Bridget's Genealogy

Genealogy comes from the Greek words for "race" & "theory".

An Introduction

When I first started on the trail of my ancestors I did not know where it would lead me. I was born in Glasgow but raised and surrounded by people whose greatest love was Ireland. I asked myself, if Ireland is so great what on earth are we doing living here in the west of Scotland?

For a long time I resented my Irish connection and turned my back on it, yet those I loved most in this world were either Irish by birth or descent. Not until I met my husband did I re-discover my own personal connection with Ireland.

The research started on a holiday in County Kerry where my maternal grandmother was born. A simple enquiry at the church where she was baptized led me on a journey of discovery about myself and my origins.

My family history may not be of much interest to others, there are no millionaires, no great literary or artistic figures, no inventors or scientists, just ordinary working class people trying to survive in an often hostile and merciless world. The world of Charles Dickens where poverty was an even greater crime than theft or murder. In that world to be poor and Irish was unforgivable.

My ancestors came to Scotland to find a better life for themselves and their families. My father's family were, for the most part, from Ulster, Fermanagh and Armagh. My mother's family came from Tipperary and Offaly. I am second generation Scots on my mothers side and third generation on my fathers side. I love my homeland dearly and I am very proud to be Scottish, nowdays though I have another pride, one which many of my fellow Irish/Scots have lost. I take pride in my Irish ancestry. The shamrock and the thistle for me are inseperable.

If you are just starting out on the trail of your ancestors.....

A word of warning!

Genealogy is a highly addictive pastime. It is like a very large jigsaw puzzle. You are constantly looking for the missing pieces. You find answers to questions that lead to other questions which in turn require answers.

Like the missing parts in the jigsaw puzzle, these answers build up a picture of the lives of the people who ultimately made you. For that reason alone the hobby can become an obsession. As a result of my research I have an extensive database on both my parents families dating back to the late 18th Century.

My Fathers family the Cassidys came from County Fermanagh but eventually settled in Glasgow. The first piece of evidence of their arrival in Scotland is the 1841 census.

My Mother's maiden name was Loftus Her branch of the Loftus clan came from Galway originally, settling in Tipperary and Glasgow.

Many of my ancestors were soldiers. My paternal great-grandfather John Finnigan and my great great grandfather John Hickey both served in India with the Irish Lancers in the second half of the 19th century.

Roll Call

The names and places in my family tree

Direct Paternal Line

Cassidy from Co. Fermanagh Ireland,

& Glasgow Scotland

Rice from County Down, Ireland

McMullan from County Down, Ireland

Crawford from County Down, Ireland

McGraffan from County Down, Ireland

Mooney from Co. Fermanagh Ireland

Davis from Co. Fermanagh Ireland

Maguire from Co. Fermangh Ireland

Finnigan from Co. Armagh Ireland,

India & Glasgow Scotland

Hickey from South Dublin Ireland

Lynch from Co. Armagh Ireland

Leech from County Kildare, Ireland

Direct Maternal Line

Loftus from Co. Galway Ireland,

Co. Tipperary Ireland & Glasgow Scotland

Grady from Co. Galway Ireland

Reede from Co. Tipperary Ireland

Cunningham from Co. Galway Ireland

Egan from Co. Galway Ireland

Cavanaugh from Co. Galway Ireland

Mackey from Co. Offaly Ireland

Rourke from Co. Offaly Ireland

McCormack from Co. Offaly & Co. Galway Ireland

TOP TEN INDICATORS THAT YOU HAVE BECOME A GENEAHOLIC

1. You introduce your daughter as your descendent.

2. You can recite your lineage back 8 generations but you can't remeber your nephews name.

3. You have more photographs of dead people than living ones.

4. You have never met any of the people you e-mail even though you are related.

5. You always take a tape recorder and notebook to family reunions.

6. The local genealogy society borrows books from YOU!

7. You have not only read the last gedcom standard but you understand it??

8. Your elusive ancestor has been spotted in more places than Elvis.

9. The only film you have seen in the last year is the 1881 census index.

10. More than half of your CDs are made up of marriage records or pedigrees.

Me

2 parents

4 grandparents

8 great grandparents

16 gg grandparents

32 ggg grandparents

64 gggg grandparents

128 ggggg grandparents

256 gggggg grandparents

512 ggggggg grandparents

1024 gggggggg grandparents

2,048 ggggggggg grandparents

4,096 gggggggggg grandparents

8,192 ggggggggggg grandparents

16,384 gggggggggggg grandparents

32,768 ggggggggggggg grandparents

65,536 gggggggggggggg grandparents

131,072 ggggggggggggggg grandparents

262,144 gggggggggggggggg grandparents

524,288 ggggggggggggggggg grandparents

1,048,576 gggggggggggggggggg grandparents

2,097,152 ggggggggggggggggggg grandparents

4,194,304 gggggggggggggggggggg grandparents

I Still have a lot of work to do!