That Elusive HEARTY Clan!

I joined TIARA's annual research trip to Northern Ireland for a week in May searching for the ancestors of Mary Hearty, my great great grandmother.

Owen Hearty was the father of Mary Hearty who traveled as a single woman on one of the “coffin ships” bringing Irish immigrants to New York in 1848. She married Swedish immigrant Eric Adolf Helsten in 1849.  They lived in Haviland Hollow NY until they bought a tannery and moved to Gaylordsville CT.  She received two letters from her father (1849, 1851), signed “your father Owen Hearty” and the return address said he was from Dorsey (letters mailed from the neighboring parish Newtownhamilton).  Her marriage certificate says she was born in Dorsey Townland, Creggan Parish, County Armagh. Dorsey is located in the Barony of Upper Fews and Union of Castleblaney.

Her father’s letters do mention various cousins: Owen Mooney, Peter Garvey, Ellen Mooney and Francis Hearty.  There is also a sister Elizabeth (Betty) mentioned.  But no mother.

The above is what is known from information on "this side of the pond."  What can be found in the Irish records about Mary's family?  Some the following,  I determined before my trip and confirmed when in Belfast.

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We have Owen Hearty in the Tithe Applotment list, in 1828 in Dorsey.  Owen is no. 91 and has 4 Acres, 2 Roods, 12 Perches and a half yearly Rectorial Tithe of 3s. 8 1/2 d., he is listed along with Arhur Heatey and Patt Heatey in Dorsey.  

The tithe applotment is a list of farmers.  If he was included in that list, he wouldn’t have been included in the Ordnance Survey taken in 1837 because he didn’t own at least 5 acres [only two properties were listed for Dorsey].  

The Griffith’s Valuation was taken in the Dorsey area in 1864.  There are 5 Hearty families listed in Dorsey:  Bernard Herty Sen, Francis Herty, Mary Herty, Mary Herty and Patrick— but not Owen Hearty.  If he were still living and living WITH someone, he would not have been listed because, only the “leasee” was included.  

The Cancellation Books update the ownership of the lands listed in the Griffiths.  Dorsey Electorial Division, Union of Castleblayney, Parish of Creggan, Barony of Upper Fews, pages 10, 11 includes the handwritten notations of “(Owen)” after the name Patrick Herty.  It also includes, the second “Mary” crossed out and “Patrick” written above and “(Mary)” right after that.  The crossed out names mean that land was next leased to the person whose name was written above it.  The name in ‘(,)” is an unexplained notation.

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I went thru the rent leases from the landlord,  Walter MacGeough Bond in the family Estate stored at PRONI — there were two Hearty leases:

[D301/2/211]

(1) Terence Hearty (Acreage: 8.3.10), 1 Nov. 1800

• in the part of Dorsey called Tulinlavin, yearly rent 8.8.2

• length of lease: 3 lives, including himself, his eldest son James, and princess Amelia

(2) John Hearty, Tulllinlavin, 1 Jan 1801,

• written on front: Terence Mackin and Pat Hearty “Mary”

• the map inside includes land bounding the property of Bernard Hearty.

• length of lease: 3 lives including himself, his eldest son Patrick (age 10), and princess Amelia

Most of the extensive MacGeough Bond family files were not for Dorsey or didn’t included any leases related to Owen Hearty [I don’t know his parents, so don’t know if these two leases apply to Owen — a father, cousin, uncle, possibly.]

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I went thru the only Catholic Register from that time period in that area that is still in existence:

Creggan Parish Upper, Crossmaglen, Marriage Records and Baptisms 1796-1803, 1812-1829, 1845-1881 [MIC 1D/43/1]  [The current Dorsey townland is 4 miles northeast of Crossmaglen.]

