Hello! I'm arriving in Clare next month and was hoping to uncover burial locations for my great great grandparents, James Whelan and Sarah Callaghan.
I've been able to locate online records pertaining to their son, Thomas, buried in the Bodyke Cemetery:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/231 ... mas-whelan
https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/cocla ... bodyke.htm
So far, I haven't been able to find James and Sarah though (and most of the rest of the family immigrated to the US). I know there are a good amount of burial records and gravestone inscriptions available for Clare. If there's no sign of them, is it most likely that their burial locations are basically lost to time? Would they likely have also been buried in Kilnoe? If it helps for context, it looks like most of their children were baptized at Kilnoe as well.
thanks in advance for your help.
Christie
Question about cemetery/burial records
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Re: Question about cemetery/burial records
Hi Christie
People were often buried in the family grave in the parish they came from, rather than the parish they lived most of their lives in.
I think it’s not going to be easy to find where James Whelan and his wife, Sarah Callaghan, are buried. I’ve looked at the work done by you and by Jimbo on the Whelan-Callaghan family (see “Tragic circumstances of the Whelan family of Ballinahinch”: http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... f=1&t=7246 ) and I see that it’s not clear where James Whelan came from originally. According to the Kilnoe marriage register, James Whealan, of Ballinahinch, married Sara Callahan, also Ballinahinch, on 16 Nov 1871, but I think Ballinahinch was James’s address at the time of his marriage and not his place of birth. I’ve failed to find the civil record of the marriage* – that would give his father’s name, and would give us a clue as to where he came from. Griffith’s Valuation (1855) shows no Whelans in Ballinahinch, and I suspect that James Whelan arrived in Ballinahinch as an employee of the O’Callaghans. When James died in 1897, he was aged 54, which means he was born in the early 1840s (ages at death are often approximate), and I see that there was a James Whelan born Jan 1846 to James Whelan and Margaret Walsh in the parish of Tulla. My transcription gives the mother’s name as Mary, but, on looking at the original just now, I believe that should be Margaret (often written as Marg., making it hard to distinguish from Mary): see first baptism record for 1846: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 9/mode/1up. Another baptism for the same couple (i.e Margaret baptised 10 Jan 1849) gives their address as Newgrove (also called Ballyslattery). Of course, I haven’t decided that James Whelan and Margaret Walsh, Newgrove, are the parents of James who married Sara Callaghan – it’s just a guess by me.
*The marriage was in November 1871 and might not have been registered until early 1872; I took that into consideration, but did not find it.
Of interest: The earliest record of a Whelan in Ballinahinch, that I have found, is a notice of the marriage of a Mr. James Whelan, of Ballinahinch, to Miss Eliza McNamee, published in the Clare Journal of Mon 20 Jul 1857, but I see the Kilnoe marriage register gives the bride’s name as Margaret McNamara. The marriage took place on 12 Jul 1857: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 0/mode/1up. I found no baptisms of children this couple in Kilnoe parish. This James is not your great great grandfather, who would have been only in his teens 1857, but probably some relation of his.
Of interest: I looked at Winfred Maddigan who is described as an aunt of Thomas Whelan in the 1901 census, hoping that I would find a clue as to where the Whelans came from. But I think she was not really an aunt. She was Winifred Murray, a lady’s maid, who married Michael Madigan, a butler, on 29 Apr 1882: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 010055.pdf. She was probably an old friend of Sarah Callaghan.
I hope your visit next month will result in finding out more about the Whelans and where they came from.
Sheila
People were often buried in the family grave in the parish they came from, rather than the parish they lived most of their lives in.
