Looking for birth dates for Irish great great grandparents, born in Ireland prior to 1851

Question

Help, I need some insight on this.

I'm trying to find birth dates for my two Irish ancestors, great great grandparents, who immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Iowa around the late 1860's.  They married in Iowa in 1871. They were born on or before 1850.

 

Hickey-1637 - Anastasia Hickey (married name Coleman)

The family has always said she was from County Cork.

The 1900 Federal Census specifies she was born November 1849.

But according to her grandchildren, her birthday was May 1,1851.

Her first name is systematically misspelled in almost all U.S. documents. Examples:

1880 Federal Census - Anna Coleman

1885 State Census - Augusta Coleman

1895 State Census - Auartoded Coleman

1900 Federal Census - Anna S Coleman

1905 State Census - Anustusin Coleman

1910 Federal Census - Anassia Coleman

1915 State Census - Anastasia Coleman

1920 Federal Census - A*T* Coleman

In other documents her first name can be Anastacia, Anastatia.

I'm assuming spelling should be better in Irish baptismal records.

I came up with this:

Anastice Hickey, baptised 5 Dec 1851, County Tipperary (seven months after birth, if she was born May 1st)

Ann Hickey, baptised 14 June 1850, County Cork (seven months after birth if she was born November 1849)

Anastatia Hickey, 25 March 1852, Co. Kilkenny (almost a year after birth, if she was born May 1 1851.)

Anastasia Hickey, baptised 21 April 1850, County Tipperary (six months after birth, if she was born Nov 1849)

Where to go from here? Thanks

Comments

Babies in Catholic church in Ireland were always baptized as the same day of birth or a couple days after.

Answer 1

My experience with researching Irish ancestors is to locate as much as info as possible in US records. I added link to 1900 census and son Charles delayed birth records says he was baptized at The Cathedral of the Epiphany had its beginnings as St. Mary's Church in 1891. I find there is a good chance you will find info on his older siblings at St Mary's church, perhaps a baptism records will identify where the parents were born. Good luck.

Answer 2

If they were catholics, then on findmypast.ie you can access the Irish roman catholic birth, marraige and death records from circa 1800 - 1900. The are held by the NLI (national library of Ireland) and are required to be free under Irish government law. You may have to sent up a free account with findmypast.ie. Then when you have done that go search records A-Z. select Ireland (for irish records only). Then type in the search box 'roman catholic' and you will see options for births, marraiges and deaths. You can now search these databases for free. Good luck

Daithi Mac an Aircin

Cill Droichid

Ireland

Answer 3

There is no way you can be sure which Anastasia Colmen Hickey is yours in Ireland without furthering your research in the states. You have a good start but you need to do more on her. If they were Irish Catholics in a certain place, you need to gather all their children's baptismal records. From doing so, you will learn if there were other Hickeys and Colemans relations living nearby and work on their families. Go to the graveyards of all of them and study family structure of who is in the plots; get all the death records and obituaries of everyone. Many times obituaries state their home village. ESPECIALLY get their marriage record which will list their parents. When you get the parents' name, that could but not guaranteed, narrow down the pool of Anatasia Colemans in Irish records.

Comments

Maggie, your answer on this has set me straight. Of course I will never figure out who my Irish ancestors were given the numerous homonyms.  I followed up on your suggestion to research parish in the States, by calling then emailing an archive service at the diocese. No answer yet. Couldn't get through to the parish, security blocked the call. I live in France, maybe that's why. Victor Hugo must be on the index. I'll try snail mail but wonder who I should write to exactly.  Any suggestions? Thank you.

Answer 4

Anastasia Hickey - Baptism

16-Jul-1848

Parish/District:

TRINITY WITHOUT

County

Co. Waterford

Denomination:

Roman Catholic

Address:

Buttermilk Lane,

Father:

Michael Hickey

Mother:

Margaret Dunphy

Comments

Thank you Glen for your help. I now know that Anastasia's father was John Hickey and her mother was Mary Conway.

Answer 5

i think you'll need to broaden your search away from your gggrandmother - does she have any siblings whose baptism records or county of origin you could locate?

Comments

Thank you K for your suggestion. I haven't found any siblings for this 2nd great grandmother, but I do now have her parents' names from a death record: John Hickey and Mary Conway. The hard part of course is that these names are very common.

Answer 6

I found two baptisms to John Hickey & Mary Conway om the RootsIreland websiet but none in Cork:

James Hickey 11/12/1842 at Birr Offaly

Mary Hickey 25/7/1845 Ballylooby, Tipperary.

John Hicky married Mary Conway at Ballylooby 13/2/1844.

Ballylooby in the in extreme SW of Tipperary about 25km from Mitchelstown in co Cork. Parish register is here

Comments

Thank you J!

It's tempting to consider this a match. This may be a big step! For the life of me though I can't decipher the handwritten entry:

Feb 1844, p. 61

13 Matrimonium ? Imerant ? finmas ? Hickey ez Maria Conway - Lartes ? school Hickey .... ?

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Matrinomium Inter Joannem Hickey et Mariam Conway testes Michael Hickey & M COrbales.

That is Latin for Marriage between John Hickey & Mary COnway witnesses Michael Hickey & M Corbales.  Michael will probably be a Brother of John

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Thank you again, this looks promising.