Leitrim-Roscommon

I'm looking for Michael CRANE (or variants), b in Roscommon in 1860, emigrated abt 1880 to Leominster, Mass, USA, where he married Mary SCANLON, from Sligo, and lived until his death in 1930.

That information is from family tradition -- I have no hard evidence yet.

The name appears as "CRAIN" on early records, but he settled on "CRANE" in about 1910 and stayed there.

Thanks for your help!

Joe Root

Joe,
The LDS British Isles Vital Records set of CDs lists the likely baptism/birth of Michael.

CRYAN, Michaelem Christening date 29 Jun 1858.
Recorded in: RC, Ardcarn and tuamna, Roscommon, Ireland
Father: Roberti CRYAN - Mother: Julianae BRUEN
Source: FHL Film 989746 Dates: 1843 - 1861

CRANE, Michaelem Christening Date: 13 May 1860
Recorded in: RC, Loughglynn, Roscommon, Ireland
Father: Michaelis CRANE, Mother: Mariae CORCORAN
Source: FHL Film 989753 Dates: 1849 - 1863

Possible entry for sibling:
CRANE, Patritium. Christening Date: 16 Jul 1838
Recorded in: RC Loughglynn, Roscommon, Ireland
Father: Michaelis CRANE, Mother: Maria CORCORAN
FHL Film 989753 Dates: 1835 – 1840

Possible sibling
CRANE, Catharinam Christening Date: 8 May 1853
Recorded in: RC Loughglynn, Roscommon, Ireland
Father: Michaelis CRANE, Mother: Mariae CORCORAN
Source: FHL Film 989753 Dates: 1849 - 1863

Possible entry for marriage of parents
CREAN, Michaelem, Marriage - Wife: Mariam CORKRAN
Marriage Date: 5 Feb 1837.
Recorded in: RC Loughglynn, Roscommon, Ireland
Source FHL Film 989753 Dates: 1836 – 1839

Don’t be set on the spelling of a surname. Suggest you check Cryan, Crain, Crane, Crian and Crine.

John

John --

Thanks very much!

This information looks extremely good, as one reference suggests Michael and Mary as parents, and another lists May as birth month.

I hear you on the name spellings. That issue confused me a bit early on, until I thought about how "Crane" comes out with an Irish accent. It's easy to see what went on with people not used to writing things down.

Again, thanks much!

Joe

To Ed's list add the following:

Baptism of Mariam Corkeran, 11 Jan 1820, same parish.
Father Patrick, mother Mariam Kelly.
LDS film 989753

John

Gentlemen --

This is a serious object lesson in Irish spelling variations! It is undoubtedly profitable to learn these lessons early, and you are clearly masters of the art.

I had been meaning to ask about the utility of LDS records, as so far I have not left the computer. I think you answered that question.

One point, though, is whether it's worthwhile to buy the LDS CD set. I had seen passing references to this set, but clearly it is the master source for research of this sort. I looked for just a few minutes last night, but I didn't see the set listed anywhere -- is it even for sale?

Thanks -- this is my first essay at getting back to Ireland, and I appreciate the guidance.

Best,

Joe

Hi Joe,

I might add to all of the above posts that Michael Crean and Mary Corcoran were my Great-Great-Grandparents. Their daughter Catherine Crean was my Great Grandmother and she married Patrick Finn. Catherine Crean and Pat Finn had many children which you can view at http://www.thecore.com/efinn/gene/kate.html

If you believe this line to be your Crean line, drop me an email and I'll share my data files with you.

The avatar next to my name is Pat & Catherine's son Patrick (My grandfather).

Ed Finn

Joe,
What luck if you are related to Ed Finn.

I suggest you visit the local LDS Family History Library and view the set of British Isle Vital Records CDs and the baptismal film 989753. The baptismal film will show the names of sponsors and rarely the townland.

