The village of Newmains, Lanarkshire really owes its existence to the Coltness Iron Works which was established in 1839. The promise of employment led many Irish immigrants to make their homes in the rows of houses provided by the company. My family first arrived in the village in the late 1850s. The first Newmains birth … Continue reading Catherine Brawley 1859-1960
Furnace Row Newmains
Catherine Mullervy 1839-1910
My great, great grandmother, Catherine Mullervy was born in Drumlish in the Parish of Killoe, County Longford, Ireland in January 1835. She was baptised on the 19th of January that year. Her sponsors are recorded as Edward and Elizabeth Malervy. (There are many different spellings of the surname recorded.) Her parents were Owen Mullervy and … Continue reading Catherine Mullervy 1839-1910
Born On This Day – Catherine Cosgrove 1875-1876
Catherine Cosgrove was the first of my great grandfather’s siblings to be born in Scotland and her birth record allows me to estimate when the Cosgrove family left County Longford in Ireland. She was the 6th of ten children born to Peter Cosgrove and Catherine Mullervy. By the time of her birth the family had … Continue reading Born On This Day – Catherine Cosgrove 1875-1876
Police Raid 1890
Some of the best family history finds come from newspapers. Yes the official records will tell you where an ancestor was born and died, who they married etc but those records won’t tell you much about the type of person they were. Newspaper articles can tell a lot and it’s not always good news. I … Continue reading Police Raid 1890
Stories From The Poorhouse (Part 6) Margaret Keenan 1868-1886
My 2nd great aunt, Margaret Keenan was just 18 years old when she died on 19 September 1886. She was the 7th child of Irish immigrants, Patrick Keenan and Agnes Haughey and the closest in age to my great grandmother, Ellen Keenan. Ellen was my mother's paternal grandmother. Margaret was born in the Parish of … Continue reading Stories From The Poorhouse (Part 6) Margaret Keenan 1868-1886
Finding Out More – John Brawley 1857-1892
I have previously written about John Brawley and the circumstances surrounding his death. At the time of writing all I knew about him was that he died young and that made him seem a tragic figure. Of course, one event cannot tell us everything there is to know about a person. From newspaper reports and … Continue reading Finding Out More – John Brawley 1857-1892
Shaking The Branches 