Mysteries and Clues: Baptismal Sponsors

1-Richard Allen and Margaret Sweeney were themselves baptismal sponsors.

In January 1818, Margaret was a baptismal sponsor for Thomas McCann, the son of Mary Sweeney and Thomas McCann of Umberstown. Pat Sweeney was the other baptismal sponsor. So it is likely that both Margaret Sweeney and Pat Sweeney were siblings of Mary Sweeney (McCann.)

In April, 1833, Richard Allen was a baptismal sponsor of Margaret Sweeney, daughter of Catherine "Kathy" Sweeney and Andrew Fitzsimons of Dangan. So it is likely that Catherine Sweeney (Fitzsimons) was also a sibling of Margaret Sweeney.

In January 1841, Richard Allen was a baptismal sponsor for Luke and John Sweeney, the twin sons of Patrick Sweeney and Mary McCall/McCan. So again, it is likely that Patrick Sweeney was the brother of Richard's wife Margaret Sweeney.

So- Margaret Sweeney's siblings likely included:
 Mary Sweeney (McCann) of Umberstown
Catherine Sweeney (Fitzsimons) of Dangan
Patrick Sweeney of Umberstown

2-Richard Allen and Margaret Sweeney were married in 1825. They then chose the sponsors for their own children. These included:

1-Sweeney Connections:
In June 1837, Pat Sweeney was a baptismal sponsor for Peter Allen.
In November 1841, Thomas McCan (husband of Mary Sweeney) was a baptismal sponsor for Thomas Allen.
 In May 1847, Ellen Sweeney was a baptismal sponsor for Catherine Allen.

So- we can likely add Ellen Sweeney to the list of Margaret's siblings, and confirm that Pat Sweeney and Mary Sweeney were likely siblings.

2-Allen Connections:
In February, 1829, Peter Allen was a baptismal sponsor for Richard Allen's first born son-Francis Allen.
So- we can likely assume that Peter Allen was Richard's brother.

So- here is a look at those most likely related families in Dangan and Umberstown.

Family of Peter Allen- Dangan
Peter, likely brother of Richard Allen, was born about 1800 in Summerhill Parish, County Meath.
On March 1, 1829, he married Mary Young. Their witnesses were Philip McKeon and Anne Allen (who themselves married a week later, on March 7, 1829.

In March, 1820, Philip McKeon (husband of Anne Allen) was a baptismal sponsor for their first child, Elizabeth.
In February 1834, Andrew Young (husband of Elizabeth "Bess" Allen) and Mary Sweeney, were baptismal sponsors for John Allen.
(Mary Young, wife of Peter Allen, was also a baptismal sponsor for Patrick Sweeney's son Thomas in February, 1825.)

So- Anne Allen and Elizabeth "Bess" Allen were likely sisters of Peter Allen.

Allens- Peter

Sweeneys- Patrick, Ellen

McCan's- Mary, Rose (married to Thomas Allen), Thomas (married to Mary Sweeney)

Ruley's- Pat, Catharine, Richard

Likely siblings of Margaret Sweeney- 

Patrick Sweeney

Ellen Sweeney

Mary Sweeney (wife of Thomas McCan)

Likely siblings of Richard Allen-

Peter Allen

Thomas Allen

John Allen

Baptismal sponsors for Peter Allen and Mary Young's (married 1829) children in Dangan include:

McKeon- Philip (husband of Anne Allen- married 1836)

Young- Andrew (husband of Elizabeth "Bess" Allen- married 1836)

Sweeney- Mary

Likely siblings of Peter Allen:

Anne Allen McKeon (married 1826)

Elizabeth "Bess" Allen Young (married 1836)

Baptismal sponsors for Thomas Allen and Rose McCann's children in Dangan include:

Allen- John

Sweeney- Catharine

Young- Elizabeth "Bess"

Baptismal sponsors for John Allen and Bridget Butler's (married 1822- Wit Wm Allen and Mary Reilly) children in Umberstown include:

Allen- Francis/Frank, Anne

McCann- Anne, Bryan, Thomas, Bridget

Likely siblings of John Allen:

Francis/Frank Allen

Anne Allen

Baptismal sponsors for James Allen and Jane Byrne's children in Dangan include:

McKoen- Philip, Ellen

Baptismal sponsors for Elizabeth "Bess" Allen and Andrew Young (married 1836) children include:

Allen- James, Mary, Peter


Baptismal sponsors for Patrick Sweeney and Mary McCall's children

Patrick Sweeney was a neighbor of Richard Allen and Margaret Sweeney.

