Martyn/Martin Family of Tuam Galway - A Working Hypothesis
As with so many surnames, several spellings of the name have been used over the years. I will use the spelling of Martin/Martyn as recorded on Church or other records.
Our first (and at this stage only) confirmed Martyn family member is Anne Martyn, who married John Mooney in 1835. Witnesses on the marriage record were Stephen Martyn and Margaret Fitzpatrick. No parents details are included on the record. Baptism records have been found for three of their children Patrick (1839 - sponsor Mary Reid), Bridget (1839 - sponsors David and Honoria Haddican, mother's name listed as Honoria Martyn), Margaret (1843 - sponsors Patrick Farragher and Bridget Kean). No baptism records have been found for their children Thomas or Catherine, or any other children they may have had, who died in Ireland.
Anne had died by March 1856, when John's brother Thomas paid deposits for John and his children Patrick, Bridget, Thomas and Catherine to immigrate to New South Wales. On John's shipping papers in 1857, he was listed as a widower. Catherine is thought to have been born about 1846, so Anne died sometime between 1846 and 1856.
That is the end of the "paper trail" for Anne. Her son Thomas' obituary states that he was a nephew of Richard Martin. Richard Martin was a Member of Parliament in England. He was first known as "Hair-Trigger Dick" because of his temper in the duelling era, and then as "Humanity Dick" after establishing the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for which he is perhaps best known. Some also called him the "King of Connemara". He owned Ballynahinch a stately castle manor in County Galway (near the townland of Recess). Reseach by multiple descendants of Anne Martyn has shown that Richard did not have a sister Anne, so this claim is incorrect. Additional research into Richard's family has not been able to confirm that Anne was a niece of Richard. If there was a connection between the two Martin families, this has not been identified. It is also worth noting that Ballynahinch (where Richard Martin's manor was located) is about 100km from Tuam. It is possible that there was some sort of family connection, however what this was cannot be determined.
From the Roots Ireland website, I have found baptisms for two Anne Martyns in Galway in the period 1800 - 1820. I limited the search period to these years, as Anne's husband John Mooney was born in 1810, and their youngest known child was born about 1846:
- Anne Martin was baptised 2 October 1815 ay Moycullen, and her address was listed as "Balliquirk". The record shows that she was illegitimate, so no additional details are recorded.
- Anne Martyn was baptised 31 May 1818 at Cappatagle, her address listed as Cartron, she was the daughter of James Martyn and Mary Larkin, and her godparents were James Green and Bridget Collins.
Tuam is about 64 kms from Cappatagle, and about 46 kms from Moycullen, so this doesn't rule either of them in or out. As there are no other details for the Anne baptised in 1815, it is difficult to find any additional information about her, to rule her in or out. Additional research will be required for the Anne baptised in 1818.
DNA results have revealed a possible solution to the family of Anne Martyn. Amongst the various Mooney relatives who have tested, I have identified matches with a cluster of over 100 matches. Of these matches, I have identified over 50 are descended from the same common ancestors...Walter Haddican and Margaret Martyn. Of the cluster, the next largest group do not descend from Walter Haddican and Margaret Martyn, but they do descend from Haddicans. The rest of the cluster descend from the same ancestor, but I have not found an obvious connection to Mooneys, Martyns or Haddicans. However they all have shared matches with my Mooney relatives and with multiple members of the other two clusters.
At this point, I have identified two Margaret Martyns born in Tuam in the right time period. That is not to say there weren't others, unfortunately Irish records from that time are not complete.
The first Margaret Martyn was baptised in Tuam in 1790, the daughter of Michael Martyn and Honora Haddican. I have found baptisms for three more children of Michael and Honora, Thomas baptised in 1796, another Thomas baptised in 1800 and Bridget baptised in 1803.
The second Margaret Martyn was baptised in Tuam in 1798, the daughter of Patrick Martyn and Honor Connolly. I have found baptisms for two more children of Patrick and Honor, Patrick baptised in 1803 and Mary baptised in 1804.
So, which (if either) of these Margarets was the Margaret who married Walter Haddican? Further research has revealed that a Margaret Martin married John Nestor in Tuam in 1815. This couple had at least 2 children, Catherine and Bridget. A Margaret Nestor died in Tuam in 1877, aged 83, she is listed as a landholder's widow. This could point to this Margaret being the Margaret born in 1790, however further research is required.
Of interest with the Margaret Martyn born in 1798, is her sister Mary born in 1804. I have found a marriage for a Mary Martyn who married a David Haddican, and had at least 5 children. When looking at marriage and baptism records, there is a strong cross over of Martin/Haddican/Mooney members recorded, which could point to close family connections.
I have no doubt that there would have been other Anne and Margaret Martyns in Galway at this time, the problem is being able to find details about them. Unfortunately, the Galway Catholic Church records between 1804 and 1815 are very scarce, online at least. Perhaps as time goes on, more records will be made available online. Or maybe I will have the funds to hire a researcher in Ireland to look at the records there.
Based on the information currently available to me, it is clear that we connect in some way to Margaret Martyn who married Walter Haddican. What her relationship to Anne was cannot be confirmed beyond reasonable doubt. Based on the DNA evidence, it is certainly possible that Anne and Margaret were sisters. But who their parents were cannot be accurately determined due to the lack of records.