ROURKE, John ^{1 2 3}

  General Notes:

"Church Baptism Record

Name:John Rourke
Date of Birth:
Date of Baptism:30-Jul-1784
Address:
Parish/District:DUNGANNON
County:TYRONE
Father:Eugene Rourke
Mother:Mary Devlin
Occupation:
Sponsor 1 /Informant 1:Patrick
Sponsor 2 /Informant 2:Ann Murphy
Notes: / /

Copyright Irish World Heritage Centre (Tyrone + Fermanagh)"

from www.rootsireland.ie


John's son Francis' death certificate recorded him as a 'carrier'. ^{1 2 3}

  Research Notes:

NAME

"John Rourke or O'Rourke and Elizabeth Hagan" are the names attributed to the parents of Francis Rourke, as recorded in the death certificate of Francis by his son John who was the informant of his father's death. No marriage or baptism records have been found featuring these two names as a couple. When Francis Rourke was first recorded in the 1861 census in Scotland Elizabeth and John were the name of his eldest living children, though not the names of his actual eldest children, who were William and Catherine. These latter names also occur in other baptisms of the children of Rourke men of a similar age to Francis, and who also lived in the townland of Creenagh, very likely his brothers or possibly cousins of some degree. The names may be linked to maternal grandparents of Francis Rourke, or they may refer to other important relatives. It is just possible that John and Elizabeth were not the given names of the parents of Francis, but merely a useful concoction for the registrar based on what his son John thought might be the case, perhaps even encouraged by the registrar with a form to complete. They are inserted her, but no actual documentary evidence is available at present from any other source apart from the death certificate of 1883 already mentioned. Francis is placed as the son of John, son of Eugene, because of the information on his death certificate and because the dates fit with other evidence.

Where accurate records are found they are presented here, but because detailed records are not regularly and comprehensively available before 1820, it is difficult to discern the exact relationships between generations resident in a local area, and the data as presented should be regarded as a loose approximation of reality. So while it is believed that the Rourkes living in Creenagh in County Tyrone at this period are linked as a family, the relationships, from about 1825 back into the 18th century, are quite often inferred, and may in truth not necessarily be as exact as presented, unless the actual document reproduced in a file offers clear evidence for a relationship. For example, some brothers or sisters may be half-siblings or cousins or half-cousins, and it is for that reason that the relationships outlined at this historical level should be treated with a serious level of caution. They are provided here as suggested possibilities, based on an incomplete amount of evidence, and are put together as rationally as possible to construct a framework which will be adapted if and when more records come to hand. More records may never emerge and an incomplete picture may be all that can be achieved.

TITHE APPLOTMENT BOOK: TULLYNISKAN PARISH 1826

In the list held for the parish of Tullyniskan in County Tyrone, the townland of Crenagh features fifty seven times. Those surnamed Rourke in Crenagh are:

"ROURKE Daniel Crenagh
ROURKE Frank Crenagh
ROURKE James, Jun. Crenagh
ROURKE James, Sen. Crenagh
ROURKE John Crenagh
ROURKE Owen Crenagh
ROURKE Tole Crenagh
ROURKE William Crenagh
O'ROURKE Polly Crenagh"

It is not possible to tell from the list ages or familial links of those named, the list itself being in alphabetical order, but it is not an irrational inference from what we know from other sources to suggest that they are likely to have at least some family ties. ⁴

John married Elisabeth HAGAN, daughter of Toal HAGAN and Unknown. (Elisabeth HAGAN was born about 1785.)