Putting them on the Fanningstown map

In previous posts, we have looked at some of the manuscripts (House and Tenure Books) used to complete the published version of Griffith’s Valuation.  In this post, we will attempt to identify the exact location of the family in Fanningstown.

Since there had never been a comprehensive survey of Ireland previous to Griffith’s, the first step in the assessment was to gather information about the physical lay of the land.  Townland boundaries were marked, topographical surveys were taken, and maps were created to aid in the valuation process.  These maps are quite detailed and show locations of roads, water features, trees, fences and hedgerows, and even prehistoric earthworks.  Each field in a townland was measured in English stature acres, soil properties were determined, and the results were recorded in Field Books.  The intention was to identify each tenement on the map along with the name of the tenant and its value to ensure consistency of valuations across the island.¹ 

Fanningstown in Griffith's
(Click to enlarge)

While most of the maps included a number reference to Tenure and House Books on the map itself, not all townlands followed the standard.  One of those areas was Fanningstown.  I suspect that may have been because of the large number of changes in the population during the survey process.  The published version of Griffith’s for Fanningstown is shown to the left.²   Compare that with the House and Tenure Books shown in the last post. (What did the House Look Like)  You can see how many changes were made to the numbering scheme in each book; and, sometimes the books do not even match one another.  There was an appeal process to challenge valuations.  The appeal for Fanningstown was held 3 February 1852 at the Session-House in nearby Croom.  Many of the appeals have been published. I have not found one for Fanningstown so it is not known what those specific changes would have been. 
 

Over the course of many years, multiple maps were created.  Ask About Ireland shows six different maps for the Fanningstown area including the original maps and several revisions. To date, none of the maps show the year they were created.  (Maps of Fanningstown)

 

Revision Map

Original Survey Map

Map of Estate Sale

Even more changes were made by the time the first Revision Book (dated late 1850s to 1862) was retired.  And, to complicate the picture even more, Fanningstown, along with other areas, was sold at a public auction by the owner, Hamilton Jackson, on 10 July 1860.³  A very helpful sales catalogue was created to advertise the sale which included a map and detailed descriptions of the leases and when they were contracted, along with information about the major tenants. Fanningstown was divided into three Lots.  I believe all were sold to the same person, Sir David Roche, who owned a nearby estate. 
 

The result is that it is very difficult to determine where the property for the Browne family was actually located.  The best we can do is look at all of the information available and try to follow a paper trail of the changes comparing names, acreage, and valuations of both land and buildings.  Three maps are shown above.  The first is the original survey map.⁴ The second map was created for the estate sale⁵; and the third map is, what I believe to be, the first revision or some date close to one of the first revisions.⁶

Sales catalogue-Lot 13

Also shown left and below are detail schedules of the sales catalogue and both pages of the 1862 Revision Book.   I will not attempt to identify all of the changes, but, there are a few that may help in locating the property.  

We do know the Tenure Book identified Timothy(Thady) and Thomas Browne with 27 acres each.  John and James Browne are shown with 23 acres; so, we would normally look for three properties about the same size.  The earlier Tithe Book, discussed in a previous post (But Really Where in Fanningstown), identified the property in two parcels, presumably showing both Thady and Thomas in one parcel of approximately 58 acres.  The original survey map does show three properties of approximately the same size in the northern most section of the townland.  However, property holdings for a tenant were not necessarily contiguous to one another.  To add more confusion, sequential numbers shown on any list did not always indicate that properties were located next to one another. 

Sales catalogue-Lot 14

The first thing we notice when comparing the Tenure Book (shown in a previous post), the published Griffith’s, the sales catalogue, and the Revision Book is the large amount of acreage that was redistributed; some to the owner, Mr. Thomas Jackson⁷, and some to other tenants.  The tenement for Thady and Thomas was originally listed as #11a & b in the Tenure Book, but renumbered 7B.  It was given up to the owner prior to the publication of Griffith’s.  Because this information does not help to put them on the map, we try to find some consistencies in all of the records that will identify, at least, someone in the townland.

Sales catalogue-Lot 15

James Moloney is shown with 54 acres in the Tenure Book; 101 acres in the published Griffith’s (plus 47 acres); and, 61 acres in the Revision book (minus 40 acres).  The earlier House Book identified him as having the only slate roof house in the townland.  The description in the sales catalogue also identifies this tenement with a slate roof house, the only one in the townland.  From this information, we can determine that this is likely the same property.  The property is located on the map from the sales catalogue in the lower portion of lot 13, and as 4C in the Revision Book and on the revision map in the same location as the sales catalogue. 
 



