Surname Saturday: Bridget Corcoran from Ireland

This will be a very short post, indeed! As you likely know, Surname Saturday, is a very useful blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers and if you follow here you can see how I relish each Saturday's work because it brings me to see what's missing. As I step through the generations, and now we're into Generation 5, I can see where the tree is well built out and where there are dead ends or holes. This week we're stumbling into a big hole.

Our focus is my 2nd great grandmother, Bridge Corcoran. As you'll see in short order, her life is pretty much a mystery. But never mind, we've only just begun! Our Irish ancestors and their records, that are a complete mystery to me now, will be tackled one fine day. So here we go and let me share what Mom and I know now.

1. Diane K. Weintraub (me)

2. Francis Patrick Kelly 1916 - 2007
3. Virginia Williams Kelly, living and loving it!

4. John Lee "Lee" Kelly 1892 -1969
5. Helen Gertrude Zeller 1894 - 1985

8. Francis Patrick Kelly 1854 - 1923
9. Christiana Eckhart 1861 - 1932

16. John Kelly 1829 - 1891
17. Bridgit Corcoran 1830 - after 1910
John and Bridget were both born in Ireland. We know that John was born in Shannonbridge, in Clonmacnoise Parrish, County Offaly, but haven't a clue as to where Bridget was born... and without a town and a county we're outta luck with our Irish research.
John came to the United States, met Bridget and married here. They married 21 June 1848 in Cumberland, Allegany County, Maryland. They are there in Cumberland in the 1850 US census with Mary, age one year.
In the 1860 US census John is living in Frostburg which is about six miles west of Cumberland, and working as a carpenter. My GGF Francis Patrick, has arrived on the scene and is just 5 years old.
Right now I'm busy looking for this family in the 1870 US census and not having much luck. Have tried alternate spellings and looking for one of the other family members: you know, all the usual tricks. I'll keep trying even if I have to browse the territory from Frostburg to Cumberland page by page.
In the census for 1880 the family is there and we have a pretty good picture of them living in Eckhart, Allegany, Maryland right adjacent to Frostburg where they lived in the 1860 census.  Mary is 18 years old and living 2 doors down with a family named Graham as a servant. My great grandfather Frank Kelly was living at home and working as a blacksmith. Unfortunately for me, who wants every detail to be on the census, John Kelly the head of the house, is simply listed as laborer.
In 1900 Bridget is 69 years old, listed as a widow and living in Eckhart, Allegany, Marylnad with her son John age 28 and next door to her son Thomas who is head of household at age 32. Both boys are working in the coal mines.
The 1910 census was a bother because the surname variation was Kelley, a common enough thing. I visited the record and this time entered a variation on Ancestry.com to help others find this family. In the 1910 census Bridget is 81 and living in the same place with her son John who is 39 and not employed. Low and behold, right next door is my great grandfather, Francis P. Kelly, a conductor on the railroad, and his entire family including my grandfather Lee Kelly who is 18 and working as a brakeman on the railroad!
Bridget died some time after that census but exactly where and when is missing.
For years we thought that her surname was spelled Corkrane, but further records searches showed that it was absolutely Corcoran! Imagine our surprise, but not too much when you pronounce both versions:)
They had eight children:
Mary Ann Kelly 1849 - ????
8. Francis Patrick Kelly 1854 - 1923
Catherine Elizabeth Kelly 1857 - ????
Michael Kelly 1859 - 1909
Margaret Kelly 1862 - ????
Theresa Kelly 1860 - ????
Thomas Kelly 1868 - ????
John Kelly 1872 - ????

End of the line and the beginning of the work yet to be done. We know exactly where John Kelly is buried but have not the foggiest clue as to where Bridget lies. Checking on FindAGrave, we find a burial for a Bridget Kelly in a close-by community. We need to track this one down in person and see what the grave reveals, if anything. Are there other Kelly family members there?

UPDATE: Bridget is buried next to John!!

So much to do, so little time!!

Mom found the tombstone of #16. John Kelly 1829 - 1891

in St. Michael's Cemetery in Frostburg, Maryland

inscribed with his birth and death dates and the

place of his birth as Shannonbridge, Clonmacnoise, Ireland.

It was because of the tombstone above that we were able to visit

the historical site of Clonmacnoise on the Shannon River

as well as the towm of Shannonbridge on our trip to Ireland.

 

 

The URL for this post is: http://nutsfromthefamilytree.blogspot.com/2013/03/surname-saturday-bridget-cockrane-from.html

Treasure Chest Thursday: He Came From Ireland

The blogging prompt for today is to look in the Treasure Chest and see what's there that might tickle a fancy. This is one is easy... and I really do need a prompt today to get me going after my trip back East to see Mom!

I always go for the photos. To me they are the most evocative bit of family history and beg a story if one can be had. So here's my treasure to share with you.

What you see here is the tombstone of my 2nd GGF, John Kelly. When Mom was just beginning the long 40-year task of constructing our family tree, this is one of the places she started. The family knew little about our John Kelly who was born in Ireland and died in Eckhart, Allegany County, Maryland. There was his tombstone, an Irish cross, for all the world to see up in St. Michaels Cemetery in Frostburg. Hard to read, it was, but Mom went again and again trying all the usual tricks of water and sunlight. Finally the rock revealed all it had and Mom recorded it.

John Kelly was born 22 June 1829 in Shannonbridge, Clonmacnoise (the parish name), Ireland. He died 28 June 1891. He married Bridget Cockrane, born Dec 1830 and died after 1910 but we have no good record of her death.

Shannonbridge is in Offaly County, Ireland. In 1854 Kelly was the 9th most common name in the county. And I'm willing to guess that there were more than one John Kellys about the countryside! Am just glad we're not Egans as they have 47 households in Offaly:)

Then in the 1980s Mom and Dad and I went to Ireland and visited Shannonbridge and the historical site of Clonmacnoise. They were just then putting the local parish records on computer and so we had to go see the priest for a permission note to view them. A long climb up a flight of stairs to the place were they were working on the files was paid off with our John Kelly's father's name: John Kelly born about 1800. He married Bridget Brown also born about 1800. And that's our brick wall because records back before that were burned in a fire. More's the pity.

The historical site of Clonmacnoise on the Shannon River.

I chose this as my treasure because it is the most tangible real object that connects me to Ireland. Without it I don't have any idea what I'd do on St Patrick's Day;)


The URL for this post is: http://nutsfromthefamilytree.blogspot.com/2012/10/treasure-chest-thursday-he-came-from.html