.⁴

There is also Thomas McVeigh born August 19, 1864, in Kilkeel, son of John McVeigh and Mary Magee. And Daniel McVeigh born November 13, 1866, in County Down, son of John McVeigh and Mary (Magee) Mcveigh.⁵

We'll have to stop there. It has been a long way from a single O'Rourke--Farron connection in Cleveland, Ohio, to the McVeighs of Dunnaval Townland. But it illustrates how to use records from both sides of the Atlantic to piece together a family from the documents. And it also shows how much more information is available online now than there was a few years ago when I started researching.

Footnotes

National Archives of Ireland, 1901 Census.
Valuation Revision Book Search, at http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/val12b.htm
Search at Will Calendars, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, at http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/will_calendars.htm. Transcribed on my site at: Will of John McVeigh, of Dunnaval Townland, Kilkeel.
Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958, Volume Number 1, Page Number 715
for Jane M'Veigh:
"Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FYSK-HJ9 : accessed 25 Nov 2013), Jane M'Veigh, 1870; citing vol. 1, p. 715, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin, Ireland; FHL microfilm 101251.
for John Doyle
"Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FYSP-9ZX : accessed 25 Nov 2013), John Doyle, 1870; citing vol. 1, p. 715, General Registry, Custom House, Dublin, Ireland; FHL microfilm 101251.
Ireland, Births and Baptisms, 1620-1911.
For Thomas: FHL Film Number: 101090. search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-g&gsln_x=NP&msfng0=john&msfns0=mcveigh&msmng0=mary&msmns0=mcgee&cpxt=0&catBucket=rstp&uidh=hti&cp=0&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=103570&recoff=25+26+37+38&db=FSIrelandBirth&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1.
For Daniel: FHL Film Number: 101135,
search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-g&gsln_x=NP&msfng0=john&msfns0=mcveigh&msmng0=mary&msmns0=mcgee&cpxt=0&catBucket=rstp&uidh=hti&cp=0&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=112744&recoff=24+25+37+38&db=FSIrelandBirth&indiv=1&ml_rpos=2l Townland, Kilkeel

John McGee, Kilkeel to Cleveland

2018-10-09T00:00:00-04:00

Edited April 3, 2016: see comment below with additional information about John McGee, his ancestry, and family.

John McGee was born October 7, 1875, most likely in Tullyframe Townland, Kilkeel District, County Down, Ireland, the son of James McGee and Mary O'Hare. He was baptized that same day; the record is on the Kilkeel Parish Register. On September 12, 1910, in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, he married Susan Brennan. John died January 19, 1953, in Cleveland.

Tullyframe sand quarry

John arrived in Cleveland by 1905. In the next year's city directory he is listed as a laborer living at 4007 E 89th. Like many of the people I have found in the Newburgh neighborhood, he didn't move very far away from where he started. In 1907 and 1908 he was at 9116 Harvard, and in 1909 and 1910 he was rooming in the Edward Rodgers household at 4025 East 89th. His death record listed him as a retired melter at American Steel and Wire.

John made a trip back to Ireland and returned on October 17, 1908 into New York aboard the SS Mauretania. His manifest information gives us his townland and county of origin: It states that he was born in Kilkeel and that his closest relative in Ireland was his mother in Tullyframe.

John's marriage information gives us his parents' names. He is described as a 31 year old laborer, living at 9208 Crane Ave, born in Ireland, the son of James McGee and Mary O'Hare. Neither he nor his wife Susan had been married before. They were apparently married at St. Catherine's church. James J Quinn, a Catholic priest, performed the ceremony; he is listed at 3443 East 93rd in the 1910 Census.That is the address of St. Catherine's.

John and Susan lived at 9208 Crane, 10104 Aetna, and 9916 Aetna before buying a home at 3596 East 106th about 1924. They remained there until they died, John in 1953 and Susan in 1955. They had no children.

John is buried in Calvary Cemetery, and Susan likely is also.

John's death notice said that he was survived by two sisters: Mrs. John Joy and Mrs. Thomas Powers, both of New York City. I couldn't find any more information on John's sisters.

For more information on John's wife, Susan Brennan, see Susan Brennan, Kilfeaghan to Cleveland.

Comments

Dear Ed

I recently came across your website by accident while searching for something else.