1862 Revision Book-p1
(Click to enlarge)

While the Tenure Book listed the property of John and James Brown as 23 acres, it was shown with 44 acres in the published Griffith’s, an additional 21 acres.    If we look closer at the description and map for the sales catalogue, Thomas Hogan is shown with the same acreage.  Moreover, the valuation of the house (£2) is the same in both Griffith’s and the Revision Book.  The description for Thomas Hogan states the tenancy began in 1856, a date when John and James could have been gone. It looks like Thomas Hogan took over the holding of John and James Brown.  It is shown in the sales catalogue map in the top most section of lot 13 and as lot #1 on the revision map.  
 

1862 Revision Book-p2
(Click to enlarge)

 Perhaps part of the Thady and Thomas property was combined with John and James Browne and subsequently included in the tenement of Thomas Hogan?   There may also be another explanation.  Eliza Hogan, (some relation to Thomas Hogan?) held 36 acres in the Tenure Book.  A notation states that 15 acres was given up to “Capt Jackson.”   That would have left 21 acres which could have been combined with the John and James Brown holding to make up the 44 acres.  To add to the confusion Eliza Hogan is shown with 49 acres in the published version of Griffith’s.   She is not shown in the sales catalogue, nor, the Revision Book.
 

 Michael Walsh is shown in Lot 13 of the sales catalogue with 37 acres.  Michael Walsh is not shown in Griffith’s, but, there is a John Walsh with 16 acres and a David Walsh with only a small garden.  (The Tenure Book shows ten acres as the combined acreage of John and David Walsh.)  Is Michael related to John and David?  The Revision Book shows Michael with 32 acres and 12 acres.  The 12 acres is in dispute with James Moloney.   Could the 32 acres be part of the tenement that was given up by Thady and Thomas Browne, or, is it part of the property that belonged to Eliza Hogan?
 

These entries are all very confusing.  Even more confusing is that the Tenure Book does not show property owned by the Jacksons.  The published Griffith’s shows 282 acres; the Revision Book shows 284 acres; and, the sales catalogue shows 341 acres, lot 15 in its entirety.  The Revision Book and map does show tenaments two and three with 31 and 17 acres respectively within the area of lot 15 in the sales catalogue, and, probably accounts for the difference in acreage stated for the owner.  Could these two lots be the property of Thady and Thomas??  Lot 14, although there are still many changes, is a little more stable; yet, Thady and Thomas could have held land in that area also.  
 

Griffith’s, the sales catalogue, and the Revision Book do show the total acreage for the townland at 544 acres.  Regardless of how the property is sliced and diced, the numbers do not point directly to a specific location of Thady and Thomas.  I feel fairly certain that John and James were living in the holding identified as Thomas Hogan in the sales catalogue and Revision Book and map.  They were always identified in the number one spot in the earlier records.  I also think that the holding of Thady and Thomas was in the area identified as lot 13 in the sales catalogue although I can’t be specific as to the location.  One final observation is the dashed line running through the section labeled 4A, 4B, and 4C on the revision map.  Does this have anything to do with land disputes or earlier land divisions?  
 

Take a look at the records and see if you can distinguish the property.  I’d love to hear your conclusions! 
 

1.       Reilly, James R., Richard Griffith and His Valuation of Ireland, Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 2000, pp. 1-27Griffith,
 

2.       Griffith, Richard, General Valuation of Rateable Property in Ireland . . . Barony of Coshma, County Limerick, Unions of Croom, Kilmallock, and Rathkeale, Parish of Adare,Townland of Fanningstown  1851, Digital image from Find My Past: www.findmypast.com/  The image has been modified to display the entire townland on one page rather than spanning two pages as shown in the original.
 

3.       One result of the famine for estate owners was the financial difficulties experienced as a result of reduced and delayed rent payments.  Many estates needed to be sold to meet “financial and legal obligations.”  So it was with Hamilton Llewellyn Jackson.  Originals of Landed Estates’ Court Rentals 1850-1885 database at Find My Past, http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/landed-estates-court-rentals-1850-1885
 

4.       Griffith, op. cit.     http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=or%2fgriff%2fmaps%2f2861v1&parentid=or%2fgriff%2fmap-plan%2f812642&highlights=%22%22

5.       Find My Past, Landed Estates Court Rentals 1850-1885 database,   http://search.findmypast.com/record?id=ire%2flec%2f4506888%2f00705&parentid=ire%2flec%2f4506888%2f00709%2f003

6.       Ask About Ireland, Griffith’s Valuation,  http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/single_layer/i8.php?lat=&longt=&dum=0&sheet=21&mysession=2479984710600&info=&place=&county=Limerick&placename=<b>Fanningstown</b>&parish=Adare&country=Ireland&union=&barony=Coshma

7.       The Tenure Book shows the owner as Thomas Jackson.  The sales catalogue and Revision Book show Hamilton Jackson.  Hamilton Jackson is the son of Thomas Jackson.