You can purchase the set of 15 CDs for $20 including postage. www.familysearch.org/

http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs/st ... 1&initBC=Y

At the same time I suggest you purchase the genealogy program PAF5.2 from the same source $8.25. It is most important to list the source for any entry. Make sure you enter your own name first.

http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs/st ... 01&retURL=

If you are starting your research I suggest you purchase the recent publication by John Grenham – costs $24.95 (Tracing your Irish ancestors, third division).

http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_ge ... .html#more

Top Ten Research Tips.
1. Do your homework in the “New Country” first.

An Irish research plan is directly dependent on the amount and specificity of the information available. Every effort should be expended toward identifying the exact location, i.e. the name of the townland or parish of the immigrant ancestor. In order to accomplish this goal, one must first search the “New Country (US, Canadian, UK or Australian) sources”. These include a study of all the personal or family, civil, ecclesiastical, LDS (FHL), and other library data available, with an emphasis on localising the family's place of origin in Ireland. Only after exhaustive work in the foregoing areas should the Irish sources be consulted. (Source: Dr. James Small, noted New York genealogist. 1988).

My approach to County Roscommon research changed when I ordered three wrong FHL microfilms in succession. With a wait of four months from order to receipt it took nearly 18 months to view the FHL Family History Library microfilm film showing that James Byrne ceased to occupy land in Killummod townland in 1863, the same year he arrived in Brisbane.

Only when I decided to learn more about how the system worked did I realize the vast amount of research information available within 10 kms of where I live in Australia. In many respects it is easier to do County Roscommon Family History research in Australia than in Ireland, particularly now that Family History Library (FHL) microfilms are available at major Public Libraries and larger Family History Societies, as well as at local Family History Libraries (FHL).

2. Establish contacts in the UK and USA.
I have had great results from contacts in the USA. Remember 67% of Irish emigrants immigrated to the United States compared with 20% to UK and 2.5% to Australia.

3. Use the Internet.
It can cost less to access the internet at the local library rather than use your own computer.

Use a free "Hotmail" address to post entries on Bulletin Boards. This can be altered easily to help protect you against spam (and computer viruses).

4. Note that emigrant shipping departure records do no exist in Ireland.
You must search for arrivals in the shipping lists in the “New Country”.

5. Don't pay a cent to anyone until you know what you are doing.

6. Do your research in Ireland last.

There does not appear to be a government Department of Fair Trading in Ireland. Usually you “pay your money up front, take your chance and wait ... and wait".

My argument is not about having to pay hefty fees for the information, but about not being able to verify its accuracy.

7. Be flexible about the spelling of surnames and places. Remember clerks wrote down what they heard, not what they saw, so try and imagine how the name would have been pronounced and what variant spellings there would be. For example:

If a "g" is followed by "h", the "g" is silent.
Aghadangan is recorded on an Australia marriage certificate as Aughdyan.
A family that embarked as Beirne, disembarked as Byrne and remain so today.
Killummod is pronounced Killummeth (or Calumet).

James Beirne’s exact place of origin (Townland) in Co Roscommon was difficult to confirm. He listed his place of birth as County Roscommon when he registered the Brisbane births of his children. His death certificate listed his place of birth as Killumeth. I confirmed this as Killummod in 1996 when I spelt out Killummod to Father Roger Leonard, Parish Priest of Croghan, who then pronounced Killummod as "Killumeth". To Australian ears it appears the Irish often pronounce a "d" as "th"

8. Understand the various administrative structures/divisions, such as Townland and Civil parish.

It took me years to understand what was meant by the term "townland". I also found "Civil Parish" confusing, even though the term is used for all land records in Australia.

9 Realise that most people did not live in villages or towns.

In earlier days in Ireland there were houses everywhere, as there is today. It was/is a town planner's nightmare. In the mid 1850s only 8 percent of Co. Roscommon houses were located in towns or villages.

10 Try to pinpoint your ancestor's Townland and/or Civil parish.

If you know the Townland your ancestor came from you can access a wide range of sources to document your family history.

Good luck in your research.

