Looking for Ireland will dates - finding a hidden gem!

 

Today I am so grateful for the school system that taught me how to quickly scan down a long list of names.

I was on the Family Search website in the Ireland Probate section, checking all that would have surnames with the letter S

I was mostly looking for my earlier ancestors that were in Ireland. When I clicked on Index to Administration Grants O-Z 1595-1810 and scrolled through I found an unexpected gem!

I know I could have clicked on the Search symbol and searched for all with the name Seale, and I did do that first, but I never would have found this record as the name was transcribed with a C as Scale. Besides you never know if you'll come across a name you recognize.

I navigated to the S names (that are not in alphabetic order by the way, only order of date) going past the earlier years to before the first known year I have ancestors there, about 1680, looking for the Seale name in Queen's County. Scanning past lots of Searle and Sale... the first entry I came across was Image 187, will for Thomas Seale, carpenter, died in Trim, Meath in 1690. That is a new name and place to me, so it goes on my list of things to check into. 

I continued scrolling through the S names, page after page.. oh there's another one. Hey! What?? It is for a Marriage License issued to Richard Seale and Margaret Higgs !! This jibes with the Pedigree of Seales that Richard was married to a Margaret, and didn't have her surname or a date. Now I do!

For 1712, SEALE Richard and Higgs Margaret - ML #15

The Index to Administration Grants have a lot of Marriage License entries, I found a couple of other Seale marriage license entries. The other record sets seem to be all Wills or Intestate. 

Now I know why I have distant dna matches to people with the surname Higgs!

Relevant Links

Indexes to probate records 1536-1858, and surviving will books 1644-1834

Names of those who died from Yellow Fever in 1820

In 1820 there was an outbreak of Yellow Fever in Savannah Georgia, taking over 700 lives, including two doctors that were tending to the sick.

I left out "Savannah Georgia" from the post title for a good reason. These people that died in Savannah were not only from Georgia, but also from other states and other countries, including Canada, the UK and Germany.

I recently came across this book...

An official register of the deaths which occurred among the white population in the city of Savannah, during the extraordinary season of sickness and mortality which prevailed in the summer and fall months of the year 1820. To which is annexed a list of the persons who died out of the city, after retreating from it. 

The order is by date of burial, not by name. You can search for a name in the search box. When there is no cause of death it was the Fever. When there is no age it's because it was unknown or under two years of age.

Relevant links

Register of deaths in Savannah GA in 1820

Observations upon the autumnal fevers of Savannah

History of yellow fever

Agricultural Delegates From UK to Canada

In 1879 the Honorable J H Pope, the Agriculture Minister of Canada, invited tenant farmers' delegates from the UK to visit the Dominion of Canada for the purpose of examining its resources, and reporting back to their group what farming is like, encouraging tenant farmers to immigrate to Canada.

The delegates then reported back to their constituents, and these reports were published and handed in to the Department of Agriculture of Canada.

I found this while researching my Bruce family of Aberdeenshire. There is a young farmer named James Bruce from Gartly that was chosen as a delegate, my line were from Fyvie. 

Tenant farmer delegates

James Bruce reports on the cost of a farm and running it in the good Ontario neighbourhood of Guelph.

A farm in Guelph

Conclusions of delegate Colonel Francis Fane who toured Canada in 1890

Visit of tenant farmers 1890, page 54

It seems not all delegates took their task seriously and made headlines as far away as Australia!

But you can see from the report that most did a thorough job of it. The reports of later visits have illustrations.

Relevant Links

Reports of tenant farmers' delegates on the Dominion of Canada 1879

Reports of tenant farmers' delegates and other informations on Manitoba North-west Territory and other parts of the Dominion of Canada 1879

Reports of tenant farmers' delegates on the Dominion of Canada, 1880 visit

The Visit of the tenant-farmer delegates to Canada in 1890,incl Maritimes

Scotch tenant-farmers visit to Canada in 1893

An Irish agricultural delegate on the agricultural resources of Canada 1893

Welsh tenant-farmers on the agricultural resources of Canada 1893

  

Royal Hibernian Military School in Dublin

The Royal Hibernian Military School (or Military Asylum, as it was first known) was founded in Dublin by the Hibernian Society to educate orphaned children of members of the British army in Ireland. It opened in 1769 on 3 acres, with 90 boys and 50 girls and by 1816 had over 600 students. In 1853 the girls got their own Drummond School for the Daughters of Soldiers in Chapelizod, Dublin.