• 15 February 1814: Owen Hearratty and Cath^e McKenna

wits Felix Hanratty and Patk M^cVeagh

• 16 March 1823, Mary and Brid^t of Edward Herherty

and Mary Herherty of Thomas Rubb

and Anne Callaghan and Mary Herherty

• 23 July 1824, Anne of Jam^e Heart and Mary Quin

Gs Owen Heaherty and Brid. Owens

• 26 Dec 1824, John of Edw^d Keane and Mary Gregory

Gs Owen Heaherty and Brid^t McNally

• 6 August 1819, Owen Heaherty and Rose McConnel

Wits Bryan McCauve and Mary Megill

• 29 July 1818, Edm^d of Owen Heaherty and Cath^e Kelly

Gs Pat^k Hearherty and Sara Humphy

• 23 Oct 1797, Pat^k Heaherty and Cathe Nouds

Wits Adam Lamb and Anne Reilly

• 2^d July 1797, Peter s. to Owen Heaherty and Cath^e Holland

Gs Edm^d Heaherty and Bridget Heaherty

• 9 Dec 1796, Pat^k. s to Th^s Murry and Mary

Heaerty Gs Patt M^cShory and Anne Ronghan

• 23 Oct. 1796, Anne of Michael Hearty and Marg^t Donoehy 

Gs Thomas Hearty and Marg^t Callaghan

It is hard to tell if Owen Hearty married 3 times or if this is three different people.

There was no birth record for Mary Hearty in this parish register.

Parts were very hard to read.  Maybe this wasn’t the part of Creggan Parish that she was baptized.

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I checked the Workhouse records for County Armagh and did not find Owen Hearty, Mary’s father in them. 

I looked for the school records — none survived for Dorsey when Mary Hearty or her sister Betty Hearty would have attended. The Dorsey description page in the Ordnance Survey said that Dorsey had a National School (1837) which the sisters  could have attended.  

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The Hearty family/clan has been in the townland Dorsey for many years. 

According to the Dorsey page on the Creggan Historical Society’s site, Turlagh O’Heartye was in the 1664 Hearth Money Rolls valuation, and James Herety & Owen Herety were in the 1766 Census of Creggan.  So the Hearty family [O’Hearty clan] has been there for hundreds of years.  Mary and her father Owen Hearty were most likely descendants of Turlagh, James and Owen, but I could not find any connection between the generations.

My great great grandmother Mary Hearty Helsten was the daughter of a poor tenant farmer, Owen Hearty.  We do not know who was her mother or grandparents. We do know she had Garvey and Mooney cousins.  Possibly she had Garvey and Mooney grand or great grandparents along with Hearty grandparents.  But that is unknown at this point.  Unfortunately, as a poor tenant farmer, there is a lack of records.  They were not part of of a wealthy family like the MacGeough Bonds who were the land owners of the small plot Owen farmed and lived on.  That family is well-documented with thousands of pages of family and business records archived at the Public Records Office in Belfast (PRONI).  

The few records that do exist for all the folks living and working the land are actually ways to document in order to “tax.”  The Hearth Money Rolls (1664) were to tax folks based on how many hearths they had — taxing for warmth and cooking ability in your cottage!!  The Tithe Applotment Rolls (1828) was valuing the piece of land for collecting tithes for the official church, whether you were a member or not!  I guess as much as my ancestors probably felt unfairly taxed, hundreds of years later, I can be thankful that the officials kept good records!

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After a week of searching in the Public Records Office (PRONI) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, my elusive HEARTY and  RICHARDSON ancestors remain elusive.  If you think I don’t know much about the pedigree of my HEARTY family — I know even less about my RICHARDSON pedigree in Ireland!

©2015, Erica Dakin Voolich
The link to this page is http://genea-adventures.blogspot.com/2015/05/that-elusive-hearty-clan.html

Letters from Home during the Great Famine in Ireland

Letter from home, 1849, written on one side, folded up and addressed
on the other side of the  piece of paper -- no envelope needed.

Mary Hearty was born in March 1823 in Parish Creggan, Townland Dorsey, County Armagh, Ireland.  She immigrated to Haviland Hollow New York in 1848 and married a Swedish immigrant, Eric Adolf Helsten in 1849.
After her granddaughter, Marion Evans Dakin died in 1974, two letters from Mary's father, Owen, were found in the family desk.  The two letters along with Mary and Eric's wedding certificate are the only family artifacts we have about Mary's family back home.

