Whence They Came: Irish Origins From pre 1900 New Brunswick Death Notices

By Peter Murphy

Gathered here are nearly three thousand death notices, transcribed verbatim from pre-1900 New Brunswick newspapers, each of which identifies a specific place of origin in Ireland. The individuals commemorated here are the "founders" of Irish New Brunswick-Catholics and Protestants, the great and the mighty and the plainest of plain folk.

The majority death notices include 

• Name of the deceased-in the case of married women ordinarily only the married surname-the date of death
• Cause or duration of the final illness
• Age at death
• Place of birth in Ireland
• Length of residence in the city or town of residence (or the province)
• Some reference to survivors
• Funeral arrangements
• In some instances, a request that newspapers in communities nearby or far away "copy." As the nineteenth century wore on there was an increased likelihood that a more extensive obituary would appear.

Some death notices are more detailed. Notable individuals who were exceptional in other ways-who were community leaders, were blessed with exceptional longevity, or who died under peculiar circumstances-the death notice of Mr. Timothy Donovan presented below is representative.

Example: (some are more detailed than this)

• On the 20th, after a lingering illness, Mr. TIMOTHY DONOVAN, aged 70 years, a native of Drinagh, County Cork, Ireland, and a resident of this city for the last forty years, leaving a wife and ten children and a large circle of friends to mourn their loss. Funeral on Sunday at half-past two o'clock, from his late residence, 28 Pond street, when friends and acquaintances are invited to attend. (Portland, Me., and Boston papers please copy.)

A complete surname index is provided.  Each chapter is an Irish County. The index is unusual insofar as it points to the chapter (county or counties) where that surname appears rather than to a page number.    Browse the Index 

The book has been organized with a view to maximizing the value of its genealogical content, with thirty-two chapters: one for each of the counties of Ireland. The death notices included in a given chapter are arranged in alphabetical order. Where two different individuals with exactly the same name are included, the death notices of those individuals appear in chronological order (within the overarching alphabetical structure). The work is cross- referenced by maiden surname but only for individuals whose original death notice noted that information. Occasionally one encounters an example of a seemingly misplaced surname-for instance a surname exclusively associated with County Cork appearing in the Tyrone chapter. In the vast majority of these cases, the particular death notices in question refer to married women (for the majority of whom a maiden surname is not provided). 

Review:

• "Book is a pot of gold for researching Irish roots.    ...Those of us who are researching our Irish roots give a round of applause to Peter Murphy for the pot of gold of Irish information he has given us". Ruby Cusack, Telegraph Journal

About the author:
Peter Murphy was born and brought up in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of New Brunswick (where he was twice awarded The United Empire Loyalist Prize for highest standing). He pursued graduate studies in Atlantic Canada Studies at Saint Mary's University, Halifax. At the completion of his M.A., he was awarded the coveted Governor General of Canada's gold medal, Canada's most prestigious academic award. In May 2004, he received a Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Studies from the John Paul II Institute in Washington, DC. Peter has worked as an archivist, curator, historian and professional genealogist. He has three published works to his credit: Together in Exile - a history of chain migration from the Cooley Peninsula of County Louth; Poor Ignorant Children - an examination of Saint John's notorious Famine Orphan Asylum, which Books Ireland judged "worthy of a gold medal"-and As the Cedars Grow: a history of Lebanese immigration to and settlement in Saint John.

Details

485 Pages
8.6" X 11.2"
Hardcover (dark burgundy with gilt stamping on front and spine)
Index: Surnames by County (counties are organized aphabetically by surname)
Published by Global Heritage Press, 2010
ISBN: 9781926797120 (hardcover)