Newfoundland's Grand Banks Message Board

How many people here are interested in Argentia Family History. Just wanted to see how many!

I'm interested in the LEDWELL, POWER, GRIFFIN, MEADE, SPARROW, HUNT, LAMBERT, O'REILLY, FITZPATRICK, Families of Argentia.

-devongriffin1

Hi,

I'm new to this message board. My Father was born in Argentia in 1906. The names I'm researching are MAHER, DUKE, POWER, KELLY, FURLONG, FOLEY & ROACHE. I know that the house my father grew up in was demolished to make way for the American military base. My grandparents moved to Grand Falls in the 1930s or 1940s. I'd like to share info.

Dorothy

The surnames I'm interested in are FANNING, SPARROW, HUNT, LAMBERT, WAKLEY and MCGRATH. I'm interested in the time period before 1875, it seems all my ancestors and their relations had died in or left Argentia prior to that.

Hi, I am researching Argentia families as well, mine are Foley, Furlong, Maher, Smith, Kelly, Bruce, Murphy(Long Harbour).

Hi Dorothy,

This website should help a little bit: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ ... dquery.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scroll down to see this:

"Hello again.

I had another look through the research I did in Newfoundland. There are a few Mahers there still, but as far as I know, they're mostly in the town of Argentia and also in St. John's. (How many were closely related at the time I don't know, though they show up independently in the 2 towns.) I believe I found references to the St. John's Mahers before the turn of the 19th C., but I couldn't swear to it. I know many Newfoundlanders emigrated to "the Boston states" in the latter part of the 19th C and the first part of the 20th C., so that may be a missing link for some Irish-Americans. (After Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949, they started emigrating to other provinces of Canada, but that recently is still in living memory.)

I am the 4th generation of my branch born in Newfoundland, that I can find. I suspect my great-great grandfather was born in Ireland, but I haven't been able to get back beyond the birth records for the generation following him. Here's what I know.

John Maher and Mary Roach had
- a son John in Argentia in 1857. (There's no prior record in that area of John Sr., that's why I assume he's the immigrant. Mary Roach was born in Argentia, Newfoundland to Patrick Roach and Elin English in 1836. Given Mary's age I suspect John Sr. was born around 1830, but he's not in the Argentia parish records around that period.)

They also had
- a daughter Theresa born 1861
- another son John 1863 (so the John b. 1857 must have died)
- a daughter Catherine, 1868

John (b.1863) m. Bridget Duke in Argentia in 1889. They had
- a son Daniel, 1891
- a son, Michael, 1893
- a son, (yet another) John, 1895

Daniel (b. 1891) m. Gertrude Jackman in Curling, Newfoundland, in 1915
- Their children, Daniel, Wilfred, William (b. 1923, my dad), Doreen, Ernestine, Ilene, James. (I don't have all the details of my dad's generation, but it's in the family bible).

I have some peripheral stuff around my grandmothers, great uncles, etc., if it's of any use to anyone, though I've been focussing on the patralineal.

I'd love to know about anything that can help me track down John before he was having babies with Mary in Argentia in the late 1850's.

Thanks.

JoAnne Maher Noel
(we say "Mar", mono-syllabic)
Victoria, BC, Canada"

I'm not related but here is a little tidbit of information, I doubt John was an immigrant because he probably just born before the parish records start at Argentia.

-devongriffin1

Hi Again Dorothy,

I think out of the 2 Ellen Foley's born 1839.
1-029-04 Foley 1839 Ellan of Michael Folay & Elizabeth Smith
1-030-05 Foley 1839 Ellan of Thomas Folay & Elan Furlong

Who married your ancestor Michael Duke.

The right one would be 1-029-04 Foley 1839 Ellan of Michael Folay & Elizabeth Smith NOT 1-030-05 Foley 1839 Ellan of Thomas Folay & Elan Furlong because in her children's marriage records they say she was born on Iona (Rams Islands). If you check 1839 Ellan of Michael Folay & Elizabeth Smith siblings baptisms such as Martha (1837) they have sponsors like Sam Northover and Mary Murphy. They other Ellen Foley does not. The reason why Sam Northover and Mary Murphy are important because they were both of Iona and Long Harbour. (It is a well known fact that people on Iona wintered at Long Harbour and at summer lived at Iona) so that is why Ellen Foley of Michael Foley and Elizabeth Smith is correct.

-devongriffin1

I descend from Ellen Furlong and Thomas Foley, of Kilkenny and Ellen Furlong (daughter of James Furlong 1788-1865) of Point Moll, Argentia They married married c. 1835 They had nine children, they are as follows.
Their children:

1. Margaret married John Smith in 1871 (son of Alexander Smith and Mary Northover)
2. Bridget married Andrew Foley of Fox Harbour in 1863 (son of Elizabeth Smith and Michael Foley)
3. Mary married John Kelly in 1868 (their granddaughter told me John and Thomas were brothers)
4. Mary Ellen married Pierce Pendergast in 1862 then William Green
5, James married Mary Smith in 1879 ( daughter of Henry Smith and Jane Murphy)
6.Juliana married Michael Smith in 1883 (son of Alex Smith and Mary Northover) Mary Ann and Julia were a twin.
7.Mary Ann married Michael Griffin in 1874 ( he drowned) and Lawrence Lawlor (from Renews) in 1883
8.William married Kate Smith in 1875(daughter of Henry Smith and Jane Murphy)
9. Gertrude (was the youngest) married Thomas Kelly in 1880

My mother is a Maher, the earliest Maher we know of is James born circa 1829 in Marquise, Argentia, Nfld. He was married to Elizabeth Smith (she was the daughter of Alexander Smith and Mary Northover) born 05 July 1837, RC, married Oct 1860, in RC Argentia Parish, Placentia Bay, Nfld, she was a midwife.

