"Glannamanagh" in 1890 ad seeking Kierce

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smcarberry
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"Glannamanagh" in 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by smcarberry » Tue Dec 06, 2016 2:26 pm

This is the ad which appeared on 22 March 1890 in the Irish World, a New York City newspaper:

Information wanted of John Kierce, a native of the parish of Glannamanagh, county Clare, Ireland. When last heard from, about [illegible, a single digit, perhaps "6"] years ago, he was in Leadville, Lake County, Colorado. Any information would be gratefully received by his niece, Mary Brody, 146 Eagle street, Greenpoint, New York."

The two U.S. places are well-known Irish immigrant locations (Greenpoint being the Irish part of Brooklyn, Kings County, assimilated into NYC in 1898, and Leadville being involved in mining which employed Irish immigrants).

However, the Irish location is not a parish, civil or religious, so far as I know. Some ads make a parish out of a village or townland. I can't find a match, although I suspect that this is a combination of two words. Possibilities for the second part of the word are shown in the attachment (courtesy of Sean Ruad's IreAtlas). As I have found with my family's records showing "Glenlear" for Clonlea, the first part likely could be Clon or Cloon.

Any thoughts ?

Sharon Carberry
USA
Manna ending Clare twnlds.jpg
Manna ending Clare twnlds.jpg (16.59 KiB) Viewed 36062 times
Last edited by smcarberry on Thu Dec 08, 2016 10:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

Sduddy
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Re: "Glannamanagh", 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by Sduddy » Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:23 pm

Hi Sharon

Rath and Kilnaboy parish register has the marriage on 15th Jan. 1832 of Michael McGrath, Glanamanagh, and Bridget Quin, Rinamona
Witnesses: Mary Mullins and Rev P. O’Gorman.

That's the only instance of "Glanamanagh" (the glen of the monks) I can find. But it looks like the placename survived.

Sheila

kbarlow
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Re: "Glannamanagh", 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by kbarlow » Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:22 pm

Hi Sharon - I have Kierce ancestors with Mullins connections in the townlands near Rinnamona and Commons Sth & Nth, but hadn't seen that "townland" name in any records searches.

Kerry

smcarberry
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Re: "Glannamanagh" in 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by smcarberry » Wed Dec 07, 2016 12:20 am

What a great response, Sheila, and I hope your info can lead to a research direction for Kerry B. That's a whole lot of feedback, so quickly.

I have a similar instance of an unofficial placename, Tyrera, close in spelling to two official locations, Teeronea and Tyredah, in adjoining civil and RC parishes. It actually is the southern part of a Tulla townland called Ballyblood, but just today I re-read a letter from a cousin who stated her home to be in Tyrera, Kilkishen. I had ignored that until finally the issue of what is Tyrera came up earlier this year in connection with a Ballyblood family. It's all just a matter of a few minutes walk around a lake between Tulla and Kilkishen.

Thanks,
Sharon C.
Last edited by smcarberry on Thu Dec 08, 2016 10:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

Sduddy
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Re: "Glannamanagh", 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by Sduddy » Wed Dec 07, 2016 10:42 am

There's a Michl McGrath in the townland of Commons South in the Tithe Applotment books for Killinaboy. I would say that Glannamanagh was an old name for part of that townland.

Sheila

mcreed
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Re: "Glannamanagh", 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by mcreed » Wed Dec 07, 2016 1:06 pm

"Glennamanagh" appears as a cluster of buildings on the 1842 Ordnance Survey map of County Clare. See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... 485Z16F1O6* . There do not appear to be any remains of those buildings today (from the Bing satellite view - toggle between the Bing satellite and OS map to see that using the slider. See the maps Help page if unable to do so http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclar ... p/help.htm)

The 1842 OS map shows the area to be in the townland of Kilweeran in the parish of Oughtmama.

The area is marked as a valley called Gleann Na Manach (the valley of the monks) on Tim Robinson's map "The Burren, a map of the uplands of North-West Clare Éire".