I have found her father Owen Hearty, in the 1828 Tithe Applotment in Dorsey as a small tenant farmer with 4 acres, 2 roods and 12 perches (a bit less than 5 acres)-- not exactly a large farm to support a family in good times, let alone the bad ones.  The letters mention a sister, Betty, and some cousins (Peter Garvey in Youngstown OH, Ellen Mooney in Syracuse NY,  Larggh Hearty in Philadelphia PA, and Frances Hearty in USA) but no mother.  I do not have a name for her mother.

Letter from Owen Hearty in Dorsey, to his daughter
Mary Hearty in Haviland Hollow, NY, 11 July 1949.

Haviland Hollow Putnam

County State of New York

Care of Benjamin Cowl

for Mary Hearty”

Mr Owen Hearty

Dorsey and Cragon

Newtown Hamletown

Aragon Parish

Ireland”

        “Dorsey July 11th 1849

My Dear daughter I am glad to Hear

That you are in good health and so are

we all in at present I am going to lot you

Know that Bety sent a leter and send as

much money as will Bringe Barney and Bety

Over to  you and the time is so Bad that I cant

send none and the will give it to you when

the will get it and this Country is going to the

Bad your father is not staut and if you can get

money send it Home No more at present

But remain your Father Owen Hearty

                    of Dorsey

Mary Hearty married Eric Adolf Helsten on 12 August 1849, shortly after the first letter was sent from  Ireland.  She has probably been working as a maid for Benjamin Cowl in Haviland Hollow and Eric has probably been working in Cowl's tannery in Haviland Hollow.  Times as tough back home, the potato crop has failed, please send money to help her sister Betty come to USA.  

Mary received one more letter from her father, Owen, dated 24 January 1851.  This is much longer, has some news from people back home who have come to the USA, still appealing for money.

Mr E. A. Helsten

Heviland Hollow P.Off

State New York America

postmark:  Castleblayney JA23 1851

Dorsey January 24th 1851

Dear Mary

I received your Letter

which gives me to understand that

you are in Good as we enjoy at Present

thank God = I also must inform you 

we felt very uneasy on account of you

not writing Sooner as it is all the Conso-

Lation the devised Children of erin has

a communication by Letter therefore

I consider it a duty incumbent on

you at Least to write 2 a year at ther 

Least I was also very much rejoiced

to hear of  your success and how luck

you and your Husband is doing ---

in that country as for this country it

is totally Gone to the Bad the Potatoes

is altogether failed & Markets are very

Low in Consequences of the Ports being

all opened

therefore on account of the Stater of

the Country thus is condition of Money

at all your sister Betty is inclined

for to go to that County only she is

embarrysed By the State of the time

and cannot find means to go therefore

I Would feel Greatly oblidged to you &

your Husband if you would send money

some assistance that would enable her to

Go & as Soon as she would earn it She would

See you Paid -- & in regard to sending money

there is no danger whatever as there can

Be a Post office order got in every Post

office that there is not the Least danger

in sending such = Do you need not Be the

Least timerous in sending it a she will

Surely Renumerate you for it = in regard

to Ellen Mooney her address is E..Mooney

Syracuse State Newyork =

So Larggh Hearty is in Philadelphia

I do not Know her address

I must also inform you that  your

cousin Francis Hearty is also gone

to that country & is your cousins

Owen Rooney & Peter Garvey is gone to

that country Peter is in college in

Youngstown State of Penna. & owen Rooney

is a clark in Syracuse State new-

york they are all doing well ---

your friends are all in good health

& also your neighbors

be all elevated to Learn you had 

the good fortune to get such a Husband

as I can Judge that he is an industrious

man & also a good tradesman ---

therefore Let  you Put your Confidence

in the almighty as he is our only guide

& Protector & May the Lord Bless You

is the Sincere Prayer of your affectionate

father ---- Owen hearty ---

He has news, but also is appealing 2 letters/year from her and for funds for Betty to come.  He clearly has gotten a letter from Mary telling her father of her marriage to Eric.  Clearly, Owen has hope that his daughter will be able to send funds, but life in the USA was not all "milk and honey" as imagined and she didn't have the money to send home at that time, according to the draft of the next letter.