The  church records show baptismal sponsors of his children include:

Richard Allen (husband of Margaret Sweeney)

Youngs- Andrew, John, Mary

Dorans- William, Catharine, 

Sweeney- Catharine and Anne plus the husband of Margaret Sweeney- Richard

Likely siblings of Patrick Sweeney- Margaret, Catharine, Anne

Baptismal sponsors for Mary Sweeney and Thomas McCan's (married 1815-Dangan- Wit Hugh Sweeney and Thos Reilly ) children- Umberstown (both were sponsors for the children of Richard Allen and Magaret Sweeney)

Sweeney- Hugh (wit at marriage)

Likely siblings of Mary Sweeney- Hugh

Baptismal sponsors for Catharine Sweeney and Andrew Fitzsimmons (married 1819 Dangan)

Allen- Richard (husband of Margaret Sweeney)
Likely sibling of Catharine Sweeney- Margaret

Mysteries and Clues: Resources to research our ancestors in Ireland- County Meath

Meath

1828 Tithe Applotments (our ancestors were in Laracor Civil Parish)

Search the 1828 Tithe Applotment Books (our ancestors and their families were mostly in Umberstown, Ballinrigg, and nearby townslands)

Allens in Laracor Civil Parish; 1828 Tithe Applotments

Sweeneys in Laracor Civil Parish 1828 Tithe Applotments


Summerhill RC Parish records- marriages, baptisms, deaths 1812-1881

Summerhill RC Parish Records online

Places in Laracor Civil Parish with links to Griffiths 1855, and 1901 and 1911 census  (Our Allens and Sweeneys were in Great Umberstown, but likely had close relatives in Dangan, Ballinrigg and a few other townlands)

Mysteries and Clues: Allens and Sweeneys in Laracor Civil Parish- using Griffiths Valuation to find family connections

http://askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/

Griffiths Valuation lists families by civil parish and townland.
Using Google maps we can tell the distance and walking time between each of these Allen families.

Our ancestors, Richard Allen and Margaret Sweeney, lived in Laracor civil parish, Great Umberstown townland. Richard rented land from Charles P. Leslie. What other Allens and Sweeneys lived in Laracor civil parish? Might they have been related?

Richard Allen, Great Umberstown, renting 17 acres from Charles Leslie.
John Allen, Great Umberstown subletting a house and garden (no acreage to farm) from Richard Allen.

Who was John Allen, who survived with just a house and garden, on the farm of Richard Allen? Surely John was a relative of Richards. This may well be his elderly father or both of his parents. There is a John Allen in Umberstown in earlier records- in the 1828 Title Applotments. This John Allen paid a yearly tithe (generally 1/10th of the yearly production) for his 22 acre farm.

Neighbors in Great Umberstown- Ellen, Richard, James, Mary, Patrick Reilly, Patrick Flynn, Thomas Murrin, Michael Connolly, John Corcoran, William and Patrick Doran, Patrick Sweeney- we see these names as baptismal sponsors for the Allen children.

Other Allens in Laracor civil parish- see the blog for the map of all the families:

Dangan- Richard Allen's land bordered on those of Dangan.

James Allen, Dangan, renting 5 acres from Thomas Burrows
Peter Allen, Dangan, renting 3 acres from Thomas Burrows.

Ballinrig

James Allen, Ballinrig, renting 26 acres from Charles Leslie.
Rose Allen, Ballinrig, renting 10 acres from Charles Leslie.
(Neighbors Peter, James, Thomas Byrne, Michael Doran, Walter Rattigan, James Connolly)

Clondoogan

John Allen, Clondoogan, renting 21 acres from Richard Rowley
Edward Allen, Clondoogan, renting 11 acres from Richard Rowley

Stokestown

Anne Allen, Stokestown, renting 32 acres from Charles Leslie and subletting land to Jane Huntheon

The only Sweeny in Laracor Parish was Patrick Sweeny, a neighbor of Richard Allen in Great Umberstown. We can be fairly certain that Patrick and Margaret Sweeny were related. Patrick rented  two plots  of land from Charles Leslie; one 12 acres and one 8 acres.

The amount of acreage tells us a good deal about these families.  James and Peter Allen in Dangan had very little land to live on. Might they have worked for the Dangan Estate? The landlord, Thomas Burrows, had leased the estate to Roger O'Conner, an Irish nationalist, who hoped to host a conquering Napoleon there, but after a questionable fire, the  castle was just a ruin after 1841. It was said to be the hiding place of plunder, and a den of thieves!