Jimbo
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Re: "Glannamanagh", 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by Jimbo » Wed Dec 07, 2016 9:20 pm

The San Francisco Chronicle of 5 January 1894 reported on the death of a John Kierce. Perhaps the miner from Colorado made his way further west and failed to inform his relatives?

KIERCE: a solemn anniversary requiem mass will be celebrated for the repose of the soul of the late John Kierce this day (Friday) at 9 am at Mission Dolores Church, corner of Sixteenth and Dolores streets. Friends are respectfully invited.

EDIT:

The above anniversary mass was likely for the John Kierce who died on 1 April 1893. Wife of Anne O'Laughlin Kierce, who are both buried at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in San Mateo County. This Kierce family were early California pioneers and in the 1870 federal census for CA. So not your man from Leadville Colorado.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... 107719891&

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNX3-49P

smcarberry
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Re: "Glannamanagh" in 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by smcarberry » Wed Dec 07, 2016 10:56 pm

Such an outpouring of assistance, thanks to all. At the very least, the Clare location is now definitively found.
As for the U.S., searching for a John of any surname is a challenge.

Cheers,
Sharon C.
Last edited by smcarberry on Thu Dec 08, 2016 10:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

kbarlow
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Re: "Glannamanagh", 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by kbarlow » Thu Dec 08, 2016 3:36 am

Hi Sharon - the Griffiths valuations have a john (sen) and John (jun) at Leana, which borders Rinnamona, etc. The other info I have from the Rath/Killinaboy RC parish on Kierce/Kierse/Kerse:
Feb1819 - marriage John Kearce of Longhafella & Maria Shaunhesy (?); Mar1824 - marriage John Kearce of Bouladuff & Bridget Connor of Curra (?); Jan1825 - marr of Martin Griffy of Carrunamadera & Margaret (dau of John Kierce) of Liana; Dec1826 - birth of Tim (?) Kearse son of John & Ellen O'Shannessy of Glenroe; sp Pat Mullins & Bridget Hehir; April 1832 birth - John Kierce son of Thomas & Nancy (?) of Longafolla; May1832 birth - Maria Kerse dau of John & Margaret Crohan of Knockrashina (?); 29 Sep 1822 - birth Bridget Kearce dau of John & Ellena Shaughnassy (?) of Glenroe; Feb 1823 - birth John Kearse son of John & Bridget Costello of Liana.
There is a John Kierce born to Francis & Bridget Griffy (of Commons sth), who are my ancestors - but I'm reasonably sure I have tracked him in Ballarat, Vic.

regards, Kerry

Jimbo
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Re: "Glannamanagh", 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by Jimbo » Thu Dec 08, 2016 4:43 am

Hi Kerry,

The missing John Kierce was born about 1852. Here is John as a miner in the 1880 census living in Leadville, Colorado. As Sharon mentioned there were indeed lots of Irish working in the mines as seen in this census report:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFDJ-NBQ

Sduddy
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Re: "Glannamanagh" in 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by Sduddy » Thu Dec 08, 2016 2:45 pm

Thanks Mcreed for finding the right parish (Oughtmama) for Glennamanagh. I thought I would look for Kierce baptisms in the Oughtmama parish register, but Oughtmama seems to be included in the parish of New Quay. When I looked at New Quay (http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0622) the first thing I saw was that the variant name is Glanamanagh. So the person who placed the advert was correct in giving Glannamanagh as a parish.

I’m afraid I did not find the baptism of John. I found only one Kierce family:
15th Oct. 1860: Catherine Kearse, of Thomas Kerse and Mary McNamara, Rapala(?); sponsors: Stephen Linnane, Honor Fahy.
1st Dec. 1867: Bridget(?) Kierse; Thomas Kerse and Mary McNamara, Athey; sponsors: John(?) Kearse, (illegible).
I looked in familysearch and found this one: 21st June 1870: Judith Kearse of Thomas Kearse and Mary McNamara. The G.R.O. record shows that Judith was born in Ballyvaughan workhouse.