I think it’s not going to be easy to find where James Whelan and his wife, Sarah Callaghan, are buried. I’ve looked at the work done by you and by Jimbo on the Whelan-Callaghan family (see “Tragic circumstances of the Whelan family of Ballinahinch”: http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtop ... f=1&t=7246 ) and I see that it’s not clear where James Whelan came from originally. According to the Kilnoe marriage register, James Whealan, of Ballinahinch, married Sara Callahan, also Ballinahinch, on 16 Nov 1871, but I think Ballinahinch was James’s address at the time of his marriage and not his place of birth. I’ve failed to find the civil record of the marriage* – that would give his father’s name, and would give us a clue as to where he came from. Griffith’s Valuation (1855) shows no Whelans in Ballinahinch, and I suspect that James Whelan arrived in Ballinahinch as an employee of the O’Callaghans. When James died in 1897, he was aged 54, which means he was born in the early 1840s (ages at death are often approximate), and I see that there was a James Whelan born Jan 1846 to James Whelan and Margaret Walsh in the parish of Tulla. My transcription gives the mother’s name as Mary, but, on looking at the original just now, I believe that should be Margaret (often written as Marg., making it hard to distinguish from Mary): see first baptism record for 1846: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 9/mode/1up. Another baptism for the same couple (i.e Margaret baptised 10 Jan 1849) gives their address as Newgrove (also called Ballyslattery). Of course, I haven’t decided that James Whelan and Margaret Walsh, Newgrove, are the parents of James who married Sara Callaghan – it’s just a guess by me.
*The marriage was in November 1871 and might not have been registered until early 1872; I took that into consideration, but did not find it.
Of interest: The earliest record of a Whelan in Ballinahinch, that I have found, is a notice of the marriage of a Mr. James Whelan, of Ballinahinch, to Miss Eliza McNamee, published in the Clare Journal of Mon 20 Jul 1857, but I see the Kilnoe marriage register gives the bride’s name as Margaret McNamara. The marriage took place on 12 Jul 1857: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls ... 0/mode/1up. I found no baptisms of children this couple in Kilnoe parish. This James is not your great great grandfather, who would have been only in his teens 1857, but probably some relation of his.
Of interest: I looked at Winfred Maddigan who is described as an aunt of Thomas Whelan in the 1901 census, hoping that I would find a clue as to where the Whelans came from. But I think she was not really an aunt. She was Winifred Murray, a lady’s maid, who married Michael Madigan, a butler, on 29 Apr 1882: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 010055.pdf. She was probably an old friend of Sarah Callaghan.
I hope your visit next month will result in finding out more about the Whelans and where they came from.
Sheila
Re: Question about cemetery/burial records
Hi Christie, again
You mention in the topic of “Tragic circumstances of the Whelan family” that you have been in contact with descendants of Thomas Whelan (1841-1897), a brother of James, who are living in Australia. Not knowing if it was Thomas, himself, or one of his children who emigrated to Australia, I looked for a death record that might fit with those dates but found none. So I think Thomas must emigrated and must have died in Australia. Australian death records often give the names of both parents of the deceased person. I wonder if the descendants have information about Thomas's parents?
Sheila
You mention in the topic of “Tragic circumstances of the Whelan family” that you have been in contact with descendants of Thomas Whelan (1841-1897), a brother of James, who are living in Australia. Not knowing if it was Thomas, himself, or one of his children who emigrated to Australia, I looked for a death record that might fit with those dates but found none. So I think Thomas must emigrated and must have died in Australia. Australian death records often give the names of both parents of the deceased person. I wonder if the descendants have information about Thomas's parents?
Sheila
Re: Question about cemetery/burial records
Hi Christie
I see now, belatedly, that I was right in opting for James Whelan and Margaret Walsh as the parents of James who married Sarah Callaghan in 1871. I did a search and found the information re Thomas Whelan, who went to Australia, on the Ireland Reaching Out site: https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/histor ... mas-whelan.
I don’t know if you have already found this record of the death in Ballinahinch, in 1887, of a Margaret Whelan, aged 87, widow of a Land Steward. The death was registered in Tulla, but has been included in Galway records: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 771261.pdf. James Whelan reported the death. His relationship to the deceased is not given. I think she’s probably his mother, although the Kilnoe parish marriages show the marriage of another James Whelan to a Margaret McNamara in 1857.
I have looked at these transcriptions of headstones in Tulla graveyard and found two for Whelans: one for Thomas Whelan, Tyredagh (townland), and one for John Whelan, Kiltannon (townland): https://historicgraves.com/graveyard/tulla/cl-tula.
I have looked at these transcriptions, by Valerie Ackroyd, of headstones in Clooney graveyard and found only one for Whelans, although there were a few Whelan families living in that parish in the 19th century: http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/ ... looney.htm
I don't know if any of those will be of interest to you. There seems to be another graveyard, Maghera graveyard, in Clooney parish: http://www.quinclooneymagheraparish.ie/ ... intenance/, but I have failed to find any transcription of the headstones there.