We have no further letters from Owen Hearty to his daughter Mary Hearty Helsten.   The last piece of tangible information about Owen Hearty is that letter in 1851 to his daughter.  He is not listed as living in Dorsey in the Griffith's Valuation of 1864.  There is an Owen Hearty in the next town over -- whether it is the same person is to be determined.  In the Griffith's Valuation in Dorsey there is a Patrick Hearty and in the Cancelation Books in PRONI written in "()" is the word "Owen" --

Patrick Hearty (Owen).  

Not sure what that actually means.  Maybe Patrick was the tenant and Owen lived with him (just a guess).

We do have the notes for a draft of a letter, probably to Betty, Mary's sister, written by Eric some time after they have bought the tannery in Gaylordsville in July 1852.  Eric is no longer an employee, but now an indebted employer.  

   Dear Sister Elizabeth!   We have received

your letter which gives us the satisfaction that you

are in good health and have a good place where

you be also gave us to understand thatt you are

fully determined to go to America but have not the

strength on own expense to do so.  We think that if you

only was here you could do well butt how come i do nott know.

My situation is greatill different these year to whatt is was

last year.  Last year i did hire out and earnd money every day

and had money out on interest, but last spring

I took it all up and hired a tanyeard, about seven

milles from where i lived thern, and began on own hand

to work, laid out all the money had in hides skins and bark for so

stach my yeard and there is did not have enough i had to

borrow more money all i could get for i found out i had to lay out money

every day.  Tanning is a very slow buiseyness and it take

a great while before the money comes balk again.  I feel

sorrow to say thatt i could not give you any money for

your assistance but i ask you to not blame us for my situation

are so that i could not and my bussiness require money 

allwhile and i have nothing more then what i have

worked very hard for since i com to America and it seems

to me as i could make more money when i  worked as

Journeyman than i can now and beside that i have to now more

risk of loses among those Yankys now than before.  I ask you now

to be of a contented mind and save all you can if may perhaps be som oppening

for you in the future. If you could come we  would be very

glade to see you here and do what we can for you

then.  You know that your sister had to work for all that

brought her here before she started and so did i too.  i had

to work for years befor i could get enough together to bring me

YoJ received Fathers letter great while ago and also yours but you

must excuse me for we had not wrought Sooner my time has been

taken up very much all while and my wife could not write

it because she never leand it

This letter was not signed and not sent since it was with Eric and Mary's papers in the desk -- maybe copied and mailed to Mary's sister Betty.

Eric does offer to help her if she can get herself to Connecticut.  He cannot afford to pay her passage.    Over the years Eric and Mary did help various nieces of his from Sweden when they came, many lived with them and got jobs in the neighborhood until out on their own. Eric also hired new Swedish immigrants in the family  business -- as apprentices when it was a tannery, and as assistants as the business evolved over the years.

In my effort to find any more information on the Hearty family of Dorsey, part of Creggan Parish, I corresponded with Kiernan McConville at the Creggan Historical Society.   I shared the above letters with him.  He was thrilled to see some letters from the Famine Years written by ordinary people from South Armagh, which he commented were very rare.  He asked to include them in an upcoming journal of their local historical society.

Well, that upcoming journal has arrived:

Kieran McConville, "Hearty (of Dorsey) Great Famine Letters 1849-1851," Creggan, journal of The Creggan Local History Society, 2013/2014, no. 16, pages 80-84.

In the article, Kieran starts by putting the letters into context.  He describes the famine conditions, the cause and spread, and the ineffective efforts to relieve the famine.  He goes on to describe the migrations and death rate that devastated the Irish population.  He gives what background we know about the Hearty family and on Mary's family.  He mentions the hopes of sending a child abroad brought but in many times remained unfulfilled.  He ends with the transcription of the three letters.

I can only hope that maybe the descendants of Mary's family back in Ireland, survived and will see this article and/or blog and contact me.  If not, if the letters & article provide information for others whose ancestors came from Creggan Parish, then that is good also.

The link to this post is http://genea-adventures.blogspot.com/2014/11/letters-from-home-during-great-famine.html

2014©Erica Dakin Voolich