Leitrim-Roscommon

Hi to all you good people, I have read some of the requests for help on the BB and the response to them is fantastic. I am trying to trace my paternal Grandfather and have come up with nothing so far as I have been unable to trace his birth or death mainly I think because he was a bit of a nomad flitting backwards and forwards between England and Ireland and I think the family in general but he in particular evaded about every census known. Until recently I have been researching via Corravegguan and while I have no doubts that we will have family connections here the homestead my family originate from is Curraghbaggan Ballina Co Mayo and the information I have gathered to date is as follows ;
Grandfather - James Moyles born about 1860 in Mayo
Grandmother- Mary Moyles nee Devine born 1861 in Mayo to Patrick Devine a farmer and Ellen Devine nee Brown
Daughter- Maria Moyles born about 1881 at Curraghbaggan
Son- Michael Moyles born 1883 at Curraghbaggan Ballina
Son- Patrick Moyles born 1886 at Curraghbaggan Ballina
Son- James Moyles born at Curraghbaggan Ballina
Son- Frank Moyles born at Curraghbaggan Ballina
Son- Thomas Moyles born at Liversedge W Riding Yorks 1897
Daughter- Maggie Moyles born at Liversedge Yorks 1900
The family moved back and forwards between england and Co Mayo in the mid to late 1890's finally settling in the coalfields of Wesst Fife Scotland around 1910
between 1900 and 1910 when the family were in the UK my grandfather and the two eldest sons worked as navvies on the roads between England and Scotland and it is believed my Grandfather died on the road shortly before 1910 at Melrose in the Scottish borders of pneumonia The family moved back to Ireland many times but after settling in the coal mining community at Carnbroe in Lanarkshire made one final time to the more lucrative coalfields of Fife
When the family settled in Fife Patrick(1886) brought his wife over from Ballina she was a Mary Ann Brogan and taught school.
I have established that in 1923 Ellen Moyles born in 1904 to USA and listed her next of kin as Mrs Moyles of Curraghbaggan Ballina Co Mayo I believe this could be a niece or even a sister of my Grandfather
In the late 1950's early 1960's an old relitave visited Curraghbaggan and saw a school record for Patrick Moyles(1886) , at this time there was a Devine involved with the Post Office who was a direct descendant of My Grandmother. At the same time this relative recalled visiting an old Lady who was a relative and lived alone in the hills ( could Curraghbaggan be in the hills ) and who collected her water from a stream at the foot of the hills and hearsay dictates this Lady was a Moyles
I really would be grateful if anyone could assist me in my search to establish my family Lineage or could shed just exactly where Curraghbaggan is in relation to Ballina
Many thanks for taking the time to read this and best wishes to all
yours James Moyles ( Taranteal )

Dear Ed, Thanks for the info regarding the Devines and I will follow this up as I have said any info is gratefully received best regards james Moyles (Taranteal)

Dear Loree, Thanks for the info with regards to your great grandmother and I will look into the info i have regards to immigration to the USA and if I can give you any further info I will we do not seem to have any Georges named in the family but you never know. with regards to the spelling of Curraghbaggan it well could be wrong and the nearest sounding is Corravagguen which is listed in Griffiths etc but the former was acredited to a girl who emigrated to USA who might be a sister to my grandfather and this is the pronounciation and spelling of it as recalled by a living 84year old cousin The Moyles name originates from Mayo and is taken from the river Moy which flows through Co Mayo and Lough Conn to the sea at Killala Bay with the two main towns being Ballina and Foxford and while all I have traced through speaking to relatives is about Ballina something I vaguely recall is that George Moyles has some connection to Foxford but I will check this and get back to you The legend within my family is that our branch of the Family predominantly emigrated to Pittsburgh and like you until I can get the paper trail for My Grandfather I can not establish his siblings to further my family tree but whatever branch of the family you are from I have never met a Moyles that in some way or other can`t be tied to the Co Mayo and the banks of the Moy so some where there will be a connection so my friend may I take this opportunity of wishing you and yours a very prosperous 2006 an look forward to posting some further info some time soon ps forgive this scrawl but I was excited to get your reply today and excuse the time it has taken to answer as I live between Scotland and Spain and have only just returned from the latter James Moyles

Hi James (or should I say Jim?) - from your posting and indeed your signature of taranteal, I am surmising that you are the son of Thomas Moyles, born Leversedge in 1897. That being the case then this may come as a surprise/shock/horror I am the daughter of the aforementioned Thomas Moyles, namely Christine and resident in Fife.