Very many old headstones cannot be transcribed - the inscriptions are too eroded by weather.
Sheila
I see now, belatedly, that I was right in opting for James Whelan and Margaret Walsh as the parents of James who married Sarah Callaghan in 1871. I did a search and found the information re Thomas Whelan, who went to Australia, on the Ireland Reaching Out site: https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/histor ... mas-whelan.
I don’t know if you have already found this record of the death in Ballinahinch, in 1887, of a Margaret Whelan, aged 87, widow of a Land Steward. The death was registered in Tulla, but has been included in Galway records: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... 771261.pdf. James Whelan reported the death. His relationship to the deceased is not given. I think she’s probably his mother, although the Kilnoe parish marriages show the marriage of another James Whelan to a Margaret McNamara in 1857.
I have looked at these transcriptions of headstones in Tulla graveyard and found two for Whelans: one for Thomas Whelan, Tyredagh (townland), and one for John Whelan, Kiltannon (townland): https://historicgraves.com/graveyard/tulla/cl-tula.
I have looked at these transcriptions, by Valerie Ackroyd, of headstones in Clooney graveyard and found only one for Whelans, although there were a few Whelan families living in that parish in the 19th century: http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/ ... looney.htm
I don't know if any of those will be of interest to you. There seems to be another graveyard, Maghera graveyard, in Clooney parish: http://www.quinclooneymagheraparish.ie/ ... intenance/, but I have failed to find any transcription of the headstones there.
Very many old headstones cannot be transcribed - the inscriptions are too eroded by weather.
Sheila
Re: Question about cemetery/burial records
Hi Sheila,
Thanks so much for your feedback. Yes, James Whelan's brother Thomas emigrated to Australia and died there, per information shared by his descendants. Their information about their family tree indicated the parents were also James Whelan and Margaret Welsh (rather than Walsh). I feel confident in James and Thomas being brothers, and thus children of James and Margaret, because another sibling, Eliza, also emigrated, and remembered her surviving nieces (including Annie, my great grandmother) and nephews her will:
https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/28946478?h=1286f7
(arrow forward to p2944 of 7043)
I also haven't been able to find civil records for either James' birth or marriage to Sarah - only Catholic records. Without knowing exactly where he was born or where his parents would be buried, we're probably at the end of the road as far as documentation goes. But I'm still looking forward to visiting my great grand-uncle Thomas Whelan (Bodyke), and I'd love to check out the Maghera graveyard while I'm there as well. And thanks again, as this is exactly what I was hoping for - possibilities outside of what is already known. A small reason to hope.
warm regards,
Christie
Thanks so much for your feedback. Yes, James Whelan's brother Thomas emigrated to Australia and died there, per information shared by his descendants. Their information about their family tree indicated the parents were also James Whelan and Margaret Welsh (rather than Walsh). I feel confident in James and Thomas being brothers, and thus children of James and Margaret, because another sibling, Eliza, also emigrated, and remembered her surviving nieces (including Annie, my great grandmother) and nephews her will:
https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/28946478?h=1286f7
(arrow forward to p2944 of 7043)
I also haven't been able to find civil records for either James' birth or marriage to Sarah - only Catholic records. Without knowing exactly where he was born or where his parents would be buried, we're probably at the end of the road as far as documentation goes. But I'm still looking forward to visiting my great grand-uncle Thomas Whelan (Bodyke), and I'd love to check out the Maghera graveyard while I'm there as well. And thanks again, as this is exactly what I was hoping for - possibilities outside of what is already known. A small reason to hope.
warm regards,
Christie
Re: Question about cemetery/burial records
Hi Christie,
I hope you enjoyed your trip to Clare last summer and it was great success in researching your Irish roots.
Sheila and I have been researching further Captain Charles George O'Callaghan of Ballinahinch, in relation to James Halpin, Jr., and his connection to a mysterious Michael McNamara. In researching the newspaper archives, I've come across the below article which relates to your Whelan ancestors:
According to the Australian obituary of his grandson and namesake, James Whelan of Newgrove (at least orginally) had died prior to 1878. A James Whelan died in the second quarter of 1869, at the age of 63 (Tulla on-line record not yet available).
