DNA cultivates a new branch of the family tree

I love autosomal DNA! Last year, just to humour me, my Aunt Anne took a DNA test. Her DNA match list includes descendants of her 64 GGGG-grandparents, i.e. my maternal GGGGG-grandparents, and maybe even earlier generations too. So far, I know the names of only two of my GGGGG-grandparents, creating soo much potential for discovery.

Before Christmas, I started examining Anne’s highest unknown match (56 cM/5 segments), labelled below as P. P has no online family tree, but she shares several matches in common with Anne, including those labelled T, S, L, M, and C below. Many of them appear to live in New Zealand. Some had partial trees attached to their DNA results, including T who traced his ancestry back to Thomas O’Carroll.

Over Christmas, I extended the family trees of these genetic cousins and found they all descended from one or other of Thomas O’Carroll’s four children.

As seen above, Larry, Anne’s first cousin, shares several of these matches too. Their grandmother was born Teresa Carroll (without an 'O' prefix). Also Michael, not included above, but a descendant of Teresa’s father Maurice Carroll and his first wife Mary Anne Frazer, also shares over 20 cM DNA with P and L (and thus appears in the Shared Matches lists at Ancestry.com). So, it seems we may be all related via my GG-Grandfather Maurice Carroll, or his forefathers.

Some of the online family trees show Thomas O’Carroll was born in Tralee, Co. Kerry, about 1837-38, and was buried in Northland, New Zealand in 1918. Our branch of the Carroll family did not include the ’O’ prefix in their surname, at least not before the Gaelic revival in Ireland around the turn of the twentieth century. Maurice Carroll also claimed to have been born in the late 1830s, but in Co. Tipperary, not Co. Kerry. 

So, were Maurice and Thomas related? The amount of shared DNA suggests they could possibly have been brothers, though maybe it's a tad on the low side for that. But, further research shows some consistencies with what might be expected in a family relationship.

While the online family trees suggest Thomas and his wife must have married in Ireland, Thomas Carroll (without the ‘O’ prefix) can be seen marrying Anne Sloan in New Zealand, in 1864. This couple then had four children, David James O’Carroll born in New Zealand in 1865, Francis O’Carroll born in 1866, Thomas O’Carroll born in 1869 and Mary Ann O’Carroll born in 1872. So he started off as a Carroll (without an 'O').

David Carroll was the name of my GGG-grandfather, Maurice’s father. Maybe Thomas O’Carroll was following traditional Irish naming practices whereby the eldest son was named after his paternal grandfather – i.e., Thomas O'Carroll's eldest son was called David. David wasn’t that common a given name in Ireland then, so this might mean something.

O'Shea-O'Carroll marriage, New Zealand Herald, 25 February 1889

Also, the above announcement of Thomas's daughter Mary Ann O’Carroll’s marriage to Michael O’Shea, in 1889, confirms Thomas WAS from Co. Tipperary, NOT Co. Kerry, after all.

BEWARE the information found in online family trees! It could lead you astray if you let it.


Updated 17 January 2021, see here: Traditional genealogy verifies genetic genealogy find.

DNA Diary: Calling all Cousins!

Are you my cousin? Are you related to anyone mentioned in this blog? Why not take an autosomal DNA test and find out?

Or, if you have already tested your DNA, and if you have not done so already, PLEASE consider downloading your DNA file and uploading it to GEDmatch and/or FTDNA and/or MyHeritage, where you will discover another list of DNA matches. You never know where your DNA cousins are hanging out. It’s easy and FREE and it only takes about ten minutes. (You cannot upload results from other companies to 23andMe or Ancestry, but you can download your DNA file from them, for upload elsewhere.)

My DNA was tested with Ancestry and FTDNA and I've uploaded results to GEDmatch and MyHeritage. Both my parents are also represented at FTDNA, GEDmatch and MyHeritage and my maternal aunt and uncle are represented on various combinations of all these sites too. During the Christmas break, I plan to investigate uploading our results to FindMyPast / Living DNA and Geneanet, as well.

Seems, one of the best ways to make progress in genetic genealogy is to identify known close cousins - i.e. second, third or maybe fourth cousins - in the lists of DNA matches. There's a good chance any DNA match shared in common with these cousins will be related on the same family line. The new matches may provide clues to further flesh out your family trees and even create a window in a genealogy brick wall.

For example, several of my maternal Wynne/Hynes cousins have done a DNA test and shared their matches with me, hence all the progress made on the Hynes branch of my tree during 2020, e.g. The missing piece of the jigsaw - Mary Anne Hynes. However, no discoveries have been made on either of my mother's Carroll or Devine lineages, where no known cousins have tested their DNA. And, I only have DNA matches on my father's paternal Byrne and Mahon lineages, while his maternal O'Neill/Donovan line remains a complete DNA mystery.

But, if more genetic cousins were represented in all the DNA databases, progress should be far easier, and working together with my newfound cousins, we might be able to extend both our family trees further back in time.

If you have not yet tested your autosomal DNA, you may be interested in doing so. Some of the testing companies even have Christmas sales on at the moment. It's fun, and I'm always happy to help my genetic cousins, as best I can, with any questions they may have.  

This post was updated from a version written in June 2017. Image courtesy of PhotoFunia.

Update 23 January 2021: Given the number of privacy breaches at GEDmatch in the past year or so, I no longer feel I can recommend it for genealogy purposes, and have deleted my kits from the site.

Ancient Irish DNA (or lack of)

'Do you share DNA with any of the four ancient Irish samples on GEDmatch?' asked Margaret O'Brien of Data Mining DNA recently.1

Unlikely, I thought, given they lived four or five thousand years ago and I don't even share DNA with some known third cousins. But wouldn't it be fun to investigate!

GEDmatch is a 'free' third-party DNA site, where people who have tested with various testing companies can upload their results and compare them to each other. The results for the four ancient Irish people have also been uploaded, so it's easy to run the comparisons.

Ballynahatty Woman
DNA analysis on the bones of a Neolithic woman discovered in Ballynahatty, near Belfast, Co. Down, reveals that genetically she most resembles modern people from Spain and Sardinia - not Ireland. It is estimated this woman lived here over 5,000 years ago. Her ancestors originated in the Near East. I didn't expect to have any real matching segments with Ballynahatty Woman, so the normal minimum threshold level of 7cM was reduced to a just 3cM, so there might be something to see. And, here are the results:-

I have four matching segments greater than 3cM with Ballynahatty Woman, the largest being only 4.7 cM. Segments this small are notoriously unreliable, meaning they are most likely identical by chance. And it's a total coincidence I share any DNA with Ballynahatty Woman.

As you can see, neither my mother nor father share these matching segments with her, and I inherited ALL my DNA from them. Granted, like me, my mother shares a 3.1cM segment on chromosome 2, but her match is towards the end of the chromosome, and mine is near the beginning.

Obviously I received a bit of this, and a bit of that, which in total just happened to create these small matches. After all, we both have human DNA. But it's pure chance!