John

Hi,

I think I can help you somewhat. The Michael Crain/Crane you are referring to who lived in Leominster, Ma lived on the same street - Cottage Street - in Leominster that my great grandparents lived on. I have been there when I was a child. I understand from relatives that the "Crain" household had a table that belonged to my great grandmother after she died.

There are a number of people who are on the web looking for other Crain/Cranes/Cryan from Leominster - some moved to Wisconsin and some stayed behind. They were from Sligo - Aghanagh - near Boyle, Roscommon. I don't know if your Michael is a member of that Crain family. Just some of the websites on this.
http://members.aol.com/Leominster476/Queries.html
http://www.geocities.com/caoimhghin/archive46.html
http://www.nextech.de/ma15mvi/ma15mvi-p/p5.htm
http://genforum.genealogy.com/ma/worces ... s/223.html
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:Wge ... crain+%2B+
aghanagh+%2B+sligo&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2

My own family research revealed the following:
On April 25, 1887, Michael Crain married Mary Scanlon in Leominster, Ma. He was the son of Michael and Mary and it was his second marriage. This appears both at the following website and the New England Historic Genealogical site http://members.aol.com/Leominster476/MLVRC2.html
They had a number of children: John E. Crain, b. August 7, 1889 - Leominster; Mary ANne Crain, b. Oct. 27, 1891 - Leominster, James Bernard Crain, b. March 26, 1896 ( I received a note from a relative back in the late 70's - all the Crain's are dead now - Jim died in Virginia I think); Robert Hugh Crain, b. 1-03-1898 and Francis H. Crain, b. 9/30/01. John died in Leominster in 1976. James Crain spelled his name "Crane" I believe.

As to Mary Scanlon, I have more information. Her father was Patrick Scanlon and her mother was Mary Higgins. My mother's godmother was a niece or grand niece of that Mary Higgins. Mary Higgins was the daughter of Bernard and Mary HIggins.

John Scanlon (brother of that Mary) married and lived in Leominster - I think he lived with my great grandparents at one point after coming from Ireland. He had two children - Marguerite and Henry. Henry became a priest. Marguerite married Henry Healy and lived in Leominster and I corresponded with her at one time about our family genealogy. Her son is an attorney with a large Boston law firm. http://www.bingham.com/bingham/

Agnes married a Kerins/Kearns and had at least one son /grandson - Dominic who is a priest who spent a great deal of time in Africa as a missionary. Most recently he was a curate at St. Gregory's Church in Dorchester, Ma but I understand that he has returned to Ireland for health reasons - His order is S.M.A. http://homepage.tinet.ie/~jhiggins/index.html

I think that the Bernard Higgins (father of Mary) may have been the father of Patrick Higgins who also lived in Leominster. He and my great grandfather were cousins.

Mary Scanlon Crain also had an aunt named Mary Scanlon who married James Henry - That Mary Scanlon married James Henry - there were a number of children. One was Michael Henry who came to America and lived in Milton, Ma and had a number of children - I believe that at least of them is still alive. Certainly some of their children live in the Milton, Ma area. She had another aunt named Hannah Scanlon - she lived in Leominster and married John Byrne and had two children that I know of James Byrne and Frank Byrne. I need to figure which Mary Scanlon this is - the earlier one or the later one. I think the earlier one.

The parents of those Scanlons - (Patrick, Mary , and Hannah) were Conor (Cornelius) Scanlon and Mary McGoldrick. Mary McGoldrick was the daughter of Patrick and Hanora McGoldrick - she had at least two siblings - Peter b. about 1826 and died May 19, 1868 in Leominster and James, b. about 1825 and died September, 1867 in Drumfin, Sligo, Ireland. This is near Ballymote and on the Dublin-Sligo main road. Peter married Bridget Higgins (dau of the same Bernard) Bridget died in Leominster in January, 1870. James stayed in Ireland and had a lot of children - the oldest was my great grandfather, Patrick (b. 1844) who came to Leominster and lived on Cottage Street - his name became Patrick Golden. He came and/or lived with his cousin Patrick HIggins.

