Gafneys from Legwee and surrounding towns

Hi,

Finding information that far back is not easy.  Here is a link to some of the transportations, https://www.nationalarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ireland-Aust…  I could not find Gaffney's listed, but it gives you an idea of the reasons for their sentence, some very petty.  There is some excellent detail on what is available and where else to search on this page https://www.nationalarchives.ie/article/penal-transportation-records-ir…

I know that some records are available on https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-919437026/findingaid  Also look on Trove at https://trove.nla.gov.au you may find obituaries or some other mention of their lives, I have corresponded with other people from Australia and they sent me links to articles on Trove.  

What is your source for the names of their parents?  I had a look at RootsIreland (subscription based), it holds mainly records and is used to supplement the lack of civil records pre 1864, indeed it is not complete as many registers are missing and not all transcribed.  

I found the following baptism but nothing for Francis and they are not from Legwee:

Hugh Gafney    Date of Birth:    
          Date of Baptism:    05-Nov-1814
Address:        Parish/District:    CAVAN
Gender:    Male    County    Co. Cavan
Denomination:    Roman Catholic
Father:    Patrick Gafney    Mother:    Anne Sheridan
Occupation:            
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:    Philip Brady 
Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:    Mary Early 
Notes:
© 2020 Copyright Cavan Genealogy 

By good luck the family appear in the 1821 Census, Catherine is not with them, I wonder did she die in childbirth? Perhaps she was staying close by with other family members.  The family are lodging with Hugh and Rose Daly, I wonder are they her parents?  Some research was undertaken into this specific census by Patricia Galligan in 2006, she was looking in particular at ther own family, but she gives a good oversight to their parish.

There is a James Gaffney in the Tithe Applotments in 1824 - see this link http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?…  and also in Griffiths Valuation http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNam…

As their father was born circa 1785 you would hope that he died after civil registration began, I searched irishgenealogy.ie, there are a number of them that could be him, but all the images are not available yet, they can be purchased.  I also looked at the Will Calendars http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/reels/cwa/005014903/005014…; and found a James that died in Cloncovit, which is close to Legwee, with Catherine as his wife, but a 2nd marriage may not be ruled out.  You could try tracking John that was with the family in 1821.  

For a fee you could contact
Cavan Genealogy
1st Floor, Johnston Central Library, Farnham St., Cavan 
Tel: +353 (0) 49 4361094
Email: cavangenealogy@eircom.net 

Best of luck with your search and if you wish to bounce anything with me please do.

Regards Carmel O'Callaghan

Hi Carmel,

Thank you so much for all that work. The names of the family members related to Hugh and Francis were taken from their convict indents. I then located a family who fit that description - names and ages - in the 1821 census that you refer to above. The Patricia Galligan research omits Catherine but she is there on the original document. I have not found any leads regarding John Gafney, a brother, but believe I have found a Michael Gafney residing in Legwee in the 1901 census whose age makes it possible that he might be a brother of Hugh and Francis.

There is a Michael Gafney of Legure Ballinagh - which I am assuming is Legwee? who had a son, Joseph, who emigrated to New York. I have found some other records in petty session transcripts relating to a Micheal Gafney of Legure Ballinagh so not sure if they are one and the same or different men with the same name. Or perhaps a new Gafney family living in Legwee.

Like you, I too wondered whether Hugh and Rose Daly were possiblly Catherines parents or grandparents. Or whether my particular Gafney family had simply relocated and were lodging with someone not related to them. I know very little about Irish Genealogy, or Im ashamed to say, Irish history, to know what might be usual in that period. I would dearly love some help researching this more but would not know where to begin. In 1821 Hugh Daly was aged 80 and his wife, Rose, was 78. I have searched for a marraige between James Gafney and Catherine Daly but havent found anything. Actually havent found a marriage for James Gafney at all. 

I have reached out to the Cavan Genealogical society for help with regards to James and Catherine and seeing whether it might be possible to trace the family further back or to find out more about the siblings who remained in Ireland.

Once the boys reached Australia information is a little easier to come by. Trove played a big part in that.  

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my post. If you are able to add anything further I would be truly grateful. 

Kind regards,

Kate

Hi Kate,  

I dont know if Legure, Balinagh is the same place, Legwee is listed on this site with its various spellings https://www.logainm.ie/en/5612?s=Legwee, it is on the road to Ballinagh and could fall under its postal area, I am not from there so I am not sure.  The other caution I have to offer is that very little of the 1821 Census survived, so I hope you have the correct family.  These two men left just before The Great Famine, here is a little bit of history for you https://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/a-non-famine-h…  Indeed in Ireland there has been a silence from the ancestors as to how they survived, perhaps suffering from a guilt having survived.  Our history is like most countries very devisive.  

Regards Carmel