James(4) Ryan

James Ryan (origin and authenticity uncertain)

JAMES4 RYAN (EDWARD3, THOMAS2, EDWARD1) was born abt. 1808, and died August 25, 1883. He married (1) ABIGAIL POTTERTON abt. 1830 (Bet. 1825 - 1836), daughter of MARK POTTERTON and ELEANOR/ELLINOR JONES. She was born Bet. 1805 - 1815, and died Bet. 1846 - 1849 in Newtownmoyaghy, Moyglare Parish, Meath County, Ireland. He married (2) ANNE KELLY January 03, 1849 in Moyglare Civil Parish, Kilcloon Catholic Parish, County Meath, Ireland.

While James was a Catholic, his first wife, Abigail (“Abbey”) Potterton came from a Protestant family. Most (if not all) of their children were baptized in the Catholic church. Records for their parish go back only to 1834 – so either the first two children (Sarah Mary and Joseph Patrick) were not baptized in that church or their records do not survive.

Notes for ABIGAIL POTTERTON:
She died about 1847. Extensive information about the Pottertons can be found at http://www.potterton.ie, the web site of Homan Potterton. Also, check out his book, “Potterton People & Places”, which can be found at http://www.choicepublishing.ie or http://www.bookwise.ie.

A “cousin” was a prominent lawyer in Wisconsin, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin: Edward George Ryan. How he relates to James, though, is uncertain.

Children of JAMES RYAN and ABIGAIL POTTERTON are:
i. SARAH MARY, b. November 23, 1834, Newtownmoyaghy, Kilcock, Moyglare Parish, County Meath, Ireland; d. January 19, 1925, Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA.
Sent to America in 1850, accompanied by Anne Kelly's sister.
ii. JOSEPH PATRICK5, b. April 21, 1836, Newtownmoyaghy, Kilcock, Moyglare Parish, County Meath, Ireland; d. June 23, 1914, Rock Island County, Illinois, USA.
Note: Birth date is uncertain – since it is too close to the estimated birth date of his brother, Mark
Came to America around 1854. Was living adjacent to his sister, Sarah Mary (Ryan) Seymour in Minnesota in 1870
iii. MARK, bapt. May 8, 1836; d. July 1914, Ireland.
iv. ABIGAIL, bapt. November 15, 1840, Newtown, Kilcock, County Meath, Ireland; d. March 31, 1913, Kilcock, County Meath, Ireland.
Died unmarried; Cause of Death: Carcinoma of leg 5 years; asthma
v. JAMES, bapt. April 16, 1843.
vi. ELLEN, bapt. September 1, 1846.
Children of JAMES RYAN and ANNE KELLY are:
vii. WILLIAM5, bapt. November 24, 1850.
viii. MATHEW, bapt. August 1, 1852.
ix. JOHN, bapt. July 10, 1853; m. Mary Anne Sheil; d. 1931
x. MARY ANNE (Mamie), bapt. July 1, 1855; d. abt. 1930.
xi. ELLEN M., bapt. January 25, 1857.
xii. WILLIAM, bapt. November 24, 1861.
Note: The two Williams share the same day (though not the same year) for their baptismal records. Either they are the same person and the records are wrong, or the first William died young and the name was reused for a later son. If the latter, then the dates are just a coincidence.