County Kilkenny => Dubuque County, Iowa => Harrison County, Iowa => Beyond
Our Walsh Families
The primary Walsh families included in this article came from County Kilkenny, Ireland in the late 1840s, and settled near Dubuque, Iowa in the 1850s. This includes the families of brothers and sister Edmund, Patrick, and Alice Walsh. The focus of this article explores the names of their parents. In addition Edmund Walsh was married to a Mary Walsh, and the parents of Mary are also explored. For further information on the descendants of Edmund, Patrick and Alice, as well as other possible brothers and sisters in their family, click on the 'Walsh Family Tree' link at the top of this page.
Parents of Edmund Walsh
Edmund Walsh and Mary Walsh, both immigrants from Ireland, were married on January 7, 1857 at old St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque, Iowa. According to family lore and the marriage record at St. Raphael's, Mary was also a Walsh. Being from different Walsh families, this article attempts to look for clues about their parents and when the families arrived in America. This is based on snippets of information passed down through the family as well as from available records. Although Iowa Vital Records did not locate a death certificate for Edmund Walsh, a death certificate was located for Mary.
For Edmund Walsh, said to be born about April 05, 1829, the first clue to the names of his parents comes from a tradition of naming the eldest son and daughter after the paternal parents, and the second eldest son and daughter after the maternal parents. Edmund and Mary's eldest son was named Thomas and their eldest daughter named Mary. Edmund Walsh was not alone when he arrived in America, nor was he alone while living in Dubuque County. He had a brother named Patrick Walsh and a sister named Alice (Walsh) Brennan, who also raised families in Dubuque County. Patrick named his eldest son and daughter Thomas and Mary, and Alice named her second son and daughter Thomas and Mary.
Edmund had another sister named Mary (Walsh) Nash who also moved at a later date to Dubuque. The second clue to the name of Edmund's parents comes from a St. Raphael's funeral record of Mary, naming her parents Thomas and Mary. A third clue comes from a ship list which appears to be our Walsh family arriving in Boston harbor on June 9, 1848 aboard the ship Telassar. On board this ship included Mary Walsh (age 50), Alice Walsh (age 24), Patrick Walsh (age 21), Edward Walsh (age 18), Robert Walsh (age 16) and Mary Walsh (age 14). Alice, Patrick, Edward (Edmund), and Mary are all the right ages for our Walsh family, and family tradition mentions that Edmund arrived in Boston with his mother and other members of the family.
An interesting fact about the ship record above is another Walsh family who are listed alongside our Walsh family. This was the family of Lawrence and Bridget (Cuddehy) Walsh. Family lore mentions a brother of Edmund named Lawrence who lived in New Hampshire and had a large family. The same family of Lawrence (Leander) and Bridget Walsh onboard the Telassar are found living in New Hampshire after their arrival in America. Lawrence also named his eldest son and daughter Thomas and Mary, and both children are listed aboard the Telassar. A search for Lawrence and Bridget's family in County Kilkenny indicates their children were baptized in the area of Ballinteskin townland in Ballyhale Catholic Parish. This provides a first clue to where the Walshs may have lived in County Kilkenny. Lawrence and his family used the spelling Welch and Welsh while living in New Hampshire. Lawrence Welch died in February 14, 1893 in Hancock, Hillsborough Co., New Hampshire at age 77years 10months and 15days. His death record cites the names of his parents as Thomas Welch and Mary O Keefe.
Family history mentions another possible sister (or close relative) of Mary (Walsh) Nash, Edmund's sister. This was Bridget Walsh who married John F Broderick in Ireland, and whose children were also baptized in Ballyhale Parish in County Kilkenny. They are cited in the baptism records to have lived in the area of Newmarket, about 3 miles from the Ballinteskin area. This information offers a second clue to where our Walshs may have lived in County Kilkenny. Bridget arrived in America via New York with most of her children on October 13 1851, aboard the ship Hungarian.