All of these Scanlon/McGoldrick/Higgins came from the Ballymote area of Sligo. I understand that the Scanlons lived in a place part way between Drumfin and Ballymote called "Knockminna" They go to a church called the "Doo Church" rather than to Church in Ballymote.

There are a number of Crains buried in St. Leo's Cemetery in Leominster. The church is very helpful about detailing the gravesites for your family name and the people who are buried there. http://www.stleosparish.org/visit.htm

I would be happy to email you more detailed information as to what I have - I am still trying to piece together the information. My mother had a letter written back in the mid 1950's by the daughter of Patrick Higgins which set forth some of these relationships.

Hope this helps. Ellen Brewin

WOW!!!

This is seriously hitting the jackpot!! I feel like a kid at Christmas!!

Thanks for all for the information. I will email to all offline, but I'll post what I know about the Crane family here, so others can find it later.

Picking up with Michael Crane marrying Mary Scanlon (1887), they had five children, as noted above. The name was often rendered as "Crain" in the early accounts, by the way, but by 1920 it becomes "Crane" and stays that way. All records from there on, including newspaper accounts use that version, and all of the children seem to have adopted that spelling as well.

Of the children, Mary Anne somehow morphed into Mary Frances, and she married Joseph Root, of Fitchburg, in about 1912. They moved to Norfolk, Virginia soon afterward, and had two sons, Robert and Joseph (my father). They moved back and forth between there and Baltimore for about the next ten years or so, and then wound up in Norfolk for good. He worked as a toolmaker at the Navy Yard and then the Norfolk Naval Air Station. Mary Frances Crane Root died of pneumonia in 1946 and was buried back in the family plot at St. Leo's, Leominster. Joseph, Sr. lived until 1974, mostly with my family in the country near Norfolk. Both of their children stayed in the area, working for the Navy.

Robert had one daughter, who is still in the Norfolk area, and he died in 1979. Joe was in Puerto Rico during WWII, where he married a local girl with the great Puerto Rican name McGuire. He moved back to Norfolk after the war, and they had five sons, now in California and the Carolinas. Of all things for a family that helped found St. Leo's parish and produced so many priests from the Scanlon side, one of the sons is a prominent Lutheran theologian. Fittingly enough, he is Michael Crane's namesake.

As to the rest of the Cranes, I am happy to report that they have not completely died out. I do not yet have a complete picture, but the children of James B. Crane (James E., Robert Henry, Gladys, Francis and Louise) all had children who survive, some of whom remain in Leominster.

I have made contact just this last week with the widow of Robert Henry Crane, so I should know more very soon.

The Worcester Telegram is available online, and it has obits available back to 1989. A search there turns up obits for Agnes (wife of Robert Hugh, a son of Michael & Mary), Doris (wife of James E.) and Robert Henry, all of which list various survivors. I have copies and will be glad to share the info.

I will be glad to share the complete Crane info on request.

Best wishes to all,

Joe Root

Stephen Crane was the first in the Crane family to become a papermaker. He sold currency-type paper to engraver Paul Revere, who printed the American Colonies’ first paper money. In 1801 Crane was founded by Zenas Crane, Henry Wiswall and John Willard. The company's original mill had a daily output of 20 posts (1 post = 125 sheets). Crane developed a method to imbed parallel silk threads in banknote paper to denominate notes and deter counterfeiting in 1844.

In 1879 Crane grew when Winthrop M. Crane won a contract to deliver U.S. currency paper


Cousin

John Patrick

I read somewhere that all of the Crane / Crain / Crean / Cryan folks came from the same area, around the Roscommon - Sligo border area. Comment from someone who knows?

It seems that I've seen some Cranes who trace back to England -- did they also originate in Ireland at some point?

It would be interesting if Michael Crane and Winthrop Crane were related. Based on the incomplete state of my research, I'm guessing that they didn't spend much time together.

But seriously, thanks for the info.

Joe

Remember Joseph! - Truth very often is stranger than fiction.

One of my first on the job training experiences - was a tour of the Crane Paper Company in Massachusetts.

I had to share it with you.

Cousin,

John Patrick