Bellew Tree

Bellew Family, Banogues Banouges

If you are looking for a tree, please scroll down a little further for the tree.

The surname Bellew is most numerous in Co Louth, particularly in the Dundalk area, then Counties Meath and Armagh to a lessor extent and then there are families in Dublin, some of whom would descend from families of the previously mentioned counties.

There are only a few families in Co Galway, most who are related.

The folklore in my family is that we descend from the family that was moved by Cromwell in 1652 to the Moylough/Mountbellew area. A son Michael was born c. 1700's and he was given a farm of about 100 acres at Lismoyle. The Quinn family live their today. Following this c. 1790? they settled in Banogues again on about 100 acres. There were two sons who were supposed to have married two Monaghan sisters from Gloves, Athenry.

The corroborating evidence for some of this comes from the location of Michael Bellew's grave in Killoscobe, dated 1776, which would tie in with the Lismoyle bit.

Gravestone of Michael Bellew, d. 1776.

.For those looking for the tree, here it is:

My great great grandfather was Francis Bellew and his wife was Mary, we don't have a confirmation of her maiden name, but Francis's brother was Patrick Bellew who married Bridget Monaghan. We got this from an Australian record. So taking the earlier folklore into account, we'll go with Mary, being Mary Monaghan, later on we have some DNA corroboration as well.

Francis Bellew's father was John Bellew who married Mary Duvane, the Duvanes were another old Banouges family. We have this from their headstone in Mountbellew.

          Headstone of John Bellew (d. 1816) and his wife Mary Duvane (d. 1820)

Their four sons, James, Patt, John and Francis Bellew are named on the stone that provides us with a basis for connecting various local Bellew families. The following tree shows where the descendants of the four brothers relate to each other. We know John Bellew m. 1839 Mary Lohan, we are trying to definitely fit him with the four brothers.

Here's a tree showing various family members are related through the four brothers;

The Flour Mill at Mountbellew

The mill was built by Sir Patrick Bellew of Barmeath and Michael Bellew of Mountbellew in 1775.
An inscription and Bellew coat of arms at the base details the history. As the building was deemed unsecure it was demolished in 1996 and the coat of arms was moved closer to the town.

                   Deirdre Grattan-Bellew Kiernan with her son and other local dignitaries!

Descendants of John Bellew & Mary King

John¹ Bellew  born 1830 married Mary King aged  22 on February 16 1871 at Clonkeen Kerrill. She was the daughter of Patrick King of Sheeaun. They were married by Fr. John Deely and the witnesses were Patt Fahy and Bridget King. John died April 24 1881 (Informant was Bridget Harrison ). Mary died 1931. Mary replaced her husband on the land records and later her brother-in-law Patrick was head of the household. 

Children of John Bellew and Mary King:

+      1     i.       Mary Bellew² baptised December 14 1871 ( Moira ) died 1954 Bullaun

+      2     ii.       Patrick Bellew² born March 17 1873 died Feb 16 1923 Banouges

+      3     iii.      Bridget Bellew² baptised November 4 1874 died at Ballinstack

+      4     iv.      John Bellew² baptised June 12 1876 died in New Jersey  in 1936.

+      5     v.      Catherine Bellew² born July 1 1878, she died in the great flu 1918 in N.J.

+      6     vi      Francis Bellew² baptised July 10 1880, died Waterloo 1958

Generation No. 1 Children

1. Mary Bellew² (John¹) baptised December 14 1871 ( Moira ) married Michael Finnerty (1879-1969, Graveyard Bullaun) she died 1954. Moira met her husband on visits to her grandmother Kitty King. Kitty’s son Martin King was married to Mary Finnerty of Bullaun and Michael was her nephew. Their sons were:

+ 7         i     John (Jack) Finnerty
   8           ii   James Finnerty 1913-1972    
   9        iii Joe Finnerty NJ
  

2. Patrick Bellew² (John¹) baptised March 17 1873 at Banouges. He died died Feb 16 1923. He married Mary Reilly in 1912. She was born at Guilkagh in 1894 and died Nov 24th 1974. Their children were:

+     10            i               John Bellew³ born 1916

+     11           ii              Michael Bellew³ born September 10th 1917 

+     12           iii             Mai Bellew³ born December 5th 1922

+     13           iv             Kathleen Bellew³ born 1914

14           v    Gerard b. 22 May 1920, Patrician Br, Midway City USA, d. Jan 2 2006.

15             vi             Bridget Bellew born 1921 who died 1923 after an accident                 

3. Bridget Bellew² born 31^st Oct 1874, baptised November 4 1874 married James Tannian (born 12 Feb 1864) son of James Tannian of Ballinstack & ? Scarry on November 5 1896 (Witnesses were William Hussey and Catherine Bellew), Bridget died 23^rd Dec 1954 and James died Dec 30^th 1936, their children:

+       16             i               John Tannian³ (Killahawn) born 23^rd June 1899

+      17             ii             Pa Tannian³ ( U.S. + Ashfield ) born 11^th June 1906

+     18              iii            Kathleen Tannian³ born 10^th October 1900

+     19              iv            Jimmy Tannian³ ( Mount Hazel ) born 17^th February 1921

+     20              v              Mary Tannian³ born 17^th March 1897

       21             vi             Francie Tannian ( Br Leandor ) born 13^th December 1916

       22             vii           Lena Tannian (Nun) 11^th March 1914 and died 29^th January 1985

23              viii   Madge Tannian ( Mt Bellew ) b. 18 March 1904 and d. 18 March 1999

24              ix    Agnes Tannian (Nun) born 11^th June 1911 and died 1^st April 2002

25              x     Julie Tannian (Nun) born 18^th April 1908 and died 26^th September 1954

26              xi    Delia b. 3 Jan. 1902, Kincora Hotel, d. 12 Jan 1971 (headstone 69)

4. John Bellew² baptised June 12 1876 Theresa Martin from Albany died in October 1936 following an accident in one of his barns in  Plainfield New Jersey leaving two sons:

                27                           i               Jack Bellew born 1917 who died 1971 age 54.

