McNamara of Bodyke

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corajoy
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2019 10:32 pm

McNamara of Bodyke

Post by corajoy » Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:39 pm

Hi I am wondering if anyone can help. My great grandmother was Bridget McNamara who came out to New Zealand on the Waitara in 1878 with her Brother John. At the time Bridget was 23 and her brother John was 20. John died here in 1881.
Through Dna I have been able to find a Patrick Mc Namara who lived in Ballymacdonnell,Bodyke he was married to a Margaret Considine about 1823. Among their children were Bridget born 1836, Patrick born 1838, Dennis born 1842 who died in 1925 and Michael born in 1845 who died in 1909 at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. All were born in Ballymacdonnell,Bodyke.
I have no idea who Bridget and John's parents were or if they had other brothers and sisters. That is what I would like to know. I presume Patrick and Margaret were Bridget and Johns Grandparents or maybe Patrick had a brother who was.
I would be grateful for any information
Have a wonderful day
Cora

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

Re: McNamara of Bodyke

Post by smcarberry » Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:56 pm

Hello, Cora,

Fortunately for you, the parish films became available and have been transcribed up through 1881 by some of us Clare descendants. I did the baptisms and marriages for the RC Parish of O'Callaghan's Mills Parish, which covers the Killuran area, including the townland of Ballymcdonnell. There are records fitting your facts for that townland. Note that Bodyke is much farther north in the county, although still part of the basic East Clare community of the 1800s. You can reconstruct the family of your Bridget and double-check your findings with other descendants and other NZ records. I'll give you a start and provide the links to where my transcription is on the Clare County Library website.

My own people were just a mile or two away at Lakyle, but I have been keeping an eye on a Connell family of Ballymcdonnell, as well as any RC Molony in this locality prior to 1860. BTW after doing the transcription I have realized that my reading of handwriting indicating "Carny or Canny" for Bridget's mother should have been Cooney, for which there are numerous baptisms for that townland at this time. With two tries at having a child named Bridget, and the first such child being this couple's first girl, the odds are (due to the naming pattern in use then) that Michael's wife Bridget had a mother named Bridget. To determine if the mother was alive in the 1850s, collect all the baptisms for this couple's children and see if you see a Bridget as a godparent.

Just a note of caution: there were numerous McNamara families in and just outside this parish prior to 1860, so try to stay in as small an area as possible when doing the family comparisons, unless you have a solid lead on why a sibling would have left for another parish.

Have fun and let us know if you have further questions,
Sharon Carberry
USA

Marriage https://tinyurl.com/y2ulfsuj
20 Jan 1849 Michael McNamara of Ballymcdonnell to Bridget Couney
witnesses: Lawrence County, Ball__ , Anne Murphy, BallyMcd__

Baptisms https://tinyurl.com/y2f36v8g
First child named Bridget
15 Nov 1851 Bridget, of Michl. McNamara & Bridget Couny, Ballymcdonnell
sponsors: Matthew McNamara, Mary Molony

Second child named Bridget
2 Dec 1855 Bridget, of Michl & Bridgt. Carny/Canny, Ballymcdonnell
sponsors: Michl. & Mary McNamara ("and" when used by this priest indicates a married couple)

30 July 1858
John, of Michael McNamara & Bridget Coony, BallyMcDonnell
sponsors: John Molony, Mary Torpy

corajoy
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2019 10:32 pm

Re: McNamara of Bodyke

Post by corajoy » Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:42 am

Thank you so much Sharon you have made my day. I wasn't hopeful of getting information but this is going to be a great help and not just to me :)
Thank you for all your wonderful research :)
Have a lovely day
CorA

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