Help on a birth record

Bernard Girma

I am quite verse in French and Scotish genealogy (I can always help with documents in french) I am really new on Ireland research and I need some help. I have difficulties finding the birth records for the city of Moville in Donegal county. The specific person I am looking for is Frances Eugene McLoughlin born Nov 1849. (from Brooklyn 1900 Census) Departed for the US in 1873.

Any help fing his and his parents birth records would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Bernard Girma

Áine Ní Donnghaile

Good evening @Bernard Girma

Ireland only began vital registration of births in 1864. Before that time, you will need to rely on church baptismal records. Where those can be found - and if they survived - will depend on location and religion.

County Donegal is often very difficult for baptismal records. Very few have survived.
Do you know the family's religion?

Also, that November 1849 date - what's the source? If it is from a later US census or other record, please consider that it may not be close to his real date of birth. Most people didn't really know their exact date of birth and what they used later may be 5 or even 10 years off from the actual date.

John Curran

@Bernard Girma @Áine Ní Donnghaile

Someone with the name Frances Eugene McLoughlin from Moville in County Donegal is definitely Catholic.

I have a reasonable knowledge of the several McLaughlin families from Inishowen, where Moville is situated, as we have a close family friend who is from that area, and I have developed family trees for her over a number of years. Unfortunately, just about every second person in Inishowen has the surname McLaughlin. And to add to the challenge, the same given names are reused excessively. Frances and Eugene being two of the most frequently found.

Anyone working on the Inishowen McLaughlins, or Dohertys for that matter, needs to be particularly precise on the townlands of residence and on the precise names of parents.

@Bernard Girma Everything myself and others have done on documenting the McLaughlins from Inishowen is present in the FamilySearch family tree. Please have a look and see if you can find anything of value.

Is your Frances Eugene McLoughlin alreardy in the FamilySearch family tree. If so, what is his ID?

Bernard Girma

Thank you so much to both of you for your response. The Nov 1849 came from the 1900 census but it seems accurate at least for the year since it matches other events like age at arrival (1873), age at death (he died on Dec 31st 1900), age at marriage in 1883. From his marriage document the Parents were John McLoughlin and Margaret McAree. His youger brother arrived in the US in 1878. His death document in 1910 indicates that he was born in Moville, County of Donegal.

The new info may help match with known people.

I will check on the ID

Thanks,

Bernard Girma

Áine Ní Donnghaile

@John Curran I agree, probably Roman Catholic, but I've learned through many years to ask rather than assume.