Whelan - not sure where to start

Molly:

Welcome to ireland Reaching Out!

This may be a difficult search. About half the RC parishes in Co. Longford have records starting well after 1820. I did a 20 year search on Roots Ireland and found one record in your time period (see below) but when I searched for a Francis and Thomas, I did not locate a record for them which casts doubt on the record.

I looked at the Tithe records from the 1820s/1830s and there were eight Whelan entries but I'm not sure all parishes are on the online file maintained by the National Archives.

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?…

You mentioned a Whelan family in the 1901 census but there were 43 Whelan people overall in Longford in the census.

You may want to consider autosomal DNA testing which might identify a Whelan match where the person has more info on the family.

Roger McDonnell

Name:James WheelanDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:04-Aug-1817Address:Not RecordedParish/District:LONGFORDGender:MaleCountyCo. Longford
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:Patrick Wheelan

Thank you for the reply, Roger. That helps confirm that I am at least looking at some of the right resources. I think I simply need more clues about the family I am trying to find. We have so little information from their time, and all of it is third-hand or passed on through (possibly hazy) memories. I will keep looking.

Molly

Definitely Whelans buried in the old Longford town graveyard at St Johns Church, Longford. We are currently doing a recording of headstones and I recall coming across at least one old Whelan gravestone. The graveyard is attached to the C of I church today but it has burials of all denominations going back to 1700s with over 500 headstonesin total. I will check our records when I get an opportunity.

Molly,

Wheelan headstone at St Johns Church, Longford reads as follows...........

 

God be Merciful to the soul

of Hugh Wheelan who de

parted this life October 25th 1804

aged 74 yrs also his wife Catherine 

Wheelan alias Roddy who

departed this life 8th of Sept 

1792 aged 53 yrs also their daugh

ter Margret who departed this

life 28th of April 1792 aged 32 yrs

Erected by their son James Wheelan

 

In an added note the author Luke Baxter says the following....... 

A corn mill at Church Street was leased to John Roddy in 1723.

Seven Wheelan families are listed as paying tithes in Longford town in 1825.

 

Note: There are also 7 Roddy headstones

 

 

Sorry, only 6 other Roddy headstones as follows.........

 

God be Merciful to

The soul of Paul

Roddy who departed

this life August the

21st 1773 Aged 56 yrs

Erected by his Son John

Roddy

 

Authors note as follows.....

Roddy name recorded on Main Street, Longford in the 1830s

 

Sacred to the memory of

John Hodgins late of Kilnasavogue

in this County who Departed this

Life the 1st Febry 1801 in the 61st

Year of his age And of his Wife

Mary Hodgins alias Roddy who

departed this life the 25th of Sept

1795 in the 50th year of her age

Erected by their youngest son

Benjamin Hodgins three of whose

Children are also buried here

Viz Charlotte William & Thomas

VIRTUTE ET VALORE

 

 

Pray for the Soul of

Frances Roddy who

Departed this life

June ye 8th 1746 aged

48 yrs

erected by her

Husband Paul

Roddy

 

 

Here sleepeth awaiting the

Resurrection of the just the Body

of Barnaby Roddy late of Longford

who departed this life May 10th 1807

aged 26yrs

this stone was erected by his

Affectionate Wife Alice Roddy

 

Authors note states

This was the son of Barnaby Roddy, a well known surveyor and 

mapper - there are still a number of his works around and they

occassionally come up for auction - the Lisnavagh Archives

contain three pictorial surveys by him dated Oct 1767 showing

Thomas Bunbury's estate in Longford - Clonkeen, Cordivan & Trillickatemple

 

 

 

Sacred to the memory of

Faustin Roddy of Longford

Weighmaster who died 2nd

Nov 1832 Aged 76 yrs

Erected as a small token of filial

Affection by John C Roddy

 

 

Authors note as follows.......

Faustin was also a son of Barnaby. His widow Jane d 31st July 1847

aged 80. His eldest daughter Margaret died in the Hibernian Hotel, Sligo Oct 1853 aged 62

 

Pigots Directory 1824 lists Jaustin Rhody as a Linen & Woollen Draper on Main St, Longford

 

Authors note as follows.........

John C Roddy d 31st July 1847 of dropsy, aged 47yrs. His widow

Mary Anne ( nee Butler, Athlone) died suddenly in Athlone 18th 

Jan 1851.

