The Morris Family in Ireland

This information of the Dougherty/Morris family in Ireland is gratefully received from Msgr. Francis A. Carbine, Archdioces of Philadelphia. I first spoke to Msgr. Carbine in 1983 and over the years he has been extremely helpful in providing me with this early history. He was instrumental in putting George and I in contact with the Carbine's who still reside in Cornashask, Killygordon, Donegal, when we visited in June, 2001. Eamon Carbine and the Gallaghers were very gracious in their welcome to us, having us to tea and sharing with us their stories of their sheep farm (best sheep dogs in Ireland!), the Kelly's across the road whose family had built St. Charles Borromeo in Drexel Hill, PA and St. Denis in Havertown, PA. The farm borders County Tyrone.

Roger Dougherty & Catherine McKelvey in Cornashask, Killygordon, Donegal

Roger Dougherty (1794-1867) came from the Innishowen Peninsula where his family were tenant farmers. Catherine McKelvey's parents were tenant farmers of the Protestant Minister, Reverend Delop who resided in Stranolar. Reverend Delop sold the Cornashesk property to the McKelvey family and this is the land where the family homestead now stands and Roger and Catherine raised their family. Their children were Susannah b.1837, Patrick, Rose, Mary and Sally.

Susannah married Charles Carbine in 1857. Their six children would immigrate to Kellyville, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA. Msgr. Carbine’s family comes from this line.

William Morris (from Termonamongan, County Tyrone) and Rose Dougherty were married in July, 1861. Their son, Peter, was baptized on December 1, 1861 at her home parish - St. Patrick's Crossroads, Killygordon, Donegal. There is no record of Rose and William at St. Patrick’s after Peter’s baptism. (2)

An immigration record of William and Rose’s arrival in the USA has proved elusive.

1870 Census has William and Rose in Philadelphia (90th Census District) with six children.
William is listed as a farmer, with the spouse named as "Dora". All of the children's names and ages match that of the 1880 Census with Rose listed as the spouse, so I speculate that this is a mis-communication between the family and Edwin A. Good, the person who wrote down the information. In the 1900 Census, neither William or Rose is listed as being able to read or write.

The children were listed as:
Peter - 1861 - Ireland

Mary Ann - 1863 - at sea (when they were coming to US)
Patrick - 1865 - PA Our line comes from this first son born in US
William - 1867 - PA
Cathe - it says she is 10 and born in PA - which would make her older than Peter. I speculate the family took her in (niece, neighbor??). She does not appear with the family in the 1880 or subsequent census.
Hugh - 1869 - PA

2012 UPDATE  I have since done more research on Mary Ann who married Ulysses S. Grant Machen b. 1865 in Virginia.  They resided in Philadelphia and had seven children, four of whom died before their first birthday.  Check out the July 30, 2009 posting.

Please see the William and Rose Morris US Census file to view the actual record.