 

What did the house look like?

Tenure Books give information on the property and type of lease for each tenant.  House Books add another dimension to the picture we have of our ancestors.  They identify the actual footprint of the house and any other building on the tenement, and describe the condition of each building.  Together, House and Tenure Books  can provide an idea of the prosperity of each family in relation to others in the area. 

3rd page of Fanningstown House Book
(Click to enlarge)

Remember, the Tenure Book indicated the tenancy for both Thomas and Thady (Timothy) Browne was released to the owner in December 1848.  (Complete Fanningstown Tenure books are shown at the bottom of the post.)  Take a look at the House Book for Thady Brown at the left.¹  The entry for Timothy/Thady is at the bottom of the third page of Fanningstowns valuation.   It shows Thady Browne scratched out with “vacant” next to his name.  I suspect the house was identified as vacant when the family left and was later demolished since the entire entry is crossed off with “down” written in several places. 

 From the description of the house and other buildings, we get a pretty accurate picture of what the property looked like.  The house measured 43.9 feet long and 19.3 feet wide with a porch or wind break on the front.  The outside walls (the length of the house) were 6.9 feet high.  The number in the “Quality Letter” column (2 for the house) indicates the house had stone walls with lime mortar and a thatched roof.  While the house was in good repair, it was a second class house of medium age in slight decay.  This is indicated by the “B” in the quality letter.²   Included in Thady’s holding was a stable (3C) measuring 24.6 feet long and 15.9 feet wide, and a barn.  The copy is difficult to read, but, I believe the barn is about 30 feet by 18 feet.

Typical thatch house with farm buildings
Courtesy of National Inventory of Architectural Heritage

 A typical thatched house would have had a steeply pitched roof, as much as 50%, to shed water.  There would have been a central “living” room with a hearth and probably a room opening to either side with a sleeping loft over one room.   Doors and windows were located in the side walls with doors opposing each other in the central room.  The width of the house was determined by available building materials.  The house shown above right is of an existing house built approximately 1790 to 1810 in County Limerick in Ballymacashel³ less than 10 miles from Fanningstown.  It is probably pretty representative of what Thady’s home would have looked like including the placement of the farm buildings.  The picture is used with permission of the Irish Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht , National Inventory of Architectural Heritage at www.buildingsofireland.ie.  They have many other wonderful examples that you might be interested in viewing!

1st page of Fanningstown House Book
(Click to enlarge)

The property of John and James Brown⁴ shown on the first page (first entry) of the Fanningstown House Book would have been similar in size and structure to that of, what I believe is brother Thady.  (See copy of House Book to the left.)  The house was 42 feet by 20 feet; the barn was 40.9 feet by 18 feet; and, the stable was 28.5 feet by 12.9 feet.  These structures also were stone buildings with thatched roofs.

4th page of Fanningstown House Book
(Click to enlarge)

 The house for Thomas Browne⁵ is shown on the fourth page of the Fanningstown House Book.  (See copy of the House book to the right.)  This property has Thomas’ name crossed off with “vacant” written next to it.  It also shows John Madden living in the dwelling.  Since John Madden is shown in the published version of Griffith’s with a house rated approximately the same, I believe this is the same holding.  It appears the house started out as 43.4 feet by 18 feet; however, the length of the house is crossed off with “15” feet written in.  Does this mean the house was altered (part of the structure torn down) or was John Madden living in only a portion of the house?  If a portion of the house was not destroyed, then it could possibly have been used for storage or to house livestock, although the House Book does not indicate this.  If the property was converted from a dwelling to farm buildings, I think that would have been indicated as is shown for lot 6 at the bottom of page 2⁶ (Last entry on page 2 shown below left).   

