RENEWED INTEREST IN OUR CARROLL GENEALOGY

Well, gee, aren’t hand-knitted sox just what you expected to see on my genealogy blog? Have got to be awake more often when I post.

Anyway to get back on track, here some genealogy!

Received an e-mail from Cousin Kevin this week that has prompted me to post, and I have to say it’s about time I did.

Kevin has given his permission to post his e-mail so that I may respond here, via my blog, to give all our SHEEHAN/CARROLL cousins can participate in this renewed interest.

Portions of Kevin’s e-mail messages:

" . . . . . . . . . . .You probably have seen this information but I will send it along just in case something is new or useful. If we can find a town or village that our ancestors are from in Ireland I will go there and do what ever research is feasible . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . I have spent many hours searching for family connections on line, looking at a great variety of sites, from vital records to passenger lists to random searches, I have found Carrolls and Sheehans in nearly every county in Ireland and over half the world. Unfortunately my searches have not been systematic, I lack the knowledge to organize and keep track of sites and searches . . . . . . .

. . . . . I was intrigued to find Carrolls in Iowa at about the same time as our ancestors, there must be some record that lists their town or village of origin. I do want to go back to Ireland with this knowledge to reclaim our rightful position or at least know where our blood is from. The O'Carrolls were high Kings in ancient Ireland, we must share some of that blood, in Ireland there was a merger of social classes due to the English persecution. Most Irish Catholics share the blood of Kings and peasants. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . .I hope we find more information soon. If I had the funds, I would search every parish in Ireland until I found our ancestors. While traveling the border area of West Cork and Kerry I have had the strongest sense that I was very near that place that I have been searching for. This first happened in 1970 and then again in 2007. I knew the back roads while traveling at night even though I had never been there and I am not usually gifted with a great sense of direction. My sense of blood and spirit are strong and Ireland has drawn me all my life.
I think we we are close to finding the missing information. . . . ."

Cousin Kevin’s current interest in the point of emigration of Martin CARROLL and wife Margaret so that we can better get an idea from which County in Ireland our CARROLL and SHEEHAN lines originate.

My search began by confirming the link from our parents to grandparents to our great-grandparents to establish a firm and confirmed connection. As you may already know I accomplished by searching as many public documents, church documents, etc., as was possible. Some of the ways I accomplished this:
-The Internet,
-written correspondence,
-hiring of several genealogists,
-in-person visits to Historic and Genealogical Society’s libraries, as well as pubic libraries,
-viewed LDS Family History Library records,
-in-person visits to known family neighborhoods and gravesites,
-telephone conversations fellow CARROLL/SHEEHAN descendants.

Kevin forwarded the following solid suggestions he received from a fellow CARROLL surname genealogist:

KFP wrote: ". . . . . . . I think you are asking me how to find out where your Carrolls originated from in Ireland, correct?
First off - have you contacted all relatives whether you know them or not, the older the better, for any old info./ pictures/ records on your Carrolls? - they may have that one clue you need.
Do you have. . . . . . .
-Obits for Martin and wife Margaret?
-Were their children also born in Ireland and who did the girls marry? The obits for this family (including their children) may indicate where they were born,
- death certificates usually list where they were born.
-Sometimes the cemetery records will have info. on where they are from too.
-I looked Martin up on the original census records that ancestry has and I also looked at genweb
-Naturalization Index and Declaration of Intent.
-Tax records
-Probate Records - Wills - Martin Carroll may have left a will. . . . . . ."

During my years of researching I’ve taken advantage all of KFPs suggestions has made and have come up with so many answers and at the same time a multitude more questions. [This is the way of genealogy.]

However, new researchers may uncover just the info we need to further our story.

Kevin, you say that every County has both SHEEHANs and CARROLLs listed as inhabitants, Using a valuable research tool - The Householder’s Index - I’ve found that to be true even on Parish levels [both church and civil]. Nearly impossible to vector our surname to any one County, let alone Parish, with our current knowledge.

Let me get this much posted before so that I may gather some data to blog that may be of interest.

BROTHERS, COUSINS, I VALUE YOUR COMMENTS SO FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR COMMENTS TO MY BLOG SO THAT WE ALL CAN SHARE OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS SUBJECT.