I need help to find my grandfather

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Bunny Kearns
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Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:10 pm

I need help to find my grandfather

Post by Bunny Kearns » Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:05 pm

Hi
Im new to this so don't know if I am doing this correctly . I am trying to find information about my grandfather. His name was John Kearns and he was from Clare born about 1854. His fathers name was Denis Kearns. John sailed to Liverpool and became a coal miner in Wigan. He married Ann Costello Ibn 1875 in Wigan, I do not know who he travelled from Ireland with or whether he was alone, I can't find records for him and don't know where to start. People are saying his name could have been something other than Kearns eg. Kerin??? Any help would be appreciated.
Bernadette Kearns

Sduddy
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Re: I need help to find my grandfather

Post by Sduddy » Thu Apr 19, 2018 6:33 pm

It’s great to have the father’s name: Denis Kearns/Kearn/Kerin/Keran etc.

The name Dennis was not common among the Kerins. So here’s my candidate for your great grandfather: A Denis Kerin in Griffith’s Valuation leasing a farm in the townland of Ballyconry in Drumcreehy parish: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith- ... eID=227691

This Denis died in 1887, aged 76. His death was registered in Ballyvaughan – see www.irishgenealogy.ie. The record shows that he was married. His address is Ballyconnree.
I’m pretty sure that it’s his son, Patrick, who is shown living in Ballyconry in the 1901 census. Patrick is aged 52, which means he was born about 1848. There’s no record of his birth or baptism – registration of births did not become law until 1864 and parish records of baptisms in Ballyvaughan start at 1854. I tried to find a record of his marriage as this would give his father’s name. The 1911 census states that he and his wife Mary are married 40 years so they must have been married about 1870, but I failed to find a record of it.
But one of their sons is called Denis, which is an indication that Patrick’s father was Denis. Denis junior is not living at home in either 1901 or 1911. He is a servant at the house of Mr. Evans in Lisnanard (Drumcreehy D.E.D.). I know that he is Patrick’s son because his birth was registered in Ballyvaughan in 1882 and this gives his parents as Patrick Kerin and Mary Flaherty, Ballyconnree.

So, after all that, I think that your grandfather, John, was a brother of Patrick. I suspect that he was born a little before 1854 and that there’s no record of his birth.

Someone else may come up with another candidate.

Sheila

Sduddy
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Re: I need help to find my grandfather

Post by Sduddy » Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:04 am

I made an error there – the death of Denis senior should be 1881 – not 1887. So he was born about 1795.
The death of a Bridget Kerin, from Ballyconnree, at age 95, was registered in Ballyvaughan in 1893. The person who reported the death was Pat Kerin, her son. I’m sure this Bridget was the widow of Denis.
She was born about 1798 and would have been aged 50 in 1848, so her having a child in the 1850s would have been most unlikely.
This is making me have second thoughts about Denis of Ballyconry being your great grandfather.

There's probably a better candidate for your great grandfather. More searching needed.

Sheila

Sduddy
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Re: I need help to find my grandfather

Post by Sduddy » Sat Apr 21, 2018 12:46 pm

Hi Bernadette

I'm looking for another candidate for your great grandfather. But with no success. For instance, I looked at a Denis Kerin who is living in Skehanagh in Clareabbley parish in 1901 (aged 38), hoping that his father was also Denis. So I checked the record of his marriage* to find the name of his father but this shows that his father was John Kerin.
*Denis married Mary Daly in Ballycorick chapel in 1891.

You say that your grandfather John Kerin was born in 1854 (and had emigrated by 1875). I am wondering if this birth year is consistent with his age in the censuses (1901 and 1911) and with his age at death?

In the meantime I will see if I can find another Denis.

Sheila

Sduddy
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Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: I need help to find my grandfather

Post by Sduddy » Sat Apr 21, 2018 1:35 pm

Hi Bernadette again

Here is another attempt but, as you will see, I’m not getting far with it.
In 1879, the marriage of Michael Kerin, aged 28, Gardiner, from Ennis, to Margaret Arkins, Kilshanny, in Kilshanny church, was registered in Roadford registration district, Ennistymon Union.
Michael's father is Dennis Kerin (dead), Farmer. Witnesses: Daniel O’Donnell, Anne Arkins.

Michael seems to have "married in". He and Mary are in the 1901 census living in Smithstown in Kilshanny parish. They have no children.

I see that the death of a Denis Kerin, aged 70, was registered in Ennis in 1870. But the image is not available to view online. It would have been useful to get an address for that Denis.

There is also the death of a Denis Kerin, aged 73, registered in Ennisytmon in 1879. This time the image is available to view but that shows the Workhouse as the place of death and doesn't say where he was from, which would have been helpful. It shows that he was married, though, which is something.

Sheila

Sduddy
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Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: I need help to find my grandfather

Post by Sduddy » Sun Apr 22, 2018 9:18 am

My sight must be failing me. Firstly, Michael was a Car Driver (not a Gardiner!). Secondly he didn’t “marry in” to Slievenagry. He and Margaret went to live in Lysaght’s Lane in Ennis. A daughter Mary, was born in 1882. She died later that year. Bridget was born in 1883. The family moved to Vinegar Lane where Honor was born in June 1884. Margaret, the mother, died later that year. I think Honor died the following year, 1885. Michael is not in Vinegar Lane in the 1901 census.

Going on the age (28) given on the record of his marriage (1879), Michael was born about 1851, so it’s possible that he is a brother of your grandfather John who was born about 1854.

I would like to know where his father, Denis Kerin, lived. More searching needed.

Sheila

Sduddy
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Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: I need help to find my grandfather

Post by Sduddy » Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:38 pm

I can continue the story of Michael Kerin: He is in the 1911 census aged 69, a Car Driver, widower, living in Salthouse Lane, Ennis. He has had four children of whom 2 are alive.

This showed that I had missed the birth of his first child, John, which was not in Lysaght’s Lane in Ennis, but in John Street in Kilrush on Nov. 06, 1880; Michael’s occupation: Car Driver. Baby John was baptised that day; sponsors: Thomas McGuane, Maryanne McGuane.

In 1911, John is aged 31 is living with his father Michael in Salthouse Lane - also his (John’s) wife, Mary Margaret, and their two children Michael and Mary. John’s occupation: Pensioner – Regular Army. Michael's daughter, Honor (born 1883), is not in that household, but clearly she had survived childhood and was somewhere.

John and Mary Margaret Kerin went on to have three more children: Bridget in 1912, Patrick in 1914, both born in Salthouse Lane, and Ellen in 1915, born in Steel’s Terrace, Ennis. John’s occupation: Labourer.

So there are probably plenty of descendants of one Denis Kerin living in and around Ennis to this day. But I still have not found where Denis himself lived.

Sheila

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