2nd page of Fanningstown House Books
(Click to enlarge)

 All but three of the buildings in the townland are identified as having thatched roofs.  The exceptions are the lime kiln house of Mr. Jackson, the owner of Fanningstown townland, (shown as a “new” structure) and the house and barn of James Moloney (lot 5 on the first page with John and James Browne).  The average length of the houses in this area is 35 feet, with most being in the 35 to 40 foot range.  Most of the houses are 18 to 20 feet wide.   Two houses were longer than those of our family; one being Eliza Hogan’s at 64.6 Feet (although this house is classed as 3B being a poorer quality than the Browne houses) and the vacant house of John McNamara (lot 6a) at 55.6 feet.  There were two very small houses.   Ellen Kelly’s house measures 23.6 feet by 14 feet.  The house for James McCormack measures 18 feet by 11.9 feet with a notation that “this house is raised against a ruined wall.  It is so very worthless that I have omitted it in the Poor Law Sheets but left room for it if required.  It is only a temporary refuge.”  Twenty-five houses were originally valued; five of those houses were destroyed during the survey.

 The survey for this area of County Limerick took place during the height of the famine and I believe is representative of what hardships people faced throughout that time.   There were evictions, deaths, and emigrations as a result.  But our family, like so many others, were survivors and had fond memories of their homeland as evidenced by the stories handed down.

Now that we have a good idea of the people in Fanningstown and the houses they lived in, the next post will look at the property and try to actually put them on the map.

 

1.        Browne, Thady, House Book, Townland of Fanningstown, Co. Limerick, dated February 1848 to September 1850, Family History Library, microfilm #2299825, item 25, page 28. The original copy of the microfilm is in poor condition.  I tried to clean the copy but there are still areas that are difficult to read.  

2.       Quality codes were used to value buildings. The codes include both a number, identifying construction materials, and a letter describing the condition of the structure.  There may also be a + or a – sign to further distinguish the appearance.  Letter “A” indicates the building is new or nearly new; “B” identifies a building that is of medium age (about 25 years old); “C” indicates a building is old.  Numbers “1” and “2” indicate a structure of stone or brick with lime mortar; “1” identifies a slate roof where “2” indentifies a thatch roof.  Buildings showing “3” are thatched structures with stone walls with mud mortar or mud walls.  See http://timeline.ie/griffiths-valuation-house-books/ for further explanation of quality codes.

3.       Thatched House, Ballymacashel, County Limerick, National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Reg. No. 21901223. www.buildingsofireland.ie   This building shows three chimneys.  Thady’s house would probably have had only one central chimney.  Exact measurements of the house are not available.  When I contacted the NIAH, they estimated the length of the building as it stands now at 59 feet because of the extension of one bay probably in the later 19^th century.  The NIAH is similar to the National Register of Historic Places in the US. 

4.       Browne, John and James, House Book, Townland of Fanningstown, Co. Limerick, dated February 1848 to September 1850, Family History Library, microfilm #2299825.

5.       Ibid

6.       ibid

Fanningstown Tenure Book - 1st page

 

Fanningstown Tenure Book - 2nd page

 

But really, where in County Limerick?

After I eliminated the three Timothy Brown(e)s found in Griffith’s Valuation, I actually gave up looking for the family, at least for awhile.  But, I decided I would review all of the House and Tenure Books for Timothy in the area of Patrickswell  After all, we do know the family did not leave until after May 1847, and, the valuation for Patrickswell was being done at that specific time frame.  

 
I won’t burden you with all the details, but, it took a long, long time to find him.  I will tell you that I started in the vicinity of Ballybrown in the northern part of the church parish.  The name of the parish is Patrickswell and Ballybrown Catholic parish.  Now, you would think that with a name like Browne, logically, the family would be in the Ballybrown area, right?  Wrong!  There were no Brownes in Ballybrown, nor were there Kellys or any of the other names shown in the church record.  Who would have thought? 
 
When I finally got over that fixation, I decided to try the area around Castleroberts where Timothy #2 was located.  I’m not sure why I picked that area, but, I think there was a guiding hand somewhere.  Fanningstown, next to Castleroberts, but notably within Patrickswell parish was one of the areas I checked.  


Fanningstown Tenure Book
(click to enlarge)

The first entry in the Fanningstown Tenure Book is John and James Browne.  The original image covers two facing pages.¹   The image at the left shows both the left (top portion) and right (bottom) sides of the document.  The left side shows the Occupiers name, who the land was leased from and whether there is a house, farm buildings, etc.  The right side of the document shows the amount of acreage, rent due, the date of the lease and any notes made by the valuator.  The lease for John and James Browne started in 1818 and runs for the duration of the landlord’s life.  There evidently was some problem because they were in the process of being ejected from the tenement.  It was settled and these men ARE shown in the published version of Griffith’s which means they were in residence in 1851.  The second entry shows James Moloney and Ellen Kelly.  Ellen is a charity case living in a cottage that is “rented” from James Moloney.  There is a good possibility that Ellen is a relative of James Moloney.   They, too, are in the published Griffith’s. 


