Relationship Summary
Lagoy, Michele Ann's great great grandmother is Sullivan, Elizabeth Regan
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| Details: | Lagoy, Michele Ann's father's mother's father's mother is Sullivan, Elizabeth Regan |
| Names: | Lagoy, Michele Ann father Lagoy, William Paul, Jr mother Sullivan, Mary Bernadettefather Sullivan, Charles Joseph mother Sullivan, Elizabeth Regan |
A presenter of an Academy Award could not have had as much anticipation as I did when I opened the envelope from the New York City Municipal Archives. It contained my great-great-grandmother's death certificate. I suspected that names for Elizabeth Sullivan's parents would be listed and accurate. She, her husband Denis, and their children, including my great-grandfather, Charles, returned to Ireland for eleven years (1857-1868). During that time, I believed they learned the names of their grandparents, or even met them. That information was provided on their mother's death certificate. Elizabeth's father was listed as Charles O'Reagan. It would seem that my great-grandfather Charles, was named after his maternal grandfather. That made sense. Elizabeth's mother's name was listed as Lena Cornwall. And shock of shocks, it said she was born in Nova Scotia! It would seem that Drew's grandmother, Helena, was named after her maternal grandmother. Again, that made sense. It seemed that I had found the names of my three times great-grandparents--on an Irish maternal line, most difficult to research but I did break through the brick wall.
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| The envelope please! Envelope containing the death certificate of my great-great-grandmother. |
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| Death certificate for Elizabeth O'Sullivan listing her parents. |
The name Charles O'Regan gave me too many hits on the Ancestry and Family Search websites. I couldn't definitively say which one was my ancestor. The name Lena Cornwall was another matter. I received one hit immediately on Ancestry. It was for an Anglican church transcript in Acadie, Nova Scotia, Canada. Helena Sophia Cornwall was baptized in 1792. I went through great pains to find the rare book cited as the source, Gravestones of Acadie , written in 1929. The online booksellers at the time of my discovery had it listed for hundreds of dollars. For that price, I would rather go to Canada myself. Luckily, I was able to borrow the book from the World Catalog System which accesses universities as well as public libraries. There was only one copy available in all of San Diego County. It was a short term loan with a HUGE penalty for returning it late. I also had to leave the note attached to the book that said I had to hand it to a librarian, not leave it in a drop box. I guarded that book with my life. Unfortunately, the book gave no further information about Helena Sophia Cornwall. I was sure her story was an interesting one; how did someone born in Canada end up in Ireland? I set out to connect her to Charles O'Regan in Ireland.
Because of the difficulty in researching Irish ancestors prior to 1850, I was left with seeking private family trees. ( For a complete explanation, go to http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com by Claire Santry.) I had to join as many online genealogy groups that I could in hopes of finding out more. One of my Facebook genealogy groups yielded assistance. Once again, the kindness of strangers prevailed. Frank started a genealogy group that meets once a month in West County Cork, Ireland. I obviously couldn't attend the meetings living in San Diego, but my questions and information were presented to the group whose goal is to help each other with West Cork genealogy. Here is an edited email exchange between Frank and me that put Charles and Helena O'Regan together:
Hi Michele,
There is a listing and photos of known graves at Aughadown Upper and Lower Graveyards at http://www.graveyards.skibbheritage.com/Search.aspx
This graveyard is located approx half way to Ballydehob and is immediately beside the Ilen River. I hope this of use to you but I fear not.
Le chéile, is féidir linn (Together, We Can)
Kind regards,
Frank
Mayor, Skibbereen Town Council 2011 - 2012
Strategic Policy. Environment & Emergency Dept Cork Co. Council 2009 - 2014
Founding Chairman, WestCork SOS Ambulance Campaign
Founding Chairman, RIPPLE Skibbereen. (Retd)
CHA. O'REGAN
TO THE MEMORY OF
HIS WIFE ?
CHA. O'REGAN ESQ
?
WHO DIED JUNE 20 ?
AGED 52 YEARS
AND ALSO
TO HIS BROTHER
REVEREND JAMES O'REGAN
WHO DIED ?
?
?
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MRS HELEN S O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
WHO DIED FEB 12 1871
AGED 73 YEARS
CHARLES O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
DIED JANY 26th 1871 aged 77 years
AND
DENIS Mc CARTHY ESQ J.P.
DIED JANY 21st 1881
AGED 50 YEARS
R. I. P.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MRS HELENA S O'REGAN (confirmed to be Helena S O’Regan)( no “rs” after the “M”
COULAGH COTTAGE Clearly spelled Coulagh Cottage
WHO DIED FEB 12 1871
AGED 73 YEARS
CHARLES O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
DIED JANY 26th 1873 aged 77 years
AND
DENIS Mc CARTHY ESQ J.P.
DIED JANY 21st 1881
AGED 50 YEARS
R. I. P.
Hi Frank,
Thank you so much for the list of grave yards in West Cork. No need to fear not, because I think I might have found my great-great-great-grandparents' grave at the Caheragh Old Grave Yard per your link! I made a memorial for Charles O'Regan at my find a grave account and requested a photo of the stone. I appreciate the efforts of the Skibbereen Heritage Center for surveying the burial ground, but I need a clearer photo of the headstone to see if I can decipher the engraving. I copied and pasted the inscription here:
Inscription:
ERECTED BY CHA. O'REGAN
TO THE MEMORY OF
HIS WIFE ?