One account in family history also mentions a brother named John Walsh who later moved to California. In January 1852, John, Edward and Patrick Walsh were deeded 40 acres of land in Washington township, Dubuque County, Iowa, the area that Edmund and Patrick farmed and raised their families. Robert Walsh may be the unnamed brother mentioned in family lore who lived in St. Louis. Robert is mentioned with the family aboard the ship Telassar and a Robert (of his age) is also found living near Lawrence in 1850 New Hampshire. Robert seems to be the unmarried Robert Welsh who was living in St. Louis in 1860 and 1870.
An 1889 History of Hancock, New Hampshire (the place Lawrence lived) mentions another possible member of the Walsh family. This was Anna who married James Cuddihee (Cuddihy/Cuddehy) in Ireland and immigrated to New Hampshire. In the genealogical section of the history she is mentioned as a sister of Lawrence Welch, having died sometime in the 1860s. She is listed as Stacey Cuddihee, age 44, in the 1860 Cheshire, NH census, so her name was possibly Anastasia Walsh. It seems more than a coincidence that Anna named her second son and daughter Thomas and Mary. Anna is believed to have arrived in America via New York with her two youngest children on October 13 1851, aboard the ship Hungarian. On the ship manifest her family is listed after the family of Bridget (Walsh) Broderick, mentioned above.
A search of early Irish baptism records turns up the most likely possibility for the parents of Edmund Walsh and his brothers and sisters. The family of Thomas Walsh and Mary Keefe lived in the Ballinteskin area of County Kilkenny, and available baptisms for their children include John (1824), Bridget? (1826), Edward (1829), Robert (1832), and Mary (1834). In this family Edward, Robert, Mary and possibly John are close matches to our Walshs. Lawrence (Walsh) Welch, mentioned above, was also a son of Thomas Walsh and Mary Keefe.
From this research there is every indication the parents of Edmund Walsh were named Thomas Walsh and Mary Keefe (Keeffe, O'Keeffe), who lived in the Ballinteskin area of County Kilkenny (located in the civil parish of Aghaviller, and the Catholic parish of Ballyhale). This was the area our Walsh family was raised before coming to America. This area is in the heart of what was commonly called the "Walsh Mountains", an area that many Walsh families have lived since the 13th century.
| Edmund Walsh told his family about the Coat of Arms that belonged to his family in Cromwell's time, describing it as "a silver shield with a chevron in the center and at the top of a spear head pointing upward on each side of the chevron, and a spear head on the lower part, midway between both sides of the chevron". These are the arms of Walsh of Castlehale (i.e. "Walsh of the Mountain") who were large landowners in the area prior to the dispossession and confiscation of Catholic estates during the latter 17th century. For further historical reference on the legacy of Castlehale, see this article. |  |
Parents of Mary Frances Walsh (wife of Edmund)
This is the second Walsh family dealt with in this article. Mary Walsh, born March 01, 1839, came from a different Walsh family than her husband Edmund Walsh. Mary Frances Walsh has an Iowa death certificate on record which indicates her parents were John Walsh and Kathryn TRYMAN. However, in the 1925 Iowa State census Mary lists her parents as John Walsh and Margaret TYNAN/TRYNAN? (the trailing 'YNAN' fairly clear).
The following excerpt was provided by Mrs. Ellen Veronica TeBockhorst about her mother's family: "Mary Francis Walsh, was born in southeastern Ireland in County Kilkenny and came to this country when she was nine years old [about 1848-1849] with her parents, brothers and sisters. Her father was a tailor but took up farming. They lived in New Jersey awhile and when she finished grade school she had one year of schooling in a convent in New York. They moved to Bellevue [Jackson County] Iowa where her father bought a farm of 120 acres and built a nice home. She was married near there. One of her brothers was a lawyer in Philadelphia, one brother was a salesman and her youngest brother was studying for the priesthood when he went swimming, took cramps, and drowned. Two of her sisters married and one taught school and remained single. Lucian's (TeBockhorst) grandma Walsh died in 1926 at the age of 86."