Fanningstown Tithe
(click to enlarge)

 I didn’t see an entry for Timothy Browne anywhere in the townland; however, as I look through the remaining entries, I see Hogans, and Hallinans along with the Kellys and Moloneys.  These names sound very familiar and are indeed surnames shown in the church records.  I was curious enough about the names to look at an earlier record set that is used as a census substitute – the Tithe Applotment.²   (See copy of the Fanningstown Tithe record at the right.) 
 
There were two lines, at the top, showing “Browne Jno & Brothers.” Line 4 shows Maurice Hogan and line 11 shows David Hallinan.  Maurice and David were witnesses at the marriage of Timothy Browne and Hannah Kelly!  I looked at the Fanningstown Tenure Book again and found entries for Thomas and Thady Browne. ³   (See image for Thomas and Thady Browne below left.  Image has been cropped to show only these two men.)  Like the image for John and James, the left portion of the document is shown in the top portion; the right side of the document is at the bottom.  While they are shown together, each of them holds about 27 acres of land.  John and James above have 23 acres.  Looking back at the Tithe record for John Browne and Brothers, they hold a total of 75 acres.  Combining the three entries in the Tenure Book, there is a total of approximately 75 acres.  This is probably the same family, but where is Timothy?  I initially decided this was a different family and went on to other townlands with no luck. 

Thady Browne Tenure Listing
(Click to enlarge)

 
That is until I took an Irish Genealogy course in 2011 which included a lecture on names and naming patterns.  It seems that Thady (pronounced Tā ^. dy) is a substitute name for Timothy!  The Irish have a LOT of alternative names and nicknames.⁴   The letter from the Limerick Archives (see previous post dated January 3, 2016) gave an alternative name for Hannah; it did not mention any alternative for Timothy.  The actual church registers, not available to me until 2012, (shown in the same January 3, 2016 post) show Thady/Thaddeus in some of the records.   I only wish I had known about this earlier!
 
Now the Tenure Book entry for Thady and Thomas Browne makes sense.  They are part of the “John Browne & Brothers” from the 1821 Tithe Record.  There are two other vital pieces of information in the Tenure Book.  First, notice that both Thady and Thomas Browne are crossed off with the notation “Dead.”  Does this mean one or both of them were dead?  Because of the notations in the Observations column, I believe both had died.  The tenure for these men began in 1826 as a “joint lease” but had been given up to the land owner, Mr. Jackson, in December 1848.   Remember that prior to 2011, I had located a passenger list that gave the date of the family’s arrival in Boston in January 1849.  Taking into consideration the average length of time for the voyage, December 1848 would be a logical date for the family to have left Ireland.
 

Poverty Relief Loan
(Click to enlarge)

There is another piece of information that provides further proof that Timothy and Thady are the same person.  Early in 2015, Find My Past made a new record set available.  This is the Poverty Relief Loan List (Reproductive Loan Fund).   A loan is registered for “Timothy” in Fanningstown.⁵  (See image at right.)  The document gives the names of the persons who signed as surety for Timothy.  One of them is Patrick Kelly of “Lys,” (contraction of Liskilly, the townland bordering Fanningstown on the north), who is the likely sponsor at the baptism of Mary Browne in 1837.
 
There is other information available for Fanningstown, but, that will need to wait for the next post . 

 

1.       Browne, John, Tenure book, Townland of Fanningstown, Co. Limerick, dated February 1848 to May 1849, Family History Library, microfilm #2299188

2.     Browne, Jno & Brothers, Tithe Applotment, Townland of Fanningstown, Co. Limerick, dated 1821, National Archives Ireland, http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/reels/tab//004239502/004239502_00383.pdf

              Tithe taxes were collected to fund the state church, The Church of Ireland regardless of whether you belonged
              to that church or not.  Taxes were collected from those engaged in agricultural endeavors and was not generally
              collected from towns people unless they had a garden plot somewhere.  It was not collected from those engaged
              in other occupations, such as a cooper, or miller for example. 

