Niagara County (New York State, USA) Research Project

David Dickinson · Post by **David Dickinson** » Sun Jan 20, 2002 7:34 pm

An historian, I have been asked to research and report upon the contributions of Irish immigrants to the development of Niagara County in the 19th century. The preponderance of Irish immigration occurred in the years during and following the Great Hunger. Despite the hundreds of such Irish immigrants, records provide birth county of only a realtive few..ie: 19 in Roscommon, half that in Leitrim.I would very much like to obtain the help of Ireland-based researches, not only in Roscommon and Leitrim, but all Counties of Ireland, in an attempt to learn more of these relative handfull of people as to their lives in Ireland prior to emigration to the US...and to the Old Erie Canal Town of Lockport, New York State. For example, the only Roscommon person identified by parish is one person named Leonard from Kilglass Parish in Roscommon.Can anyone in Ireland provide assistance or some connection to researchers who may offer help?
 
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Mary · Post by **Mary** » Sun Jan 20, 2002 10:12 pm

(User Above) wrote: : An historian, I have been asked to research and report upon the contributions of Irish immigrants to the development of Niagara County in the 19th century. The preponderance of Irish immigration occurred in the years during and following the Great Hunger. Despite the hundreds of such Irish immigrants, records provide birth county of only a realtive few..ie: 19 in Roscommon, half that in Leitrim.: I would very much like to obtain the help of Ireland-based researches, not only in Roscommon and Leitrim, but all Counties of Ireland, in an attempt to learn more of these relative handfull of people as to their lives in Ireland prior to emigration to the US...and to the Old Erie Canal Town of Lockport, New York State. : For example, the only Roscommon person identified by parish is one person named Leonard from Kilglass Parish in Roscommon.: Can anyone in Ireland provide assistance or some connection to researchers who may offer help? David, Check out the wonderful Ballykilcline site at: www.ballykilcline.com Mary.

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UStridh@aol.com

Mary Lee Dunn · Post by **Mary Lee Dunn** » Mon Jan 21, 2002 6:38 am

(User Above) wrote: : An historian, I have been asked to research and report upon the contributions of Irish immigrants to the development of Niagara County in the 19th century. The preponderance of Irish immigration occurred in the years during and following the Great Hunger. Despite the hundreds of such Irish immigrants, records provide birth county of only a realtive few..ie: 19 in Roscommon, half that in Leitrim.: I would very much like to obtain the help of Ireland-based researches, not only in Roscommon and Leitrim, but all Counties of Ireland, in an attempt to learn more of these relative handfull of people as to their lives in Ireland prior to emigration to the US...and to the Old Erie Canal Town of Lockport, New York State. : For example, the only Roscommon person identified by parish is one person named Leonard from Kilglass Parish in Roscommon.: Can anyone in Ireland provide assistance or some connection to researchers who may offer help? Hi, David, I'm sure that many users of this bulletin board will cheer such a project. If you go to the archives button at the top of this bulletin board screen and search on Lockport, you will find 19 messages (including your own and Mary's). If you search on Buffalo, you get 40 messages returned. It might be helpful to you to post on this bulletin board the names of the Roscommoners and Leitrim immigrants you already have identified. There is a significant amount of material published about Famine time in Kilglass Parish, Roscommon, since nearby Strokestown was the home of the Mahon estate and Ireland's Famine Museum is located there. You may want to read Stephen Campbell's book, The Great Irish Famine, published by the Museum. Also, Robert Scally's book, The End of Hidden Ireland, about the Ballykilcline story. Landlord Denis Mahon of the Strokestown estate evicted thousands and "assisted" some of them to Grosse Ile, Quebec, in 1847. I know there were about six Sheridan children who were orphaned in that transportation who went on to Lockport, probably to family or friends already there. I have made some preliminary inquiries about them but have turned up nothing significant yet after they went on to Lockport. That family came from Lissonuffy, near Strokestown. To learn more about the tragedy at Grosse Ile, read any of the books by Marianna O'Gallagher. You may already be familiar with Peter Way's book, Common Labor, which discusses the building of canals in the U.S. and Canada, largely by poor Irish immigrant workers. It mentions Lockport at least several times. I am part of the Ballykilcline Society and if I can help further, let me know. We would be grateful if, when you identify any immigrants from the Kilglass-Strokestown area, you would notify us since we are trying to foster Kilglass local history in various ways. Good luck and please keep this board posted on your progress. Mary Lee Dunn

