Hello again,
I can see that my earlier post has disappeared. Rather than repeat it (as it is late) I will just jot down a few points.
Michael O’Grady Gorman’s brother Patrick almost definitely emigrated to the U.S. shortly before 1850 and had a son called Michael who fought and was injured in the American Civil War. Are you aware of this? He had a son called Terrence born in the U.S.
That Patrick had a son called John, born in Firgrove (part of Bohilla) in 1939. My Great Grandfather was John Gorman who had a forge in Firgrove. I don’t know if he returned from the U.S. or if it is a different John Gorman who is most likely related to the other one. Both families are described as Blacksmiths or Smiths though a later member, Terrence I think, is listed as a ‘shoer of horses’.
There are discrepancies, particularly as my John Gorman’s father is named as Daniel on the transcription of his Civil Marriage Cert, not Patrick. Daniel is very unlikely. I considered that it is more likely that his father was Denis but haven’t found anything to support that except the name of his first son and a death cert for a Denis Gorman, a widower and a blacksmith, Firgrove, notified by a Mary Keeffe. There was an earlier Denis Gorman, a blacksmith from Inistioge whose wife Catherine Parker died in Halifax in 1827. He arrived in New York a few months later and I haven’t found any trace of him after that but he may have been on his way home.
None of this adds to the more interesting story of Michael O’Grady Gorman, and I haven’t found anything about him that hasn’t been found yet. I felt for the family if they found that their hero was being described as a spy. Perhaps he was engaged in negotiations for the exchange of prisoners which was going on at the time?
I hope this is of some help. I really appreciate your work.
Regards,
Brid O’Gorman
