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This blog post is part of the Donohoo Descendancy Project. John Donohoo was a son of Patrick and Sarah Donohoo.


The baptismal records for the Patrick and Sarah Donohoo family from St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Baltimore contained some expected documents (Francis Thomas, Mary and Margaret’s baptismal records), a missing document (Michael’s baptism), and a competely unexpected document (John Donohoo) [1].

The baptismal records for Francis Thomas, Mary and Margaret provided exact birth dates, and confirmation of Patrick and Sarah Donohoo as their parents. Michael’s missing baptismal record could be due to a misindexed record, a missing record, or unexpected information on his actual record. Did the baptismal record of John Donohoo represent Michael’s baptism, or a new son altogether in this family?

First, the possibility that the document naming John Donohoo was for Michael needed to be addressed. This baptismal record listed John as the name, with no middle name. The date of 1814 differed by three years from the expected 1811 birth for Michael.  However, the
1820 and 1830 censuses gave clues that this baptismal record was not for Michael, and indeed the Donohoo family did include a previously unknown son.
Patrick Donohoo was enumerated in Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky in 1820. The page of the census record is frayed and missing portions of the record. However, the first two columns listing males are quite clear. The household included two males under 10 and one male between 10 and 15 years of age. Francis Thomas fits as the teen male; born in 1807, he would be 13 at this time. Michael would fit as one son under 10; being born about 1811, he would be about 9 years old. That leaves another male under 10 in this household previously unaccounted for. John Donohoo, baptized in Baltimore in 1814, would fit as a 6 year old in this household [2].
By 1830, Patrick’s household is again enumerated in Bardstown. In this year, two males, aged 15-19 are enumerated. Francis Thomas married in May of this year, months before the census was taken. He does not appear in Patrick’s household, and was likely living with his father-in-law. Michael takes one spot as a 19 year old in the family. John would be the other, at age 16 in 1830 [3].
John certainly was a separate member of the family. The baptismal record and the census tick marks together show a previously unidentified member of the Donohoo family. Michael’s baptismal record was either never recorded, has been mis-indexed, or is missing.
A second conundrum concerning this newly identified son appears however. This family already had a known son named John W. Donohoo, born about 1836 [4]. Why would they name two sons John? After some research on naming patterns, it became clear that names were often recycled in the same family when a child died. Often the next child of the same gender was given the same name [5].
While a death record has not been found for John Donohoo (the first), the naming pattern suggests that John likely died between 1830, where he is represented by a tick mark in his father’s household, and 1836, when his younger brother, John W. Donohoo (the second) was born.

Research Notes and Sources:
[1] Fras Thos Donohoo, 1807, page 284. Catholic Church records (Baltimore, Maryland), 1793-1920. Catholic Church. Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Baltimore, Maryland). Catholic Church. St. Peter’s (Baltimore, Maryland). Baltimore, Maryland: Filmed by the Maryland State Archives, 1977. St. Peter’s baptisms, 1801-1811B [SCM 1510-1, Special Collections 2707].
Transcription:
[page] 284
Fras Thos Donohoo
Batte April 15th 1807 was Baptd Francis Thomas
Born March 17th 1807; lawful son of Patrick
& Sarah Donohoo – Sponsors- Fras Beerton, priest
& Mary LaCombe
Beerton
Rector of St. Peter’s
Mary Magdl Donoho, 1809, page 374. Catholic Church records (Baltimore, Maryland), 1793-1920. Catholic Church. Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Baltimore, Maryland). Catholic Church. St. Peter’s (Baltimore, Maryland). Baltimore, Maryland: Filmed by the Maryland State Archives, 1977. St. Peter’s baptisms, 1801-1811B [SCM 1510-1, Special Collections 2707].
Transcription:
[page] 374
Mary Magdl Donoho
Batte June 4th 1809 was Baptd Mary Magdalen
Born May 15th 1809; lawful daughter of Pat & Sarah Donoho
 – Sponsors- Henry Jenkins & Ann Harrison
Beerton
Rector of St. Peter’s
Catholic Church records (Baltimore, Maryland), 1793-1920. Catholic Church. Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Baltimore, Maryland). Catholic Church. St. Peter’s (Baltimore, Maryland). Baltimore, Maryland: Filmed by the Maryland State Archives, 1977. St. Peter’s baptisms, 1812-1826 [MDHR M1511-5-6]. Family History Library, US & Canada B1 Access Services, Film 2209348 Items 1-2.
Register C, page 174
John Donohue
Septr 18th [1814] was bapd John
born 14th Inst of Patrick &
Sarah Donohue- Sponsr John
Whelan & Catharine Behner-
Enoch Fenwick
rector St. Peters
Register C, page 295
Rosanna Margt Donohue
Septr 4th 1816- was bapd Rosanna
Margaret born on the 30th of last
August- daughter of Patrick &
Sally Donohue- Spondrd Mary
Moynihan
Enoch Fenwick
rector St Peters

[2] 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Bradstown, Nelson, Kentucky; Page: 209; NARA Roll: M33_19; Image: 184. Source Information Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data:

Fourth Census of the United States, 1820. (NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

[3] 1830; Census Place: Bardstown, Nelson, Kentucky; Series: M19; Roll: 40; Page: 141; Family History Library Film: 0007819. Source Information Ancestry.com. 1830 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data:

Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. (NARA microfilm publication M19, 201 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

[4] J.W. Donohoo, age 14, U.S. Census, Year: 1850; Census Place: District 2, Nelson, Kentucky; Roll: M432_215; Page: 386A; Image: 229. Source Information Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

John W. Donohoo, age 24, shoemaker, born Kentucky, Citing this Record “United States Census, 1860,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXPC-34J: accessed 25 December 2014), John W Donohoo, East Ward Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, United States; from “1860 U.S. Federal Census – Population,” Fold3.com; citing p. 66, household ID 557, NARA microfilm publication M653, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.; FHL microfilm 805,101.
[5] Przecha, Donna. The Importance of Names and Naming Patterns: Why are Names Important and What Can You Learn From a First Name? Genealogy.com Developing Your Research Skills Article (http://www.genealogy.com/articles/research/35_donna.html): accessed  11 April 2015.
[6] “Cholera.” Newbern Spectator (New Bern, North Carolina). Fri, Jun 28, 1833. Page 1. Accessed at newspapers.com on 28 March 2015.
“From the Bardstown, Ky. Herald. The Cholera.” The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania). Mon, Jul 1, 1833. Page 4. Accessed at newspapers.com on 28 March 2015.
“Kentucky.-Frankfort, June 18.” Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio). Tue, Jul 16, 1833. Page 2. Accessed at newspapers.com on 28 March 2015.


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