 

 

 

 

Here lies the Body

of Jane Roddy

daughter of Barnaby and

Mary Roddy

who departed this life

8th day of Oct 1766

aged 2yrs

 

 

Hope this information might give you some leads in the Longford area

 

Kind Regards

John 

Molly,

The spelling used in the Tithe applotments has both Whelan and Wheelan. Looking at Wheelan and I see John Wheelan at Ballykenny & Knockmartin ( just outside Longford town back then) now part of the town, Edward Wheelan at Glenoughill in Ballinalee, William Wheelan at Townspark, Longford and Francis Wheelan at Lisfarrell, Longford

The repeat enteries may or may not be the same persons holding different plots of land but familiar family names are appearing

Wheelan matches the headstone spelling. Gives you some other possible leads to work on

 

 

 

 

On Griffiths Valuation the spelling has become Whelan - 10 families listed in the Longford area

Catherine Whelan at Lisfarrel, Longford

Michael Whelan at Turnpike Road ( now Dublin Street), Longford

Peter Whelan at Turnpike Road, Longford

William Whelan at Turnpike Road, Longford

Hugh Whelan at Abbeycartron, Longford

Francis Whelan at Ballykenny, Co Longford

Thomas Whelan at Cornapark, Ardagh, Co Longford

Mary Whelan at Currygrane, Ballinalee

John Whelan at Glenoughill, Ballinalee

Patrick Whelan at Glenoughill, Ballinalee

 

More possible leads

 

Hi Molly i may have some info.Think these whelans were Clonbroney.Killoe.
Marie

Hi, Marie,

I would welcome more information. I do not have much information except the names of the family members who emigrated. I now believe that there were (at least) four siblings, possibly more - Francis, born around 1815; James, born 1820; Thomas F., born 1831; Catherine, born 1832. I know that James arrived in the U.S. before 1847 (this is when he married in New York). Some researchers suggest that there were two more brothers, but I do not have any clear information to support that.

These are common names and appear in several families, so I am looking for information which aligns with what I can be sure of.

Molly

I meant to add that the newspaper obituaries for Thomas F. and his sister Catherine state they were natives of County Longford. I previously did not have any document to support the "family tradition" of their origins.

Dear Molly

Unfortunately I cannot help you regarding your Whelans. I have noted that a johncfarrell has been trying to help you. I hope you don't mind but the folllowing message is for johncfarrell.

Hello John

My third great grandmother was Ann Farrell. Ann married Bernard Hagan in 1807.

Marriage Record Details
Parish Name: Longford
Date of Marriage: 18070430
Register 3 Page 212 Entry  242

Husband: 872212
Surname: Hagan
Firstname: Bernard
Std Surname: Hagan
Denomination: RC
Occupation: NR
Townland: NR
Source Ind: M
Person Type: H
Age: NR
Status: BA

Father: 872214
Surname: Hagan
Std Surname: Hagan
Firstname: NR
Occupation: NR
Mother: 872215
Surname: NR
Std Surname: NR
Firstname: NR

Wife: 872213
Surname: Ferrall
Firstname: Anne
Std Surname: Farrell
Denomination: RC
Occupation: NR
Townland: NR
Source Ind: M
Person Type: W
Age: NR
Status: SP

Father: 872216
Surname: Farrall
Std Surname: Farrell
Firstname: NR
Occupation: NR
Mother: 872217
Surname: NR
Std Surname: NR
Firstname: NR

Witness 1: Catherine Ferrall
Witness 2: James Hughes

Information confirmed in Longford Ireland by Pauline Flood of Longford Genealogy Centre in Longford town in 2012. 

Ann and Bernard had at least 8 children. Ann died in 1820 in Longford and Bernard in 1826 in Knocklaughlin, Longford. Seven of Ann and Bernards children came to Australia aboard the ship 'Forth' arriving Sydney 28 Aug 1841. They were said to be orphans and their ages varied wildly in sunsequent records after they arrived in Australia. Their names were Patrick, Mary, Felix, Ann, Rose, Margaret Ann and Bernard. The youngest child James, who would have been about twenty years old at the time did not come with the other seven siblings. 

I have often wondered whether James survived and whether I have living relatives of James in Ireland today and or other living descendants of the Farrell and/or Hagan families. I know that Farrell is a common name in Ireland but when I saw your name and willingness to contribute I thought maybe I should contact you in case you have come across this family group and can provide further information about them.

Thank you in anticipation of chatting with you via email

Regards Rhonda Flowers (nee Munday)

 

 

Hi Molly sorry only getting back now.Im Whelan but dont know if you connected to us.My family Killoe,Ballinalee direction.Search National Archives 1901-1911 go into Clonee then Killyfad(Cullyfad)Rhine(Rhyne,You will find Wheelans which is my Grandparents.
Allenagh more Whelans.Currygrane 1901 My gr granmother.
Glonoghill John whelan.
Names connected to Whelans Quinn,Flynn,Davis,Fealy,mcnaboe.
Hope this might help you.Now i checked with my cousin in England her gr gr grandad was Francis who emigrated to England think she said it was before or after your family.Reason i think you maybe connected is all the children have all same names.Back then they tended to be named after grannies grandads,aunts,uncles which make it very difficult to research as you could end up with 5 Patrick Whelans
New site open to research ilrecords irish genealogy.ie.Might help you too it is more likely you are connected to my family.My cousin Pauline her gr grandad Francis married a girl from Galway emigrated to Birmingham in 1857 moved to new jersey had 3 children born in jersey but came back to Birmingham 1874.
Do hope that has been some help.Please let me know if i can help in anymore research for you.
Marie