Fitzpatrick Evidence 1747 - 1847

Communication with researchers on the Fitzpatrick List confirmed the Fitzpatrick ancestors of my grandmother, Grace (Goodfellow) Murphy were from Ballagh.  This townland, Ballagharahin, is in the Parish of Rathdowney, County Laois, formerly Queen's County, Ireland.

This evidence is summarised in the poster above, which was accepted by organisers of the Fitzpatrick Gathering, to be held in Kilkenny from 4 to 6 October 2024.

It begins with the marriage settlement for John Fitzpatrick and Dymphna Shanahan in 1747, continues with John "who owned the whole townland of Ballagh", his son Charles' Oath of Allegiance in 1778, Charles' son John's marriage to Jane Howe in 1820 to their daughter Grace's marriage to Henry Goodfellow in 1847.

Charles Fitzpatrick's Oath of Allegiance

On 25 November 1778, in Dublin, Charles Fitzpatrick Esq of Ballagh, Queen's County, took the Oath of Allegiance to the King.  Above his name in the National Archives, Catholic Qualification and Convert Rolls is Henrietta Fitzpatrick, spinster, also of Ballagh.  This confirms that Charles and Henrietta renounced being Catholic.  This would enable Charles' eldest son Joseph to inherit the land in Ballagharahin townland, Parish of Rathdowney.  It would also facilitate his younger sons John and Mathew joining the army.

This is the final confirmation that my great-great-great grandfather John Fitzpatrick came from Ballagh in County Laois.

My thanks to Andrew Wallace via the Fitzpatrick List of the Fitzpatrick-MacGiolla Phadraig Clan Society.

Fitzpatrick puzzles solved

Ballagh Castle, Ballagharahin townland, County Laois
Source: Google Maps, street view

Many thanks to members of the Fitzpatrick Society List for their prompt and pertinent responses to my questions about John Fitzpatrick (1785-1838).  He was not born in County Cavan, he left the army in 1830.  The marriage in 1820 is correct.  The children including Thomas Mapleson are correct.  There is an alternative General, who was Jane Howe's uncle. The Fitzpatrick reseachers sent records about John's father Charles in Ballagh.

The following corrections have been made to the relevant posts.

29 August, post added about Charles Fitzpatrick's Oath of Allegiance to the King.  

Charles Fitzpatrick's Oath of Allegiance

Clarified John and Jane Howe marriage licence and bond. Deleted John Fitzpatrick, born Urney.  Added Thomas Mapleson Fitzpatrick, died Crimea, and link to his late father, Capt. Fitzpatrick, 88th Foot.  Added John Fitzpatrick's military service record.

John Fitzpatrick and Jane Howe

Revised some information about Jane Howe's baptism, uncle William Gardiner, daughter Mary's marriage and daughter Grace's birth and baptism.

Jane Howe in London and Essex

Fitzpatrick and Howe ancestors

Questions about the Breifne origins of the family remain.

Fitzpatrick Family of Ossory

Fitzpatrick Clans in Ireland

These corrections and new information will be added to the Goodfellow family history booklet.

Margaret Johnson in London 1871

Margaret Johnson and George Goodfellow,
birth year from event age

When Margaret Robinson died in 1914, her second husband Joseph Robinson was the informant on her death certificate.  His information was that Margaret was aged 56 when she died, aged 38 when they were married in 1897 and aged 15 at her first marriage to George Goodfellow in England.  Margaret Johnston and George Goodfellow were both passengers on the Ship Winefred, which left London in October 1873.  Margaret's age indicates she was born in 1858-59.  

Margaret Johnson, age 13, Refuge Home, Christ Church Spitalfields Parish, London
1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census, Tower Hamlets Borough, Whitechapel District.
Public Record Office RG10 523, page 12. FindMyPast, 10 April 2024.

In April 1871, in the Census, there was a Margaret Johnson age 13, born in Liverpool, a boarder and scholar at the Christ Church refuge at 25 Commercial Street, Spitalfields, London.  This is not far from Holy Trinity Minories, where George Goodfellow was a railway porter.  Both addresses were in the District of Whitechapel, Borough of Tower Hamlets.  Could Margaret and George have known each other before emigrating to Australia?  Their daughter Florence was born in Brisbane in May 1874, but died in December that year.  Her cause of death was marasmus: malnutrition.  How were Margaret, perhaps aged only sixteen and George coping in a new country, in Brisbane with a baby who was not thriving?

On the passenger list in 1873, Margaret's age was 24 (born about 1859); on their marriage in Brisbane on 26 January 1874, her age was 22 (born about 1852), which was over the age of 21 to be married without parental permission.  At the birth of their daughter Grace on 21 September 1879, Margaret's age was 27 (born about 1852).  At their son Henry's birth on 31 January 1883, Margaret's age was 30 years (born about 1853).  

Margaret consistently recorded her birthplace as Paris, France; specifically Dunstin Lees.  She was apparently very proud of her French connection and French songs.  

There is no confirmation whether she was born in Paris or Liverpool, that her family was in poverty so she was in a children's refuge in London, or that she was born about 1852 or 1858.

Fitzpatrick Family and the Errill Wayside Cross

 

In 1622, Geoffrey Fitzpatrick of Ballagharahin erected a cross in the neighbouring townland of Errill.  This was in memory of his parents, Florence Fitzpatrick and Katherine Moore, Lord and Lady Upper Ossory.  Florence was a younger son of Brian Oge (Barnaby) Mac Gilla Patraic, who submitted to King Henry VIII in 1537.  Geoffrey died in 1638, but he is recorded in the Down Survey in 1641 as the owner of Ballagharahin.  His land was confiscated and became a  Protestant land holding.

Errill Wayside Cross, opposite St Kieran's Church.  Google Street View 11 March 2024

In 2022, the Fitzpatrick Clan Society held a 400th centenary commemoration at the Fitzpatrick Wayside Cross.  It was Geoffrey's older brother Edmond of Castle Fleming, whose son Andrew's sons (Edward d.1696 and Richard, first Baron Gowran) were made heirs of John of Castletown in 1693.  Thereby, Richard became the great-grandfather of John Wilson Fitzpatrick (b.1809, 1st Baron Castletown) who was the lessor of Ballagharahin townland, occupied in 1851 by Joseph Fitzpatrick, his father Charles and grandfather John (d. 1784, buried at Errill).

The Stone Cross is marked on the Errill townland map in Griffith's Valuation 1850.  It is south of Errill village on the boundary with Ballagharahin townland, described with its geographic location at County Laois Ballagharahin Wayside Cross.

Griffith's Valuation, Errill townland, Rathdowney Parish
askaboutireland.ie 2 February 2024

Thady Fitzpatrick died in Dublin in 1674 and so was buried in St James' churchyard.  His Will had requested if he died in Ossory, he be buried at Errill, in his parents' grave. The Will of Thady Fitzpatrick

Errill townland, Rathdowney Parish.
townlands.ie 5 February 2024.

It is clear that the Ballagh and Errill townlands had long association with the Fitzpatrick family.

Ballagharahin