The Rathlin Island Men
DNA analysis on the bones of three Early Bronze Age men, discovered in a cist burial on Rathlin Island, off the Co. Antrim coast, reveals they shared the genetic ancestors of modern-day Irish people. Their ancestors hailed from the Pontic Steppe on the northern shores of the Black Sea. It is estimated these guys lived about 4,000 years ago.

There is perhaps a greater chance of finding legitimate matching segments with the Rathlin Island crew. Such segments would be small, and match solely IF they are prevalent among the Irish population today. So...

Perhaps I do share an ancient connection with Rathlin Man 1. I have no matching segments exceeding 3cM with Rathlin Man 2 (F999802) or Rathlin Man 3 (F999801), maybe because their genomes were not sequenced to high coverage. But, I have seven matching segments exceeding 3cM with Rathlin Man 1, and the largest segment is a whole 6cM. Tiny!

But look, my 4cM matching segment on Chromosome 4 was probably passed down to me by my mother. It would take a whole lot more work to investigate this any further, so I'm just going to take it as gospel, and say I'm related to Rathlin Man 1, haha!!! 😉  None of the other segments were inherited from either of my parents, rendering them truly false matches - pure coincidences - identical by chance, once again.

What do we really learn from these tiny matching segments? We learn not to rely on such tiny segments as genealogical proof, that's what!

But, isn't it mind-blowing to think we can compare our DNA with the DNA of those who walked the shores of Ireland two and three thousand years before Christ was born.

Sources:
1. Margaret O'Brien, 'Do You Share Ancient Irish DNA? Find out with GEDmatch', 2020, Data Mining DNA.
2. Lara Cassidy, et al, 'Neolithic and Bronze Age migration to Ireland and establishment of the insular Atlantic genome', 2015, PNAS.

The missing piece of the jigsaw - Mary Anne Hynes

💙 Surprise, Surprise! 💙 My great-great-grandmother Bridget (Hynes) Wynne had another sister. Her name was Mary Anne. And with Mary Anne's recent rediscovery came confirmation of my great-great-great-grandparent's identity.



A few years ago, I set out my preferred theory for who my third great-grandparents were in The Hayes Theory. John HYNES and Margaret HAYES married in Limerick city in 1826, and christened a daughter Bridget there in 1830 and a son Edmond in 1835. They were the perfect candidates. Everything about them fit—the right names, in the right place, at the right time, and nothing ruled them out.

But we didn't 'know' the maiden name of Bridget's mother Margaret. Plus, there were no links between this young family in Limerick and the adult Bridget's family in Dublin city. It could easily have all been one big coincidence. So, much to the exasperation of my third cousin Phyllis, I never added 'Hayes' as Margaret's maiden name in my online family tree.

Just last month Phyllis asked again, 'You and Aileen [my first cousin] have continued to question Margaret Hayes as Bridget's mother and I've always wondered why'. But, it was hard to explain. In short, our hesitation can probably be attributed to Mr. Murphy, our genealogy lecturer at University College Dublin. His voice always echos in my head - 'it's a good theory, but where's the evidence?'

Then recently, as I was gallivanting down that rabbit hole in pursuit of what turned out to be my 'too deep' Hynes ancestry, I came across an exciting DNA match. My mother's first cousin Larry was the estimated 3rd-4th cousin of an unknown lady with the unlikely surname Rodoreda.



This lady also matches my Aunt Anne, her second cousin Paul, and a known descendant of Bridget's sister Catherine (Hynes) Tucker. Phyllis and Aileen, being one generation removed, have an estimated 5th-8th cousin match with her too. We also all match other members of the extended Rodoreda family. It looked like this match was definitely on our Hynes line.

Of course, the Rodoreda lady had no online tree. Still, her surname was so uncommon, in the English-speaking world anyway, it wasn't difficult to trace. It turns out, she was descended from Jerome Rodoreda of Barcelona, Spain and Mary Anne Hynes of Limerick, Ireland. Jerome and Mary Anne met in Perth, Western Australia, and married there in 1856.

Nothing is ever that easy though. Mary Anne's baptism was not found in the registers for St Mary's in Limerick, or elsewhere for that matter. And most of the online family trees claimed Mary Anne's parents were John Hynes and Mary—not Margaret—Hayes from Limerick. Close but no cigar!

Her mother's stated given name was obviously an error, right?

Except, not only that, 'Mary' was said to have died in Perth in 1880, with a source attached. Her father supposedly also died in Perth, in 1894, though no source was cited. Ok, so we don't know yet what happened to John Hynes, but we do know where Margaret ended up. She was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin with her daughter Catherine's family.

Sure enough, FamilySearch has a record confirming Mary [Anne]'s mother was Mary—not Margaret—Hayes. Except it's only a transcription, perhaps of the church register, without the image of the original document. The source details are not provided. How many times have you initially thought old writing of 'Margt' (with that little superscript 't' at the end) read Mary?

Phyllis did Trojan work proving the Mary Hines who died in Perth in 1880 was actually the wife of a William Hines, a convict from England, and not the mother of Mary Anne Rodoreda. So, there was hope. But, although images of the original baptism records for all Mary Anne's children were found online, her church marriage register was not available. We ordered the civil record, and are still waiting for it to arrive.

In the meantime, the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth Archives provided a requested scan of Jerome and Mary Anne's marriage, from the registers of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Perth. And, as clear as day, or at least as clear as it can possibly be for an old record written in Latin, Mary Anne's details were given as Marianam Hines filia in Joannis et Margarita Hayes ex Limerick in Hibernia. I read this to mean 'Maryanne Marian Hines a daughter of John and Margaret Hayes from Limerick, Ireland'.

There is still no 'documentary' evidence linking Bridget (Hynes) Wynne with John Hynes and Margaret Hayes, other than what was written in code and given to her in her DNA, which she in turn passed on to her descendants. I'm not 100% sure Mr. Murphy would agree with this 'scientific' approach, but for me DNA has provided that crucial piece of the jigsaw showing Margaret Hayes belongs in our family picture.

It's about time, I hear Phyllis say.😄

Sources:
1.'Australia Marriages, 1810-1980', database, FamilySearch, Mary Hines in entry for Jerome Rodoreda, 1856, accessed 20 August 2020.
2. Marriage register, Church of the Immaculate Conception in Perth, Rodoreda-Hines marriage, 1856, Catholic Archdiocese of Perth Archives.

Further articles about Mary Anne (Hynes) Rodoreda:-

• Duped by the Emigration Commission;
• Mary Anne Hynes meets Jerome Rodoreda;
• Cousins connect ~ Mary Anne (Hynes) Rodoreda.

Follow me down a rabbit hole: Hynes family of Broadford, Co. Clare

This is the fifth post in a series (starting here) concluding the investigation into a number of DNA cousins, all likely related to us on our 'Hynes' line. The origin of our matches' ancestors—Michael Rochford Hynes and his sister Anne Rochford Hynes, who emigrated to Queensland, Australia in the late 1860s—were traced back to the parish of Broadford, Co. Clare. Michael and Anne's father, Edmond Hynes, farmed there, in the townlands of Woodfield and Killaderry.