CHA. O'REGAN ESQ
?
WHO DIED JUNE 20 ?
AGED 52 YEARS
AND ALSO
TO HIS BROTHER
REVEREND JAMES O'REGAN
WHO DIED ?
?
?
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MRS HELEN S O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
WHO DIED FEB 12 1871
AGED 73 YEARS
CHARLES O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
DIED JANY 26th 1871 aged 77 years
AND
DENIS Mc CARTHY ESQ J.P.
DIED JANY 21st 1881
AGED 50 YEARS
R. I. P.
I am wondering if "MRS HELEN S O'REGAN" is actually "HELENA". Also if the death of CHARLES O'REGAN is in 1873, not 1871. The Civil Registration records have a Charles O'Regan in 1873 but none in 1871. Also puzzling, if it is talking about the same two people, the first part of the inscription reads "TO THE MEMORY OF HIS WIFE" but the dates listed below have the husband dying first so it makes no sense. I have no idea how or if Denis MCarthy is related to the others on the inscription. If he was Helen's brother, this is not my family because my Helena's maiden name was Cornwall.
Michele
descendant of the O'Sullivans and O'Regans
Hi Michele,
Attached above are two photos of the Tombstone inscription at Caheragh.
I must say that your quest for Charles and Helena has become mine over the past weeks and I have spent a great deal of time chasing information and have finally come up with positive information from the grave stone at Caheragh.
I visited there in the past days and photographed the inscription and have gleaned a lot of positive information from it. According to the version of the inscription in the Graveyard website the inscription reads:
ERECTED BY
CHA. O'REGAN
TO THE MEMORY OF
HIS WIFE ?
CHA. O'REGAN ESQ
?
WHO DIED JUNE 20 ?
AGED 52 YEARS
AND ALSO
TO HIS BROTHER
REVEREND JAMES O'REGAN
WHO DIED ?
?
?
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MRS HELENA S O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
WHO DIED FEB 12 1871
AGED 73 YEARS
CHARLES O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
DIED JANY 26th 1873 aged 77 years
AND
DENIS Mc CARTHY ESQ J.P.
DIED JANY 21st 1881
AGED 50 YEARS
R. I. P.
CHA. O'REGAN
TO THE MEMORY OF
HIS WIFE ?
CHA. O'REGAN ESQ
?
WHO DIED JUNE 20 ?
AGED 52 YEARS
AND ALSO
TO HIS BROTHER
REVEREND JAMES O'REGAN
WHO DIED ?
?
?
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MRS HELENA S O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
WHO DIED FEB 12 1871
AGED 73 YEARS
CHARLES O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
DIED JANY 26th 1873 aged 77 years
AND
DENIS Mc CARTHY ESQ J.P.
DIED JANY 21st 1881
AGED 50 YEARS
R. I. P.
I am reproducing this same inscription below with verified corrections made:
ERECTED BY
CHA. O'REGAN
TO THE MEMORY OF
HIS affectionate Father
CHA. O'REGAN ESQOf Butlersgift
WHO DIED JUNE 30 1811
AGED 52 YEARS
AND ALSO
HIS much esteemed BROTHER
REVEREND JAMES O'REGAN
WHO DIED Oct 22 1854
Aged 81 years
CHA. O'REGAN
TO THE MEMORY OF
HIS affectionate Father
CHA. O'REGAN ESQOf Butlersgift
WHO DIED JUNE 30 1811
AGED 52 YEARS
AND ALSO
HIS much esteemed BROTHER
REVEREND JAMES O'REGAN
WHO DIED Oct 22 1854
Aged 81 years
Requiescat in Pace
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MRS HELENA S O'REGAN (confirmed to be Helena S O’Regan)( no “rs” after the “M”
COULAGH COTTAGE Clearly spelled Coulagh Cottage
WHO DIED FEB 12 1871
AGED 73 YEARS
CHARLES O'REGAN
COULAGH COTTAGE
DIED JANY 26th 1873 aged 77 years
AND
DENIS Mc CARTHY ESQ J.P.
DIED JANY 21st 1881
AGED 50 YEARS
R. I. P.
I don’t know the reason for the M before Helena’s name but there is no trace of the “rs” of Mrs as quoted on original interpretation. Just to reiterate, Helena is Latin for Helen or Ellen and is the official name used in Baptismal Registers of the era. I don’t know who the Denis McCarthy is but I will keep an eye open for his name in the future. The JP after his name is for Justice of the Peace and may help to trace him and his relationship to the O’Regan’s later. If you think it would be any advantage for us to talk, if you want to let me have a phone number, I can give you a call some time as I have free calls to the States.
For the moment, that all and I hope it helps clarify things for you. It seems you have gained the name of your G.G.G.G Grandfather as he is the Charles at the top of the Inscription. Enjoy the new knowledge.
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| Inscription of the grave stone for Charles and Helena O'Regan, possibly my ancestors. Photo credit: Frank Fahy |
Wow! I hoped the Helena and Charles O'Regan Frank found were my ancestors but after googling Coolagh Cottage, I doubted it. Also, there is no way to know Helena's maiden name by the inscription, but at the same time, I could not rule this out.
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| Coolagh Cottage near Ballydehob, West County Cork, Ireland. Source: http://www.buildingsofireland.ie |
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