3.       Browne, Thady, Tenure book, Townland of Fanningstown, Co. Limerick, dated February 1848 to May 1849, Family History Library, microfilm #2299188

4.       While there are many sources available to identify Irish naming alternatives, two of the best are: A Rose by any Other Name: a Guide to Irish Christian Names by Judith Eccles Wight available online at https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE105460; and First Names in the Help section of RootsIreland.ie at http://www.rootsireland.ie/help/first-names/.  Roots Ireland is a pay site, but the Help section is free.  Each site has names not shown in the other.  The composite list of names for Timothy is:  Tim, Timy, Timmy, Timothius, Timotheus, Timothi, Timothio, Thaddeus, Thady, Theady, Tady, Teigue, Teagye,  Tomaltagh, Tumelty, Tiomóid, and Tomaltach.  Alternate names for Honoria are: Hanora, Honorah, Hanara, Hanorah, Hanna, Hannah, Hon, Ann, Anna, Honny, Honor, Noey, Nonie, Nora, Norah, Norrie, Norry, Onny, Johanna, Joh, Johannah, Joanna, Johan, Joan, Jane, Siobhán, Nancy, Nóra, and Onóra,  It’s no wonder they were so hard to find!

5.       Timothy Brown, Fanningstown, Security Notes of Borrowers and Sureties for Loans, 1845, Find My Past,  http://findmypast.com/   Poverty Relief Loans/Productive Loans were made by the British government to "industrious poor" people in depressed regions of Ireland, predominantly the western portion of the island, in an attempt to alleviate poverty in those areas.  The loans cover a period from 1821 to 1874; however, the majority of the records are for 1824 to 1846

Finding a Townland

In the United States, one of the first places to search for ancestors are US and state census records.  Unfortunately, the first intact census in Ireland is for 1901.  Because of that, we look for a census substitute nearest the time frame when we know our ancestors were still living in Ireland.  For the Browne family, the last record in Ireland is the 1847 baptism of Thomas, the youngest son of Timothy and Hannah Browne.  The first record in the United States, that I had at the time of my research, was a baptismal record for Patrick Brown dated 27 Mar 1854, son of Patrick Browne, at St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church in Columbus, Ohio¹.  Patrick, the father, is the oldest son of Timothy and Hannah Browne and is one of the immigrants.  So we know the family came to America between 1847 and 1854.   

Griffith’s Valuation is a tax valuation that was completed and published between 1846 and 1864.     While it is considered a “land record,” information was collected on virtually every occupier in Ireland regardless of whether they owned land or not.  In fact, relatively few people owned land, but, because of the destruction of so many records in Ireland, and because it includes records on much of the population in the country, Griffith’s has become one of the most significant census substitutes in Ireland.

 

I consulted indexes for Griffith’s Valuation for County Limerick and located three possible entries for Timothy Brown(e): 

1.       Timothy Brown, Ballyveelish Townland, Parish of Crecora, Limerick

2.       Timothy Browne, Castleroberts Townland, Parish of Adare, Limerick

3.       Timothy Browne, Dollas Upper Townland, Parish of Croom, Limerick

 

At the time I was initially researching the family, I used a website that is no longer available, Other Days.  Now there are several online sites that provide access to records for Griffith’s Valuation.  One free site is Ask About Ireland at http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/.  Other pay sites are also accessible online.  They are: Roots Ireland at www.rootsireland.com, Ancestry.com and Find My Past at http://www.findmypast.com/.  Ask About Ireland and Find My Past also provide maps, both current and historical, which makes it easy to locate the geographic location of your ancestor.  Easy, that is, if you are sure of the location.  As stated in an earlier blog, the Patrickswell church records did not provide the name of the townland.    

Parish boundaries for Patrickswell RC Church, Co. Limerick
(click to enlarge)

When I received the church records from the Limerick Archives, a map of the parish of Patrickswell and surrounding areas was included with the letter.²   (See the map at the left.)  The map has proved invaluable in determining the specific location of the family.   I quickly eliminated Timothy Browne #3 from Dollas Upper since he was not in close vicinity to Patrickswell, and is actually located about ten to fifteen miles southwest of the village.  (Patrickswell is shown in the center of the map.)  That left Timothy #1 and Timothy #2 who were not in the parish but were close enough to have traveled to Patrickswell for church events.  Timothy #1, in Ballyveelish, was a couple of townlands to the southeast of the village and the church; Timothy #2, in Castleroberts, was adjacent to the parish of Patrickswell but still a few miles away from the church.  So, I thought either of these two Timothys were candidates for our ancestor.   