Elizabeth Smith (sister of Alexander Smith and Henry “Pierre” Smith), married, James Maher, b. c Nov 1829, Marquise, Argentia,
Their children were
1. Mary Ann Joseph Maher b. 1861, PB,Nfld.,
2. Daniel b. c Nov 1862.
3. Alexander b. c Nov 1864.
4. John Joseph b. c Oct 1866.
5.James Maher b. 1868, Marquise,PB,Nfld., 01 Nov 1868, RC. Possibly died as a child as the next child is also named James?
6.James Maher b. 1869, Marquise,Argentia,PB,Nfld.,
7. Michael Joseph Maher b. 1871, Marquise,Argentia,PB,Nfld.,
8.Ellen b. 03 Aug 1872.
9.Bridget b. Oct 1875.
10.Paulina Maher b. 1877, Marquise,Argentia,PB,Nfld., 02 Dec 1877, RC.
11.Elizabeth b. 1881.
12.Michael Maher b. 1882, Marquise,Argentia,PB,Nfld., 09 Oct 1882, RC.5

Also, I assume you know Bridget Duke was Betsy Smith's grandaughter?

Hi Stephanie,

I was wondering which Murphy Family from Long Harbour you were inquiring about?

I do not know much about the Murphy's, Mary Jane Murphy was my great great grandmother. I know she had a nephew John Power, that is about it. I descend from Edward Bruce and Margaret Foley.

1875 Michael Bruce and Mary Jane Murphy

1877 Edward of Michael Bruce & Mary Jane Murphy
1903 married Margaret Foley
1877 Richard of Michael Bruce & Jane Murphy
1879 Peter of Michael Bruce & Mary Jane Murphy
1906 married Elizabeth Lamb
1881 Joseph of Michael Bruce & Mary J. Murphy
1884 Thomas of Michael Bruce & Mary J Murphy
1886 Michael of Michael Bruce & Mary Jane Murphy
1888 Mariah of Michael Bruce & Mary Jane Murphy
1891 Mary Joseph of Michael Bruce & Mary Murphy
1894 Patrick of Michael Bruce & Jane Murphy

Hi Again, from my research Mary Jane Murphy was the daughter of Peter Murphy and Maria Barron. But this is just pure speculation. Her Childrens marriages claim she was born in Long Harbour, so I had to go on that. The 1921 Census says she was born in 1851 and also says she was born in Long Harbour.

In 1864, there was only one Murphy in Long Harbour, Peter Murphy (Presumably the husband of Maria Barron). This could be completly wrong but it could be something to go on.

Their Children,

mar 0-019-13 @1846 Peter Murphy and Maria Barron

bap 1-065-05 1846 Laurence of Peter Murphy & Maria Barron
bap 1-074-03 1848 Margaret of Peter Murphy & Maria Barron
bap 1-083-01 1850 Anastatia of Peter Murphy & Maria Barron
1875 married Peter Kelly
bap 1-092-10 1852 Jane Anne of Peter Murphy & Maria Barron

Hi Again,

Another piece of information pointing to Mary Jane being the Daughter of Peter Murphy and Maria Barron.

When Anastasia Murphy married Peter Kelly in May 29 1875, her witnesses were
Laurence Murphy & MARY JANE MURPHY. Laurence Murphy was her brother and Mary Jane was probably your Mary Jane pointing to her being a sister. Although Mary Jane Murphy got married in 1875. She didn't get married until November 14 1875! So she would be still Mary Jane Murphy.

-devongriffin1

Thanks Joanne,
I have seen those records, but as you know it is speculation to assume that is who her parents were, it may very well be correct, but the records don't exist to prove it. I have a picture of her and a young man and on the back was written her name and his name, John Power, perhaps a relative. Which branch of the Maher's do you descend from?

Hi Stephanie,

My name is Devon not Joanne by the way,

Well, yes it is speculation, hopefully you will get a lead soon... Actually I don't decend from any Maher's, I don't even have a Maher in my family Tree,its just that I am very familiar with the Argentia families, I thought I'd help out in other peoples search. I decend from the Murphy's of Iona and Long Harbour, John Murphy and Mary Crow. I'd like to see the picture if you wouldn't mind sending it to me.. my email is devon.griffin@hotmail.com


Thanks in Advance -Devongriffin1

Sorry for the name confusion, I misread a previous message. Thanks for the help, I will email you the picture from work tomorrow. If you know anyone who needs help with Furlongs, Foleys, Smith's, Bruces' and Kelly's I would be glad to help, those are the families I have the most info. on. The Maher's and Murphy's I know the least about. Do you have any idea which place in Ireland the Murphy's might be from? I know the Bruce's are from Greenville, County Kilkenny, and Thomas Foley was also from Kilkenny, not sure of the town. Thanks again!

Stephanie

Do you have any more information about James Furlong (1788-1865) of Point Moll eg who his parents were and all of his children's names? Send me an email and I will share all the info I have on the Furlongs of Placentia. pspearns@yahoo.com