Thank you for visiting my blog!

Thank you for visiting my blog!

This blog is used to share information I find about the families I am researching. To see these family names click on the "My Families" tab. Please feel free to make comments, corrections, and ask questions here or on my Facebook page or go to the "About Me" tab to send an e-mail.

Reading this Blog

My posts can be accessed by the date posted from the column on the right. Blog posts containing specific surnames can be found by clicking on the names in the left column.

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Friday, May 26, 2017

Friday's Photo: Florence I. Giddens


This photo and the other photos of Florence were
found in my grandmother's album. The photos were
dated 1927.

Arthur and Florence in Phillipsburg.
Arthur was born in 1904 and the son of Peter and
Rose Schwartz Samer.
Two years after Florence's death, Arthur
married Emma Mae Richards.
Arthur died in 1996 at the age of 91.
See his complete obituary at this link. 
Florence I. Giddens was my grandmother's sister. She was born February 21, 1895 to Charles Giddens and Mary Lucy Glynn in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.  Florence married Arthur Samer on August 25, 1924 in New York City. Florence and Arthur adopted a daughter, Billie. In 1934, Florence died from complications of strep throat. She is buried in Easton Cemetery next to her mother. 













This telegram was sent to my grandmother, Edith Giddens Davis, to inform her about the death of her sister. Arthur Samer requested she contact her mother's sister and niece, Carrie and Anna Alter. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 


Diana
© 2017

Sources

Arthur Peter Samer (1904 - 1996) - Find A Grave Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May. 2017. <https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&amp;GRid=43307524&amp;ref=acom>

Arthur Samer in the New York City, Marriage Indexes, 1907-1995. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May. 2017. <http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61406&h=9313382&tid=45260559&pid=6887144817>.

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn. 

Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog: Friday's Photo: Caroline Glynn. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May. 2017. <https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/fridays-photo-caroline-glynn.html>.

Friday, May 19, 2017

Friday's Photo: Julia Murray Moylan and Her Family





I first posted Julia Murray Moylan's photo in 2012 with very little known information. Baptized, March 25, 1893, Julia Murray was the daughter of James Murray and Celia Linnane in Ballyvelaghan, County Clare, Ireland. The  10th of 11 known children, she was the only child to remain in the Ballyvelaghan area and only one of two to remain in Ireland. 

Julia married Patrick Joseph Moylan. He died in 1956 after a bicycle accident in front of their home. Click here to see his obituary. Julia and Patrick had two children, Patrick and James. 

Son, Patrick, immigrated to the United States and lived with William and Susan Murray Quinn in NYC for a time.  A photo of Patrick and his obituary can be seen at this link

Son, James, lived in South Wales for 30 years before his death in 1987. 

Julia died on November 30, 1988 and is buried in Cillin Graveyard along with her husband and son, James.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 


Diana

© 2017

Source

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn.

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Honoring the Mothers in My Family Tree


Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!
Happy Mother's Day to my sister - a wonderful mother and grandmother!

Happy Mother's Day to my Aunt!

Friday, May 12, 2017

Friday's Photo: Said to be Mary Rourke



If you have looked at my genealogy website, you may have seen this photo. A copy of this was sent to me by a Murray family descendant who stated it was said to be Mary Rourke. Mary Rourke and Patrick Murray, of Ballyvelaghan in County Clare, were the parents of James Murray. James was the father of my husband's grandmother, Susan Murray. 

Very little has been found about Mary Rourke Murray. Her parents are currently unknown and her birth and death dates have not been found. 

If any descendants of this family have a similar picture or have information about Mary or her husband Patrick, please share!

Birth record for James Murray - November 1, 1851

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2017

Sources

Ancestry.com. "Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915."  Web. 10 May. 2017. <http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=61039>

Family photographs and documents from the collection Diana Bryan Quinn

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Looking for the Murray Family Home in County Clare

An American Murray cousin visited Ireland several times in the 1970s and 1980s. She wrote "Julia {Julia Murray Moylan} told us that her parents lived in the house and she and all her brothers and sisters were born there." However, good sources in Ireland say this house is much too new to be the Murray home in the 1800s. 

This post has more questions than answers. I know the Murray family lived in County Clare. Information from the Clare Heritage Centre in 1987 indicate my husband's grandmother, Susan Murray, and her family lived in Ballyvelaghan in County Clare, Ireland. However, researching this family is confusing as I have seen residences written as New Quay, Burren, and Ballyvelaghan. 

In 1920, James Murray, my husband's great-grandfather, applied for the "Extract from Census Return of 1851." On the application, his address was written as Balleyveleghan, New Quay, Burrin, Co. Clare

I love knowing James Murray applied for a census return in 1920 and he listed his parents.Was he interested in family history or property ownership? What was he expecting to find?  Who was M. J. Gaynor? Was he family? A friend? The postmaster? Unfortunately, James Murray's record was not found when he requested it and most of the 1851 census was later burned.

Looking at Google Maps did not resolve my confusion about the location of the Murray home. However, the website Irish Townlands, based on OpenStreetMap, did help with my understanding of townlands. 

According to Irish TownlandsBallyvelaghan is in the Electoral Division of Abbey, in Civil Parish of Abbey, in the Barony of Burren, in the County of Clare. 

