ThanksI am trying to find out details about Margaret Comerford’s (died approx. 1852) birth family, her parents, who her siblings were and who her sibling’s children were and if any came to America and where they might have settled. Margaret Comerford married Laurence Ryan (1798-1873) in Castlecomer, County Kilkenny Ireland on Feb 3, 1835. Patt Comerford and Margaret Jacob are listed as the witnesses and Barrack Street is referenced in the marriage record. Margaret and Laurence are my great great grandparents. They had several children.
What I do know:
I know Laurence Ryan was married to Mary Lalor (aka Lawlor) on Sept 26, 1853 so presumably Margaret died sometime before that (approx. 1850-1853). I would like to know if Margaret Ryan (nee Comerford) is buried in the Immaculate Conception Church graveyard.
Margaret and Laurence’s children who survived childhood are Ellen Ryan (1835 – 1918), (m Amaziah L Ashman in NYC in 1864), Anne Ryan (1839-1877) (m Thomas Cochrane in Ireland in 1868) and James J Ryan (1848-1929) (m Hannah Cusack in Philadelphia, PA in 1871). Anne, my great grandmother died in childbirth in Castlecomer, Ireland but her husband Thomas Cochrane (and my great grandfather) and their children came to the US. I have a lot of information on Laurence and Margaret's children but I want to know more about their mother Margaret's birth family.
Through a lot of research of various records, I located a family of Comerfords who were grocers and lived in Brooklyn NY and were cousins of James J Ryan and Ellen Ryan. Parents: Patrick Comerford (1821- 1891) and Jane McGuire (1833-1890) and their sons Patrick Comerford (1863- 1895)
John Comerford (1866- 1893)
Lawrence Comerford (1853- 1893)
Thomas Comerford (1866- 1893).
This family all died in Brooklyn between 1890 and 1895 and as far as I know they left no children.
Through more research using a newspaper article related to the death & will of Patrick Comerford (1863-1895), I located another family of Comerfords also from Brooklyn who are children of a James Comerford and Margaret Mullaly and these Comerford siblings are also cousins of James J Ryan and Ellen Ryan. Other than these 2 Comerford families from Brooklyn I do not know any other Comerfords from Castlecomer who might be related to my great great grandmother from Castlecomer. I would appreciate any help anyone might be able to give me in locating any Comerfords who might be related to my great great grandmother Margaret Ryan (nee Comerford), regardless of whether they stayed in Ireland or where they may have migrated to. I am happy to share details of the Comerfords who I found in Brooklyn and of any of the other people I reference in this post.
Thanks!
Marge Gillis
Marge
Wednesday 4th Jul 2018, 03:44PMMessage Board Replies
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Marge:
Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!
I checked the subscription site Roots Ireland and they had two 1813 Margaret Comerford RC baptismal records. The transcriptions are below. Both records do not list a name for the mother. Castlecomer records start in 1812 but there is a gap between 1818 and 1828. If Margaret married in 1835, an 1813 year of birth is very likely.
I can't assist you with the graveyard question. Have you e-mailed the church?
Have you tested your DNA?
Roger McDonnell
Name:Margaret ComerfordDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:01-May-1813Address:SheanaParish/District:CASTLECOMERGender:FemaleCountyCo. Kilkenny
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:James ComerfordMother:Not Recorded Not RecordedOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:James Stapleton Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Ellen ComfordName:Margaret ComerfordDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:04-Apr-1813Address:ComerParish/District:CASTLECOMERGender:FemaleCountyCo. Kilkenny
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Edward ComerfordMother:Not Recorded Not RecordedOccupation:
Sponsor 1 /
Informant 1:William Collier Sponsor 2 /
Informant 2:Mary ComerfordCastlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