 

Timothy Browne about 3/4 down page,
Griffith's Valuation for Castleroberts, Adare, Limerick
(click to enlarge)

The published version of Griffith’s is what we are used to looking at online. For the Patrickswell area, Griffith’s was printed in 1850-51.  (See copy of the printed Griffith’s for Castleroberts at the right.³)  The published version was compiled from handwritten notes, notably Field Books, Perambulation or Tenure Books, and House Books, collected while surveying and valuing each tenement.⁴   Cancelled or Revision Books were also created annually after Griffith’s was initially completed to record changes in occupiers or owners as well as improvements to each tenement allowing authorities to collect and adjust taxes appropriately.⁵   Revision Books continued to be updated until fairly recent times and can be used to track the history of a family or tenement.   A wealth of information is contained in these records, and, depending on where your ancestors originated from, and the date Griffith’s was completed for the area, may provide more detailed information, and earlier information for the family.  I have found that it took a period of time, from 12 to 18 months in some cases, to complete the valuation process before publication.  And, during times of great change, such as the famine of the 1840s, the notes can provide information not appearing in printed records.

 

While it was intended to make the House and Tenure books available online by the National Archives of Ireland sometime in 2015, (see information in the Irish Genealogy News blog at http://www.irishgenealogynews.com/2015/02/digitisation-plans-for-griffiths.html), they have not yet become accessible and obviously were not available online in 2005 while doing my research.   They are, however, available on microfilm from the Family History Library.  I decided to use these records to determine which of the two Timothys, if either, was our ancestor.   

 

Timothy Browne third from top in Castleroberts Revision Book
(Click to enlarge)

Timothy #2 is shown in the Revision Books until 1879, well beyond the date our family arrived in America; so he can be eliminated.⁶   (See copy of the Revision Book to the left.)  The Tenure Book for Timothy #1 was created in December of 1847, a time when our family should have been in residence.⁷   The published version of Griffith’s shows Timothy Brown in tenement 1a with 157 acres.  The Tenure book shows David Carmody in residence at that tenement with a 45 year lease that had expired.  Timothy #1 could have taken up the property between the time the lease for David Carmody expired, 1847, and the time Griffith’s was published in1850; however, in the meantime, I found another piece of information which eliminated him from the running.

 

I had finally located a ships passenger list for the family that arrived in Boston in January, 1849.  I will save that discussion for a future blog when we look at our family in America.  I also want to look at Timothy #2 again in the future.  His is an interesting story and we very well may be related to him.  That will require more research to determine.  However, the next blog will tell the nitty gritty about how the townland for our Timothy was finally found.  

  

 

1.        Wolf, Donna M, compiler, The Irish in Central Ohio: Baptisms and Marriages 1852-1862, St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, Columbus, Ohio, Publisher unknown, 1991, p. 17

2.       Map of Patrickswell RC Parish and surrounding parishes, from Limerick Archives, 2003.  Parish divisions are superimposed on a Townland Index Map.  Dotted lines indicate townland boundaries.

3.       Griffith, Richard, General Valuation of Rateable Property in Ireland . . . Barony of Coshma, County Limerick, Unions of Croom, Kilmallock, and Rathkeale, Parish of Adare,  1851, Digital image from Find My Past: http://Findmypast.com 2015

4.       Reilly, James R., Richard Griffith and His Valuation of Ireland, Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 2000, pp. 13-32

5.       Ibid, pp. 38 and 43-47.

6.       Browne, Timothy, Revision Book, Townland of Castleroberts, Co. Limerick, dated 1879, Family History Library, microfilm #0848593

7.       Brown, Timothy, Tenure Book ,Townland of Ballyveelish, Co. Limerick, dated December 1847, Family History Library, microfilm #2299189

 

Instant gratification!

On December 26, 2003, I sent a request to the Limerick Archives for baptismal records for the Brown family.  In just over a week I had a response and what information was contained in the response!  I felt like I had really hit the jackpot so the amount I paid for the records, which really was not very much, was worth every penny. 

2004 letter from Limerick Archives
(Click to enlarge)

The records were found in Patrickswell Roman Catholic Church.  Yes, this really is our family despite the discrepancy in the mother’s name – Hannah vs. Johanna (the church records also show Honora).  Not all of the information agreed with the information in the David Brown letter, but the differences were very few.  (See the response from the Limerick Archives at the left. ¹)  The siblings are listed in the same order with two exceptions.  There is an additional child, David, between Patrick and John that had not previously been identified.  Since I have not found information on him in America with the rest of the children, it is assumed that he died sometime between his baptism in 1832 and the date the family arrived in America.  Moreover, it seems that “David” is an important name in the family since that name tends to be repeated in several generations. 