Mid 20th Century view of the schoolbuilding in the Phoenix Park

The Royal Hibernian Military School was a feeder for the British Army, where children could enlist at the age of 12, but most waited until the age of 14. By the 1900s approximately half the students went in the army. By this time it was not only orphans, but many sent their sons there for military training.

In 1922 the school moved to Folkestone, Kent and later merged with the Duke of York Military School. The Dublin campus, now over 33 acres, is now part of St Mary’s Hospital.

List of Officers etc..

Below is a link for Royal Hibernian Military School War Memorial at Find a Grave. Clicking on a name will take you to that persons memorial. 

Relevant Links

Return of names of Officers, Teachers and Officials in Royal Hibernian Military School

Return of names of Posts and Control of Management at Royal Hibernian Military School 1879

Regulations for the establishment and government of the Royal Military Asylum 1819

Records of Royal Hibernian Military School at FMP $

Nominal roll of boys joining the Royal Hibernian Military School is at UK Archives

Hibernia. Quarterly magazine of the Royal Hibernian Military School 1885

Hibernian School, Phoenix Park : seventh report from the Commissioners of Board of Education in Ireland 1810

Royal Hibernian Military School WWI War Memorial at Find a Grave

Royal Hibernian School Cemetery, Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland

Serendipity Sunday - Memoirs of the Irish Martyrs

This is a publication I came across while looking for memorials of my ancestors...  

Memorials of those who suffered for the Catholic faith in Ireland 

in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries

At the back there are two indexes, one of names and one of places. 

Finding an Ancestor in Reports of Commissioners

A Commission, or Royal Commission, is a formal public inquiry created by the government. A commission would be put together to look into issues of importance and usually controversy. Many inquiries can last years, depending on the issue, while the commissioners study causes and effects. The findings are then put into a public report.

So, you ask yourself what this could have to do with genealogy? 
Answer....names, names, names!

On wikipedia there is a list of Royal Commissions of the commonwealth by country. Obviously not all commission reports have lists of names, like the Report of the Royal Commission on the Relations of Labour and Capital in Canada which discusses solutions to some labour issues, but gives salaries for different occupations by province.         

I have come across a few where you may find mention of your ancestors. 
The Report of the Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration (Canada) of 1885 contains the report and evidence, plus further along, tables of names.

Commission on Chinese Immigration 1885, pg 389

For Queensland, the Royal Commission appointed to Inquire into the Working of the Pearl-shell and Beche-de-mer Industries of 1908 has names of pearl divers and merchants. 

Royal Commission Pearl Industry 1908, pg 6 

  

Royal Commission on Prisons in Ireland was formed in 1882. The report, vol 1, gives names of medical officers...

Royal Commission on Irish Prisons, Vol 1, pg 180

... but most people, prisoners and prison officers alike are mentioned by their initials only. Return of deaths gives first name and last initial...

Return of deaths, pg 248

Two other commissions worth noting are the 1842 Royal Commission on Children's Employment, which was a three year investigation into the working conditions for children in mines and factories in the UK. Lace schools were very common, usually a room in a woman's cottage where she taught lace-making to young children.

Lace schools

  

There are statements from child workers throughout the report.

Also the 1833 Report of Commissioners inquiring into labour in factories.

Spinners and dressers examined by Dr Barry, Glasgow 1833

Married women in New Lanark factory and number of their children 1833

At Canadiana Online search "Royal Commission", and to narrow down the search from over 6000 results you can add other keywords or change the search in field from everything to title.

At HathiTrust search Report of Commissions. You can also narrow the search by adding a keyword.

At Internet Archive (many for Ireland) and Google Books search Royal Commission and Report of Commissioners.

Irish DNA Registry

I can see how DNA testing and looking for matches can become addicting. For me the fourth try was a winner (first three samples were no good for testing) and I received my results yesterday. I have been on the computer ever since, contacting matches and being contacted by others.  

If you are having trouble finding your ancestors in Ireland, read on...


After only barely glancing at matches I uploaded my raw data to whoever would take me... GEDmatch, My Heritage (**you now have until Dec 15 to upload FREE), Living DNA, and Family Tree DNA (*updated)

I was waiting for results to specifically upload to GEDmatch so I could join the FaceBook group... Irish DNA Registry. It is a closed group and you can only join once you have your GEDmatch number. There are now over 7500 members, all with ancestral ties to Ireland. 

Once you join you are instructed how to upload your GEDmatch matches to their Matchbox program where your results are compared with others in the program and you will see all your matches with Irish Ancestors. Although... technically you could both be looking for Irish ancestors but match in Scotland or England. It happens. 

The program is in an excel spreadsheet and sounds a little more complicated then it actually is.  You do need a google account to use Matchbox, as the spreadsheet goes into your google drive. There you can upload again with new GEDmatches and see your new Irish matches.   

First day and I have 37 matches!

Best of all everyone there has tested because they are serious, not just curious. 

I am already connecting with people who are matches with my ancestors I had no way of finding in Ireland. Now there is hope!

Irish Catholic Directory and Almanac

Catholic mothers always hoped one of her many sons would become a priest. If you can't find your Irish ancestor's son, try the Catholic Directory and Almanac. 

The Irish Catholic Directory and Almanac has lists of clergy, lists of Catholic Peerage...lords, knights, members of parliament, etc., names and dates of holy days and also stats on population and immigration.

The Alphabetical List of Clergy has names from not only Ireland, but Australia, Canada, USA and other countries.

1920 Almanac, List of Clergy, pg 346

Here is a site that contains the abbreviations used in the almanacs.

There is a section on each college with names of professors and officials, etc, and a list of priests ordained within the year, listed by college.

1920 Almanac, List of Priests Ordained, pg 477

  
It also has an obituary section..

1920 Almanac, Obituary List, pg 472

Another publication that may be of interest, is the book of Memorials of Catholic Irish Martyrs

Relevant Links


Irish Catholic Directory and Almanac

Memorials of those who suffered for the Catholic faith in Ireland 

Canada 150 - The Irish in Canada

During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...

The Irishman in Canada

Published C1877

Relevant Links

The Irishman in Canada

New Brunswick Irish Portal

The Irish-Canadian Rangers

Frampton Irish Names Database

The Shamrock and the Maple Leaf - Archived at LAC

Irish in Nova Scotia Database

This concludes the Canada 150 series. 

You can now download the list of links for Canada 150 Part II

Part I is listed under the Resources tab in the above menu. 

Thank you for following this series. 

  

No Luck of the Irish 4 - Convicts

There have been more publications for Ireland uploaded to Internet Archive. These have to do with returns of convicts and prisoners.

One or two may appear in another of my lists, but this one is more complete.

The return of convicts discharged 1837 has lists by county, with name, offence, sentence and date of discharge.

Queen’s County Convicts Discharged 1835-1837

Some have more information, like this one: locality, name, address, occupation, by whom committed, cause of committal, date of committal, date of commitment, medical report, term of commitment, when term expires.

Prisoners held in Contempt of Court, 1887

Relevant Links

Return of Convicts discharged from Gaols in Ireland, before Expiration of their Sentences, 1835-37

Return of Prisoners committed to Dundalk Gaol; Number tried at Assizes, and sent to Infirmary, 1832-34

Return of Persons confined in Gaols in Ireland under Acts for Detention of Persons suspected of Conspiring against H.M. Government,1803-04

Return of names of persons who have been committed to unlimited terms of imprisonment for contempt of court in Ireland;

Return of Convicts under Sentence of Transportation,discharged from Hulks in Ireland, 1835-37

Return of names of Fenian convicts, 1869, 1871

Irish Convicts to NSW 1788 – 1849, website

Ireland-Australia transportation records (1791-1853),National Archives of Ireland

Related Posts

No Luck of the Irish,  No Luck of the Irish 2, No Luck of the Irish 3, Irish Constabulary, Education in Ireland

Note:  All Ireland lists of links are on the Resource page and free to download.

No Luck of the Irish 3

There have been more publications for Ireland uploaded to Internet Archive and to HathiTrust. These have to do with public records and chancery reports.


In the rolls of chancery, there are two indexes in the back, index nominum (names) and index locorum (places).

Rolls of Chancery 1830-1837, pg 35

In the publication The Jurist are Encumbered Estate Court Records. According to Wikipedia the Encumbered Estate Court...

" ..was established by an act of parliament in 1849 to facilitate the sale of Irish estates whose owners, because of the great famine, were unable to meet their obligations. It was given authority to sell estates on application from either the owner or an encumbrancer (somebody who had a claim on it) and, after the sale, distribute the proceeds among the creditors, granting clear title to the new owners. In 1858, the court's functions were assumed by the Landed Estates Court, later replaced by the Land Commission under the 1881 land act."

The Jurist - Vol 2, August 1850, pg 207

Relevant links

Deputy Keeper of the Public Records in Ireland

Calendar of the patent and close rolls of chancery in Ireland

A repertory of the inrolments on the patent rolls of Chancery in Ireland, Vol 1, Pt 1 (no more published) – index of names in back, 1846

Irish Chancery Reports (HathiTrust)

Calendar of the State Papers relating to Ireland (Internet Archive)

Calendar of the State Papers relating to Ireland (HathiTrust)

The Irish Jurist (Internet Archive)

The Irish Jurist, Vol 1-18 / 1848-1866 (HathiTrust)

The Irish law times and solicitors' journal

Return of Names of Solicitors in Ireland admitted since Attornies and Solicitors Act 1866

Return showing the Names, Addresses, and Occupations or Descriptions of the persons appointed to the Commission of the Peace in Ireland since the preparation of the last Return, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914

Related Posts: No Luck of the Irish, No Luck of the Irish 2, Irish Constabulary Resources

Also click label Ireland

May He Rest in Peace

Your beloved ancestor dies. A plot is purchased and the funeral arrangements made. After a mournful service in the church the loved one is interred in the family plot and soon the headstone, chiseled with his name and dates and perhaps a sentiment or verse from the Bible, will be placed to mark the place where he lies.  May he rest in peace.

.... or not!

I found a Find-a-Grave memorial for a cousin, George King, died in 1888 at 19 years of age and buried in Section C of the Cheltenham Cemetery in Port Adelaide, South Australia. This is his obituary...

Like I hopefully do with all my ancestor memorials, I requested a photo of the gravestone. Imagine my surprise when I received this reply:

Problem reported.. specifically:

Unfortunately George's gravesite has now been repurchased by another family. His remains have been moved to a corner of the site, but all that remains on the site is the headstone for the new interment, Anthony Ciantor. I have taken a photo and added it to Anthony's memorial # 100220191

Anthony Ciantor died in 2008.
I am now checking George's other family members to see if they have been put in a corner also, and have written a message to the Cemetery Authority to ask about this practice.
No reply as yet.

Update: From the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority

The tenure of an Interment Right, formally known as a Lease, Grant or Licence varies from cemetery to cemetery. The Adelaide Cemeteries Authority offers an initial tenure period of 50 or 99 years. Interment Rights can be renewed at any time during the tenure period. The minimum renewal period is 5 years.

If the Interment Right Holder or other interested party chooses not to renew, or a minimum period of 2 years has elapsed since notice was given and the interment right has not been renewed, ownership of the sites reverts to the Adelaide Cemeteries Authority. At this point in time, the site may be re-used in accordance with the Burial and Cremation Act 2013.

Check with your ancestor's cemetery to see if the rules say you buy the plot in perpetuity, or lease the plot for a set time with options to renew.


Another strange occurrence was with my 2x great uncle Horace Porter. That's the poor guy who was hit on the head with a brick during a tramway strike and spent the next 45 years in an insane asylum. When he died this notice was placed in the Montreal Gazette:

I contacted the Mount Royal Cemetery requesting a burial location, and I received this reply:

Name: Horace Melvin Porter
He was removed from the cemetery on May 20^th, 1948 and his final disposition is unknown. 

When I later got a photo of his parents' gravestone, I see Horace was (possibly) buried with them in the family plot in Kirkdale, Quebec. His sister, my great grandmother, who visited him every week for 45 years would have seen to that. 

Porters, Kirkdale Cemetery, Quebec

My 2x great grandfather John Seale's first wife, Sarah died in 1834 and was buried in the Milton Family Burial Ground (Pittsburgh, Ontario) located by the river on the Milton property, right next door to the Seale's lot. John's son Henry David, who died in 1859 at 3 years 8 months was also buried there, as were his in-laws the Hunters. Cataraqui Cemetery opened in 1850 and in 1874 the remains of Sarah, Henry and the Hunters were moved there to a newly purchased family plot. Later, in 1958, John's son Charles was also moved to Cataraqui from Milton. 

Seale and Hunter Memorial, Cataraqui Cemetery

Some of my Lancashire ancestors are buried in the c1236 cemetery of St James Church in Stalmine.  You will not find the gravestones walking around the cemetery, because in 1973 they were removed, cleaned and embedded in a new wall to make it easier to keep the cemetery neat. There was estimated that over 3000 people were buried in this small cemetery just between 1583 and 1724, and even more until closing to burials around 1899. In the year 2000 the Church of England offered parishes a yew tree, cuttings from a 2000 year old yew at St Mary's on Hampshire's Hayling Island. St James accepted.

Info and photo sent to me by the clerk of St James, Stalmine.

Then comes Dora. Dora Porter was my 2x great aunt and the sister of Horace.  Dora died in 1943 in Philadelphia, in a home for the indigent. She had beloved parents that had died more than 20 years before. Dora had a loving husband that died in 1936 and was buried in Mt Peace Cemetery.  None of this was noted on her death certificate.
Father... unknown. Mother... unknown.  Husband... unknown.
The informants signature is that of a city desk clerk. Dora was aged 72 and they wrote her cause of death as hemiplegia, generalized arteriosclerosis due to senility.
Place of burial: Anatomical Board??

¹From Pennsylvania Cadaver Receiving Books for 1943

Her body was given to medical research. I would think that if she was senile and didn't know her parents or husband's name, she was surely not able to sign for this? Was there even a burial afterwards?  Was there anything left to bury? Those were my first questions.

Researching further I discovered that according to the Pennsylvania Anatomy Act of 1883 (to deter grave robbing) the state was given the right to use unclaimed bodies for medical research. When Dora died she did have 7 siblings still living, but perhaps due to her senility was unable to tell anyone.

Anatomical Board Cadaver Receiving Books may be found in city archives with Department of Health records.

If you have insights into any of these situations, or if you have an ancestor who was not left buried - we would love to hear about it.


May they all rest in peace!


Relevant Links

History of the Anatomy Act of Pennsylvania, pdf

The anatomy act, 1832 ; the pharmacy act,1852 ; the pharmacy act, 1869 ; the anatomy act, 1871 – Great Britain

The South Australia Anatomy Act of 1884, pdf

The Anatomy Act of 1832 of Ireland

The Anatomy Act of British Columbia, current to 2017

The Anatomy Act of Nova Scotia

¹Source:

Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission

Record Group 11, Records of the Department of Health

Series 11.45, Cadaver Receiving Books, 1901-1965.