Church registers for the parish prior to 1844 have been lost, making the research more challenging. Yet, a number of probable siblings of Michael and Anne have been identified and traced forward, with a view to finding them named as associates in records pertaining to our own ancestors, or perhaps finding their descendants in our lists of DNA matches.

Patrick Hynes, the son of Edmond Hynes, was a farmer in Woodfield, when he married Mary Fennessy in Feakle parish, on 13 February 1866. They made their home in Woodfield, and had ten children, nine of whom survived infancy. His daughter Catherine said he was fifty-eight years old when he died on 28 March 1898, so born about 1839-40, or maybe earlier. None of his descendants appear among our DNA matches.

Edmond Hynes was a farmer in Broadford, the son of Edmond Hynes, according to the register of his marriage to Mary Kiely, in Killaloe parish, on 7 February 1869. The couple lived in Fahymore, near Bridgetown, not far from Broadford and also had a string of children. Records show Edmond was born between about 1839 and 1846, though he may have been born even earlier. None of his descendants were identified among our DNA matches. (Update 2021: Edmond's descendants now show as DNA cousins (within the 4C - 6C range) on our extended Hynes line. 

Winifred (Winny) Hynes of Killaderry married Edmond Corcoran in Broadford on 12 February 1860, witnessed by Pat Hynes of Killaderry and Bridget Prendergast of O'Callaghans Mills. They lived in Springmount, in Fahymore, Co. Clare, where Edmond Corcoran was a farmer. They had six children. Two daughters, Bridget and Margaret, emigrated to Queensland, while the sons remained in Ireland. None of their descendants were found among our DNA matches. (Update 2025: Winifred's descendants now show as DNA cousins (within the 4C - 6C range) on our extended Hynes line.

Catherine Hynes and Edward Hickey from Killaderry/Woodfield baptised two children in Broadford—Mary on 27 April 1862 and Michael on 18 February 1865. Mary's Godparents were Michael and Anne Hynes of Killaderry, perhaps the same pair that emigrated to Queensland. Michael's Godparents were Pat Hynes of Woodfield and Bridget O'Grady of Feakle. All further record of this family currently escapes me.

Margaret Hynes of Woodfield married Denis Hayes in Broadford on 1 November 1859. They had one daughter Bridget born in Broadford village, and baptised in Broadford church on 26 August 1860. Bridget's Godparents were Patrick Hynes and Winny Hynes from Killaderry. Nothing further has been found relating to Margaret's family.

Bridget Hynes was probably an elder sibling too. She was living in Killaderry when she married John O'Brien, in Broadford parish, on 5 February 1854. She had one son, also John, baptised in Moynoe parish on 9 March 1856. Young John emigrated to Queensland, Australia, where his daughter Margaret Ann O'Brien was born in 1890. Margaret Ann had three sons, George Francis Williams, Margaret Edith Williams and Robert Arthur Williams.

Members of my extended 'Hynes' family are DNA cousins of Margaret Edith's grandson and Robert Arthur's son. The DNA segments they share are tiny, but they are probably further evidence of our distant connection with this family. They may perhaps be just noise.

Mary Hynes of Feakle was Godmother to Patrick Hynes' eldest son Michael, baptised in November 1866. The church records for Feakle don't start until 1860, which doesn't help, but members of my extended 'Hynes' family have DNA matches with her descendants—many of them in the 4th to 6th cousin bracket. Siblings J.B. and K.L. are the great-grandchildren of Edward Hynes Grady, the son of Mary Hynes that emigrated to New York. It's also apparent J.B. is related to W.M., a descendant of Michael Rochford Hynes.

(Click on image to enlarge)

There is no doubt we all family, but how far back?. If my third great-grandfather John Hynes was a brother of Edmond Hynes senior, that would make Edmond's descendants of the same generation my 5th cousins. Only about 30% of fifth cousin share any detectable DNA, and even less 6th cousins do. Our actual relationship is possibly more distant still.

None of 'the siblings' are apparent among my Hynes family's FAN club (Friends, Associates and Neighbours). And, given 'official' records have been lost, or never maintained in the first place, there's little chance evidence of our exact relationship exists today. Still, our origins and the origins of this family are the same, which may point to where my third-great-grandfather came from, before he ended up a carpenter in Limerick city.

Sources:
1. Catholic parish registers, accessed on $ FindMyPast, $ RootsIreland, $ Ancestry, NLI, with the help of a transcript for Broadford Parish prepared by my cousin Aileen, and an online family tree prepared by my cousin Phyllis.
2. Civil records of births, marriages and deaths from 1864, on IrishGenealogy.ie.
3. Queensland Government, Family History Research Service.
4. 'New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949", database, FamilySearch, Edward H. Grady, 1931.

Follow me down a rabbit hole ~ Origins in Ireland

This is the fourth post in a series (starting here) investigating a number of DNA cousins, likely related on my 'Hynes' line. On tracing their families back in time, their ancestors, a brother and sister, were found to have left Ireland for Queensland, Australia, in the 1860s.

In 1871, at the time of his marriage, Michael Rochford Hynes helpfully advised he was born in Broadford, Co. Clare, about 1844. His sister Anne Rochford Hynes, who married in 1865, less cooperatively stated she born in Woodville, Ireland, about 1843. Their parents were named as Edmond Hynes, a farmer, and Bridget Rochford.

John Grenhams's Irish Ancestors initially helped identify the twenty-nine parishes, home to both Hynes and Rochford families c. 1850. People tended to marry from within their own parish, or the adjoining ones, so this tool is often useful in pinpointing a couple's origins. Feakle, in Co. Clare, had the highest number of Rochford families (eleven), while twelve Hynes families lived in Rahoon, Co. Galway. However, Tulla, in Co. Clare, probably provided the best bet statistically, with five families sporting each surname. The tool brought us remarkably close to Broadford, in fairness.

Catholic parishes, NLI

According to Samuel Lewis in 1837, Broadford was a post town in the civil parish of Kilseily, in Co. Clare, eight miles north of Limerick. It was part of the Roman Catholic diocese of Killaloe, where the parish was also known as Killokennedy and Kilseily. At the time of his writing, a new Roman Catholic church was being built on a hill overlooking Broadford, while the Protestant congregation was served by a church situated in the village itself.

Unfortunately, the Catholic baptism registers for Broadford begin on 19 January 1844 and the marriage registers on 10 February 1844, just a bit too late for current research goals. Seemingly, prior records have been lost. A thorough search of the baptism register (thanks Aileen) failed to locate the likely baptism of Michael Rochford Hynes in 1844. Perhaps he was older than he thought. Further, the Church of Ireland records for the period, if relevant to this family, perished in the Four Courts in 1922. This might explain why no trace of Edmund Hynes and Bridget Rochford was found in Ireland.

