Surname -Francis/Frances

Ealasaid

I read a suggestion on here to another poster to look for names using different spellings so I looked for my Grandmother Mary spelling her surname as Frances - with an 'e' instead of as Francis which is how I had previously searched. I found her and her sister Annie in the 1901 census living with a family called McClare and listed as nieces. - I'm not allowed posting links yet, sorry.

According to a family member the McClare's had a large farm in Bratty Hill in Westmeath. I can't seem to find anything relating to this but I'm not really sure where to look. Could anyone help or suggest anything please.

I have my Grandmother's marriage certificate which lists her father John, occupation baker, as 'deceased' and seemingly he died when Anne was a baby and the girls went to live with these relatives.

Mary is listed in the 1911 census as 'daughter' still with the McClare family, but Annie isn't listed.

Coolnabacky1873

The townland database on swilson.info tells me that the townland of Bratty (also knows as Benisonlodge) is in the Civil Reg Disitrct of Casteltowndelvin, or Delvin. The Civil Reg Indexes on Familysearch show a number of Clare/McClare BMDs going back to 1864.
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/results?count=75&query=%2Bsurname%3Aclare~%20%2Bbirth_place%3Acastletowndelvin~&collection_id=1408347

EDIT: I see on the 1901 census that those McClare's are in that area of Westmeath also.

Coolnabacky1873

Valuation Office in Dublin is one option. They have a set of continuous property records from Griffith's Valuation (mid 19th C) through to the 1990s. They will do a search of a townland for a fee.
http://www.valoff.ie/en/Archives_Genealogy_Public_Office/

Ealasaid

Thank you Coolnabacky, I'll have a look at the links. I think Delvin has actually previously been mentioned in connection with the Frances/Francis family but I never feel I'm really getting anywhere with them.