Kierce/Kierse of Rath Killinaboy

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kbarlow
Posts: 160
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:07 am

Kierce/Kierse of Rath Killinaboy

Post by kbarlow » Tue Feb 21, 2017 5:16 am

Further comment to Sheila's re Michael McMahon stating the possibility that the Kierce families (amongst others) may have arrived in Clare after about 1800 (following the Battle of the Diamond, Co Armagh). Several of my Kierce forebears, around Commons South townland, certainly appear to have been on commons and marginal land. In the case of Commons South, it was Termon land, so they may have been allowed by the holders of that land to settle there.

Kerry

smcarberry
Posts: 1281
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:31 pm
Location: USA

Re: Kierce/Kierse of Rath Killinaboy

Post by smcarberry » Sun Mar 12, 2017 4:28 pm

I am now in the thick of this area's records, totally by accident. Many years ago a descendant of a Carberry-McMahon 1849 marriage in Buffalo NY, with children born in Wisconsin, set me on the trail of Miles McMahon as the most unusual name in their family. That trail led to Richmond, Virginia, where I completed my research on one Clare immigrant of that name, after I moved here myself. I then stumbled onto the research report of a McNamara family of Richmond from Kildysart, with their townland mistakenly placed by the professional researcher as being in my own ancestral backyard, Gortnadroma. I did that family's genealogy myself in an attempt to locate a descendant and provide their actual ancestral origin. Now I am right back in West Clare with a Richmond family of the surname Kerse, due to a Kilnaboy Callinan-Brody marriage of 1823 provided by my DNA fourth cousin in Australia for his ancestor. As it turns out (thanks to Sheila's transcriptions), the Callinans not only lived near and stood in for those named Kerse/Keyrce/Kierce in Kilnaboy parish, a Kerse/Kierce man of West Clare married at a Donnellan back before 1805, the right period for a current-day Callinan to be related to me via my Donnellan line out of Galway, where the connection might have occurred. That Kerse fellow lost his brother soon after they immigrated and arranged for their genealogy to be inscribed on their mutual gravestone (see photo), with one side for the brother Michael who died 1854 and the other for Timothy, who died 1903. Timothy's death notice (below) indicates other U.S. locations of relatives.

There are many twists and turns in the Kerse history in Richmond, which cannot be straightened out without a lot more time and effort, which I can't do just now. Timothy, while housing an elderly Ann Kerse, was adamant that he was not her son, but confirmed that Robert Kerse was (see attached news item). Ann in his family was a Donnellan (his grandmother) and also the name of his wife. (As in their Clare parish, there was an abundance of Ann/Hannah names in these families). Robert Kerse's descendants have been trying to find more on their Clare origins; I can provide an email address of one. Sheila's transcription of the Kilnaboy/Rath Parish clearly shows Timothy's and Michael's baptisms there, plus several sisters. There are ample records available for Richmond cemeteries after 1880 (the start of Mount Calvary) and there is abundant newspaper reporting of even small family events from about 1890 forward in time, but earlier state/local records are not transcribed, not even naturalizations, and in federal censuses Irish names can be very mangled. I don't know if the local churches make available their parish books, which I found so open and helpful when researching my family in Philadelphia, in the same time period.

Sharon Carberry
Brid, Norah stone, Hartley plot.jpg
Brid, Norah stone, Hartley plot.jpg (745.8 KiB) Viewed 8180 times
Fictional location of Kildysart.jpg
Fictional location of Kildysart.jpg (35.67 KiB) Viewed 8180 times
Kerse, Donnellan of Glanquin, MtCalvary stone.jpg
Kerse, Donnellan of Glanquin, MtCalvary stone.jpg (25.32 KiB) Viewed 8180 times
Tim's item on Mrs. Kerse, 1873 Alex.jpg
Tim's item on Mrs. Kerse, 1873 Alex.jpg (60.58 KiB) Viewed 8180 times
Tim's dth notice 1903, other papers copied.jpg
Tim's dth notice 1903, other papers copied.jpg (36.46 KiB) Viewed 8180 times

kbarlow
Posts: 160
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:07 am

Re: Kierce/Kierse of Rath Killinaboy

Post by kbarlow » Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:40 am

Sharon, thank you for this trail. I have Callinan and Cahir as sponsors at some Kierce related families in the 1820s/30s/40s, also Mullins related to Griffy family, all in townlands adjacent Commons South.

I would love email address of the people looking for a Robert Kierce, Co Clare, as I believe my 4xg grandmother had a brother Robert Kierce. We may be able to assist each other.

Also found, whilst looking for a Kierce relation, four Carbery/Carberry buried at Centennial Cemetery, Pasadena, Mitcham, South Australia, in case you didn't have this info:

http://www.centennialpark.org/memorial-search/

cheers, Kerry

smcarberry
Posts: 1281
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:31 pm
Location: USA

Re: Kierce/Kierse of Rath Killinaboy

Post by smcarberry » Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:33 pm

I have emailed Kerry directly. The moment I pressed "send," the power went out due to downed limbs from trees damaged during a storm providing a coating of ice. Now I use the remaining stored power on my computer, before heading out to see if the library opens on time. It could be hours or days before electricity is restored. Last time it was nearly a full week.

Sharon Carberry

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