Lewis described the district as being of 'good arable land under an improving system of tillage', with mountain pasture and bog as well. There were also a number of slate quarries selling good quality slate to the Limerick and Ennis markets. If Edmond Hynes was a farmer in Broadford, he would undoubtedly have paid rates (property tax) and been documented in Kilseily parish, in Griffith's Valuation. Before rates were introduced, he may also have been recorded in the Tithe Applotment Books for the parish. And he featured in both.

Kilseily townlands, Edmond Hynes property

The Valuation of Kilseily parish, dated December 1851 (and not 1856, as indexed by Ancestry.com), shows Edmond Hynes lived in the townland of Woodfield, overlooking Doon lake, and farmed fifteen acres there. He farmed a further nineteen acres in the adjoining townland of Killaderry (O'Brien), where he sub-let a house to a Catherine Flanagan. He also leased an area of slate quarry in Hurdleston.

Broadford was a small village of only 383 inhabitants, according to Lewis, who probably quoted the 1831 census. So Edmond was almost certainly Michael Rochford Hynes' father. 'Woodville', where Anne Rochford Hynes said she was from, was likely a corruption of Woodfield, perhaps as a result of Anne's East Clare accent to an unaccustomed ear. Or, maybe it was a ploy on her part to sound 'posher' than she really was. Maybe she was ashamed of her 'small-farmer' background upon marrying Edward Tabuteau, the son of Irish gentry.

In 1827, Ned Hynes paid tithes on land in Woodfield, Kilseily. Ned is a common variant of Edmond. My guess is, this was Michael and Anne's father, who married in the 1820s or early 1830s, and probably had several more children. Next week, the goal is to track them down and follow their descendants forward, and maybe identify more DNA cousins.

A Timothy Hynes and a John Hynes also lived in Kilseily parish in 1851. They lived in the townland of Gortnalough, marked 18 on the above map. It seems likely John was Timothy's son. Timothy might have been Edmond's brother. So, unless Timothy was Edmond's father too, it's still possible my third-great-grandfather, also John Hynes, was Edmond's brother. My John Hynes was said to have been a carpenter, with ties to Limerick city, fourteen miles away. 

This story is continued here.

Sources
1. Marriages between 1829 and 1945 - Anne Rochford Hynes in 1865 and Michael Hynes in 1871, source images, Queensland Government, Family History Research Service.
2. Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, comprising the several counties, cities, boroughs, corporate, market, and post towns, parishes and villages, (London, 1837) v i, p. 226 and v ii, p.207-208. 
3. Catholic Parish Registers, Broadford, Diocese of Killaloe, accessed NLI.
4. Griffith's Valuation, Hynes, Kilseily, Co. Clare, accessed AskaboutIreland.
5. Map of Kilseily townlands, accessed Clare Library.
6. Tithe Applotment Books, 1823-1837, Hynes, Kilseily, Co. Clare (mis-filed under Hynes, Kilscoran, Co. Wexford) accessed The National Archives of Ireland.

Image: Sir John Tenniel's illustration of 'The White Rabbit', in Lewis Carroll's The Nursery Alice (London, 1890), accessed on Wikipedia.

Follow me down a rabbit hole - Michael Rochford Hynes

This is the third post in a series (starting here) exploring the DNA matches shared between members of my extended Wynne-Hynes family and descendants of Edward Mayne Mollier Tabuteau and Anne Rochford Hynes.

As noted last week, Edward and Anne settled in New Zealand in the late-1860s. Edward's birthplace was stated as 'Dublin, Ireland' in their son's WWI Attestation Form, while Anne's was frustratingly reduced to just 'Ireland' in the same document. Anne and my great-great-grandmother, Bridget (Hynes) Wynne, share a maiden name, hence my heightened interest in her origins.

The Rochford-Hynes family's origins in Ireland
Various online family trees indicate Edmund Hynes and Bridget Rochford were Anne Rochford Hynes' parents, however no record of the couple can be found back in Ireland.

Edward Tabuteau and Anne Rochford Hynes married in Queensland, Australia, on 27 November 1865, shortly before their move to New Zealand. They married in St John's 'Anglican' Church in Brisbane. Anne's parents were confirmed as Edmund Hynes, a farmer, and Bridget Rochford. Anne was then 22 years old, so born about 1843, with her place of birth given as 'Woodville', in Ireland.

"Woodville! where on earth is that?" I asked in disbelief, having forking out for information on her birthplace. 

Perhaps Woodville is a townland in Tipperary, Waterford, Kilkenny, Mayo or Dublin, going by Logainm.ie? Normally, immigrants give their county of origin as their birthplace, or maybe the name of the nearest large town, or at least their village—not some tiny townland in the middle of nowhere.

Anne seems very coy about admitting where she came from.

1865, Marriage, Anne Rochford Hynes, Source image,
Queensland Government

Michael Rochford Hynes
Except, that's not all that was found in Queensland, thankfully. Michael Rochford Hynes lived there too, and at around the same time as Anne. He was surely her brother. So his source marriage image was obtained too. This was the document provided to the civil authorities in Queensland, to register his marriage.

Michael married Anne Smith on 13 November 1871, in St Patrick's 'Catholic' church, in Gympie, a town 160 kilometres north of Brisbane. The marriage certificate confirmed Michael's parents as Edmund Hynes and Bridget Rotchford, a slightly different spelling of his mother's surname, though undoubtedly the same parents as Anne. The document also gave Michael's birthplace as Broadford, in Co. Clare.

At last, somewhere to pin-point on a map!

1871, Marriage, Michael Rochford Hynes, Source image,
Queensland Government

Our DNA matches with descendants of Michael Hynes and Anne Smith
Several of my Wynne-Hynes cousins have DNA matches shared in common with descendants of Anne Rocford Hynes. If any of these DNA matches descend from Michael Rochford Hynes, it's practically a given our ancestors were related to Edmund Hynes or Bridget Rochford. And, they do.

Michael and Anne had eight children:

• Bridget Hynes was born in 1872, died in infancy;
• Mary Bridget Hynes was born in 1874 and married Christopher Francis Fitzpatrick;
• Margaret Ann Hynes was born in 1878 and married Richard Alexander MacLellan;
• Edmond Patrick Hynes was born in 1880 and married Gertrude Jessie Mary King;
• John Thomas Hynes was born in 1883 and died in 1928, unmarried;
• Winifred Eileen Hynes was born about 1890 and married John Francis McGrath;
• Michael Rochford Hynes was born about 1892 and died in 1951, unmarried;
• Patrick William Hynes was born about 1893 and married Margaret Mary Lyons.

Members of my extended Wynne-Hynes family match three probable descendants of Michael and Anne (Smith) Hynes, one via their daughter Margaret (Hynes) MacLellan and two via their daughter Winifred (Hynes) McGrath. They've been labeled Axelsen, M1 and M2, respectively. None of them responded to my messages.

The first match, Axelsen, has no family tree online, but Margaret (Hynes) MacLellan's daughter Teresa married a Peter Axelsen. It's not such a common surname and he also shares DNA with the two McGrath matches, and with TL, a descendant of Anne Rochford Hynes discussed previously.