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... t%3DSearch
Obtaining the civil death record (for £5, see instructions in above link) for this James Whelan, especially the location of death, his occupation, and the informant, will provide further evidence that your James Whelan, Sr., married Margaret McNamara in 1857, left Newgrove and became land steward to Charles George O'Callaghan of Ballynahinch, which upon his death in 1869 was passed down to James Whelan, Jr., your great-great-grandfather.
I hope you enjoyed your trip to Clare last summer and it was great success in researching your Irish roots.
Sheila and I have been researching further Captain Charles George O'Callaghan of Ballinahinch, in relation to James Halpin, Jr., and his connection to a mysterious Michael McNamara. In researching the newspaper archives, I've come across the below article which relates to your Whelan ancestors:
This James Whelan, I am quite confident, was your great-great-great-grandfather, originally from Newgrove. His son referred to in the above article must be either his son John or Thomas who both immigrated to Australia — as you are aware from your own research and also supported by the below Australian news reports:THE LAND LAW OF VICTORIA
Mr. James Whelan, of Ballynahinch, has kindly supplied us [the editors, presumably] with a copy of the Hon. Gavan Duffy's "Guide to the Land Law of Victoria," forwarded to him by his son, who is a resident in that important part of Australia. We have gone over the book very carefully, and we find that it contains some useful and entertaining information; and, as the tide of emigration to Australia still flows on with unabated rapidity, we shall give an extract from this work, and continue to do so from time to time, believing that they will prove serviceable to intending emigrants. The annexed extract will be read with interest . . .
Clare Journal, and Ennis Advertiser, Monday, 29 September 1862
WHELAN: - On the 13th August, at his father's residence, Bank Street, Richmond, James, the eldest and beloved son of John and Eliza Whelan, and grandson of the late Mr. James Whelan of New Grove, and the late Mr. Michael Sheedy M'Namara of Tomerla [Fomerla], County Clare, Ireland, in the twenty-fourth year of his age. R.I.P.
Illustrated Australian News, Melbourne, Victoria, 30 August 1878, per trove newspaper archive
Your great-great-grandfather, James Whelan, Jr., (1846 - 1897), land steward to Charles George O'Callaghan, was the son of the James Whelan who married Margaret McNamara (≈1800 - 1887) in 1857 — see details of marriage in first posting above by Sheila. Margaret [McNamara] Walsh was living in Plot 2 in Ballynahinch townland in Griffith Valuation, in a house valued at £2, much higher than her neighbors. I am fairly certain that she was the widow of Michael Walsh who was murdered in 1847. Margaret [McNamara Walsh] Whelan, as noted in the above posting by Sheila, died in 1887 and was reported as "widow of a Land Steward". The informant was James Whelan on the civil death record, not reported but her step-son. This now makes perfect sense how James Whelan, Jr., obtained the position of Land Steward — the position was passed down from his father.WHELAN.—On the 6th July, at his late residence, Waterloo-street, St. Kilda, after a long and painful illness, Thomas, the dearly beloved husband of Catherine Whelan, second eldest son of the late James Whelan, Newgrove, county Clare, Ireland, age 42 years, late of the Victorian railways. R.I.P.
Leader, Melbourne, Victoria, Saturday, 13 July 1889, per trove newspaper archive
According to the Australian obituary of his grandson and namesake, James Whelan of Newgrove (at least orginally) had died prior to 1878. A James Whelan died in the second quarter of 1869, at the age of 63 (Tulla on-line record not yet available).
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/ ... t%3DSearch
Obtaining the civil death record (for £5, see instructions in above link) for this James Whelan, especially the location of death, his occupation, and the informant, will provide further evidence that your James Whelan, Sr., married Margaret McNamara in 1857, left Newgrove and became land steward to Charles George O'Callaghan of Ballynahinch, which upon his death in 1869 was passed down to James Whelan, Jr., your great-great-grandfather.
Re: Question about cemetery/burial records
Hi Jimbo and Sheila,
I'm amazed at these developments, and thank you. I was in Ireland again this past summer and it didn't even occur to me to check back here for any news - it may have given me some guidance in the research I did more recently. I made a visit to the National Archives in Dublin this summer because I wanted to see what could be uncovered about my great great grandfather James' arrest as a coercion suspect in 1882 (along with his brothers in law, John and Michael Callaghan). I did find a file with documents, and took pictures of everything. Of note for you I want to share two things - first, the inclusion of a letter from Michael Walsh, which I'll transcribe:
To His Excellency Earl Spencer,
May it please Your Excellency,
My father being a very old man and at present in very delicate health and not likely to live much longer is very anxious to see his nephew Mr James Whelan who is now confined as a suspect in the gaol at Kilkenny, I beg your Excellency will graciously grant Mr Whelan a parole for a few days that he may come and see the old man, his uncle, before he dies. They have been very much attached to each other and I have no doubt that his arrest has acted very much to the injury of my father's health and that a sight of his only nephew of whom he is so fond may so work on the poor sick man's mind that he may thereby be spared to us for some time longer.
