Hello listers This is a shot in the dark. I have a possible connection to a Fitzwilliam emigrant family but one (important) detail stands in the way. I'd love to prove it one way or the other. There was a McGrath family among the FW emigrants, who emigrated in 1847 from Ballinultagh near Shillelagh in Co Wicklow. The parents were William McGrath and wife Mary and they had several children including a Michael. Michael McGrath was the name of my great-great grandfather on my mother's side and he left Ireland in 1847. This family settled in Gloucester (Ottawa). On their children's marriage registrations Mary's maiden name was given as Byrne. This family had connections to a Tremblay family in this area. My Michael McGrath married Catherine Brennan in Ottawa in 1854. Their marriage certificate gives his parents names as William McGrath and Mary Maher. Michael and Catherine had a son William, and other children who were given the same (unfortunately common) names as the children of William McGrath and Mary Byrne. It was apparently the custom for priests at that time to transcribe information about weddings into the register after the actual event and errors could have be made. I don't know if this information, namely mother's maiden name, was in error. I can find no other McGrath marriages here where the mother's maiden name was Maher. It is most likely that we have two different McGrath families, but ... Michael and Catherine McGrath's son William married Elizabeth Seguin but he died in 1886 only 4 years after the marriage. Elizabeth subsequently married Nicholas Tremblay - of the Tremblay family known to the FW McGrath family. Elizabeth and William had lived in Arnprior about 40 miles away. What circumstance caused Elizabeth Seguin McGrath to meet Nicholas Tremblay? I'm quite aware that coincidences occur and one can easily be led down the wrong path. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be very grateful. The names McGrath and Maher were apparently very common in Tipperary and much less so in Wicklow. There were however, Mahers and McGraths among the FW families and of course there were Byrnes. What makes this so compelling for me is that my Byrne ancestors were FW emigrants. The family name has varied over the years (now isn't that surprising!) and we have Byrne, Byrnes and Burns relatives. I have actually made contact with distant relatives still in Co Wicklow. It boggles my mind to think that possibly my mother's ancestors came from just down the road from my father's. I will be in Wicklow this summer visiting my Byrne family. I hope to spend some time researching to see what I can come up with. If anybody could point me at a good resource I'll check it out. I'm aware of the scarcity of records prior to 1830. I have searched ancestry.com in as many ways as I could think of to no avail. Thanks in advance to any kind souls who might be able to help. Ann Burns Ottawa, Canada

Hi Ann - Well, I have read your story and I think it's most certainly worth your time to research as much as possible, even tho there is that discrepancy in wives' name. The fact that the emigrant McGraths had that connection to the Gloucester Tremblays, and then (what you think might be) their granddaughter (when widowed young) married a Tremblay of the same Tremblay line indicates more than a coincidental connection between emigrant generation and Elizabeth's generation. Might I ask, how do you know the emigrant generation had a Tremblay connection in Gloucester? Also, you know that I also suspect that FW families, especially those from just up the road from each other, or those who traveled together from New Ross to Canada, were completely interwoven in their lives in Wicklow and even more so in their new homes in Canada/U.S., etc. What research have you done in Ballinultagh (Clonmore parish?) for the McGraths? Were there Mahers in Ballinultagh/Clonmore? A Kavanagh (kind soul, volunteer) did some Clonmore parish research for me. I can tell you what records exist, etc., but have to dig a bit (and happy to do so for you, if that would help). So exciting, Ann. What fun you're going to have in Wicklow this summer. Sharon Kavanagh Oregon, U.S.A. p.s. Just had good friends move to Kitchener. They are originally from Madagascar and both are scientists. They love the town. I suspect they will be candidates for citizenship. We were too stupid down here in the states to do whatever necessary to keep them. He is on the cutting edge of oceanic pharmaceutical cancer research. Our loss, your gain! Oh, Canada! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ann Burns" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 2:12 PM Subject: [IRL-WICKLOW] MCGRATH - MAHER - BYRNE > Hello listers > > This is a shot in the dark. I have a possible connection to a Fitzwilliam > emigrant family but one (important) detail stands in the way. I'd love to > prove it one way or the other. > > There was a McGrath family among the FW emigrants, who emigrated in 1847 > from Ballinultagh near Shillelagh in Co Wicklow. The parents were William > McGrath and wife Mary and they had several children including a Michael. > Michael McGrath was the name of my great-great grandfather on my mother's > side and he left Ireland in 1847. > > This family settled in Gloucester (Ottawa). On their children's marriage > registrations Mary's maiden name was given as Byrne. This family had > connections to a Tremblay family in this area. > > My Michael McGrath married Catherine Brennan in > Ottawa in 1854. Their marriage certificate gives his parents names as > William McGrath and Mary Maher. Michael and Catherine had a son William, > and other children who were given the same (unfortunately common) names as > the children of William McGrath and Mary Byrne. It was apparently the > custom for priests at that time to transcribe information about weddings > into the register after the actual event and errors could have be made. I > don't know if this information, namely mother's maiden name, was in error. > I can find no other McGrath marriages here where the mother's maiden name > was Maher. > > It is most likely that we have two different McGrath families, but ... > Michael and Catherine McGrath's son William married Elizabeth Seguin but > he died in 1886 only 4 years after the marriage. Elizabeth subsequently > married Nicholas Tremblay - of the Tremblay family known to the FW McGrath > family. Elizabeth and William had lived in Arnprior about 40 miles away. > What circumstance caused Elizabeth Seguin McGrath to meet Nicholas > Tremblay? > > I'm quite aware that coincidences occur and one can easily be led down the > wrong path. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be very grateful. The names > McGrath and Maher were apparently very common in Tipperary and much less > so in Wicklow. There were however, Mahers and McGraths among the FW > families and of course there were Byrnes. > > What makes this so compelling for me is that my Byrne ancestors were FW > emigrants. The family name has varied over the years (now isn't that > surprising!) and we have Byrne, Byrnes and Burns relatives. I have > actually made contact with distant relatives still in Co Wicklow. It > boggles my mind to think that possibly my mother's ancestors came from > just down the road from my father's. > > I will be in Wicklow this summer visiting my Byrne family. I hope to spend > some time researching to see what I can come up with. If anybody could > point me at a good resource I'll check it out. I'm aware of the scarcity > of records prior to 1830. I have searched ancestry.com in as many ways as > I could think of to no avail. > > Thanks in advance to any kind souls who might be able to help. > > Ann Burns > Ottawa, Canada > *************************************** > 1- Only leave in the body of the mail what is relevant to your answer > > 2- Change the SUBJECT LINE to suit the body of your own Mail to List. > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

In actual fact their was several McGrath families that emmigrated from Fitzwilliams estate and in two of those families there is a Mick or a Michael McGrath one left with the family you have named in 1847 and the other in 1848. The first family you named were linked to a Timothy Byrne as it was from him they rented a Holding which consisted of Cabin and kitchen garden The father as you are aware is William 40 and Mary nee ?- Children Kitty 19 Margaret 12, Paddy 17 Edward 15 and Michael 16. Does his age guestimated fit any documents you have on the man at all It appears you have his wedding certificate does it state his age on that - which if you do does give you an estimate of birth date and cross referenced with the fact he was 16 in 1847 or there abouts may aid you also. I also see that two members named Maher left the Fitzwilliam Clearances also. So Ann unless you can find a document with given age on it there is no easy way to say yes this is your Michael, although I would probably say it is highly possible. But highly possibles dont necessarily, cut the right side of correctness, so you need to look for a dated document. Other than the shipping lists of Fitzwilliams estate. I kind of think there is a lot of soil between Tipperary and Co Wicklow and I see the Mcgrath Spelling holds it own in both Wicklow and Wexford Maher also shows well. Having worked all these back roads, by roads and side roads, looking for data on these people, I can assure you - the best place for you to begin your documented search will be the Manuscript room in Dublin, but dont forget to take the time out to walk the back roads of this place, and all the side roads its an incredible feeling, stop to look back at the Gateway of Tears, and by the way there is a photo of this on the IGP Co Carlow site for those of you interested enough to look for it. The stone explains itself and why it is there. Enjoy the walk Ann its a lovely area. Cheers Cara