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MaryLDunn@aol.com

Mary Lee Dunn · Post by **Mary Lee Dunn** » Mon Jan 21, 2002 9:10 am

(User Above) wrote: : : An historian, I have been asked to research and report upon the contributions of Irish immigrants to the development of Niagara County in the 19th century. The preponderance of Irish immigration occurred in the years during and following the Great Hunger. Despite the hundreds of such Irish immigrants, records provide birth county of only a realtive few..ie: 19 in Roscommon, half that in Leitrim.: : I would very much like to obtain the help of Ireland-based researches, not only in Roscommon and Leitrim, but all Counties of Ireland, in an attempt to learn more of these relative handfull of people as to their lives in Ireland prior to emigration to the US...and to the Old Erie Canal Town of Lockport, New York State. : : For example, the only Roscommon person identified by parish is one person named Leonard from Kilglass Parish in Roscommon.: : Can anyone in Ireland provide assistance or some connection to researchers who may offer help? : Hi, David, : I'm sure that many users of this bulletin board will cheer such a project. : If you go to the archives button at the top of this bulletin board screen and search on Lockport, you will find 19 messages (including your own and Mary's). If you search on Buffalo, you get 40 messages returned. : It might be helpful to you to post on this bulletin board the names of the Roscommoners and Leitrim immigrants you already have identified. : There is a significant amount of material published about Famine time in Kilglass Parish, Roscommon, since nearby Strokestown was the home of the Mahon estate and Ireland's Famine Museum is located there. You may want to read Stephen Campbell's book, The Great Irish Famine, published by the Museum. Also, Robert Scally's book, The End of Hidden Ireland, about the Ballykilcline story. : Landlord Denis Mahon of the Strokestown estate evicted thousands and "assisted" some of them to Grosse Ile, Quebec, in 1847. I know there were about six Sheridan children who were orphaned in that transportation who went on to Lockport, probably to family or friends already there. I have made some preliminary inquiries about them but have turned up nothing significant yet after they went on to Lockport. That family came from Lissonuffy, near Strokestown. To learn more about the tragedy at Grosse Ile, read any of the books by Marianna O'Gallagher. : You may already be familiar with Peter Way's book, Common Labor, which discusses the building of canals in the U.S. and Canada, largely by poor Irish immigrant workers. It mentions Lockport at least several times. : I am part of the Ballykilcline Society and if I can help further, let me know. We would be grateful if, when you identify any immigrants from the Kilglass-Strokestown area, you would notify us since we are trying to foster Kilglass local history in various ways. Good luck and please keep this board posted on your progress. : Mary Lee DunnDavid, I forgot to mention another great source for you -- The Search for Missing Friends and Irish Friends and Relatives. These books contain newspaper ads by Irish immigrants who are looking for family and friends lost in the chaos of Famine and emigration. They are indexed by surname and places. I am emailing you with 3 examples of ads concerning people in Lockport from Irish Friends and Relatives. It has about 35 ads naming people who went to Buffalo. Mary Lee

Denise Plunkett · Post by **Denise Plunkett** » Tue Jan 22, 2002 9:53 pm

(User Above) wrote: : An historian, I have been asked to research and report upon the contributions of Irish immigrants to the development of Niagara County in the 19th century. The preponderance of Irish immigration occurred in the years during and following the Great Hunger. Despite the hundreds of such Irish immigrants, records provide birth county of only a realtive few..ie: 19 in Roscommon, half that in Leitrim.: I would very much like to obtain the help of Ireland-based researches, not only in Roscommon and Leitrim, but all Counties of Ireland, in an attempt to learn more of these relative handfull of people as to their lives in Ireland prior to emigration to the US...and to the Old Erie Canal Town of Lockport, New York State. : For example, the only Roscommon person identified by parish is one person named Leonard from Kilglass Parish in Roscommon.: Can anyone in Ireland provide assistance or some connection to researchers who may offer help? Hello David,In the fall I visited the RC Parish of Croghan, in Co. Roscommon, two sets of my great-grandparents lived there in the 1800's. The parish priest at Croghan (Fr. Roger Leonard, P.P.) told me that for some reason several people from that parish had moved to the area around Buffalo, N. Y., my great-grandparents, James Elwood and Mary Bierne were among them. They lived in Canbo (very near the village of Croghan, and in the RC parish of Croghan). Their first two children were christened in the Parish of Croghan in 1837 and 1839. Their next child was born in 1841 in Lockport, N.Y., by 1843 they had moved to Buffalo, N.Y. where another child was born. They were still in Buffalo ten years later when my grandmother Helen Elwood was born in 1853. By 1859 they were living in Canada where their youngest daughter was born. By 1870 they were farming in Tama, Iowa. I don't know if this is pertinent to your research, but in the event that it might provide something helpful I'm sending it.Good luck, Denise

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cdplunkett@aol.com

Leitrim-Roscommon

Niagara County (New York State, USA) Research Project

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