I was intrigued by the inclusion of John McGee from Tullyframe in your records as I have been researching my own family background and there is a connection with him. I have learned for the first time that he emigrated and ended his days in Ohio.

Indeed I am astonished by the amount of information you have collected and impressed by the very interesting way it has been presented. As I have been writing my own family history, I appreciate the effort that is required to research past records and I'm sure I share your frustration when gaps cannot be filled.

I don't wish to over-burden you with more information which you may find irrelevant but I can give you some more detail on John's background. My late father was born in the same area although I now live in the small seaside resort of Newcastle, County Down, which is about 20 miles from there.

I have kept the McGee spelling in this information although we use the Magee variation but, as you know, both versions are found in old records as well as Maghee and McGhee.

John's parents James McGee and Mary O'Hare [variants O'Hear, O'Haire or without the O] married in Kilkeel on 7th February 1869 witnessed by Pat Quinn [neighbour presumably] and Hugh O'Hare [Mary's brother probably and most likely to be the same named as sponsor at John's christening]. James's father was Patrick, mother unknown and Mary's father was Neal [or Neil], again mother unknown.

I have found records of 4 children: Catherine [b. 11 Feb 1870], Mary [21 May 1871], Patrick [28 Nov 1872] and John [7 Oct 1875]. With a 3-year gap between the last two it is possible that a fifth child was born.

The family is missing from the 1901 and 1911 Census in Ireland and that was a puzzle to me until I saw your information which would seem to imply that the whole family emigrated to America before 1901, perhaps by way of England. However I have not been able to find evidence of that. On FamilySearch.org I found William E Powers [b. Cincinnati, Ohio] who on 10 Apr 1928 married Rose Simon. His parents were given as Thomas J Powers and Mary McGee, so that might tie in with the Mrs Powers mentioned in John's obituary.

[My note: The mother of this William E Powers consistently says she was born in Ohio. So she is probably not the sister of John Magee who married Susan Brennan in Cleveland.]

As you know, James McGee was born in Tullyframe townland but the small cluster of houses where the McGee family lived had the Gaelic name of Bar an dá Shruth meaning 'top of two rivers'. This was anglicised and my father pronounced it as Bardarough.

The James McGee mentioned above had a first cousin also called James [to avoid confusion!], so they had a common grandfather most likely named Patrick, Thomas or James. This other James [father also James] was my great-grandfather and, strangely, he married two days after his cousin on 9th Feb 1869 to neighbour Kate Trainor [variants Treanor, Traynor] whose father was Bernard. They had 3 children: my grandfather Thomas [1870-1927], John [1872-73] and James, of course, [1874-1950]. This John survived for just over 9 months. There were no more children as Kate died one month after the birth of James.

My grandfather Thomas married Mary McVeigh [variants McVeagh, McVey, McVay] from Tullyframe in 1908 and they had 3 girls and 2 boys in the family including my father, also named Thomas [1914-1973].

We also have family connections with Killowen as Annie - the sister of my grandmother, Mary McVeigh, mentioned above – married Felix O'Rourke [variants Rourke, Rorke, O'Rorke] from Ballintur. Their youngest child – Nellie – reached her 100th birthday in January of this year. You have this family listed on your site. Felix [1872-1950] was the only surviving child of 3; parents were Thomas [1831-1911] and Catherine Sloan [1835-1925] from Tullyframe who married in 1867 witnessed by Thomas Sloan, Ballintur & Alice Sloan [Nicky], Tullyframe. There were 9 children: Mary [1903-?], Thomas [1904-1992], John [1906-? Australia], Kathleen [1908-1965], Peter [1910-1911], James [1911-1977], Annie [1912-1990], Rosaleen [1913-2012] and Nellie already mentioned.

It's a small world, as the saying goes, and in this tiny part of it we are nearly all related somehow if you could research back far enough. As you are aware, the records do not go much beyond 1830 and, as so often happens, we did not make good use of the memories of the older generations while they were alive.

Thomas Magee

Credits

The image from Kilkeel can be found at http://www.geograph.ie/photo/583397 and is copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Sources

Kilkeel parish registers, Ellis Island manifest, Ohio death record, Cleveland Necrology File, US Censuses. See the Cleveland Families tree for details.