Library Forum

I realise this query is rather vague however, I wonder if anyone can provide some clues as to where I might search next for information about the birth of my Great Grandmother, Bridget Garvey.

Australian birth, death and marriage records obtained give her birthplace as Ennis, Co. Clare and her parents as John Garvey, a farmer and Bridget Roughan. She was born about 1843. Given her father was a farmer I’m guessing her birthplace might not have been Ennis town.

The most likely immigration details I have are that she immigrated to Australia on the ship “Southern Ocean” which left Plymouth 29 November 1867 and arrived in Melbourne, Australia in March 1868.

Bridget married Thomas Bowden at Bendigo, Victoria in 1871 and they had three children, Margaret Jane, Mary Emma and John Thomas. She died at her home at Lake Charm, Victoria, Australia on 2 November 1893.
Sincerely,
Bev Bowden

Hi Bev
I drew a blank with a search of the Ennis Parish records for a marriage or baptisms for John Garvey/Bridget Roughan.
However I then tried the wonderful Genmaps at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... index.html
If you click on the PEOPLE tab and then scroll down to the name GARVEY, click on that and you will see the distribution of Garveys in the 1901 census. There are only 2 of that name in Ennis Town. However there are a couple of hotspots nearby, one of which is the townland of Cappagh More in Kilraghtis Parish, where there are 16 Garveys. (note this should not be confused with Cappamore in Inchichronan Parish)
Now scroll further down the list to Roughan. Here we find a multitude in Ennis, but you will also notice a small hotspot just to the northeast which is Cappagh More.(11 Roughans)
The Griffiths Valuation list for Cappagh More shows Garveys and Roughans bunched together, as they are in the 1901 census.
Now, without getting too carried away I would suggest that the Kilraghtis Parish records may be a good place to focus your search, cos marrying the girl nextdoor was a popular Irish custom. According to my NLI listing, marriages in Doora & Kilreaghtis are available from 1823, but baptisms only from 1862.
You could also try Paddy Casey's approach with a phonecall to a present day Garvey or Roughan residing in the local area. You may discover a new cousin or two.
Hope this helps, Murf

murf wrote:.....marrying the girl nextdoor was a popular Irish custom....

Good reminder, Murf. It was called the 5-mile rule. In the late 19th century 88.8% (or was it 88.9% ? ) of people in the West of Ireland married within 5 miles of their home. Five miles was the distance a suitor could walk to court his bride-in-spe and get back home comfortably in time for work the next morning. Also, many (or most ?) marriages involved land arrangements/deals between the families of the couple and those deals would be easier or more productive if the holdings were adjacent.

Paddy

Many thanks Murf and Paddy.
What a wonderful facility the Clare County Library Website, including Clare GenMaps is. This along with your suggestions have provided the motivation to continue the hunt for my elusive Clare ancestors.

Regards,
Bev

Hi Bev,

My great grandfather was also from Kilraghtis.

The following link to a Register of Doora Barefield marriages at that time records that John Garvey married Bridget Roughan on 6/03/1832


http://www.ennisparish.com/wp-content/u ... rriage.xls

I have also sent you a private message.

Regards,

Mary

Mary
I don't recall having seen this marriage listing before. Do you have information about it's source? The url suggests it comes from ennisparish.com but I can't find reference to it on their website. Properly referenced it would be a useful addition to the Clare Library's Links page.

This listing, and other similar registers I have seen(eg Ennis Parish, Kilmihil Parish) have alphabetical lists based only on the father's family name. I have found it useful to separate the mother's first and family name into two columns. In MS Excel for example this is a reasonably simple process. The complete listing can then be re-ordered to an alpha listing of the mother's family name. Consulting this second listing is preferable to a lot of fooling around with the CTRL F function.

Murf,

I don't have any information about the source of this marriage listing. I found it while researching my Garvey ancestors in Kilraghtis.

Mary