Leaving children behind when emigrating may have been fairly common: My great grandfather, Hugh McQuillan, (born in Mullaghsandal, married Elizabeth McErlean in Cruck in 1875)left my grandmother and younger siblings with great grandparents when he emigrated to US. My grandmother came to US later but her youngest sister was left in Ireland and raised there. My great grandmother, Maria Green Fox (Ballina, Co Mayo) brought her older children to the United States in 1891, and later went back to Ireland for the younger children. Spouses of both of these great grandparents had died prior to their emigration, so that was probably a factor in their decision to bring just their older children with them initially. Pat
Hi Pat - could you tell me a little more about your McERLEAN family. My grandmother was Margaret (Maggie) McErlean who married Own McCOMB. Maggie was born in 1878 and was the daughter of John McERLEAN and Elizabeth HAMILL. Although not verified family stories say she had had least two sisters with whom she walked into Belfast for work at the linen mills. She also had a brother George. Do you think there may be a connection. I do know that many relatives of the McERLEAN and McCOMB families went to the USA. Kind regards. Macha in NZ ----- Original Message ----- From: <Windseye@aol.com> To: <IRL-ANTRIM-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2006 3:17 AM Subject: Re: [Antrim] Emigration/leaving children > Leaving children behind when emigrating may have been fairly common: > My great grandfather, Hugh McQuillan, (born in Mullaghsandal, married > Elizabeth McErlean in Cruck in 1875)left my grandmother and younger siblings with > great grandparents when he emigrated to US. My grandmother came to US later > but her youngest sister was left in Ireland and raised there. > > My great grandmother, Maria Green Fox (Ballina, Co Mayo) brought her older > children to the United States in 1891, and later went back to Ireland for the > younger children. > Spouses of both of these great grandparents had died prior to their > emigration, so that was probably a factor in their decision to bring just their older > children with them initially. > Pat > > > __________ NOD32 1.1469 (20060404) Information __________ > > This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. > http://www.eset.com > >