Shaffrey's - Meath - Judith Shaffrey Maxwell - Part 2

As I work to trace my Shaffrey's in Ireland, I find it difficult.  Ancestry.com indicates difficulty searching an Irish family line in Ireland plus other challenges when you try and research your female ancestors.  This combination for my Shaffrey line has proven itself rather challenging.  But there may be something to share here...........

As I dig through my box of treasures, I find a number of family tree worksheets.  It is amazing what "the box" still holds for me to find.  I see the complier's name on the first version of the worksheet.  He is one of my McLaughlin researchers from New York.  He is, in fact, a McLaughlin cousin but is not actually a Maxwell.  To his credit and his quite extensive research, which is pretty darn awesome, he has information about the Maxwell's (and Shaffrey's).  I suppose this is not a surprise since the Maxwell's can point you in the direction of the McLaughlin's information too.  I love this wonderful connection between the two families.

Let me get back to my great-great-great grandmother, Judith Shaffrey.  I have Judith Shaffrey born circa 1817 in Moynalty Parish, County Meath, Ireland.  She died on June 6, 1865, in Newport, New York at the age of 42.  She is buried at the Old St. Patrick's Cemetery, Newport, New York.  The information indicates that there is a tombstone.  Judith married Joseph Maxwell on September 24, 1834, in Moynalty, County Meath, Ireland.  Joseph Maxwell was probably born in Moynalty around 1815.  He died in Newport, New York on January 31, 1899 at the age of 84.  Gripp is indicated as his cause of death.  The sponsors for their marriage are indicated but I can't read it on this copy.  Joseph Maxwell's places of residence are indicated as "Arrived in Newport about 1853" and "Shancar, Co. Meath".

Judith's and Joseph's children are all listed on this same page.  They are Dennis, James, Ellen, Catherine, Judith, Ann, Bedelia, and Mary Maxwell.  All of the children are indicated as being born in Moynalty except Mary.  I will write about this family unit in another post.  For now, I want to pursue the Shaffrey's knowing that the Maxwell's may have been very closeby.

A second family tree worksheet has some additional information.  It indicates that the sponsors for Judith Shaffrey's and Joseph Maxwell's wedding were Roger McMahon and John Shaffrey.  It further indicates that Joseph Maxwell died in 1899 at the age of 88.  He may have been born before 1815.  He is indicated as being buried at St. John's Cemetery in Newport, New York while his wife, Judith, is buried at Old St. Patrick's Cemetery, Newport, New York.  This form also notes that Judith went by Julia or Judy.

The source documents for the above information are noted on the worksheets as the following:

1. Herkimer County Historical Society Files
2. 1875 Census (probably for the state of NY or NV)
3. St. John's Church Records (Newport, New York)
4. 1865 Census (probably for the state of NY)
5. 1870 Census (probably U.S. Census)
6. Maxwell/Flanagan Family Records
7. Moynalty Parish Records - LDS Film #0926176
8. Owen M. Duffy Family Records
9. Austin, Nevada Church Records

I have gone through other worksheets that are included in my box looking for Shaffrey information.  For my great-great grandmother, Ellen Maxwell McLaughlin, I find that one of her baptismal sponsors was a Philip Shaffrey and the other was Margaret Carpenter.  Ellen was christened on March 22, 1846, in Moynalty Parish, County Meath, Ireland.  I have that indicated as her birthdate too.

On May 30, 2010, I paid a few dollars to retrieve information from the Irish Family History Foundation.  The church marriage record for Joseph Maxwell and Judith Shaffrey seemed like a promising item to obtain.  I was hoping that is would indicate who each of their parents were.  It doesn't have them listed.  All it tells me is that on 24 Sep 1834, in Moynalty, Co. Meath, Joseph Maxwell married Judith Shaffrey.  They were both Roman Catholic.  The husband's father was "Maxwell" and the wife's father was "Shaffrey".  I couldn't have told them this myself!  Ok, so I was a little frustrated at the time with the limited information.  I have more than what has been placed online.  Maybe, I should be more grateful.  I actually am.

To be continued............