Axelsen shares DNA with Paul, who descends from my great-great-grandmother's daughter Agnes, and with my Aunt Anne, her first cousin Larry and myself, who all descend from her son Patrick, as well as with Phyllis, who descends from her daughter Mary.

M1 has an online family tree that shows her grandfather as Jack McGrath who died in 1996, and her great-grandfather as 'Rochford McGrath'. Doesn't that sound like we're on the right path! And, Winifred (Hynes) McGrath had a son John Joseph (i.e. Jack) born in 1917, who died in 1996. M1 shares DNA with Paul, with my Aunt Anne, with Larry and with me.

M2 has no online family tree, but he shares DNA with M1 and Axelsen, and with TL too. He also matches Paul, my first cousin Aileen, my Aunt Anne and me, as well as Holly, who descends from my great-great-grandmother's son John.

Plus, and this is key—M1 has an estimated 4th-6th cousin match with Janet, a descendant of my great-great-grandmother's sister, Catherine (Hynes) Tucker. We know this because Janet is named as a shared match between M1 and Paul, and between M1 and me. She may also have an estimated 5th-8th cousin match with other descendants of Michael Rochford Hynes and/or Anne Rochford Hynes, but such distant matches do not appear on Ancestry.com's shared matches lists.

Ancestry.com provides no way to tell whether or not we all share some of the same segments of DNA, which would confirm we inherited them from the same specific ancestor(s). Nevertheless, it certainly smacks of us all being of the same family—the Hynes family—a fuzzy triangulation, of sorts.

Little doubt remains that my great-great-great-grandparents, John Hynes and Margaret (maiden name unknown, but maybe Hayes), the parents of Bridget (Hynes) Wynne and Catherine (Hynes) Tucker, were somehow related to Edmund Hynes and Bridget Rochford. John and Edmund could even have been brothers! John had a son named Edward, which in Ireland at least is a variant of Edmund.

Several of these matches share only single 'large' segments of DNA, which may have been carried down for generations, so our relationship might be far more distant. Thus, caution is needed, especially as the limited functionality at Ancestry.com provides no further information about the segments in question. Still... 

Certain 'conflicts' in the paperwork remain unresolved, e.g. How does Anne Rochford Hynes' birth in Woodville reconcile with Michael Rochford Hynes' birth in Broadford? Were the Rochford-Hynes family Catholic or Protestant? Why is there no sign of Edmund Hynes and Bridget Rochford in Irish records? Tune in next week for more answers. There was a Hynes family in Broadford that may fit the bill.

Continued here.

Sources:
1. 'New Zealand, World War I Service Records', Attestation for General Service, 1917, Joseph Agustus Moliere Tabuteau, accessed Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga.
2. Marriages between 1829 and 1945 - Anne Rochford Hynes in 1865 and Michael Hynes in 1871, source images, Queensland Government, Family History Research Service.
3. Births: Bridget Hynes in 1872, Mary Bridget Hynes in 1874, Margaret Ann Hynes in 1878, Edmund Patrick Hynes in 1880, John Thomas Hynes in 1883, Teresa Frances MacLellan in 1911 and John Joseph McGrath in 1917; Marriages:; MacLellan-Hynes in 1902, McGrath-Hynes in 1916 and Axelsen-MacLellan in 1942; index accessed on Queensland Government, Family History Research Service.

Image: Sir John Tenniel's illustration of 'The White Rabbit', in Lewis Carroll's The Nursery Alice (London, 1890), accessed on Wikipedia.

Follow me down a rabbit hole - Anne Rochford Hynes

This is the second post in a series (starting here) exploring a DNA match with a lady (we’re calling her TL), who shares DNA with several members of my extended Wynne-Hynes family. TL's great-great-grandmother was Anne Rochford Hynes, born in Ireland about 1843. Anne had the same surname as my great-great-grandmother, Bridget (Hynes) Wynne, hence the investigation.

Anne Rochford Hynes and her husband Edward Mayne Mollier Tabuteau were settlers in New Zealand, in the latter half of the 1860s. They settled on a 99-acre farm at Hupara, near Kawakawa, in the Northland region.[1]

Two questions must now be answered in respect of Anne Rochford Hynes. First, where exactly did she come from in Ireland? and secondly, have members of my extended family got any other DNA matches with her descendants?

Origins in Ireland
The only mention of Edward and Anne’s Irish origins found in New Zealand came from their son Joseph’s World War I ‘Attestation’ form. This document confirms his father Edward Tabuteau was born in Dublin, Ireland. But, his mother Anne Tabuteau’s birthplace was given solely as ‘Ireland’. Not a good start! Why was the county of her birth not stated? [2]

Joseph Augustus Moliere Tabuteau, Attestation for General Service, 1917

Edward Mayne Tabuteau’s baptism on 15 November 1841 was then easily found in the registers of St Mary’s Anglican Church, Dublin (despite his surname being transcribed incorrectly as Johntea). He was born at 122 Abbey Street, in Dublin city, on 25 October 1841, the son of Bartholomew Moliere Tabuteau, a wine merchant, and Mary Jane. [3]

Despite extensive searching, there was no sign of Anne Rochford Hynes’ baptism in Ireland, nor any trace of her supposed parents, named as Edward Hynes and Bridget Rochford in several family trees found online. Not such a good start at all!

DNA matches with descendants of Edward Tabuteau and Anne Hynes
Edward and Anne had five children born in New Zealand. Harriette was born in 1867, Annie in 1869, Thomas Edward in 1871, Joseph Augustus Moliere in 1873 and Richard Arthur in 1875. Thomas died, unmarried, in 1894 and Joseph in 1940, leaving only three children with potential descendants. [4]

The couple’s firstborn child, Harriette Tabuteau, married John Alexander Lindesay Hall in 1885. They had eleven children, all girls. Their youngest daughter Frances Harriette May Hall was TL’s grandmother, but none of their other descendants are apparent among our DNA matches. [5]

Second born Annie Tabuteau married Norman May in 1897. They had two children, a boy, and a girl. Both went on to marry, but their descendants are not apparent among our DNA matches. [5]

Their youngest son, Richard Arthur Tabuteau, married Mabel Vaughan Johnston in 1906, and the couple had three sons. Several members of my 'Wynne-Hynes’ family, who descend from Bridget Hynes's children Agnes Patrick, Mary and John, all match two chaps sporting the Tabuteau surname. Let’s call them T1 and T2. I suspect they descend from one or more of Richard's sons.[5]

My 'cousin' Paul, who descends from Bridget's daughter Agnes, has an estimated 4th-6th cousin match with T1 and an estimated 5th-8th cousin match with T2. We also know T1 is related to TL, as she is listed among Paul and T1’s shared matches on Ancestry.com.

Larry, who descends from Bridget's son Patrick, shares an estimated 4th-6th cousin match with T1 and an estimated 5th-8th cousin match with T2. Again, T1 is shown as related to TL, with her being listed among Larry and T1’s shared matches on Ancestry.com.

Phyllis, who descends from Bridget's daughter Mary, shares an estimated 5th-8th cousin match with T1.

Holly, who descends from Bridget's son John, shares an estimated 5th-8th cousin match with both T1 and T2. 

Neither my Aunt Anne, my first cousin Aileen, nor I, share any discernible DNA with the Tabuteau lads. Aileen, Phyllis, Holly and I are all a generation removed.

We know T1 is related to TL, so it’s quite possible he descends from Richard, and thus also has the Hynes surname in his family tree. I’m betting the same goes for T2, except he shares less than 20cM DNA with TL, excluding him from Ancestry.com's shared matches calculation. It is also possible they're related on a different Tabuteau line completely, though I'd like to believe otherwise.

Next, I'll follow up on Anne Rochford (Hynes) Tabuteau's origins in Ireland, and identify more of the DNA matches we share in common with her descendant(s). Hopefully, that will confirm the match is definitely on their Hynes side, and rule out Edward Tabuteau being the source of our match; he did live alongside our ancestors in Dublin city, after-all. Tune in next week for an update.

Continued, here.

Sources:
1. New Zealand Electoral Rolls, 1871-72, no. 445, Edward Mayne Tabuteau, freehold, Kawakawa Settlement, transcription accessed at FindMyPast; A Return of the Freeholders of New Zealand, October 1882, Edward Mayn Tabuteau, settler, Kawakawa, 99 acres, transcription accessed at FindMyPast.
2.'New Zealand, World War I Service Records', Attestation for General Service, 1917, Joseph Agustus Moliere Tabuteau, accessed Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga.
3. Baptism of Edward Mayne Tabuteau of 122- Abbey St., St Mary COI, accessed Church records on IrishGenealogy.ie.
4. Births 1867/10858, Births 1869/12060, Births 1871/12398, Births 1875/5383, Deaths 1894/3967, Deaths 1940/17537, accessed New Zealand, Births, Deaths Marriages Online; Birth Joseph Tabuteau, Attestation for General Service, 1917.
5. Marriages 1885/2682, Marriages 1897/2521, Marriages 1906/5963, accessed Births, Deaths and Marriages Online.

Image: Sir John Tenniel's illustration of 'The White Rabbit', in Lewis Carroll's The Nursery Alice (London, 1890), accessed on Wikipedia.

Follow me down a rabbit hole

When my friend Jacqi Stevens at A Family Tapestry recently proclaimed her intention to ‘plunge down rabbit holes with wild abandon to find answers to her questions, I came to the understanding that all my genealogy undertakings of late share similarities with Alice’s pursuit of the White Rabbit.

My current project—investigating our connection to several 'related' DNA matches—may also be a hopeless pursuit.The likelihood of ever obtaining the necessary evidence, to be nail down exactly how we are related, is probably poor, or else I’d have come across the documents already. Yet, the prospect of discovering further ancestors is so appealing, it justifies the risk of ending up on just another wild goose chase.

So… staying within the parameters of the rule 'start with what you know' 😉—we know our significant DNA matches are descendants of our ancestors—I'm looking at one of my closest unidentified DNA matches. Let's call her TL. Ancestry.com places her in the 4th to 6th cousin bracket, based on us sharing one 39cM segment.

TL also shares an estimated 4th-6th cousin match (one 41cM segment) with my Aunt Anne, an estimated 4th-6th cousin match (one 32cM segment) with Anne's first cousin Larry, and an estimated 5th-8th cousin match (8cM in two segments) with their second cousin Paul. Anne and Larry descend from Bridget Hynes' son Patrick, while Paul descends from Bridget's daughter Agnes. TL does not match my cousins Phyllis, Holly or Aileen, who descend from Bridget's children, Mary, John and Patrick, respectively.

Bear in mind, Ancestry.com estimates only 32% of 5th cousins, 11% of 6th cousins and only 3% of 7th cousins share enough DNA for the relationship to be detected.

TL didn't respond to my message, but she does have a fairly decent online family tree, now based in New Zealand. Only one ancestral couple among all her great-great-grandparents came from Ireland, and only the wife was of actual Irish origin. TL's tree named her immigrant Irish ancestor as Anne Rochford Hynes, born about 1843. Anne's parents were shown as Edmond Hynes and Bridget Rochford. My second-great-grandmother, Bridget Hynes, was born about 1831 in Limerick, the daughter of John and Margaret Hynes.

Normally, I'm wary of single segment matches, but this one is quite large, and a surname in common is a very good start. Wouldn't you agree! Let's see if we can connect Anne Rochfort Hynes to our family tree, and in so doing, see if we can learn anything more about our own ancestry.

But first, TL's ascent to Anne Rochfort Hynes, Edward Hynes and Bridget Rochfort needs to be verified, and their other descendants identified. Hopefully then the other, as yet unknown, DNA matches we share in common with TL might be properly placed in either her or our family tree. Join me next week to see what I find out.

Continued, here.

Image: Sir John Tenniel's illustration of 'The White Rabbit', in Lewis Carroll's The Nursery Alice (London, 1890), accessed on Wikipedia.

Seeking descendants of John Keogh and Mary Brien

Continuing my first genealogy mission of this year, to seek out the descendants of my third-great-grandparents Jeremiah Keogh and Jane Crosby, this post concentrates on their son John. The goal, at least in part, is to identify his descendants among my mother’s DNA matches. Previous posts focused on their sons Thomas and Martin.

John Keogh married Mary Brien in St Laurence O'Toole's church, Dublin City, on 26 February 1869. John worked as a carpenter, unlike his father and brothers who were bricklayers or stone masons.

When he was 58 years old, on 15 September 1902, John Keogh of 4 Upper Ormond Place died in the Infirmary, at the North Dublin Union Workhouse. He had caught 'pneumonia after drink' and spent his last three days and sixteen hours in the hospital. It seems John may have been an alcoholic. But if he was, unusually for this era, he seemingly didn't fall foul of the law. No record of him is apparent in the Irish Prison Registers.

The couple's known children were:

• Patrick Keogh born 16 Mar 1869 at 15 Church Avenue, Dublin,
• Jane Keogh born 26 Jun 1870 at 5 Whitworth Row, Dublin,
• John Keogh born 4 May 1872 at 1 Faithful Place, Dublin, *
• Michael Keogh born 29 May 1879 at 68 Mabbot Street, Dublin,
• Thomas Keogh born 3 May 1881 at 16 Shoe Lane, Dublin,
• Elizabeth Keogh born 31 July 1882 at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin,
• Jeremiah Keogh born 28 Jul 1883 at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin.

* There's currently no obvious explanation for the gap in births between 1873 and 1878.

So far, I've only traced forward Jane, John, Michael and baby Elizabeth, who died aged only two months.

Jane Keogh married John Stapleton in St Laurence O'Toole's church on 29 January 1893 and had three children Jane, Margaret and Patrick, born 1896, 1897 and 1899. Her first husband died in 1906 and in 1912, she married William Wright. When Jane herself died in Dublin in 1942, she was survived by only one brother (presumably Michael), her son and daughter-in-law, her daughters and grandchildren. None of Jane's descendants are yet apparent among our genetic cousins.

Michael Keogh, a labourer, married Mary Farrell in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin City on 29 August 1909 and had children Mary in 1910, Margaret in 1912, Elizabeth in 1915, Jane in 1917, Julia in 1919 and probably more born after 1919 when our 100 year privacy cut-off rule currently kicks in. Baby Jane died in 1918. Julia married Pearse Pettigrew in Dublin in 1937 and later John Mooney in 1950. Mary married John Byrne in Dublin in 1929. When Mary died in 1973, she was survived by a brother (presumably one born after 1919) and sister, sons, daughters, grandchildren and even a great-grandchild. Yet, none of Michael's descendants are obvious among our DNA matches.

But, I hit the jackpot with John Keogh (junior)! He worked as a labourer, and married Mary Meehan in St Michan's church, Dublin city, on 23 July 1899. They had two unnamed daughters born in 1900 and 1903, a son Philip born in 1909, followed by John in 1912, Elizabeth in 1915 and Mary Josephine in 1917. It was Elizabeth and her husband Thomas Mullen who appeared as the maternal grandparents for one of my mother's matches on the DNA website MyHeritage.

Recently, this cousin's mother also joined the MyHeritage database. Mam shares 56cM DNA with her, while Uncle Colm shares 93cM, and their maternal first cousin shares 65cM. This falls well within the expected parameters for third cousins.

So, we have a DNA connection with the descendants of two my third great-grandparent's children -i.e. via their son Thomas, who I wrote about here, and their son John. This provides a scientific link, as well as a documented link, to my third great-grandparents.💛

If you are related to anyone mentioned here, have any further questions, or have additional information about this family, please contact me at Blackraven.genealogy(at)gmail(dot)com.

Sources:

1. Copy marriage register, John Keogh and Mary Brien, Dublin North, 26 February 1869, accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie.
2. Copy death register, John Keogh, Dublin North, 1902, group registration ID 4581834, accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie.
3. Irish Prison Registers 1790-1924, $ Find My Past.
4. Copy birth registers, Patrick Keogh, Dublin North, 1869, group registration ID 7917121; Jane Keogh, Dublin North, 1870, group registration ID 7773280; Thomas Keogh, Dublin South, 1881, group registration ID 8940595; Unknown [Elizabeth] Keogh, Dublin North, 1882, group registration ID 11538210; Unknown [Jeremiah] Keogh, Dublin North, 1883, group registration ID 11041292; accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie. Baptism register, John Keogh, St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, 1872; Michael Keogh, St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, 1879; accessed church records at IrishGenealogy.ie.
5. Copy marriage register, Jane Keogh and John Stapleton, Dublin North, 1893; Jane Stapleton and William Wright, Dublin North, 1912; accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie. 
6. Copy birth register, Unknown [Jane] Stapleton, Dublin North, 1895, group registration ID 9864577; Unknown [Margaret] Stapleton, Dublin North, 1897, group registration ID 9986432; Unknown [Patrick] Stapleton, Dublin North, 1899, group registration ID 10485233; accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie.
7. Death notice Jane Wright, Evening Herald, 10 January 1942, p. 5, accessed Irish Newspaper Archives.
8. Copy marriage register, Michael Keogh and Mary Farrell, Dublin North, 29 August 1909, accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie. 
9.  Copy birth register Mary Keogh, Dublin, 27 June 1910, group registration ID 781366; Margaret Keogh, Dublin, 15 September 1912, group registration ID 975165; Elizabeth Keogh, Dublin, 17 April 1915, group registration ID 1429466; Jane Keogh, Dublin, 23 May 1917, group registration ID 1572966; Julia Keogh, Dublin, 23 November 1919, group registration ID 1692848; accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie. 
10. Copy death register, Jane Keogh, Dublin North, 1918, group registration ID 5628556, accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie.
11. Copy marriage register, Pearse Pettigrew and Julia Keogh, Dublin, 8 November 1937, accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie. Marriage index, John Mooney and Julia Pettigrew, Dublin, Jan-Mar 1950, 'Irish Marriages 1845-1958', $ Find My Past.
12. Copy marriage register, John Byrne and Mary Keogh, Dublin, 7 December 1929, accessed civil records at IrishGenealogy.ie.
13. Death notice, Mary Byrne, Evening Herald, 2 November 1973, accessed Irish Newspaper Archives.

*******
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@DaraMcgivern

Seeking descendants of Thomas Keogh and Charlotte Lysaght

My first genealogy project of 2020 involves tracing the descendants of my third-great-grandparents, Jeremiah Keogh and Jane Crosby, mainly to see if any of them can be identified among my mother’s list of DNA matches. In addition to their daughter Maryanne, who was my great-great-grandmother, Jeremiah and Jane had three sons - Thomas, Martin and John. This post is about Thomas and his descendants.

Thomas Keogh married Charlotte Lysaght (sometimes known as Charlotte Mooney after her stepfather, John Mooney) in St Laurence O’Toole’s church in Dublin city on 13 April 1866.

Barely one month later, their eldest son was born. He was christened Jeremiah Richard Keogh in St Andrew’s church, on the other side of the River Liffey, on 21 May 1866. He was named after both his grandfathers, Jeremiah Keogh and Richard Lysaght. As far as I can tell, Jeremiah Richard was the couple's only surviving child.

Soon after he was born, Thomas and Charlotte returned to O’Toole’s parish, where three additional children were baptised - Thomas Michael born in 1868, died in 1869, Catherine Margaret born in 1870, died in 1880 and Martin, born in 1872, died that same year.

Both Thomas and Charlotte died relatively young themselves. Charlotte got nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) and died at home, at 7 Ossory Road, on 15 March 1895, stated age fifty years. Thomas died of bronchitis at his son Jeremiah's home, at 14 Abercorn Road, on 12 May 1898.

Jeremiah Richard Keogh worked as a bricklayer, like his father and grandfather. He married twice. His first wife was Mary Cassidy, who he married in 1890 and with whom he had five children. Mary died of phthisis (tuberculosis) in 1902, and in 1903 Jeremiah married Christina Griffen. They made their home in Caledon Road, Dublin, and had six more children. Jeremiah died on 18 March 1940, having suffered from hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body) for ten days.

DNA evidence:
After tracing Jeremiah's many descendants, only one DNA match became apparent. This lady shares a 27 cM DNA segment with my mother and 17 cM with Mam's maternal first cousin, and shares a different 15 cM DNA segment with my maternal uncle.

A relationship calculator estimates their connection as either third cousins once removed, fourth cousins, or second cousins twice removed. And, it turns out they're third cousin once removed. Our new cousin's grandmother was born Charlotte Keogh, Jeremiah's second-eldest daughter. It all fits!

And it provides genetic evidence that Thomas and my Maryanne were siblings, and helps to link me scientifically with my third great-grandparents.

