When You Can't Look Up, Look Out

 

The main research goal this month has been to find the parents of my father-in-law's great-grandmother, Anna Flanagan Malloy. So far, the best I've been able to do is ponder the possibility of a sibling, James Flanagan. However, I can't be sure James was Anna's brother; he could just as well have been her cousin. The only way to confirm that would be to build that family tree upward—but I can't look upwards.

Since that is so, my only other option to looking upwards is to look outwards—to explore Anna's possible collateral lines. In this last week of the month, I'm exploring what else can be found on the line of this James Flanagan of the townland of Cappananty in County Limerick, Ireland. As best I can—keeping in mind the dearth of remaining records in that country—I'm building the lines of descent for the elder James Flanagan, born about 1814 in County Limerick.

Currently, there are seven DNA matches to my husband's test results on Ancestry.com who are possibly descended from this eldest James Flanagan. I need to identify where they fit into this possible collateral line.

Part of that quest can be accomplished through that very slim window of time when these Irish relatives' names showed up in census records in 1901 and 1911. I've already traced the son James and his mother "Bess" that way, but I'll need to branch out and see what can be found in more recent years.

Another approach will be to reach out to the DNA matches, themselves, and see if anyone has a clearer idea of the family history of their Flanagan ancestors. Sometimes, letters or Bible records or other keepsakes can shed light from a more personal aspect than I could gain from my vantage point, an ocean and a continent away from that mile-square townland of Cappananty.

And finally, I've reached out to a Flanagan contact who had exchanged emails with me in past years. While no one is getting any younger, I'm hoping there are still distant cousins left who know some of the old memories and stories from their own grandparents, shared with them years ago.

In the meantime, you know I'll be building out this potential collateral line on Ancestry ProTools' "Networks" beta offering. That tool has become a go-to resource for me so far this summer. Hopefully, it will help piece together the story of James Flanagan's descendants, as well.