In 1926 my maternal grandfather's sister Sarah left Scotland for a new life in Canada. She set sail from Greenock in July 1926 on the White Star Line ship "Doric". She had married Matthew Sanford in Newmains in 1916. The couple had four children. Times were hard in Scotland after the Great War and there … Continue reading Some Scottish Hospitality
Author: Shaking The Branches
Raise A Glass To Patrick Keenan
My great great grandfather Patrick Keenan was born in Clonallon, County Down in 1833. I know that he came to Scotland where he married Agnes Haughey in 1856. The couple had ten children. While I’ve found a lot of information from various records I don’t think any of them could give me more of an … Continue reading Raise A Glass To Patrick Keenan
What Happened To Hannah Kane?
There are a few brick walls in my research that I revisit from time to time to see if I can make any progress. Sometimes I discover new records that were previously unavailable online and in a couple of cases DNA has helped me make the breakthrough. In the case of Hannah Kane, my great, … Continue reading What Happened To Hannah Kane?
Hugh Keenan 1901-1928
As part of my lockdown routine I like to go for an early morning walk. My route often takes me through the local cemetery where this morning I spotted this headstone. The name Unity caught my eye as it’s quite unusual and I remembered having her somewhere on my family tree. Her maiden name is … Continue reading Hugh Keenan 1901-1928
Sarah Helferty
This is an update to a previous post about my maternal granny's mother, Sarah Helferty. I've found out a lot more about her and, after my recent visit to the church where she married my great grandfather, she's been on my mind. All the circumstances of her life suggest that she must have been tough … Continue reading Sarah Helferty
