Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements, 1831-1920
Beginning in 1831 and over the course of the next eighty-five years, the nationally distributed, Boston Pilot newspaper printed some 45,000 “Missing Friends” advertisements placed by friends and relatives. No one knows how many of these families found each other as a result of the ads, but these nineteenth-century notices continue to help families today find their ancestors. These advertisements typically referred to the exact place of origin of the seeker and/or the sought. Many of the ads also describe the process and route of immigration, and even the name of the passenger ship. Many advertisements refer to women, for whom determining exact origin is even more difficult, due to the lack of naturalization records. So the Missing Friends advertisements help fill a great gap in nineteenth-century records for a mobile, impoverished, immigrant population.
Below are extracts I believe to be relating to Beagh ancestors, but check out this link to search the database yourself (registration at this site is free and it is quite useful) http://www.americanancestors.org/Search.aspx?Ca=98&Da=263
WALTER MARLBOROUGH, Blacksmith, of Crossford, near Gort, co. Galway - he was in New York when last heard from. Any information respecting him will be thankfully received by his brother, MICHAEL, East Douglass, Ms. Nov 22, 1851
OF PATRICK, Michael, John and Margaret CUSIE, of parish Bahogh, near Gort, Galway; when last heard of, they were in Washington, Pa. Please direct to Bridget Cusie, care of Mrs Smith, Binghampton, Broom co, N Y.(see CUSIC, PATRICK, Michael, John and Margaret, 11/24/55; ad. of 11/24/55 changes contact-person to: "W S Smith") Nov 17, 1855
OF LAURENCE MITCHELL, Gort, parish of Beher, county Galway, who left Ireland in 1842; when last [heard of] he was in West Union, Doddridge county, Virginia. Also, of Martin, Thomas, Michael, and John Mitchell, who were in Wheeling, Va, in Dec. 1854. Address Hanora Divine, care of Rev. D F Healy, Lexington, Lafayette county, Mo. Jul 12, 1856
OF HONOR HART, of Ashfield, near Gort [co. Galway], wife of Mark Nealon, from county Clare, who left there about 6 or 7 years ago, landed in New York, and has not been heard from since. Please address her brother, Charles Hart, Pittston, Luzerne county, Pa. Dec 31, 1859
OF PATRICK, Michael, John and Margaret CUSICK, of parish Bahogh, near Gort [co. Galway]; when last heard from they were in Washington and Kentucky. Any information of them will be thankfully received by their sister, Bridget, care of W S Smith, Binghamton, Broome county, New York. Oct 6, 1860
OF MICHAEL and STEPHEN MANION. Stephen came to this country about 13 years ago, and when last heard from, about 6 years ago, was in Pittsburg - Michael was last heard of in Philadelphia; he came to America about 10 years ago. Michael is about 52 years of age and is married; Stephen is about 40 years of age, and was married in Ireland. They are natives of the parish of Abeeh, near Gort, townland of Shanaglish [co. Galway]. - Any information of them will be thankfully received by Thomas Manion, care of Henry E P Dupont, Brandywine Banks, Newcastle county, Delaware. Nov 3, 1860
OF JOHN GEAGAN, of parish of Beha, townland of Knocklawrence, near Gort [co. Galway]. He landed in New York. His age is about 40 years. When last heard from he was in Alton, Pa. Any information of him will be thankfully received by his brother, Simon Geagan, care of Mr. Henry C. J. Dopont, Brandywine Banks, near Castel co., Delaware. Dec 8, 1860
OF FARDY DEVINY, of the parish of Behey, near Gort, county Galway; when last heard from, about four years ago, he was in Louisville, Kentucky. He came to this country about eighteen years ago. - Any information of him, dead or alive, will be thankfully received by his brother, Thomas Deviny, Whitney’s Point, Broome county, New York. Aug 25, 1866
