JAMES LAWTON & MARY COTTER DESCENDANTS

I am a descendant of the above named who are believed to have lived in the Midleton, Carrigtohill and Yougal areas of County Cork, Ireland, in the early to mid 1800s.

I live in New Zealand. I have not been able to find out anything about James' or Mary's lives in Ireland or, more particularly, whether they have descendants living today in that country.

If anyone has information about these people or their descendants in Ireland or if anyone would like to contact me please do so by email. I have chosen Midleton as one of the likely places of domicile because it is recorded as being the birth place of Thomas Lawton (see para 3 hereunder) and Mary Cotter is recorded in church records in Midleton as being witness to birth of a child to Johannes Lawton and Mary Donovan. Church records in Carrigtohill and Yougal list the births of seven of James' and Mary's children.

It is known, however, that four of their children emigrated to New Zealand from the mid-1800s onwards. They were:-

1. JAMES LAWTON (my Greatgrandfather in New Zealand).

Born 12 April 1837 (Carrigtohill baptism records).
Parents James Lawton & Mary Cotter.
Parents domicile County Cork, Ireland.
Married Sarah Thompson at St Mary's Catholic Church, Taradale, 7 February 1871.
James died Wairoa 16 October 1917 recorded aged 84.
Buried in an unmarked grave at Wairoa cemetery.

2. MARY LAWTON

Born 20 April 1841 (Carrigtohill baptism records).
Parents James Lawton & Mary Cotter.
Parents domicile County Cork, Ireland.
Married Richard Nagle at St Mary's Chapel, Meanee, on 23 April 1865.
James Lawton signed the church record as a witness to the marriage.
Mary died 23 October 1928 aged 87. Surname recorded on death record as Neagle.

3. BRIDGET BRANSFIELD nee LAWTON.

Birthdate unknown but recorded in baptism records Yougal probably sometime after 1846.
Parents James Lawton & Mary Cotter.
Parents domicile County Cork, Ireland.
Bridget arrived Napier, NZ, aboard vessell Winchester 26th July 1874 accompanied by her son, James aged 4. Both are bracketed on the ships passenger list as travelling with a Thomas Lawton.
Married Phillip Scullin at Meanee.
Died 11 September 1922 aged 76 and is buried at Taradale cemetery.

4. MICHAEL LAWTON.

Birthdate unknown but recorded in baptism records Yougal, (probably sometime after 1846).
Parents James Lawton & Mary Cotter.
Parents domicile County Cork, Ireland.
Napier death Register for 1913 which shows Michael died 13 May 1913 aged 67 and was buried at Napier. The record shows he had been in New Zealand for 9 years and was survived by two daughters. Marriage details are unknown.

The THOMAS LAWTON mentioned in 3 above was a son of Mortimer and Elisabeth Lawton (nee Gibbon). He is recorded as being born at Midleton and Parish of Carrightwohill. His relationship to Bridget is not established but it is likely that they were cousins. This question will not be answered until the link between the two sets of Irish parents parents, James Lawton and Mary Cotter, and Mortimer and Elizabeth Lawton (Gibbons) is known.

UPDATE 4 OCTOBER 1999: The following information relative to children of James Lawton and Mary Cotter was provided by Moira Draper, a descendant of Thomas Lawton.

Extracted from church records Carrigtohill

James, born 12 April 1837.
Bat, born 3 June 1839 (presumeably Bartholomew).
Mary, born 20 April 1841.
Cath, born 1 September 1843.
Margaret, born 2 January 1846.

Extracted from church records Youghal

Bridget, no date given.
Michael, no date given.

James, Mary, Bridget and Michael emigrated to New Zealand. What happened to Bat, Cath and Margaret? Would appreciate any information please via email.

UPDATE 6 DECEMBER 2000: From Moira Draper. James and Mary believed to have arrived Wellington NZ 1864 aboard SS(sailing ship) Ladybird. Any info about this ship or its passnger records would be appreciated.

Please Sign My Guestbook

View My Guestbook

[ Index Page ] [Email me.]