I am needing advice on my Irish family who emigrated to Preston, Lancs from Ireland sometime before 1861 census. I am looking for suggestions on how to find the parents of the children, and where are they after this census? 1861 has my ggggmother Mary, her husband Hugh and four children were found in Lower Pitt St, Preston. 1871 I have just found Mary McKEARNEY living with her eldest dau and 4 grandchildren listed that I did not know about, or have any idea who their parents are. I have trawled around the 1861 near Lower Pitt St, but cannot see anyone resembling the children born before 1861. They were all born in Preston according to the census, but at this stage I cannot find them on the FreeBMD. They are Catholic, so I am not sure which church they would have been baptised in. Their surname could be misspelt I am sure, but where do I start? Jno born circa 1857-58 Andrew born circa 1859-60 Ann born circa 1861-62 Thomas born circa 1868-69 Thank Kathryn Adelaide, Sth Australia

Hi, Kathryn, You asked > I am needing advice on my Irish family who emigrated to Preston, Lancs. from Ireland sometime before 1861 census. I am looking for suggestions on how to find the parents of the children, and where are they after this census? First, it is extremely unlikely that there are any records of their crossing from Ireland to England because this was internal movement within the British state. Second, have you looked at the Surname Indexes to the 1851 Census around Preston. These are available from either the Lancashire Family History & Heraldry Society (LFHHS) at www.lfhhs.org.uk >Shop>Microfiche or the Manchester & Lancashire FHS at www.mlfhs.org.uk There is as yet no index for the whole of Lancashire, they are Piece by Piece. The LFHHS also has surname indexes for the later Censuses, except for the 1881 Census that has been transcribed. As the family were Catholics you expect them to have been baptised. By 1855 there were four RC churches in Preston. St Wilfrid / St. Mary St. Ignatius St. Augustine St. Walburge St. Joseph (1862) All the early registers for these churches have been deposited in the Lancashire Record Office (LRO) in Preston except for those of St. Mary / St. Wilfrid but there is a transcript of these in the LRO. As far as I know no copies of these registers are available elsewhere. I would have thought Lower Pitt Street was in the area served by St. Mary / St. Wilfrid, though it may be in St. Walburge's. I hope this helps Jim Lancaster (Bury, Lancs.) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackson Family" <mackjack@ozemail.com.au> To: <ENG-LANCS-PRESTON-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 2:10 AM Subject: Preston Help & Advice - McKEARNEY