OF WALTER MONTGOMERY, Crossforde, Gort, county Galway. Information respecting him will be received by his brother, Michael Marlborough, Millbury, Mass. Aug 23, 1873
OF JOHN, MICHAEL, PATRICK, and MARTIN SHAUGHNESSY, natives of Shanagulish, near Gort, county Galway, the first came to America 36 years ago, and the last 20 years. They have settled somewhere between Boston and Concord, N. H. Information of them will be received by their nephew, John Shaughnessy (son to their eldest brother Thomas), 45 Chapman Street, Charlestown, Mass. Jul 8, 1882
Below are extracts I believe to be relating to Beagh ancestors, but check out this link to search the database yourself (registration at this site is free and it is quite useful) http://www.americanancestors.org/Search.aspx?Ca=98&Da=263
WALTER MARLBOROUGH, Blacksmith, of Crossford, near Gort, co. Galway - he was in New York when last heard from. Any information respecting him will be thankfully received by his brother, MICHAEL, East Douglass, Ms. Nov 22, 1851
OF PATRICK, Michael, John and Margaret CUSIE, of parish Bahogh, near Gort, Galway; when last heard of, they were in Washington, Pa. Please direct to Bridget Cusie, care of Mrs Smith, Binghampton, Broom co, N Y.(see CUSIC, PATRICK, Michael, John and Margaret, 11/24/55; ad. of 11/24/55 changes contact-person to: "W S Smith") Nov 17, 1855
OF LAURENCE MITCHELL, Gort, parish of Beher, county Galway, who left Ireland in 1842; when last [heard of] he was in West Union, Doddridge county, Virginia. Also, of Martin, Thomas, Michael, and John Mitchell, who were in Wheeling, Va, in Dec. 1854. Address Hanora Divine, care of Rev. D F Healy, Lexington, Lafayette county, Mo. Jul 12, 1856
OF HONOR HART, of Ashfield, near Gort [co. Galway], wife of Mark Nealon, from county Clare, who left there about 6 or 7 years ago, landed in New York, and has not been heard from since. Please address her brother, Charles Hart, Pittston, Luzerne county, Pa. Dec 31, 1859
OF PATRICK, Michael, John and Margaret CUSICK, of parish Bahogh, near Gort [co. Galway]; when last heard from they were in Washington and Kentucky. Any information of them will be thankfully received by their sister, Bridget, care of W S Smith, Binghamton, Broome county, New York. Oct 6, 1860
OF MICHAEL and STEPHEN MANION. Stephen came to this country about 13 years ago, and when last heard from, about 6 years ago, was in Pittsburg - Michael was last heard of in Philadelphia; he came to America about 10 years ago. Michael is about 52 years of age and is married; Stephen is about 40 years of age, and was married in Ireland. They are natives of the parish of Abeeh, near Gort, townland of Shanaglish [co. Galway]. - Any information of them will be thankfully received by Thomas Manion, care of Henry E P Dupont, Brandywine Banks, Newcastle county, Delaware. Nov 3, 1860
OF JOHN GEAGAN, of parish of Beha, townland of Knocklawrence, near Gort [co. Galway]. He landed in New York. His age is about 40 years. When last heard from he was in Alton, Pa. Any information of him will be thankfully received by his brother, Simon Geagan, care of Mr. Henry C. J. Dopont, Brandywine Banks, near Castel co., Delaware. Dec 8, 1860
OF FARDY DEVINY, of the parish of Behey, near Gort, county Galway; when last heard from, about four years ago, he was in Louisville, Kentucky. He came to this country about eighteen years ago. - Any information of him, dead or alive, will be thankfully received by his brother, Thomas Deviny, Whitney’s Point, Broome county, New York. Aug 25, 1866
OF WALTER MONTGOMERY, Crossforde, Gort, county Galway. Information respecting him will be received by his brother, Michael Marlborough, Millbury, Mass. Aug 23, 1873
OF JOHN, MICHAEL, PATRICK, and MARTIN SHAUGHNESSY, natives of Shanagulish, near Gort, county Galway, the first came to America 36 years ago, and the last 20 years. They have settled somewhere between Boston and Concord, N. H. Information of them will be received by their nephew, John Shaughnessy (son to their eldest brother Thomas), 45 Chapman Street, Charlestown, Mass. Jul 8, 1882