Other family members mention that Mary Francis had a sister named Anna Walsh, who married Robert G. Graham in the Dubuque County area. Provided by one researcher in Anna's family are the probable names of Mary Francis Walsh's siblings, which included Anna (above), Catherine, William, and Nicholas. A single Catherine Walsh was listed with her widowed sister Mary Walsh in the 1915 Harrison County, Iowa census, and in 1920 she was listed with her widowed sister Anna Graham in the Dubuque, Iowa census. The death certificate for Anna (Walsh) Graham suggests her mother's name was Margaret PINAN, and her father as William Walsh. Unfortunately, Anna does not list the names of her parents in the 1925 Iowa State census, the census enumerator writing 'don't know'.
When analyzing U.S. records, the descriptions provided above match closely to the family of John and Marg. Welsh who were living in Julien twp, Dubuque, Iowa according to the 1856 census. John is listed as a tailor in this census, matching the occupation given by Mrs. TeBockhorst. Their children included Mary (age 17), Kate (14), daughter B. (12), Ann (10), William (8), Joseph (5) and son N. (3). The children were born in Ireland except for the last two who were born in New York (New Jersey?). The Mary Welsh listed here is the age Mary Francis Walsh would have been, and she married Edmund Walsh in Dubuque in 1856.
In 1860 the family of John and Margaret Walsh were farming in Prairie Springs township, Jackson County, Iowa, an area adjacent to Washington township in Dubuque County where Edmund and Mary Walsh were raising their own family. According to the 1860 census, members of John and Margaret's family included Catherine (16), Bridget (14), Anna (12), William (11), Joseph (8) and Nicholas (5), the older children born in Ireland and the younger two in New Jersey.
In 1870 the family was farming near near Bellevue, Iowa, in Washington township, Jackson Co., Iowa. Listed are John (55), Margaret (55), Mary (24), Joseph (19), Nicholas (16) and Willie (3), all born in Ireland except Nicholas who was born in New Jersey and young Willie who was born in Iowa.
What became of John and Margaret, and most of the other family members, is a matter of further investigation. It is clear from the 1880 census that none of the family appear to be living in Jackson County. We do know that daughters Mary and Anna were raising families in Dubuque County at this time.
Additional analysis of this family suggests they were living in Monmouth County, New Jersey in 1850, the household including John (34), Margaret (34), Mary (10), Catherine (9), Bridgett (7), Ann (5), and William (3) - all born in Ireland. Again, the Mary Welsh listed here is the age Mary Francis Walsh would have been.
Looking at available immigration records the family of John and Margaret Walsh may have landed in Boston on June 10, 1848 (a day after Edmund's family). Family members listed aboard that ship included John Walsh (age 35), Mrs. Walsh (age 35), Mary (age 9), Catharine (age 7), Biddy (age 5), and Ann (age 3). Note: Biddy is a nickname for Bridget.
In regard to Margaret's last name, one family member suggests her last name was TYMAN. Taken in combination with the names appearing on the death certificates of her children as well as the 1925 Iowa census, i.e. TRYMAN, PINAN, TYNAN or TRYNAN, the surname TYNAN matchest closest to a documented Irish surname. It seems more than coincidence the TYNAN name has its strongest Irish presence in county Kilkenny.
At this time, additional Irish research has not been pursued regarding the family of John Walsh and Margaret or what part of county Kilkenny they may have lived. It appears that Mary Francis Walsh's father was named John Walsh and that her mothers name was likely Margaret Tynan. Interestingly, an unknown source submitted a marriage record to the LDS church, which suggests that a John Walsh (born abt 1813) and a Margaret Tynan (born abt 1817) were married on May 24, 1838 at Gowran, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. Perhaps the Gowran area is the place to begin looking for baptism records for children Mary, Catherine, Bridget, Anna and William Walsh (born between 1839-1849).
Article compiled by Dennis Walsh, August 2005. Updated in March, 2007.
Acknowledgements: there are many relatives to thank for making this article possible, including John V Walsh, the late Ellen (Walsh) Tebockhorst, the late Don Green, and the late Pat (Kelehan) Crosser.