Ballyvelaghan has an area of only .49 square miles and is bordered by New Quay and Finavarra Demense to the west, Cartron and Munnia to the east, and Mortyclough to the south. 

New Quay (also seen as Newquay) is in the Electoral Division of Abbey, in the Civil Parish of Oughtmama, in the Barony of Burren, in the County of Clare. 

According to Irish Townlands, New Quay has an area of only .42 square miles and is bordered by Ballyvelaghan and Finavarra Demense to the east and Rine to the west. 

Did James and Celia Murray live in the same home throughout their marriage or did they move between the townlands? Were the townland names used interchangeably in records? Or, was their property located on the townland border crossing into New Quay and Ballyvelaghan. Below you can see the Murray family's residence as recorded in church and other documents.
  • 1874 - Marriage record for James and Celia. James' home is written as New               Quay. Celia's home was Pullogh in County Galway. 
  • 1875 - Residence is Ballyvelaghan on Mary Murray's birth record. 
  • 1876 - Residence is Ballyvelaghan on Tom Murray's birth record. 
  • 1878 - Residence is Ballyvelaghan on Bridget Murray's birth record. 
  • 1880 - Residence is Ballyvelaghan on Sarah Murray's birth record. 
  • 1890 - Residence is Ballyvelaghan on Peter Murray's death record. 
  • 1896 - Residence on Susan Murray's birth record is New Quay. 
  • 1901 - The Murray family is recorded on the census as living in                                 Ballyvelaghan.
  • 1906 - James paid for a dog license. His residence was recorded as New                      Quay. 
  • 1908 - Ellen Murray (aka Helen / Sister Columbkill) reported her father's                address as New Quay.
  • 1909 - James residence is listed as Ballyvelaghan in court records - charged                with not having his name printed on a wagon when on a public street. 
  • 1911 - The Murray family was recorded on the census as living in                                Ballyvelaghan
James Murray was reported as the landowner of a house with 5 to 6 rooms in Ballyvelaghan on the 1911 census. One Irish cousin thought the house had been torn down. Another said that it was a two story farm house and is still standing. 
  • 1911 -  Catherine "Kate" Murray reported her father's address as Burrin                 on the ship manifest to the USA. 
  • 1920 - James requested a census record and his address was written                            as Balleyveleghan, New Quay, Burrin, Co. Clare
  • 1923 - James paid for a dog license. His residence was recorded as New                      Quay. 
  • 1935 - James' death record indicates his residence was Ballyvelaghan
  • 1943 - Celia's death record gives her residence was New Quay.
I wonder if someone reading this (Irish friends and relatives) can better explain these townlands - especially New Quay and Ballyvelaghan. If so, please leave a comment here or on my Facebook page

AND, my last question - Is my post,  A Cemetery in New Quay, County Clarecorrectly titled? OR, should it be A Cemetery in Mortyclough, County Clare?

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 




Diana
© 2017

Sources

Ancestry.com. "Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915."  Web. 10 May. 2017. <http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=61039>

Ancestry.com. "James Murray in the Web: Ireland, Census, 1901."Web. 10 May. 2017. <http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=70667&h=9623321&tid=45260559&pid=48578508058>.

Ancestry.com. "James Murray in the Web: Ireland, Census, 1911." Web. 10 May. 2017. <http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=70564&h=13723008&tid=45260559&pid=48578508058>.

 Clare Maps. Web. 10 May. 2017. <http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/genmap/#M9C-9.08788!53.15536Z15F1L11L30a5*>.

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn. 

The Family of James Murray and Cecilia Linane. Freepages., 2005. Web. 10 May. 2017. <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bryanquinn/Murray-James-Linane-Cecilia.htm>.

Find My Past. Institutes & Organizations. Web. 10 May. 2017. <http://search.findmypast.com/results/ireland-records-in-institutes-and-organizations?firstname=james&lastname=murray&keywordsplace=new%20quay>.

Irish Townlands. "Townlands in Co. Clare."  Web. 10 May. 2017. <https://www.townlands.ie/clare/>.

Friday, May 5, 2017

Friday's Photo: A Cemetery in New Quay, County Clare




I expected to find this cemetery near St. Patrick's Catholic Church. It wasn't far, about three quarters of a mile - one minute by car or a 15 minute walk. My husband's great-grandparents are said to be buried in Cillin Graveyard. It was anglicized as Killeen Cemetery in obituaries found in Irish newspapers 

You can see this cemetery up close, including photos of each gravestone, by visiting this link at Irish Graveyards. My husband's great-great grandfather, Patt Murray, is listed as being buried in the cemetery. Julia Murray Moylan and her family are buried very close to Patt Murray. There is no mention of my husband's great-grandparents, James Murray and his wife, Celia Linnane. However, it is very likely they are buried in the grave or same area as Patt Murray. The gravestone can no longer be read and I wouldn't be surprised if there are more names on the stone. 


Visit this link to follow the road from Saint Patrick's
Church to the Cillin Graveyard located just
before you arrive at the New Quay National School. 

Saint Patrick's Church, New Quay

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2017

Source

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn