Cabey and Morony families: Can anyone help?

[johnkirby]

My great grandparents, John Cabey and Ellen Morony, married on 9 February, 1875, in the Chapel of Kilmaley, Registrar's District of Killaniv. They must have left for Australia not long after, as we have evidence of their loss of an infant son here in Melbourne late 1878.

Other information from their marriage certificate indicates their father's names as Tim Cabey and Francis Morony of Cragroe and Kilcloher respectively, both farmers. Tim and Catherine Cabey were witnesses; whether they were John's parents or siblings is unknown. Other family-sourced material estimates John's birth-date of around 1846 (he died in Melbourne in 1927) and Ellen's being about 1850 (she dying also in Melbourne in 1908).

Being new to researching family history in Ireland, I'd be grateful of any advice as to where I may be able to source further more detailed information regarding my forebears and their families.

I am mightily impressed by the wealth of information available on the Clare Library website and this forum. It is a credit to all who have contributed and that it's freely available, is wonderful.
I have found references to both Cabey and Morony in both Griffith's Valuation and the 1901 Census, but cannot ascertain as to whether I'm looking at close relatives or not.

Any guidance or recommendations would be gratefully appreciated.

Regards,
John Kirby.

[smcarberry]

John,

With my research in Clare being focused on the surname Carberry, I have considered Cabey and similar spellings. I have been aware that in West Clare, both Carberry and Cabey records exist. However, my own Carberry family lived in East Clare, with the first preserved record being an 1818 baptism; the family may have been in the area for considerable time before then but likely not before the mid-1700s. My research goal is to determine whether my Carberrys came into Clare from the southwest area of Ireland or from the midlands (the Carberry sept is thought to have originated in Westmeath). I also have tracked Carberry families in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, during fifteen years of research. There is no scholarly work on the surname, but it is my current theory that Carberry is not related to Cabey in Ireland or the U.S. I am thoroughly familiar with the ways in which a surname can "morph" into different versions, but I have seen nothing in emigration patterns or vital records that would indicate that Cabey and Carberry families are related. I do see an indication that the West and East Clare families named Carberry could be related, although there is no oral history passed down to descendants to support that.

So, it appears that you will be breaking new ground if you proceed to determine the origin of the Cabey group in Clare. I have a hunch that either the surname was more anciently rooted in the Sligo/Mayo region (where there are several surnames fairly close in spelling to Carberry, see below info) or that Cabey is related to Cabe and is a shortened version of McCabe. You will want to start your research in Clare, where online cemetery listings exist for your Cabey family:
Kilmaley Cemetery
http://www.interment.net/data/ireland/c ... lmaley.htm

Also note this:
McCabee in Clare 1829, Kilmaley parish
http://www.from-ireland.net/cla/rc/kilmalb28.htm#2

This may be a spelling variation for your West Clare family:
ST. MICHAEL CATHOLIC CEMETERY East Galena township, Illinois USA
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iljodavi/cemet ... ichael.htm
Cavey Michael, d. Apr 1, 1916, 84y, b. Co. Clare, Ireland


I have not preserved U.S. census listings for Cabey, but I have seen those. There seems to be a concentration of the surname in the 1800s and early 1900s in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts, where many Clare people of other surnames also settled.

One database which can be helpful for an overview of Irish records from 1864 forward in time, is
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsea ... html#start

An index of church records has been placed online for many Irish counties (excluding Co. Clare, which does not participate by decision of the Clare Heritage Centre): http://www.irishgenealogy.ie/

Irish record contents are available:
http://www.irish-roots.ie/pay-per-view.asp

I would be very interested in hearing from you when you have formed some impressions on the origin of Cabey.

Good luck and happy rooting,
Sharon Carberry USA


Some background info on Carberry:

"This surname of CARBERRY is of both Irish and Scottish origin. In Ireland the name is the Anglicized form of the Gaelic O'CAIRBRE and MAC CAIRBRE meaning 'descendant' and son of Cairbre, a byname which perhaps meant Charioteer..."
[usual "canned" surname history, in circulation throughout the 1900s, commercially sold]

Surname found in Co. Tipperary, similar in spelling: Corbui anglicized to Corbry, Corboy, and variations.

Placename spelling: Corbraighe
(Note that the entire SW coast of Ireland is the Coast of Carberry and contains the Carberry islands, as well as the east and west baronies of Carbery.)

Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames
by Patrick Woulfe; Published by M. H. Gill & son, 1923
p. 344 M'Corboy, M'Corby, Corboy, Corby, son of

Co. Mayo "signposting" project site's listing of surname variations:
CABBEY CABARY CABBREY CABERRY CABBAY CABBRY CABERY CABREY CABBERY CABE CABRY
http://mayo.brsgenealogy.com/surnames.php?letter=CAB

TOURLESTRANE/KILMACTEIGE MARRIAGES Co. Sligo
1853 21-Jun
Micl Rowane/Cath Cobney
witnesses: Pat Cobney/Tms Rouane
and
1873 11-Mar
Micl Cobey/Brid Cunny Jn Cobey/Mary Cunny
[
found online, no source provided:
Name: Corboy, Timothy
Spouse: Anne Hogan
Witness: John Hogan; Mrs. Gavin
Location of Event: Roscrea and Kyle, Tipperary, IRL
Date: 26 Jan. 1812

[johnkirby]

Hi Sharon,
Thank you so much for your sage advice, you've given me so much to pursue. Interesting that you comment on surnames "morphing", my own being a case in point!
I'll take a look around the links that you've given me and perhaps come back with more questions, but hopefully answers.
Your encouragement is much appreciated.
Regards,
John.

