60% of the service records for soldiers from the Great War were lost in a fire during the Second World War. Fortunately, in terms of my research, those for Patrick Stanley were amongst the other 40%. My main interest, when I accessed the record for the first time, was to find Patrick’s place of birth.…
All posts by Keith Stanley
Both ends to the middle – Part 2
Part 1 was really an extended preamble. How do the principles apply to ‘the man in the street’? We have to move from the known to the unknown. What information do we have with which to start? We might have locations. Ideally these are Townlands, because they are the smallest unit of area, often with…
Both ends to the middle – Part 1
In April 2019 I posted a blog on my family history website entitled “DNA: the magic bullet?”. (https://www.roscommonstanley.me.uk/direct-line/dna-the-magic-bullet/ ) In the intervening period, the number of DNA matches that appear on my list from Ancestry has expanded. In the 4th-6th cousin group (above 20 cM of DNA in common) there are 294 names. I refer…
North West Frontier
Many countries that appear on modern maps are relatively recent creations. Some peoples hold to the belief that no one owns land. We are all transient tenants. They have a point. Belgium was created in 1830. The map of Africa was mainly drawn in the 19th century. Much of the Middle East had lines drawn…
Jewel in the Crown
Following service in South Africa with the 3rd (line) Battalion of the Manchester Regiment (https://www.roscommonstanley.me.uk/military/boer-war-concentration-camps/ ), Patrick was transferred to the 1st Battalion on 28 October 1906. He was sent to join them in India. The 1st Battalion had also served in South Africa, departing in December 1904. They arrived in the port of Madras…
Searching for James Mullooly
Having failed to follow the trail of Elizabeth McDermott, what about James Mullooly? (James and Elizabeth were the baptismal sponsors for my Grandfather in 1883.) In 1901, there are two families called Mullooly living in Clooneenbaun. In House 3, there is John (37), his wife Bridget and four young children. In House 4, there is…
Elizabeth McDermott: who was she and where did she go?
The relative dearth of information about my grandfather Patrick has forced me to examine leads that I would not normally pursue. Recently, I re-visited some of my earliest records. In November 2007, I received a report from the Roscommon Heritage and Genealogy Company. The baptismal sponsors for my Grandfather Patrick in March 1883 were Elizabeth…
Missing from the records
In my quest for more information on Thomas Stanly (1807-1887) (http://www.roscommonstanley.me.uk/possible-relations/thomas-stanly-1807-1887/) I looked at the census return for Edward Naughton. He reported the death of Thomas. The document has a reference to a missing record. Edward, his daughter, son-in-law and family are listed at house number 13 on the sequence. On viewing a list of…
Thomas Stanly 1807 -1887
DNA evidence suggests that I am not related to the Ballyglass Lower branch of the Stanley family. (James Stanley and Oliver Stanley are shown as living almost next door to each other on the Griffiths valuation records.) When I published the blog “Ballyglass Stanley”, https://www.roscommonstanley.me.uk/possible-relations/ballyglass-stanley/, I was contacted by another researcher. He was able to…
Wilfred Owen and Patrick Stanley
Patrick Stanley was posted to France to re-join the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment on 13th November 1916. He would have been just one of a number of ordinary soldiers sent as replacements for the casualties incurred. As such his arrival was not noteworthy in any way. It is extremely doubtful if there were…