Pictures from Ireland & Martin Francis' Siblings

My thanks to Cheri Moore and Pat O'Mire for sharing these pictures from their trip in June 2007. I hope they both will write post for the blog telling more about the trip.

This does  add credence to Mary being James and Margaret's daughter and perhaps Martin Francis named his eldest daughter after his eldest sister?

 Richard was Martin Francis' younger brother born in 1861. Even though the brothers came to America together they didn't stick together. Richard made his home in Chicago, Illinois and was a police officer. His wife's name was Annie Brennan O'Meara

 Patrick was Martin Francis' older brother born in 1857. From this picture he was apparently in New York.

Annie or Anne was the baby of the family born in 1868. This is possibly a picture of her brother James Joseph born in 1867 as both James and Annie stayed in Ireland and were unmarried according to the 1901 census. Another possibility is a picture of Timothy born in 1859. Apparently I inherited my big hips from Annie and in my younger days (before marriage and kids) I had that ridiculously tiny waist too. Grandmother Agnes' had to take most of my clothing in at the waist.

The 1901 Census of Ireland has Margaret O'Meara listed as the head of the household and age 75, James O'Meara (age 33) is listed as her son and Annie O'Meara (age 32) as her daughter Margaret's occupation is listed as Farmer and James and Annie are listed as Farmer's son and daughter.  Margaret is listed as widowed while both James and Annie are unmarried and all can read and write. There was also a domestic servant age 30 Bridget (O'Connor) and a Farm servant age 27 Dennis O'Donoghu  who can read and write and are unmarried. While the script is lovely it's hard to read. But the bottom right corner has my Great Great Grandmother's signature Margaret O'Meara

Last name: O'Meara

O'Meara is the Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname O' Meadra. This translates as "The descendant of the merry one", from the ancient word meadhar, meaning merry, and applying to the first chief of the clan. Who this was is not clear, but the clan originated from the town of Toomevara in County Tipperary, to which they gave their surname, and they are almost unique amongst the Irish surnames in never having lost the "O" prefix. To add to the confusion the name also came into England through the Huguenot refugees, one Jacques Maro for example, being recorded at the French Huguenot church, Threadneedle Street, London on October 17th 1683. Other recordings of the surname include John Mara of the Pensioners Army Hospital, Chelsea on May 17th 1761, and Daniel Mara of Holborn on August 31st 1769. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Dermot O'Meara, a doctor and poet, and author of the first medical work to be printed in Dublin in 1619. His precise dates of birth and death are not known, but his son Edmund O'Meara, also a doctor died in Dublin in 1680. The name is also associated with Limerick, Joseph O'Mara of that city being the founder of the O'Mara Opera Company. Throughout the centuries surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. In our family the spelling was changed to O'Mire

Martin Frances O'Meara

Big thanks to Sharon Eller for obtaining this information from the Limerick Regional Archives by the The Granary, Michael Street Limerick Director Dr. S.C. O'Mahony  and Research Assistant Mary Pyne.

A baptismal record was located in the Roman Catholic parish of Bruff, County Limerick. Martin was born in Bruff in 1858 and was the son of James O'Meara and Margaret Hartigan. He was baptized on the 12th of December 1858 and his godparents were Patrick O'Mara (*We found that the surname was variously spelt O'Mara and O'Meara, the O'Mara spelling being used slightly more often. This does not indicate the spelling used by the family but is rather the preference of whatever priest wrote the records) and Sarah McCarthy.

The marriage record of James O'Meara and Margaret Hartigan was found in the Roman Catholic parish of Manister, County Limerick, which is a neighboring parish of Bruff. they were married on the 24th of January 1855. The witnesses to the marriage were Timothy O'Mara and Cornelius Hartigan.  James and Margaret had the following issue who were all baptized in the Roman Catholic parish of Bruff:

Date/Name/Godparents
Born May 21 1857    Patrick O'Meara (Godparents) Stephen Gleason & Catherine Hartigan
Born December 12 1858 Martin O'Meara (Godparents) Patrick O'Mara & Sarah McCarthy
Born December 15 1859 Timothy O'Meara (Godparents) Peter & Mary McCarthy
Born March 30 1861 Richard O'Meara (Godparents) Martin McCarthy & Mary Anne O'Mara
Born January 31 1863 Bridget O'Meara (Godparents) John McCarthy & Johanna Hartigan
Born September 18 1864 John O'Meara (Godparents) Timothy Downes & Margaret Gleeson
Born November 1 1867 James O'Meara (Godparents) Richard McCarthy & Ellen Gleeson
Born September 23 1868 Anne O"Meara (Godparents) Patrick & Mary Anne O'Meara

* Possible elder sister Mary We also found the baptismal record of Mary O'Mara daughter of James O'Mara and Ellen Hartigan who was baptized in Bruff on the 14th of December 1855. The godparents were John Hartigan and Margaret O'Mara. We cannot find a record of any other children born to this couple nor can we find a marriage record of such a couple. It is possible that an error was made in recording the mother's name as Ellen on the original record (particularly as the godmother was Margaret O'Mara) and that in fact Mary O'Mara was the eldest child of James O'Mara and Margaret Hartigan.

James O'Meara (Martin's Father) was the son of Patrick O'Meara and Mary Connell and was baptized April 25 1825 in the Roman Catholic parish of Bruff, County Limerick.  The Godparents were William and Margaret Gleeson. 

This information comes from my Mother (Hazel Thompson Jackson)
Martin Frances O'Meara died in Selma Alabama July 1906 buried at Bassett Creek Church Cemetery He worked for the Gulf Ship Island Railroad in Alabama. Wife's name Sarah Rebecca Bell Ross

(Brother) Richard L. O'Meara Died August 18th 1925 married Annie Brennan (born March 14, 1865). Patrolman in the Chicago Police Department (October 8th 1893)  previous occupation laborer. Retired in 1917.

Mary Agnes O'Meara Thompson

I was inspired to start this blog by my husband's Aunt who started one for the Alawine family. I hope more family members will contribute so we can have a vibrant family history to pass on to the younger generation.

Funnily enough Grandma Agnes seems to have been the only one who kept the "Irish" spelling of the O'Meara name her older brother at some point started spelling it O'Mire  and Mother (Hazel Thompson Jackson) said Aunt Maggie spelled it O'Mara. 

I am using the O'Meara spelling as that seems to be the original spelling, but Daniel Webster O'Meara and Daniel Webster O'Mire are the same person. And for his descendants I will probably switch to the O'Mire spelling as that will be the spelling used on all official documents pertaining to them.

Sara Viola Rebecca Bell Ross is the ancestor that the O'Meara's, Gibson's and Thompson's have in common. as after Martin Francis died she married Grandpa Gibson.  At some point I will do some less pretty and more detailed family trees. My apologies if I have made any mistakes please feel free to correct me.

This one picks up with Agnes marrying Cloey and traces my Mother's line. I am still waiting to find out what Baby Boy's name is going to be. At some point I hope to do the Jackson side of my family too. If anyone has family trees that can be uploaded please share. While these are pretty they lack a lot of info you normally find in family trees.

~Alasandra (aka Sandra Ruth Jackson)