This must be one of the hardest emails I have ever undertaken to answer -and no doubt in one email I cannot do it justice in suggesting things to do and things that can be done, so please if my advice is helpfull feel free to ask questions, there must be others who have ideas as well. Mine is purely based on the fact that I have been going in and out of Ireland for many years doing research, and it has been a hard learning exercise with much more to learn And I hope I do it with some success and give you hope that their is a way to venture into this hard area of research. Several things that may aid you are 1- Do you know their religion 2- The Irish naming pattern may help if they are RC 3- Never give up is my motto- for you exist that is something your ancestors gave you.........enjoy that as well 4- It does help if you state the name you are researching as well others are also researching names and they dont all use the front of the list, many are sitters and wait, perhaps out of shyness or just sit waiting which is a sad case because others then miss out on help 5- Shipping lists --- and yes I know they are scarce but having never gone researching into America I only know of some that exist. 6- Join the necessary lists at rootsweb for all the help you can get and if you are not sure of what list the Dublin City list is a great one to begin on. 7- Remember that civil registration did not begin until 1864 RC and a little earlier for the Church of Ireland, registers have been destroyed but dont fall into the myth that ALL were destroyed some were transcribed before being handed in to the powers that be and some do still exist if not complete. Looking at the names listed Haviland-Havlin and Levell The surname Levell appears after 1864 in Armagh-Co Down and Antrim And under the spelling of Level and the variants there of Level in Co Down in the parish of Drumbo Laval/Lavalle/Lavel Laval shows there is four households in Galway in he parish of Annaghdown Under Lavalle Cork city has 2 households in the parish of St Nicholas and Mayo 1 household in the parish of Kilmeena Under Lavel their is one household inLouth in the parish of Faughart and one in Meath in the parish of Kilmainham I could no find a common bond between the name Levell and Wittey as I actually see this would most likely be a variant of Whitty which is a southern Ireland name although it will of course appear elsewhere. HAVILAND The only variant I found still exisiting in Ireland Four households appear 2 in Mayo- Parish of Ballinrobe and 2 in Meath-Parish of Athboy Fewer than five births were recorded for haviland in 1890 -- Although the family name you are seeking is much earlier than civil registration, you are going to have to face the long daunting task of sorting through whatever LDS films are available to cover the parishes you decide to look at on your family. Having not done Mayo research cannot say what is available on that one, but Meath also has some hard parts to cross for instance the missing burial registers etc. Good luck and if any of you in your wanderings come across Michael Odonghue ( and variants ) and Elizbeth Burns married and missing one son named Thomas ...........please feel free to send him home to me I have only been looking for 23 years and thats not long...............after all their are others who have searched longer to find the missing piece. Cheers Cara List admin Co Wicklow Ireland Ireland tombstones Ireland Cemeteries Ireland Obits

Cara, I know that they were Roman Catholics, but the name doesn't show up on any lists of Irish names, the closest ones found being Havlin or Havellan..I'm open to more possibilities. I have tried finding them in passenger lists..ISTG (Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild) being the best, with only one possible match for John. Since my great-great-grandfather was born here in the U.S. in 1835 we know they were here before Civil Registration started in the U.K. I have joined Rootsweb lists and more. Knowing now that John was the son of John and Ann Havlin, his WIFE Ann the daughter of Roger and Cecilia Havlin, makes more to search for, but not any easier. I still don't know why the spelling became Haviland with us, or what it originally was, as it changes so much in the censuses and early records. Thanks for your help, Cara. There has to be a way..I inherited their stubborness! LOL...Linda H.