John Brawley was the 5th of 13(!) children of Peter Brawley and Catherine Keenan. Peter was my great grandfather's brother and Catherine was the sister of my great grandmother. They married on 31 December 1890. John was born on 10 March 1899 in Newmains, Lanarkshire. He was baptised in St Brigid's Church on 18 March … Continue reading Death of a Child – John Brawley 1899-1902
Keenan
A Bad Day In Court – September 1891
Births , deaths and marriage records as well as the census records are probably my main sources of information relating to my family tree. They provide me with the names and dates I need but they don't give me any indication of the type of people my ancestors were. Newspapers are a fabulous source of … Continue reading A Bad Day In Court – September 1891
Newmains – Ancestry of a Village
On a recent visit to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland I spotted this poster in the Maritime Heritage Centre. It's an ambitious project that aims to trace the ancestry of every person who has lived in the village. The Maritime Centre is a great wee museum tells the story of the village and how the people made … Continue reading Newmains – Ancestry of a Village
James Keenan 1832-1889
James Keenan was the brother of my great, great grandfather, Patrick Keenan. Patrick’s daughter, Ellen Keenan, was my mother’s paternal grandmother. James was born in County Down, Ireland about 1932. He was one of at least 8 children of Hugh Keenan and Hannah McCarten. I've found records for siblings born in Clonallon so it may … Continue reading James Keenan 1832-1889
A Family Mystery — Daniel Brawley and Ellen Keenan
Daniel Brawley and Ellen Keenan were my great grandparents. I don't remember being told many family stories but the one that did stick in my mind is that my mother's grandparents got married in Scranton, Pennsylvania. There was no explanation given as to why they were in America and it seemed no one really knew the … Continue reading A Family Mystery — Daniel Brawley and Ellen Keenan
Elizabeth Keenan 1866-1950
My great aunt Elizabeth Keenan was born on 22 March 1866 at 15 Furnace Row, Newmains, Lanarkshire. She was the 6th child of Patrick Keenan and Agnes Haughey and the elder sister of my mother's maternal grandmother, Ellen Keenan. I have previously posted about her sisters Margaret and Mary. The records show that Elizabeth married … Continue reading Elizabeth Keenan 1866-1950
Shaking The Branches 