This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: MICHAELBAGGE Surnames: Coyle, Lavelle, Walker Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.ireland.may.general/95.99.204.238.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Kathy: I dont know how much information I have which will be useful but here goes. My paternal grandmother was Margaret Mary Coyle (Nov 1911 in Holyoke, Mass to May 1996 in Springfield MA), daughter of John Coyle and Biddie Mae (Lavelle) Coyle, and raised in Belmullet, ca 1912 to 1926 when she was returned to Holyoke to live with her maternal aunt, Rose (Lavelle) Kennedy. Thereafter, she completed high school, became an RN, married a French-Canadian from Maine, had two kids, was abandoned, spent the rest of the 30s as a psychiatric nurse in a state hospital, worked in a war industry on bomb sights (the Springfield Armory), and then started her own small nursing home in Springfield in 1944 which she operated until the 1990s while she raised four children, was married twice more and had an off and on relationship with her Belmullet family, which included two sisters and one brother. The brother, Sean, moved to Springfield in the 50s and died from a brain tumor in the late 60s. I was the 'illegitimate' son of Margaret's 15 year old first son who was raised! as her own son. As you can imagine, this family was not transparent. I was sent back to Belmullet for the summer of 1964 and stayed with Margaret's maternal uncle, Michael Lavelle. I saw Margaret's mother for a few minutes and was basically interviewed by Margaret's sister, Biddie, at her place of work for a half hour. Strange. I was told alot of what turned out to be misinformation and, years later, periodically try to sort out who was who and why they did what they did. There is, as far as I know, a few Coyle cousins left in Belmullet. Marlene Gannon is a retired teacher who lives on American Street. She responded to a few letters from me in the mid 1990s and then without any apparent reason stopped. Good luck trying to figure this branch of what may be your family out. By the way, I was told repeatedly by Margaret that the Coyles were from Castlebar and had been travelling salesmen. I was also told the Lavelles were descended from French who landed an expeditionary force in 1798. When I was in Belmullet in 1964, I stayed with Michael Lavelle who was a kind man, a carpenter who had commanded IRA forces during the Anglo-Irish War which produced the Irish Free State and a bitter civil war. Anything else I can tell you, just ask. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.