Good morning all, I have just about given up on finding out more of the beginnings of my husband's "Irish lot," and still may do as it's been such an exercise in frustration over too many years! I'd also about reached this point with his so-called Austrian side when I came across some notes he'd made over 20 years ago during a conversation he'd had with a cousin which allowed in a glimmer of light. This cousin, on his father's sister, was a little older than my husband and we feel that she might have the correct information that their respective grandmother, Veronica Surmann (or Zurmann). Apparently, Veronica did not "come from" Vienna, Austria, but was actually born in Budapest, Hungary. After her parents died she went to live with an uncle in Vienna, hence that connection. Her husband, Franz Egger, my husband's grandfather, was also thought to be from Vienna, but family lore has it that he was actually from Berne, Switzerland. He was a mosaic tile layer and it's very possible that he ended up in Vienna for work, where he was married. We have one (one only) group family photograph taken in Vienna, before they left to come to this side of the world. I then received a copy of the passenger list for the Karlsruhe's maiden voyage from Bremen to N.Y. and Baltimore 1890, which lists the grandmother Veronica, with four children, Karl, Franzeska, Anton and Marie, but no husband. This bears out some more family lore than he had come ahead to the U.S.A. This is the sum and substance of what we know about that "Austrian" side of the family prior to emigrating to America. We are totally striking out with my husband's Irish side. I have been posting "Wanted" flyers all over the place since we began this quest years ago, but are getting absolutely nowhere. We believe that Patrick Skiffington was born around 1815 in Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone. End of story! We have absolutely nothing more about him and his Irish roots. There is a possibility that he may have been a passenger on the Jane Walker, Liverpool to N.Y., in 1834. In between, there is nothing but a big blank until he married Bridget Kelly (born Ireland, that's all folks!) in The Basilica of the Blessed Assumption, Baltimore, Maryland. Their children were all baptised in St. Peter's, their local parish church presumably. At the "old age" of 47 he went off to fight in the American Civil War, where he sustained injuries when he fell on his bayonet, from which he died six months later in his home in Baltimore. The recruiting sergeant had lied about his age, incidentally. We located his grave where he had been re-interred in New Cathedral Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. The family presumably maintained its R.C. roots by having him buried in this Catholic cemetery. Unfortunately, trying to track down Bridget Kelly Skiffington thereafter has been a trial. We believe one of her daughters moved to N.Y. where Bridget and a son Edward followed. No one else by the name of Skiffington had been buried in the Baltimore New Cathedral Cemetery. To recap: Patrick Skiffington, born about 1815, Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Married 1840, Basilica of the Blessed Assumption, Baltimore, Maryland, to Bridget Kelly (Ireland). Children baptised St. Peter's Church, Baltimore. Patrick died 1863 during the American Civil War after falling on his bayonet while serving with a Baltimore Infantry Regiment. We have all his U.S. Army Pension records, but none of those documents or the marriage certificate tells one thing about parents, siblings or confirms actual place of birth, except Ireland. As I've been up hill and down dale over the years, is it possible that there's a glimmer of hope that someone has sharper sleuthing skills to help me find out more about Patrick Skiffington's beginnings before coming to America similar to the spark of light given by the "Vienna" family? (I should add that through a "shirttail" cousin I have found out a "ton" about my mother's Gribbin side in Co. Antrim.) I'm beginning to feel like a broken record. Maisie --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Maisie I have just put SKIFFINGTON into emerald ancestor's county Tyrone and they were overwhelmingly from Dungannon, so you could concentrate on that area Also sounds like they were RC. Have you tried to contact the church there? See if they can tell if a birth was registered. I am surprised you have a marriage certificate that doesn't give fathers names. Unfortunately it was are3 for them to give and further information other than Ireland to the question about where they were born Good luck in your search I know how you feel Patricia New Zealand -----Original Message----- From: cotyroneireland-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:cotyroneireland-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Maisie Egger Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2008 4:57 AM To: IRELANDGENWEB; CoTyroneIreland@rootsweb.com Subject: [CoTyIre] Patrick Skiffington 1815 ca Good morning all, I have just about given up on finding out more of the beginnings of my husband's "Irish lot," and still may do as it's been such an exercise in frustration over too many years! I'd also about reached this point with his so-called Austrian side when I came across some notes he'd made over 20 years ago during a conversation he'd had with a cousin which allowed in a glimmer of light. This cousin, on his father's sister, was a little older than my husband and we feel that she might have the correct information that their respective grandmother, Veronica Surmann (or Zurmann). Apparently, Veronica did not "come from" Vienna, Austria, but was actually born in Budapest, Hungary. After her parents died she went to live with an uncle in Vienna, hence that connection. Her husband, Franz Egger, my husband's grandfather, was also thought to be from Vienna, but family lore has it that he was actually from Berne, Switzerland. He was a mosaic tile layer and it's very possible that he ended up in Vienna for work, where he was married. We have one (one only) group family photograph taken in Vienna, before they left to come to this side of the world. I then received a copy of the passenger list for the Karlsruhe's maiden voyage from Bremen to N.Y. and Baltimore 1890, which lists the grandmother Veronica, with four children, Karl, Franzeska, Anton and Marie, but no husband. This bears out some more family lore than he had come ahead to the U.S.A. This is the sum and substance of what we know about that "Austrian" side of the family prior to emigrating to America. We are totally striking out with my husband's Irish side. I have been posting "Wanted" flyers all over the place since we began this quest years ago, but are getting absolutely nowhere. We believe that Patrick Skiffington was born around 1815 in Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone. End of story! We have absolutely nothing more about him and his Irish roots. There is a possibility that he may have been a passenger on the Jane Walker, Liverpool to N.Y., in 1834. In between, there is nothing but a big blank until he married Bridget Kelly (born Ireland, that's all folks!) in The Basilica of the Blessed Assumption, Baltimore, Maryland. Their children were all baptised in St. Peter's, their local parish church presumably. At the "old age" of 47 he went off to fight in the American Civil War, where he sustained injuries when he fell on his bayonet, from which he died six months later in his home in Baltimore. The recruiting sergeant had lied about his age, incidentally. We located his grave where he had been re-interred in New Cathedral Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland. The family presumably maintained its R.C. roots by having him buried in this Catholic cemetery. Unfortunately, trying to track down Bridget Kelly Skiffington thereafter has been a trial. We believe one of her daughters moved to N.Y. where Bridget and a son Edward followed. No one else by the name of Skiffington had been buried in the Baltimore New Cathedral Cemetery. To recap: Patrick Skiffington, born about 1815, Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Married 1840, Basilica of the Blessed Assumption, Baltimore, Maryland, to Bridget Kelly (Ireland). Children baptised St. Peter's Church, Baltimore. Patrick died 1863 during the American Civil War after falling on his bayonet while serving with a Baltimore Infantry Regiment. We have all his U.S. Army Pension records, but none of those documents or the marriage certificate tells one thing about parents, siblings or confirms actual place of birth, except Ireland. As I've been up hill and down dale over the years, is it possible that there's a glimmer of hope that someone has sharper sleuthing skills to help me find out more about Patrick Skiffington's beginnings before coming to America similar to the spark of light given by the "Vienna" family? (I should add that through a "shirttail" cousin I have found out a "ton" about my mother's Gribbin side in Co. Antrim.) I'm beginning to feel like a broken record. Maisie ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- ------------- Our community web-site: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cotyroneireland ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to COTYRONEIRELAND-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message