Barbie asked:-
and I suppose I should kein betreff..... just another question. I also
have ansestors who claim they were from "Irish Free State," What/Where is
Irish Free state circa 1850's?
Barbie "Cactus Flower" <barbie8674@hotmail.com>
St. Louis
Barbie,
There was no "Irish Free State" until circa 1920, when, as a precedence of
the times, an agreement was drawn up and there was devolution of the mainly
Catholic States in the south,(now known as Eire) leaving the mainly
Protestant northern states allied to Britain (now known as Ulster).
When your ancestor set down "Irish Free State" I suspect he belonged to the
Fenians founded by James Stephens, a secret society in 1858 dedicated to
bringing about an independent Ireland - the Irish Republican Brotherhood,
known as the Fenians. A linked organisation, the Fenian Brotherhood, was set
up in the US the following year. Finding the names of the prominant people
and the county where they were active may help you - I think County Mayo
might have been one. The dreadful Irish potatoe famine, caused by blight,
occurred about that time which you can learn about in the National Irish
Archives, which have papers and collections online in conjunction with the
Irish Potato Famine. Also distress papers, transportation registers, prison
registers, letter books, and more. This is an invaluable source for many
types of research. Although there was a fire circa 1910 when mosts of their
archives were lost, there is still some 1811 and 1841 census and rental
info. remaining and the churches in each dioces have records.
Have you found the county origins of the surname you are looking for? For
instance, the name of my husband 'McCarthy' originated in County Cork,
southern Ireland. I actually haven't got that far back, I am following two
separate Catholic McCarthy lines, one in Scotland circa 1780's, the other in
Wales, c1801- it was not unusual to sail to and from the mainland.
Sorry I coulnd't be of more help.
Rena