McMahon Family

Elizabeth,

Ross’s birth in 1865 gives the family townland as Corravoy. That’s more commonly known as Corravohy. Griffiths Valuation for 1857 lists Bernard McMahon farming there on plot 4 which was a 22 acre farm. Not too difficult to find today should you ever wish to go there.

I searched for deaths for Bernard McMahon senior and for his wife Helen. Death registration only started in Ireland in 1864. I don’t see a death in the Cootehill registration area in the period 1864 to 1901 for Bernard and so suspect he died pre 1864. The name Helen tends to be the Scottish version of what is Ellen in Ireland. There are no Helen McMahon deaths that might fit but there is an Ellen McMahon who died in 1872 aged 89. The death cert is not on-line free and you would need to buy a copy (€4 from GRO Roscommon) to see if it is the right family. 

Elwyn,

That was quick! Thanks very much for the information.I will look in to the death of Ellen in 1872.

Thanks again

Elizabeth

Yes, I assumed that the name Helen Riley came from a Scottish certificate. You do get some Helens in Ireland but Ellen is much more common. However when in Scotland it mostly appears as Helen, as that is evidently the version more commonly found there. So I think your Helen's an Ellen, if you follow me.

Elwyn,

Do you know of anywhere else I can look for the birth certificate of Rose Ann.? I have her marriage and death certificate already.

Thanks

Elizabeth

Elizabeth,

You won’t get a birth certificate for Rose Ann if she was born around 1855. They weren’t introduced in Ireland till 1864. The only other option is a  copy of her baptism, if you can locate it. Drung RC baptisms start in 1847, and they are on the rootsireland site. I checked them but did not find hers. I widened to firstly all Co. Cavan and then all Ireland but did not find her in either search.

What I did find in Drung’s records was Sarah Rose McMahon bapt 29.12.1853 to Bernard & Ann McMahon (mother’s maiden name not shown). The sponsors were Widow Brady & Thomas (no surname shown, it’s probably illegible). The family lived at Curavahan, so I’d say that’s Corravohy. So it’s the right family (especially with a Widow Brady as sponsor who is presumably Ann’s mother).

Also John McMahon of Corevahan (again that’ll be Corravohy) to same parents bapt on 30.1.1861. Sponsors Pat Hegarty and Anne Gilroy. If John isn't in the Scottish census records then he may have died. If that was before 1.1.1864 there won't be a record of it in Ireland. Obviously from 1864 onwards you can check Irish & Scottish death records. Likewise for Sarah Rose, unless it is  possible that Sarah Rose is Rose Ann?

None of the other children you have named are in those rootsireland transcripts. Most RC parish records in Ireland are on-line free on the National Library site:

https://registers.nli.ie

However in this case there is a note on the website saying they don’t have Drung’s records. There’s a microfilm copy of them in the National Library in Dublin and another in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. But you have to go in person to view either set. Viewing them might reveal entries that have been missed in the transcription process or that some years entries are missing or too faded to be legible which might explain the missing records. That’s all I can suggest.

I also searched for Bernard & Ann’s marriage but did not find it. Drung’s marriage records only start in 1847, so if they married there before that, there won’t be a record.

Elwyn, 

Thanks for all this information! I Iive in Vancouver, Canada ..so won't be able to go view the records in person! If I ever make it over to Ireland...I will !

Sarah Rose might be Rose Ann after  all.

Thanks again

Elizabeth

Elizabeth, 

I've been searching for information about my McMahon ancestors from County Cavan. I have a little information about my great grandfather, John McMahon. I can find no record of his birth or baptism, but census records and RIC records tell me he was born in County Cavan around 1854 or 1855. His marriage records from 1882 say that his father was a farmer, Michael Mcmahon, still living at the time. John's death certificate from Scotland lists his parents as Michael McMahon and Susan Conaty. I've not had much success trying to find information about Michael McMahon or Susan Conaty.

The dates and parents don't match up at all to the baptismal record found by Elwyn for John McMahon, so I'm sure the record is not my great grandfathers. However, I'm intrigued to see that one of the sponsors for John McMahon was Anne Gilroy.   My late grandfather left some notes saying that his father, John McMahon, was born near Cootehill in 1855 and that John's mother died when he was young, so he was partly reared by "a maiden aunt" named Anne Gilroy. Perhaps there's some connection between my McMahon family from Cavan and yours?  

At any rate, best wishes for your research.

MaryEllen McMahon