Our WALSH roots originate in County Kilkenny, Ireland, with the families of Thomas WALSH, and John WALSH.
Edmund Walsh and Mary Walsh were married on January 7, 1857 at St Raphael's Catholic Church, Dubuque, Iowa. Being from two different Walsh families from Ireland, who were their parents? This article attempts to resolve some of the mystery based on pieces of information passed down in the family, as well as records located elsewhere.
Thomas and Mary WALSH were from County Kilkenny. The names Thomas and Mary WALSH come from the funeral record of their daughter, Mary (WALSH) NASH. Mary is described as a sister of Edmund Walsh of Missouri Valley in her obituary. It is known that when their family immigrated from Ireland, Thomas WALSH did not make the trip. It is believed that members of the family travelled with their mother Mary to the U.S. about 1848. In family lore nine children of Mary are said to have immigrated. The ship "Telassar", which arrived in Boston on June 9, 1848, is a good candidate for the arrival of many members of this family. On board that 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). Also aboard, and listed along with the family above, was Leander Walsh (age 32), Bridget Walsh (age 31), Mary Walsh (age 7), Ellen Walsh (age 3), and Thomas Walsh (age 2).
From information gathered through descendants, the confirmed members of Thomas and Mary Walsh's family included Edmund WALSH, who married Mary Frances WALSH (daughter of John Walsh, see below); and Patrick WALSH, who married Ellen BRENNAN; and Alice WALSH, who married Patrick BRENNAN; and Mary WALSH, who married John NASH. Family lore also mentions other possible children of Thomas and Mary, including Bridget WALSH, who married John Broderick in County Kilkenny, and died in St. Paul, Minnesota; Lawrence WALSH, who settled in New Hampshire and had a large family; and John WALSH, who may have lived in Dubuque County, Iowa for a time, and later moved to California. There are indications that another member of the family may have been named Robert, perhaps the brother who is said to have lived in St. Louis.
A Margaret WALSH who married John FITZGERALD in Dubuque on the same day as (or day following) the double wedding of Patrick WALSH and Alice WALSH is an interesting possibility, although nothing is found to believe she is another member of the family.
It is now believed the family of Leander, listed in the ship above, is the missing Lawrence Walsh mentioned in family history. Lawrence's family appears to have moved to Hillsborough Co., New Hamsphire by 1850, with other members of the "Telassar" Walsh family living nearby; including Patrick, Alice, Edmund and Robert. The family of Lawrence in New Hampshire was likely that of Lawrence and Bridget (CUDDEHY) Walsh, whose first three children were baptized near Ballinteskin, Ballyhale Catholic parish, County Kilkenny. The baptism records show their children as Mary (1841), Ellen (1844) and Thomas (1846) Walsh. These are the same names and ages of the children aboard the Telassar, as well as those appearing in the 1850 New Hampshire household of Lawrence & Bridget, with a fourth child named Stacia born in 1848 Massachusetts.
In addition to Lawrence WALSH and Bridget CUDDEHY, other research in Ireland indicates that Thomas WALSH and Mary KEEFFE of Ballinteskin also had children baptized in Ballyhale parish, including a John (1824), Bridget (1826), Edward (1829), Robert (1832), and Mary (1834) WALSH. Although unconfirmed, this family is the closest match to our Thomas & Mary Walsh that has been uncovered thus far. If baptism records for Patrick and Alice Walsh could be confirmed for this County Kilkenny family, the probability of match would be much greater.
The information gathered about the family of Bridget WALSH, married to John BRODERICK, indicates her birth about 1814-1816. This was about the same age as Lawrence Walsh mentioned above. Many of the children of John and Bridget (WALSH) BRODERICK are cited with baptisms in the Ballyhale parish area of New Market, County Kilkenny, near to Ballinteskin. If Bridget (WALSH) BRODERICK is not a member of Thomas and Mary's family, she certainly appears to be a close relative.
See more on the descendants of Thomas and Mary Walsh.
John WALSH was possibly married to Margaret TYNAN in County Kilkenny. John appears to be unrelated to the family of Thomas and Mary Walsh above. John's name comes from the death certificate of his daughter Mary Frances WALSH, a record which mentions her mothers last name as TRYMAN. In the 1925 Iowa State census, Mary Frances Walsh lists her parents as John Walsh and Margaret TYNAN/TRYNAN? (the trailing 'YNAN' fairly clear). There are a couple of references, known to this author, which help to locate John's family in the U.S.
The following excerpt was provided by Mrs. Ellen Veronica TeBockhorst about her mother's family: "Mary Francis Walsh, was born in southeastern Ireland in Kilkenny County 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 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."
Another family researcher cites one of Mary Frances' sisters as Anna Walsh, who married Robert G Graham in the Dubuque County area. Also provided by this researcher are possible names for Mary Frances' other siblings, including Catherine, William and Nicholas. Catherine Walsh was living with her widowed sister Anna Graham in 1920 Dubuque, Iowa. The death certificate of Anna (Walsh) Graham gives her mother's name as Margaret PINAN.
When analysing 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 Frances 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 had begun to to raise 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.
The same family of John and Margaret Walsh are shown to be farming in 1870 Washington township, Jackson County, Iowa, not far from the town of Bellevue. This lends further credence to this family being that of Mary Frances Walsh, as related in the account of Ellen Veronica TeBockhorst. By the 1880 census the family seems to disappear, although both Mary Frances Walsh and Anna (Walsh) Graham were still living in the Dubuque area.
Looking further back into the 1850 census, the above family appears to be that of John and Margaret Welsh who were living in Raritan twp, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Mary is listed at age 10 in this 1850 household, which also included Catherine, Bridget, Ann and William. Looking back further still we discover a family of John and Margaret Walsh arriving in the U.S., from Liverpool to Boston, on June 10, 1848. The family 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). Interestingly, their arrival in Boston is one day after the arrival of Thomas and Mary Walsh's family.
In regard to Mary Frances' mother's last name. Some family members have mentioned her last name as TYMAN. Information on the two death certificates mentioned above say either TRYMAN or PINAN. The 1925 census suggests a spelling of TYNAN or TRYNAN. Taken in combination the name that comes closest to an Irish surname is TYNAN, a name with its strongest presence in the County Kilkenny area.
The Family Database is referenced below.
Surnames of Interest: