My Old Ohio Home - McVeigh

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

Selina (McVeigh) Kelly, of Kilkeel and Chicago

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

When Christina O'Rourke, age 22, who was born in Killowen, arrived in the United States on October 6, 1906, she said that she was headed to the home of her aunt Celina Kelly, at 122 East 4th, Chicago, Illinois ---

We arrive at Selina (McVeigh) Kelly by way of her niece Christina (O'Rourke) Flood, whom we discussed in the last article, Christina O'Rourke, Killowen to Chicago.

The names Selina M'Veigh and Bernard Kelly are both listed on the same page of the Civil Registration Marriage Index for the second quarter of 1882 in Kilkeel district. The actual marriage record should confirm that they married each other, and not any of the other five people on the page.²

Edited March 2018. They were married May 4, 1882, in the Catholic chapel at Massforth.

There is a birth record for a child, Annie Kelly on May 8, 1888, in Lake, Cook County, Illinois. Her parents' names are Salina McVeigh and Barney Kelly.³

In 1900, there is a Bernard and Salina Kelly at 546 or 548 West 42nd St., Chicago, with a daughter Annie and six other children. In 1910 they are at 5629 Grove Ave. They have boarding with them a Patrick Doyle, age 24. Patrick could be Salina's nephew if he is related to the James Doyle who is in the John McVeigh household in Dunnaval, Mourne, County Down, in 1901. ^{4, 5} See the previous article, mentioned above.

In 1920 Selina, now Celia, Kelly is widowed and living at 6508 King Ave with daughters Anna, Mary, and Helen still at home.⁶

Finally, there is a death record for a Celia Kelly born in County Down who died May 12, 1926, in Chicago. She was widowed, and her spouse was Bernard Kelly. There is no image available online and her parents' names are transcribed as John McGee and Mary McVeigh. I would be surprised if the names on the actual record weren't actually Mary McGee and John McVeigh instead.⁷

So I think it is safe to say that this Selina (McVeigh) Kelly is a daughter of John McVeigh and Mary McGee of Dunnaval Townland, Kilkeel, Ireland, and is the sister of Margaret McVeigh, wife of William Rourke in Ballyneddan Townland, Kilbroney. Work backward to see the earlier articles in this series.

Selina's birth date is difficult to determine. Her death record says she was born August 15, 1866. Her 1900 Census information says she was born in December 1873 but had been married 18 years. Her 1910 and 1920 censuses would put her birth year about 1863 or 1864. And there is a Selina Kelly, age 21, who passes through Castle Garden in 1884 that may be her. My guess is she was born about 1862 or 1863.

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

Footnotes

1. Ellis Island Records, arrival of Christina O'Rourke, 1906.

2. Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958, Volume 1, page 714. For Selina: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FYWM-34F, and for Bernard: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FYWM-RNG.

3. "Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1922," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NQYK-MPR : accessed 22 Nov 2013), Salina Mcveigh in entry for Annie Kelly, 08 May 1888.

4. "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSQG-JFC : accessed 25 Nov 2013), Annie Kelly in household of Bernard Kelly, ED 878 Precinct 17 Lake town Chicago city Ward 29, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing sheet 5A, family 48, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1240280.

5. "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MK8C-TYJ : accessed 25 Nov 2013), Bernard Kelley, Chicago Ward 31, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing sheet , family 209, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1374290.

6. "United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJ7N-VL9 : accessed 25 Nov 2013), Celia Kelly, Chicago Ward 32, Cook (Chicago), Illinois, United States; citing sheet , family 249, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1820349.

7. Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947, ancestry.com.

Will of John McVeigh, of Dunnaval Townland, Kilkeel

2018-10-08T00:00:00-04:00

Will of John McVeigh, transcription, from Will Calendars. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, at PRONI - Search Will Calendars.

The paragraphing in the transcription is mine. There is an indexed summary at the website

Registry : Belfast
Date of Death : 15 October 1906
Date of Grant : 22 March 1907
Surname : McVeigh
Forename : John
Effects : Effects £160 10s.

No. 439, McVeigh, John

In the Name of God.
I John McVeigh of Dunavil Parish of Kilkeel, County of Down, Farmer, declare this to be my last will & testament.
I will & bequeath to my grandson James Doyle (who now lives with me) in the fullest manner I am able & without any restriction whatsoever all the property I am possessed of, houses, lands, & all other goods, & chattles (to be his at my death) for his sole use & benefit & to be disposed of as he may think fit.
And I will & devise that the said James Doyle my grandson or his heirs will give to the Priests (Roman Catholic) of this parish for the time being the sum of [Pounds] 15 stg [sterling?] 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.
And I hereby appoint Stephen McVeigh, Coal Merchant, Kilkeel, my executor of this my last will

Signed by the said testator as his last will and testament in the presence of us present at the same time who in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses on this 12th day of June 1904
his
John x McVeigh, testator
mark
James McVeigh, Kilkeel, Witness
Stephen McVeigh, Dunnavil, Witness

Credits

The transcription and snippet of the image of John McVeigh's will came from nidirect.gov.uk, and is subject to Crown copyright protection, the terms of which are at Crown copyright.