I, therefore, trust that your Excellency, considering the present peaceable state of the district and the great feeling of confidence which has been restored since your Excellency's auspicious return to Ireland, will generously and graciously grant my humble request and for which I shall ever pray.
I am, My Lord,
Your Excelleny's humble servt
Michael Walsh
Kilkishen, Co Clare
June 3rd 1882
And secondly, there was a letter from James Whelan himself, written from Kilkenny Gaol to Capt O'Shea, in July 1882, making a case for his innocence and release. I didn't realize until I went back and looked at it today that he made mention of " my step mother an old woman of over 80 years" . I completely missed that he said "step" in the letter, and had no idea until reading your posts that there were in fact two marriages for my great great great grandfather James Sr.
The children he had in his first marriage, I am aware of the following:
John, b1833
Eliza, b1840
Thomas, b1844
James, b1846 (My GG grandfather who became the next steward)
Margaret, b1849 - outcome unknown
The first three above all emigrated to Australia. Eliza remained unmarried until her death, and in her will named the children of her brothers John, Thomas and James as beneficiaries. As Margaret wasn't mentioned, I assumed she had died before then without issue. I'll proceed with ordering a copy of James Sr's death record and report back what it contains. Thanks very much for this guidance. Also, I'm happy to share the full file regarding the arrest if that would be of interest, please let me know.
-Christie
I'm amazed at these developments, and thank you. I was in Ireland again this past summer and it didn't even occur to me to check back here for any news - it may have given me some guidance in the research I did more recently. I made a visit to the National Archives in Dublin this summer because I wanted to see what could be uncovered about my great great grandfather James' arrest as a coercion suspect in 1882 (along with his brothers in law, John and Michael Callaghan). I did find a file with documents, and took pictures of everything. Of note for you I want to share two things - first, the inclusion of a letter from Michael Walsh, which I'll transcribe:
To His Excellency Earl Spencer,
May it please Your Excellency,
My father being a very old man and at present in very delicate health and not likely to live much longer is very anxious to see his nephew Mr James Whelan who is now confined as a suspect in the gaol at Kilkenny, I beg your Excellency will graciously grant Mr Whelan a parole for a few days that he may come and see the old man, his uncle, before he dies. They have been very much attached to each other and I have no doubt that his arrest has acted very much to the injury of my father's health and that a sight of his only nephew of whom he is so fond may so work on the poor sick man's mind that he may thereby be spared to us for some time longer.
I, therefore, trust that your Excellency, considering the present peaceable state of the district and the great feeling of confidence which has been restored since your Excellency's auspicious return to Ireland, will generously and graciously grant my humble request and for which I shall ever pray.
I am, My Lord,
Your Excelleny's humble servt
Michael Walsh
Kilkishen, Co Clare
June 3rd 1882
And secondly, there was a letter from James Whelan himself, written from Kilkenny Gaol to Capt O'Shea, in July 1882, making a case for his innocence and release. I didn't realize until I went back and looked at it today that he made mention of " my step mother an old woman of over 80 years" . I completely missed that he said "step" in the letter, and had no idea until reading your posts that there were in fact two marriages for my great great great grandfather James Sr.
The children he had in his first marriage, I am aware of the following:
John, b1833
Eliza, b1840
Thomas, b1844
James, b1846 (My GG grandfather who became the next steward)
Margaret, b1849 - outcome unknown
The first three above all emigrated to Australia. Eliza remained unmarried until her death, and in her will named the children of her brothers John, Thomas and James as beneficiaries. As Margaret wasn't mentioned, I assumed she had died before then without issue. I'll proceed with ordering a copy of James Sr's death record and report back what it contains. Thanks very much for this guidance. Also, I'm happy to share the full file regarding the arrest if that would be of interest, please let me know.
-Christie