But this was of no help really - when I looked for a John Kerse in the US (using familysearch), giving Thomas Kearse and Mary McNamara as parents, I got no results.

Sheila

caoilte
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Re: "Glannamanagh" in 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by caoilte » Wed Dec 21, 2016 10:52 am

Glennamanagh is the old name for the modern parishes of Abbey & Oughtmama, which at one time formed a single rectory (parish) under the Cistercian monks of Corcomroe abbey. The name derives from the Gaelic Gleann Na Manaigh (Glen of the Monks).
Caoilte

Jimbo
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Re: "Glannamanagh" in 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by Jimbo » Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:33 am

A little historical trivia...

Clare born miner John Kierce was living in Leadville in 1880 per the federal census, and he was last heard from in Leadville by his niece in New York around 1884 (six years prior to the 1890 information wanted ad).

That would place John Kierce in Leadville in 1882. In April of that year, Oscar Wilde visited Leadville on his American lecture tour. Leadville was a town of about 30,000 back then, so John Kierce was unlikely to have gotten a ticket to the opera house to hear Wilde's lecture on "The Practical Application of the Aesthetic Theory to Exterior and Interior House Decoration with Observations on Dress and Personal Ornament". But perhaps Kierce was at the saloon where Oscar Wilde had drinks with the miners after the lecture? Or perhaps when the miners took Wilde to the bottom of a mine when it was christened "The Oscar"?

The Guardian newspaper has a great article on Oscar Wilde's visit to Leadville here:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/books ... wildeswest

smcarberry
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Re: "Glannamanagh", 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by smcarberry » Fri Jan 13, 2017 6:08 pm

kbarlow wrote:Hi Sharon...The other info I have from the Rath/Killinaboy RC parish on Kierce/Kierse/Kerse:
...April 1832 birth - John Kierce son of Thomas & Nancy (?) of Longafolla...
There is a John Kierce born to Francis & Bridget Griffy (of Commons sth), who are my ancestors - but I'm reasonably sure I have tracked him in Ballarat, Vic.
...Kerry
I don't want to complicate things unnecessarily, but I have another "Missing Friends"-type ad which may be right for the 1832 birth that Kerry has with a mother named Nancy (who could also be Ann/Hanna) and further somewhat fits the fellow out in the San Francisco area early enough to be considered a pioneer of that state. Compare his 1870 census listing and burial info already in this string, with the obituary (below) which places him in Collinsville, NE of San Francisco possibly by about 30 miles and definitely on the water which is part of a huge bay off the Pacific Ocean starting at San Fran. As for Cohoes NY: that is on the Hudson River in a line of settlements (now one large metropolitan area) with Albany on the south, up through Troy, Cohoes, and then Waterford city where the Erie Canal had its eastern terminus. Cambridge NY sits on the state line between New York and Vermont, northeast of Cohoes along a well-worn route used by people in the mid-1800s.

John Kierce of Collinsville apparently had a first son named Francis, so that doesn't fit the April 1832 birth too well. Note also that his year of birth was a year in the 1830s, various ones according to his census and death info. Perhaps someone directly interested in the Kierces will nail this one down better. I don't see any NYS listing indicating that the mother Hanna Kierce actually emigrated. The contact's surname might be Rappanier, as Rappannir doesn't seem to be an actual name.

Sharon C.
John Kierce, mother's 1869 ad.jpg
John Kierce, mother's 1869 ad.jpg (44.54 KiB) Viewed 35276 times
John Kierce 1893 CA obit.jpg
John Kierce 1893 CA obit.jpg (34.93 KiB) Viewed 35276 times

kbarlow
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Re: "Glannamanagh" in 1890 ad seeking Kierce

Post by kbarlow » Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:39 am

Hi Kierce seekers, the following is my transcription of the birth of a John Kierce:

11 April 1832 John Kierce son of Thomas & Nancy of Longafolla; sp=Robert Kierce of Corrofin & Honora McKierney (?). I have seen in my own tree that Ann and occasionally Hannah were "shortened/nick-named" to Nancy.

Kerry

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