+              28                           ii             Frank Bellew³ born 1918 who died May 21^st 1999.

5. Catherine Bellew² born July 1 1878 married Bernard Hughes (lived to be 100), she died in the great flu 1918. Bernard Hughes married secondly to Agnes Gibbs of Dublin and had a son Al (Barney) by that marraige. Bernard and Catherine’s children:

+              29                           i               Philip Hughes³ born 1913

+              30                           ii             Thomas Hughes³ born 1915

+              31                           iii            Frank Hughes³ born 1911

6. Francis Bellew² baptised July 10 1880 ( Frank Waterloo ) married Margaret Monahan in 1917? and died March 3^rd 1958, Margaret died 11^th March 1965, buried at Killahawn Cemetry leaving: 

    32            i               Michael Bellew, Canada married no children

    33            ii             Paddy Bellew died January 1935 aged 11 years           

    34            iii            Tommie Bellew died 10^th April 1982

    35            iv            Anne (Annie Mai) Bellew m.? Marshall, Brighton, he d. April 2005

+  36           v              Mary Bellew³

Generation No. 2                 Grandchildren

 7.  Jack Finnerty³(Moira Bellew², John¹) married Elizabeth ?,

10. John Bellew³ (Patrick², John¹) born 1916 and died July (7th ?) 1989 at Banouges. He married Mary O' Dea daughter of Edward O' Dea and Annie Lawless. She died May 4th 1989.

11. Michael Bellew³ (Patrick², John¹) born September 10th 1917 and died January 18th 2001 at Ballinasloe, he married on Sept 16 1957 to Sheila Cloonan born Oct 28th 1925 at Clough to John Cloonan and Julia Tarpey. 

12. Mai Bellew³ (Patrick², John¹) born December 5th 1922 and died September 30th 2000 at Galway she married on ? Andy Gavin and they lived at Bovinion he died on Dec 5th 1977 aged 64.

13. Kathleen Bellew³ (Patrick², John¹) born May ? 1914 and died August (6th?) 1996 at Mountbellew. She married Tommie Mitchell in 1939 who died Sept 29 2004.

16. John Tannian³ (Bridget Bellew², John¹) of Killahawn born 23^rd June 1899 married Margaret Barrett, John died 18^th March 1980, Margaret 21^st March 1987.

17. Pat Tannian³ (Bridget Bellew², John¹) born 11^th June 1906 married Phil Quinn, Ashfield, Co Galway, Pa died Jan 20^th 1989. Phil died Dec. 2017.

18. Kathleen Tannian³ (Bridget Bellew², John¹) born on 10^th Oct 1900 married in 1921 to Sean Keane in Kilkee, Kathleen died 29^th August 1987.

19. Jimmy Tannian³ (Bridget Bellew², John¹) born 17^th February 1921, married Nellie Fahy, Jimmy died Sept 22^nd  1985, Nellie, May 2004.

20. Mary Tannian³ (Bridget Bellew², John¹) born 17^th March 1897 married Peter Walsh, Aughrim, Mary died 14^th January 1972.

28. Frank Bellew³ (John², John¹) born 1918, worked in Electronics till his retirement in 1952, he married  Dorothy, died May 21^st 1999, Plainfield New Jersey.                            
29. Philip Hughes³ (Catherine Bellew², John¹) born 1913, married Sophie Zjawin (1915-) and died 2000.

30. Thomas Hughes³ (Catherine Bellew², John¹) born 1915, served in the Phillipines was away from 1945, died 1999 married Charlotte born 14^th November 1916.

31. Frank Hughes³ (Catherine Bellew², John¹) born September 13th 1911 at 243 Palisade Avenue, Cliffside Park. married first to Molly Smith (1908-1966) in 1930. In 1977 he married secondly to June Stanley Roehrer. Frank died in September 1992.

36. Mary Bellew³ (Frank², John¹) who married Brian  Manning and she lives in Attidermott, Aughrim, Co Galway with her son Michael who was born in 1947. Brian died 20 years ago. Mary RIP March 27 2013

Here's a photo of my third cousin once removed, Johnny Bellew (1915-2008), celebrating his 90th bbirthday with myself and two cousins.

Remember the four brothers listed on the headstone, Johnny descended from Patrick who married Bridget Monaghan; their son Bernard Bellew married Margaret Carr and their son, Johnny's father, also Bernard married Kate Gormally.

Myself and a cousin outside Johnny's House (built c. 1910)

Bellew DNA Project

At a local level we have tried to connect descendants from the four brothers, James, John, Patrick and Francis. We have DNA from descendants of all four, we believe.

Here is a potted history of the Bellew over the past 900 years!