Hello!
I finally read through the entire string and I have some information regarding a couple of items in here. One is concerning the farm in Barre. Although my g-g-grandfather. Michael Day, died in 1870 his will did not go through probate until July, 1888. My g-grandfather, James Day, was the executor because Michael's brother Patrick Day, who was named as executor in Michael's will, died just 3 or 4 months eariler. By the time Michael's will went through probate, the son of Michael and his second wife Mary Flynn, John, was deceased. I'm assuming that the farm would have been sold around this time since they waited 18 years to probate the will. I have not been able to find John Day's death record, so I'm not sure of the date or place of his death, but I assume it was in Barre. No idea about what happened to Mary Flynn Day after 1888.
Anyway, Merski also put an incomplete Irish town name at the beginning of the string she found on a tombstone. The town in Ireland is Garravoone and it is in Co. Waterford. I am researching that town name to see if it was near or around "Fenney" (possibly Fenoagh), from Michael Day's naturalization record, which was in the R.C. parish Carrickbeg.
I copied all of the Day B/M/D indexes for Worcester, so if anyone needs me to check them for someone specific, please let me know. None of the Dee names provided jibe with anyone I am researching and I've never found any indication that my family's name was Dee.
In talking with folks in Ireland, it would be much more likely for someone with the last name of Dea, pronounced as Day by the Irish, to have their name changed in the States to Day. However, Day & Dee were family names in Ireland, so their names may not have been changed after they immigrated. Dee is a derivation of the O'Dea clan name, so I'm not shutting out the possibility but there just hasn't been any indication of that name in my research. There are very few Day's/Dea's/Dee's in Co. Waterford records. I did find some Day names in Co. Tipperary, but I think I need to continue my research here in the States until I have more solid information. Irish R.C. records are very incomplete, thanks to laws set down by Cromwell who was responsible for killing nearly 40% of the Irish R.C. population in the 18th century. Very nasty man, I think.
Sorry for the long note...hope some of this helps. Helen, I tried to call you one time after I returned but haven't tried again. Did you ever get any useful information from those people you called about the farm. Let's talk soon!
Kelly Day