I did in fact see a posting from you on another site and tried to respond, however the email was returned as the address no longer recognised. I also came across another posting regarding the Moyles family and responded and it transpires that the grandaughter of Margaret Ellen Moyles (Auntie Maggie) who married John Bremner is also trying to trace the family history on behalf of her father James Bremner (now 81 years of age and still living in Kelty, Fife). I have in fact spoken with James and he gave me what info he could remember, however we all seem to be hitting the same stumbling block when it comes to trying to trace grandfather James Moyles family history, especially birth details, parents' names, etc.

Both Sandra and I are grateful for the information you posted regarding Ballina and Corravegguan. On that point have you checked out on this site the 1901 census. There are 2 entries for West Corravegguan under Moyles and I wonder if there is any connection as obviously in 1901 grandfather James and the rest of the family were in Yorkshire and therefore would not be listed in Corravegguan.

James and Mary Moyles were listed as living at 161 South Street Osset with all the family in the 1901 UK Census (although mistakenly listed as Miles). As you said in your posting James, Michael and Patrick were indeed working as general labourers on the public railway. They also had listed as boarders Thomas Murty (44), James Murty (17) and Patrick Tomlin(24) all of whom were also born in County Mayo.

There is also a James Miles (could be Moyles as age fits) listed in the 1881 UK Census living with his sister-in-law Bridget and her husband Thomas Devaney in Halifax, Yorkshire. Also listed is Annie Miles (or Moyles) - could these be two sisters of grandfather James and could this be a time when he was in the UK working

From the Census I have been able to establish that James Moyles was born in 1853 and Mary Moyles nee Devine was born in 1857. Grandmother Mary's death certificate confirms this date. James Bremner did confirm that he had been told also that James died on a train on route to Scotland. This got me digging and I searched the Register of Deaths in Scotland and could find no trace so I then searched the English registry and have managed to track down grandfather James Moyles death certificate (unfortunately it gives no details of his parentage so again we have hit a stumbling block). As you said he did indeed die of pneumonia and from what I can make out from the Certificate he died on 18th November 1909 at the age of 57 in Tray Royal (not sure of spelling as difficult to read), Midgely in the sub district of Sowerby, County of York, WR.

I have copies of all of the above and would be happy to forward them to you if it would help in delving further into the Moyles family history.

I have taken a note of the reply you have regarding grandmother Mary's side of the family (Devine)(many thanks to the gentleman who posted this information) and will forward all of this to Sandra. This information may enable me to do a bit of cross referencing and I will post any successful details.

If anyone else out there can shed any more light on the Moyles family history I would be delighted to hear from you. I did purchase a book on County Mayo Genealogy and Family History Tracing Irish Ancestors and although the name Moyles appears in said book there is no history attached. The maps in the book are also very difficult to read (will need to purchase a large magnifying glass before I attempt deciphering any of the townland names on the map). I am also awaiting delivery of a book on Ballina and surrounding districts which is supposed to have old maps included.

I have searched a number of sites for births and marriages and again have taken a note of the few entries for Moyles and Devine, I can find no record (as yet) of either of their births or indeed their marriage, nor can I trace any record of the births of Maria(b.1882), Michael (b.1883), Patrick (b.1887). James (b.1892) or Frank (b.1893). What makes it more difficult is that I have been unable to establish the first names of grandfather James Moyles parents, thereby making it even more difficult to trace any of his siblings.

Due to health reasons my time is very limited in this search so James it's over to you and anyone else who might be able to help. Anyone with any information please feel free to email me direct even if my "Moyles family" isn't connected I may be able to assist in your search because from various sites I've been on I have come across numerous Moyles families and although my body is no longer able my memory is still intact

To all who read this I thank you.
Kindest regards
Christine