The other difference is the absence of a record on James.  The Limerick Archives letter gives a possible explanation that children who were not thriving at birth may have been baptized at home and not recorded in the church records. 

James G. Ryan in his book, Irish Church Records, gives other reasons why baptisms might not have been recorded.  First of all he states that it is not clear where baptisms actually took place before the mid 1800s.  This could have been in the home of the parents or other relative, in church, or even perhaps in the priest’s house.  He further states that many priests owned horses and visited their parishioners to “administer sacraments,” particularly in rural areas. Ostensibly, the priest would have taken notes about these sacraments but could have failed to initially record them or missed transcribing them when he returned to the church following his circuit.  It also appears that several priests, or clerks, recorded the events and one of them could have missed recording the baptism.   Ryan also states that, “There is also the possibility that the priests may have demanded a fee for the sacrament which the family could not afford.” ²

Church records can now be searched online at either www.rootsireland.ie or www.irishgenealogy.ie  depending on the location of the ancestors, and, since July 2015, actual copies of the records are available at http://registers.nli.ie/.  But they were not available back in 2004.  So, when I traveled to Dublin in 2012, I made a point of stopping by the National Library to obtain copies.  (Note that the records for Patrickswell are listed under “Lurriga.”) 

Patrickswell original records
(Click to enlarge)

When I found the actual records in the Patrickswell church records, there appears to be a few discrepancies in the abstracts from the Limerick Archives.  The most obvious is that the marriage of Timothy Brown and Honora Kelley took place in 1830, not 1930 as identified in the archives letter.  Another difference is that the month of David’s baptism is actually October, not January.  Also, the second sponsor at the baptism of Patrick appears to be Domina Hallinan and not Mary Moloney.  (See copies of the baptismal records at the right.³)  Note the sponsors for the marriage and baptismal records.  These become particularly important in future research.

The letter goes on to state that the names of the parents of Timothy Browne and Hannah Kelley are not known since there are no baptismal records for them but that, at least, Hannah likely came from Patrickswell since marriages usually took place in the bride’s parish. 
 
The other missing piece of information was the actual address of the family in Patrickswell.  Patrickswell is the name of the church parish.  In Ireland, there are church parishes and civil parishes which are not the same when looking for geographic locations.  There is also a village of Patrickswell which is located about 10 miles southwest of the city of Limerick.  We were planning a trip to Ireland in 2005 and wanted to find the homeland and needed a more precise location, specifically the townland, within the civil parish.  
 
A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland, a book by Brian Mitchell⁴, gives a cross reference of church parish to civil parish.  The maps for the area are very small and Patrickswell could be in the civil parish of Adare or the surrounding parishes.  How I determined the townland will be the subject of the next post.

 

1.        Limerick Archives, Limerick, Ireland, 2 Jan 2004, Letter to Mary Ann Faloon, Wilmington, OH.  Letter contains marriage information for Hannah Kelly and Timothy Brown,  and baptism information for their children, Patrick, David, John, Mary, Johanna, and Thomas,
 
2.        Ryan, James G., Irish Church Records, Flyleaf Press, Dublin, Ireland, 1992, pp 120-123

3.       Patrickswell Catholic Parish registers at the National Library Ireland.  Page numbers refer to the online records at http://registers.nli.ie/.

Marriage Timothy Browne & Honora Kelly, 16 Feb 1830, p. 116, microfilm 02409-05, Lurriga, Limerick

Baptism Patrick Browne, 26 Nov 1830, p. 29, microfilm 02409-05, Lurriga, Limerick

Baptism David Browne, 11 Oct 1832, p. 39, microfilm 02409-05, Lurriga, Limerick

Baptism John Browne, 1 Jan 1835, p. 52, microfilm 02409-05, Lurriga, Limerick

Baptism Mary Browne, 21 May 1834, p. 63, microfilm 02409-05, Lurriga, Limerick

Baptism Johanna Browne, 21 Sep 1841, p. 89, microfilm 02409-05, Lurriga, Limerick

Baptism Thomas Browne, 6 May 1847, p. 13, microfilm 02409-06, Lurriga, Limerick

 

4.       Mitchell, Brian, A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland, 2^nd Ed., Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 2002