Charlotte (Keogh) Stacey
(courtesy of her great-granddaughter)

Jeremiah Richard's children were:

• Bridget Charlotte Keogh (1890-1974)
• Charlotte Keogh (1893-1975)
• Mary Jane Keogh (1896-1918)
• Ellen Josephine Keogh (1898-1918)
• Thomas Peter Keogh (1901-1902)
• Jeremiah Francis Keogh (1904-1971)
• Christina Annie Keogh (1906-1917)
• Kathleen Keogh (1908-1985)
• Gretta Keogh (1910-1965)
• Charles Patrick Keogh (1913-1955)
• Patricia Keogh (1916-1963)

If you are related to anyone mentioned here, have any further questions, or have additional information about this family, please contact me at Blackraven.genealogy(at)gmail(dot)com.

Sources:
Copy marriage register, Thomas Keogh and Charlotte Lysaght, Dublin North, 13 April 1866, Civil records on IrishGenealogy.ie.

Baptism registers, Jeramiah Keogh, St Andrew Parish, 1866; Thomas Michael Keogh, St Laurence O'Toole's Parish, 1867; Catherine Margaret Keogh, St Laurence O'Toole's Parish, 1870; Martin Keogh, St Laurence O'Toole's Parish, 1872, Church records at IrishGenealogy.ie.

Burial register index of Glasnevin Cemetery, Thomas Keogh, 25 Mabbot, aged 1 year, 1869; Martin Keogh, 29 Lower Jane Place, aged 6 months, 1872, Genealogy at Glasnevin Trust.

Copy death registers, Catherine Margaret Keogh, Dublin North, 27 May 1880; Charlotte Keogh, Dublin South, 15 March 1895; Thomas Keogh, Dublin North, 12 May 1898; Mary Keogh, Dublin South, 22 August 1902; Jeremiah Richard Keogh, Dublin North, 18 March 1940, Civil records on IrishGenealogy.ie.

Copy marriage registers, Jeremiah Keogh and Mary Cassidy, Dublin North, 18 February 1890; Jeremiah Keogh and Christina Griffin, Dublin North, 27 November 1903, Civil records on IrishGenealogy.ie.

Introducing the Keogh family

As far as my maternal grandmother is concerned, much of my genealogy research has concentrated on her father' side, while little work has been done on her mother's ancestors. Likewise, until recently, I had not identified any DNA matches linked to her mother, Christina Devine. My first project this year sought to change that.

Except, it was easier said then done. All Christina Devine's siblings either died in infancy or died childless, so Granny had no maternal first cousins. And, nothing is known about Christina's father John Devine, prior to his marriage to Maryanne Keogh. John's parents were named in the church register of their marriage, but that remains frustratingly illegible. So, my best chance for success was on Maryanne Keogh's side.

Maryanne Keogh, was the eldest daughter of Jeremiah (also known as Darby) Keogh and Jane Crosby. She was baptised in Lucan parish on 9 February 1834. Her parents married under licence in the same parish, on 26 April 1833. I wrote about their possible reasons for obtaining a licence, rather than the usual practice of announcing their impending marriage by banns, here and here.

Subsequent records for this couple are scarce, but three additional sons have been identified.

Thomas Keogh was named the son of Jeremiah Keogh and Joanna (Latin for Jane) Crosby, when he married Charlotte Lysaght in St Laurence O’Toole’s on 13 April 1866. His baptism record has not been found. He became a bricklayer, like his father. When their mother died in 1891, my great-great-grandmother, Maryanne (Keogh) Devine, registered her death, but Thomas organised her burial. 

Martin Keogh married Ellen Ryan in St Andrew’s parish on 4 September 1871. His father was named Jeremiah Keogh, whose occupation was left blank on Martin's marriage register. His mother was named Jane, her maiden name wasn’t given. There’s no record of Martin's baptism, but there is plenty of circumstantial evidence connecting him to my family.

For example, his eldest daughter was called Jane (i.e. after his mother) and Thomas Keogh (i.e. his brother) was her Godfather. Martin worked as a bricklayer (i.e. like his father). Jane Keogh of Jane Place (where his mother is known to have lived) registered the birth of his second son. His third daughter was Charlotte, not a common name in Dublin (i.e. after his sister-in-law, Thomas Keogh's wife), and her Godmother was Catherine Devine (i.e. his niece, and my great-grandaunt). Plus, he named his youngest daughter Maryanne (i.e. after his eldest sister). And, Thomas Keogh (i.e. his brother) named one of his sons Martin. 

John Keogh was baptised in St Andrew’s parish in Dublin city, on 15 July 1844. His parents were named as Darby and Jane Keogh. And, when he married Maria Brien on 26 February 1869, in St Laurence O’Toole’s church, his parents were confirmed as Jeremiah Keogh, a bricklayer, and Joanna Crosby.

The next step was to discover more about Thomas, Martin and John Keogh, and trace their descendants forward, to see if any of them could be identified among my mother's lists of DNA cousins.

My DNA Ancestor Score ~ a new way to track my progress

Happy New Year!

Ok, maybe the year is not that new anymore, but this is my first post in a while. I’m still actively researching our genealogy, just not uncovering quite as many exciting new ancestor stories as before.

Bear in mind, I’ve probably already gathered all the low hanging fruit and there may only be one or two more direct ancestors left to be harvested on our family tree. They appear out of reach at the moment, at the very top, with no discernible way of getting to them. Someday, maybe they’ll fall.

Do you remember my Ancestor Scorecard? Here's the position at the end of 2016, when only 50% of my ancestors to fourth great-grandparent level had been identified. Well, in the past three years, not one single person has been added to the score. And, it’s not for lack of trying.

Ancestor Scorecard *

Today, often my genealogy research revolves around identifying DNA matches, i.e. those cousins we share DNA with, and then documenting their branch in my tree. I meet some amazing ‘living’ cousins along the way, and even got to help one fourth cousin, adopted at birth, nail her biological father down to one of three brothers. These genetic cousins all have fascinating stories to tell, but this blog is about my long-deceased relatives.

Now, I've come up with a new way of measuring my genealogy progress - by keeping track a DNA Ancestor score. This calculates how many ancestors, to fourth great-grandparent level, have been ‘proven’ by DNA. Three years ago the score would have been close to zero. Here's that score now.

DNA Ancestor Scorecard **

Currently, the score shows 30% of my ancestors are 'proven' by DNA, not too bad considering I've only identified 50% of them. This is a score that will undoubtedly rise over time, especially now the DNA companies are beginning to deliver some ‘close-cousin' DNA matches. Plus, the results of the Christmas sales of DNA tests are due in shortly.

Hopefully, soon, my genetic cousins will help increase the Identified Ancestor score as well.

* Ancestor Scorecard, idea courtesy of 'Family History All Done? What’s Your Number?', Ancestry blog, 16 August 2012.

** A DNA Ancestor is deemed to be the common ancestor (or ancestral couple), shared with at least one DNA match, if we both descend from different children of that common ancestor (or ancestral couple). My direct ancestors on the path to the common ancestor (or ancestral couple) also qualify as DNA Ancestors. And, all common ancestors are documented by conventional genealogy methods.