[dundeemayer]

In the Kilmaley Parish Marriages there is a listing for:

Tim Caby and Maria Markham on February 12, 1839.
Timothy Caby is also listed in the 1855 Griffiths Valuation in Kilclogher

I hope it helps!

John

[johnkirby]

John,

Thank you for your suggestion, but unfortunately I don't think this Tim fits.

Since I last posted, my sister received a response to a chance letter she mailed to a Dermot Cabey in Clare, explaining our search. ( One advantage we have in our search is that Cabey is not a common name!) Although he's not related, he kindly passed it on and we've had some further help from a couple of distant cousins, who are related to Patrick Cabey, a brother of our great-grandfather John.

Our John was born around 1846, so he could fit being a son of the Tim you suggest with his 1839 marriage. However, from what we can gather, Patrick his brother was born either 1830 or 33, so that upsets things somewhat.

Although I concede transcription errors and surname variations are common (my surname having morphed from Cabey), there were two distinct spellings, both with and without the "e", shown in the Griffiths Valuation.

Aside from all this, John, your input is much appreciated.

Regards,
John.

[dundeemayer]

John,

Here are the Caby/Cabey mariages in Kilmaley.

Andrew Cabey and Mary O'Dea 2/12/1834
James Caby and Mary Kelly 2/12/1873
John Cabey and Nora Markham 2/23/1841
John Caby and Mary Crowe 2/22/1860
John Cabey and Ellen Morony 2/9/1875
Malachy Caby and Brigid Sullivan 2/14/1831
Pat Cabey and Mary Markham 2/17/1863
Pat Cabey and Nora O'Neill 2/19/1868
Thomas Cabey and Margaret Kinnucane 2/9/1830
Tim Caby and Maria Markham 2/12/1839

It's ironic but all were married in February.

My Great-Grandmother Bridget Moroney was born in 1854. She had sister named Ellen, which I have not accounted for. Our Ellen was born about 1858, which would have made her 17 or 18 in 1875. Could she be the Ellen who married John Cabey?

John

[johnkirby]

John,

Thank you for your continued interest in this topic.

Ellen died as Ellen Kaby ( a step along the way of Cabey becoming Kirby) in Port Melbourne in 1908 and I've photographed her grave which still survives at Melbourne General Cemetery.
According to both her death certificate (which we have), and the cemetery burial records (ditto), her age is given as 60, which would make her 10 years older than your Ellen. Is there any possibility that your Ellen could have been older than Bridget?

The most important information I can offer from her death certificate is that her parents are shown as Francis Moroney (Farmer) and Bridget Moroney (nee Neylan). How does this information fit with your Bridget?

Ellen is also shown as being "Full Age" on her Marriage Certificate, which would have made her over 21 in 1875 at her marriage to John Cabey; and again her death certificate shows her age at marriage as 28, also pointing towards the late 1840's as her probable date of birth, rather than the late '50's.

Be interested in hearing back from you, putting the date of birth issue aside, as to whether the next generation back in Francis and Bridget snr. is a match!

Regards,
John Kirby.

[caoilte]

The most obvious place to seek the information you require is the Clare Heritage & Genealogy centre, Corofin, Co.Clare http://www.clareheritage.com; email clareheritage@eircom.net.
Computerised extracts from all Register of Births, marriages & Death for Co.Clare are available there and these are cross-referenced with valuation, Census and Tithe records. the centre accommodates the largest collection of Clare genealogical information to be found under any one roof.

Caoilte

[pwaldron]

I'm not sure what's ironic about the old Irish custom of marrying in Shrovetide (the period between January 6 and Ash Wednesday, with many marriages taking place on Shrove Tuesday itself).

I thought it would be interesting to check the date of Shrove Tuesday in each of the years in your list at http://www.smart.net/~mmontes/ec-cal.html - only to find that that excellent site is not working at the moment.

Finally a standard warning to genealogists - never express the date all in numerals - someone sometime is bound to interpret the first marriage date above as December 2nd, and similarly for other marriages between February 1st and February 12th.

[dundeemayer]

The February mystery has been answered. I didn't know that. It makes sense as the majority of marriages in the Kilmaley register seemed to happen in February.

The Francis Moroney/Neylon information doesn't match. We'll keep trying.

John

[johnkirby]

John,
Many thanks for your prompt reply, and again for your ongoing input and suggestions.
At least we've removed any doubt about this possibility not being so.
Regards,
John Kirby.