Children of Matthew Kearney and Hannah Goodbody

With clues provided by several sources, the family of Matthew Kearney and Hannah Goodbody has been identified.[1] Matthew Kearney and Hannah Goodbody were married on 1 November 1839 in Mountmellick, County Queens (now Laois), Ireland.[2] Baptismal registers have been useful in identifying the children. However, daughter, Margaret, was listed in the registers as Margaret Carney while all of the other children were identified with the Kearney name.

My great grandfather, James Kearney, was the youngest of nine children born over a seventeen-year span. Edward, Sarah, Elizabeth and James immigrated with their parents in 1868.[3] Immigration records have not yet been located for the older children.

Margaret baptized 27 September 1840

Mary baptized 5 May 1842

Patt baptized 5 August 1843

John baptized 15 September 1844

Matthew baptized 23 August 1846

Edward baptized 23 December 1849

Sarah baptized 9 November 1851

Elizabeth baptized 30 July 1854

James baptized 1 November 1857

St. Joseph’s, Mountmellick R.C. Baptismal Records, Co. Queens, Ireland

Future blogs will follow each of these children with the exception of son, Patt [Patrick]. It is likely that he died in infancy. He was not mentioned as a child of Matthew Kearney in the letter written by James Goodbody nor has he been found any other records to date.

Katherine Hannah, who immigrated with the family, has not been identified through baptismal records as a child of Matthew and Hannah. She may be related but it does not appear that she is a member of this particular family.

Many records were used to identify the children of Matthew Kearney and Hannah Goodbody. Some of them appear in census and immigration records. Some appear in personal correspondence. Some are easily followed as they married and had their own families and some are not but they each have a story.

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[1] Baptism of children of Matthew Kearney and Hannah Goodbody,  Mountmellick, Co Queens, Ireland Baptisms, FHL, film 926121, microfilm of original registers, St. Joseph's, dates of baptism: various; on site FHL : 1 February 2012.

[2] Church Marriage Record, Mountmellick, Co Queens, Ireland, marriage of Matthew Kearney and Hannah Goodbody, date of marriage 1 November 1839; online database, (www.rootsireland.ie : 23 March 2015).

[3] “New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957,” entry for Matthew Kearney, date of arrival 20 March 1868, New York aboard the City of London; digital images online, (www.ancestry.com : 18 February 2015).