Winifred Coyne : Short Biography

Winifred Coyne 1845

Ballynakill Ballynahinch (Galway) Omey (Galway) County Galway County Galway

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Place of migration

Migrated to/Born in UK

According to information provided by my great grandmother Winifred Coyne, she was born in County Galway between 1842 and 1849. She married my great grandfather John Archibald in Glasgow in 1869. John was originally a weaver from Strathaven. Winifred was a dressmaker. John and Winifred had seven children: William John (1870-1937), who eventually immigrated to Connecticut, USA, Barbara (1871-1894), Annie (1873-1899), Irvine (1875-1877), Irvine (1878-1891 ), Winifred (1880-1883), and Winifred (1884-1959). My great grandfather died in Glasgow in 1896. My great grandmother continued to live with her youngest child, also Winifred, until her death in 1921.

Documentation includes my great grandmother's marriage and death certificates, my great grandfather's birth and death certificates, and birth and death certificates for each child. I also have copies or transcriptions for census records for 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, and 1911, from Scotland's People and Ancestry.

I would like to find out about my great grandmother’s early life in Ireland. The little I know has been gleaned from 4 separate, unsuccessful, applications for a government pension, all made in 1916. Winifred was obviously unsure of her early origins and the details on the applications vary:

Parents: Michael or Daniel Coyne (Farmer/Road Surfaceman) and Barbara Lacey, or John Coyne and Mary Gallagher

Uncle: W Burke

Residence in 1851: (alternative details provided with each application)

Application 1: County Galway, Ballynahinch Barony, Omey Parish, Townlands of Cartoorberg, Cloon, Gooreen, Gooreenatinny, Sturrakeen

Application 2: County Galway, Ballynahinch Barony, Ballynakill Parish, Townland of Cleggan

Application 3: County Galway, Ballynahinch Barony, Omey Parish

Application 4: County Galway, Ballynahinch Barony, Ballynakill Parish, Townlands of Bundouglas, Ballynew, Shanboolard, Carfron, Cloon, Sheeauns; or Omey parish, Townlands of Trean, Knockbrack

My ethnicity estimate specifically highlights North Connemara as an area where my family was likely from, and my DNA test has produced many genetic cousins with the surname Coyne or who have Coyne ancestors. However, there's still no sign of Winifred.

Additional Information
Date of Birth	1st Jan 1845 (circa)
Date of Death	1st Feb 1921
Father (First Name/s and Surname)	Michael or Daniel Coyne
Mother (First Name/s and Maiden)	Barbara Lacey
Spouse (First Name/s and Maiden/Surname)	John Archibald

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Comments

In 1869, when Winifred was 22, her marriage record noted her parents were Daniel Coyne and Barbara Coyne, formerly Lacy, who was deceased. In general, information Winifred supplied herself would be more trustworthy than information supplied by a third-party for her death certificate.

Patricia

Sunday 8th April 2018 06:37PM

Hi, Where did you find the pension appication records? I have an ancestor how moved from Ireland to Glasgow around the same time and trying to trace Irish roots.

Regards,

Jackfish

Sunday 8th April 2018 10:23PM

Hello, The pension claiment WINIFRED COYNE included in her application a family list headed by JOHN COYNE and spouse MARY GALLAGHER.Apart from WINIFRED (applicant) two names PETER and MICHAEL with ages along with other siblings are listed.The two names mentioned, PETER and MICHAEL, coincide in ages mentioned in the 1901 and 1911 censuses both being residents with families in the CLOON townland.The Griffith's Valuation lists MARY COYNE as the CLOON tenant of Fr MAGEE.This tenancy was transferred to PETER COYNE and noted in the VALUATION REVISIONS book for the period 1860-1865.It is most likely that Peter Coyne was the son of MARY COYNE.The question is-the maiden name of MARY COYNE? And her assumption to the Cloon tenancy.The estimated birth dates calculated from the pension application and the 91/11 ccensuses as well as the ages noted on the death certificates of Peter and Michael show a strong likelihood that their parents were John and Mary Coyne (Gallagher).But more detail is needed.Maybe baptismal records and/or marriage records which may exist in the register of the TUAM archdiocese. Michael

2Kaikohe

Monday 9th April 2018 02:00AM

Thank you Patricia, Jackfish and Michael for your comments. I’m grateful for your help.

Patricia, I would agree with you about the information on Winifred’s marriage certificate possibly being more trustworthy than information supplied by third parties after her death, and in my searches I’ve always used these details first.

However, Winifred herself changed this information over the years so I don’t think she was certain who her parents were. Although she named Daniel Coyne as her father on her marriage certificate of 1869, in her Poor Relief application of 1891 she named her father as Michael Coyne, and also in three of her pension applications of 1916. On her final pension application she named John Coyne and Mary Gallagher as her parents, and Head of Family (if other than Father) as Daniel & Barbara Coyne (Lacey).

She also wasn’t sure of her birth year as her age/year of birth, given in her marriage and death certificates and census returns (1871-1911), varies between 1842 and 1849.

I have found no documented evidence of her life before her marriage in 1869 and assume she lost family members in the Irish Potato Famine when she was just a child.

Jack, the pension application records were available on FindMyPast. I hope you find what you’re looking for.

Michael, thank you for the work you’ve done. So far, I’ve found the research to be a time-consuming, daunting and ultimately frustrating process. However, your comments offer another route and I’ll certainly follow that through, hopefully with more success now that there are so many more records online.

Kind regards

Sandra