This week's post, #52ancestors: Martha McGUINES/MAGINNIS, Ireland

I've missed a few weeks in the weekly challenge from genealogist Amy J. Crow, but here is this week's offering: Martha McGuiness [var. Maginnis/Magenis], from Emyvale, County Monaghan, Ire. Emyvale was originally known as Scarnageeragh [Scairbh na gCaorach]. It is clearly in the north of County Monaghan, as can be seen in the map image. In the 1911 Census of Ireland, there were only 81 households listed.

I know very little about Martha, my son-in-law's 2nd great-grandmother on his father's side. This post will summarize the little I know, and perhaps eventually, someone will recognize her and contact me with more information!

My first information about Martha McGUINESS and her husband Patrick DONAGHY was seeing them listed as parents on their 5th child's marriage record in Glasgow, Scotland, Martha Jane DONAGHY, the great-grandmother of my son-in-law. Scotland? A thin thread, until I read all the details about parents, confirming names:

This week, I found her listed as the mother of Martha Jane DONAGHY, on the baptism image on FindMyPast.ie database, Ireland Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms - image below. It's a dark challenging image, names are in Latin, her surname is not quite the same spelling, but I'm certain this is the correct family:

Martha McGUINESS was born approximately 1845-1849 in Emyvale, Co. Monaghan, Ire. I have no information on her parents or siblings. She married Patrick DONAGHY [var. Donaghey, Donaghee/oe], in 1864 in Co. Monaghan, Ireland.  I am unable to find the actual date or an image of their marriage record.


The 1911 Ireland Census states Martha had 10 children [7 living in 1911], but I have only found 9 so far. Martha and Patrick had the following children as seen on FindMyPast.ie. See image at top of post. Note that Glaslough is a small village a few miles east of Emyvale in the same parish:
   1.  Catherine, bap. 19 Jul 1865, Glaslough, Monaghan.
   2.  Mary, bap. 2 May 1868, Glaslough, Monaghan
   3.  Ann, bap. 21 Jun 1870, Glaslough, Monaghan
   4.  James, bap. 7 Jan 1873, _____, Monaghan
   5.  Martha Jane [ancestor], bap. 7 Dec 1874, Emyvale, Monaghan, d. 11 May 1968, Staffordshire, Eng; m. James PERRY Aug 2, 1898, Glasgow Scotland; 5 children
   6.  Bridget, bap. 15 Apr 1877, ____, Monaghan
   7.  John, bap. 17 Aug 1879, ____, Monaghan
   8.  Susan, approx. 1883, Emyvale, Monaghan
   9.  Thomas, approx. 1886, Emyvale, Monaghan

The youngest two birth dates are calculated from censuses.  Also, it seems as if there is a likely baby in 1881 who died, which is my assumption for the gap in births, adding the total children born to 10.

At some point before 1897, their daughter Martha Jane moved to Glasgow, likely for employment purposes. It is not clear if she came with her parents or any siblings, as I have not found the family in the Scottish censuses of 1891, 1901, 1911.

Instead, I find Patrick and Martha living in Emyvale, Monaghan with one of their youngest children:  on the Irish 1901 Census [Susan], and 1911 Census [Thomas].

The next record I find for Martha is a death event of June 1915 in County Monaghan, Ireland. She would have been approximately 67 years of age. This death date is not proven as I have yet to find a image/document, only an index with very limited details.

I have had limited success in finding documents linking Martha to her husband and children, and extremely limited success re Martha's birth and death. Ages on Census records have been clues to follow.  A big question is why Martha Jane, her namesake daughter, was living and married in Glasgow Scotland in the late 1890s.

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If these are your ancestors, I am happy to share what little I have on these ancestors. And if there are errors, please do let me know, via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below. I appreciate the opportunity to correct any issues in these family trees.

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