Re: ROARK Patrick; IRL > AUS; 1930 Mick Kitchens wrote: > > ROARK Patrick; IRL > AUS; 1930 > > Help! > I have lost my GG grandfather. > He was born in Ire, I dont know where > He came to Aussie on a free fare (convict) > He departed from Liverpool,arrived in Perth (West Aust) > He made a new life at the end of the earth > He was a 'Slater' with scars to nose & to thumbs > He was olive of skin which could be from his mum's (side, Spanish ex Amada > sheltered in Ireland) > He has a dynasty in Aussie, but has no past > I'd really like to find his past at last. > > Could anyone help find Patrick ? > > Mick Kitchens <aandm@tnet.com.au> Really enjoyed your clever poem about your Great Grandfather. According to MacLysaght's book of SURNAMES OF IRELAND: (O)Rourke 0 Ruairc. One of the two great septs of Breffny. The family is not of Norse orign though Ruairc is from a Norse personal name. Irish exiles of the name were prominent in Russia, Poland and Austria and France. See Map of Leitrim. In his book More Irish Families, Their Names, Arms and Origins, MacLysaght sheds more light on the counties were Rourkes hailed from. "various times their territory expanded or contracted largely because of the long standing rivalry between the O'Rourkes and O'Reillys in Breffny (Cavan and west Leitrim). At is widest it extended from Kells, in Co. Meath, to Sligo. After Cromsell, like all great Gaelic families its star declined. " Even with all of of emigration Rourkes and O'Rourkes (including such variants of spelling as Rorke, & Roark) constitute enough members to rank in the top 100 most common Irish names. The majority of these families are found in the counties that comprise the old Breffny territory- Cavan, Leitrim and some of the adjoining counties. In the what little of what remains of the 1841 Census for County Cavan and 1831 for Derry County, a few Roarkes were listed with various spellings. They appeared in: Cavan: Drumroosk Drumcohill Lower Derry: Tamlaght O'Crilly Coleraine Would try the Family History Center they have a lot of helpful records. Good luck on your search. Slan, Margaret (Mairead) California conaught@ix.netcom.com