Hi fellow listers, I have hit a real solid brick wall, Arrghh!! (searching 7 years now) trying to find the origins of my ancestor Michael Quigley born c1790 and his wife Mary Cassidy in County Monaghan. (I want to visit my ancestral homeland) Michael & Mary's son John Quigley and family left County Monaghan around 1860-75. John Quigley was born c1816 (R.C) and married to Ellen Ward born 1823. (John & Ellen died in Govan, Lanarkshire in 1881 & 1883) Ellen's parents where Bernard Ward and Bridget McQuillan. John and Ellen had at least 5 children all born in County Monaghan (source of this is the 1891 census of the family in Govan) The children are: James born c1850, Catherine Ann born c1852, Edward born 1855, John born 1861 and Bridget born bet. 1858-1863 The family settled here in Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland the earliest record of the family in Scotland is the 1876 marriage of James to Ellen Furrey in Govan. James and Sister Catherine Ann died in Govan (Catherine Ann married Daniel Lynagh in Govan 1888). One of my dilemmas is that I have been unable to find out what happened to the other siblings John, Edward and Bridget. John and Edward disappear after appearing on the 1881 census in Govan (can find no marriage or death in Scotland) Bridget married Charles Shannon in Govan in 1895 and appears with Charles on the 1901 census in Govan but I can find no death for her or Charles in Scotland. (Maybe John and Edward moved on after the death of their mother and father) I cannot pinpoint where in Co. Monaghan the family originated (faint family memories of a mention of Killeevan), I have been to Ireland to search for the family, however as recording of BDMs in Ireland of Catholics did not begin until 1864 as a result I can find no birth entries for John's children or death for Michael Quigley and Mary Cassidy. As Catholic Parish records for Killeevan do not exist before 1871 I am at a loss what to do now. I have found a Michael Quigley and a John Quigley living in the same Townland of Crossreagh in Killeevan on the Griffiths Valuation Of Ireland in 1861 but there are other Michaels in Co. Monaghan on the Grifiths too. In the Clogher Record, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1982), pp. 119-149 "Graveyard Inscriptions Killeevan and Aghabog" there is an inscription which reads: "Erected by Michael Quigley, Crossreagh, in memory of his wife Mary who died May 1855." I think it is in St Livinus RC graveyard in Killeevan. (could this be my Michael Quigley & Mary Cassidy and the Michael from the Grifiths at Crossreagh) After countless years of web searches I have never found anyone who is also researching the same family, I am now really stuck on how to proceed with my research. Any help or advice of any type would be greatly appreciated. Colin Quigley Glasgow [email protected] http://www.quigs.co.uk/quigley/m_quig1798.html