My great great grandfather Patrick Keenan was born in Clonallon, County Down in 1833. I know that he came to Scotland where he married Agnes Haughey in 1856. The couple had ten children. While I’ve found a lot of information from various records I don’t think any of them could give me more of an … Continue reading Raise A Glass To Patrick Keenan
Author: Shaking The Branches
What Happened To Hannah Kane?
There are a few brick walls in my research that I revisit from time to time to see if I can make any progress. Sometimes I discover new records that were previously unavailable online and in a couple of cases DNA has helped me make the breakthrough. In the case of Hannah Kane, my great, … Continue reading What Happened To Hannah Kane?
Hugh Keenan 1901-1928
As part of my lockdown routine I like to go for an early morning walk. My route often takes me through the local cemetery where this morning I spotted this headstone. The name Unity caught my eye as it’s quite unusual and I remembered having her somewhere on my family tree. Her maiden name is … Continue reading Hugh Keenan 1901-1928
Sarah Helferty
This is an update to a previous post about my maternal granny's mother, Sarah Helferty. I've found out a lot more about her and, after my recent visit to the church where she married my great grandfather, she's been on my mind. All the circumstances of her life suggest that she must have been tough … Continue reading Sarah Helferty
A Special Prize – Daniel Brawley 1923-1990
Today would have been my Uncle Dan’s 97th birthday. He was born in Newmains, Lanarkshire on 4 May 1923. He was my mother's only brother and the only one of her siblings to leave Newmains. After his time in the army during he settled in Luton, Bedfordshire. He and his family were regular visitors to … Continue reading A Special Prize – Daniel Brawley 1923-1990
My Granny’s Other Dad – Edward Cooper 1862-1939
My maternal grandmother Catherine Cosgrove was just 7 months old when she lost her father. Patrick Cosgrove was just 38 years old when he died of smallpox in Belvedere Hospital in Glasgow. Patrick and his wife, Sarah Helferty were married in 1888 and Catherine was their only child. Sarah remarried and her second husband was … Continue reading My Granny’s Other Dad – Edward Cooper 1862-1939
Shaking The Branches 