Irish Family Genealogy Resources

Starting Your Research

If you have family roots in Hubbardston, you're part of a well-documented Irish American community. The combination of church records, cemetery inscriptions, census data, and local historical accounts provides a rich foundation for genealogical research.

Key Online Resources

Monaghan to Michigan

The website monaghantomichigan.com is the single best resource for Hubbardston Irish genealogy. It documents the McKenna/Roche family narrative in extraordinary detail, tracing the migration path from County Monaghan and County Wexford through western New York to Michigan. The site includes family photographs, gravestone images, and documented family connections.

FamilySearch

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' FamilySearch has digitized records relevant to Hubbardston research:

• Michigan vital records (births, marriages, deaths)
• U.S. Census records (1850-1950)
• Immigration and naturalization records
• Church records from the Diocese of Grand Rapids

Find A Grave

Multiple Hubbardston-area cemeteries are documented on Find A Grave:

• St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery — the primary burial ground for Hubbardston's Irish families since 1884, with older burials moved from the original 1850s cemetery
• Hubbardston Township cemeteries — additional burial sites in North Plains Township

Gravestone inscriptions often include county of origin in Ireland, birth and death dates, and family relationships — invaluable for connecting Michigan families to their Irish roots.

Ancestry.com

Ancestry's databases include Michigan-specific collections:

• Federal census records (1840-1950)
• State vital records
• County histories and biographical sketches
• Military records (Civil War and later)

Physical Archives

Ionia County Records

The Ionia County Clerk's Office and Ionia County Register of Deeds hold:

• Land records and deeds (trace property ownership from original federal patents)
• Probate records
• Marriage licenses
• Court records

Diocese of Grand Rapids

The Archives of the Diocese of Grand Rapids hold sacramental records for St. John the Baptist Parish:

• Baptismal records
• Marriage records
• Death/burial records
• Parish census data

These church records are often more detailed than civil records, particularly for the earliest decades of the parish (1855 onward).

Michigan State Archives

The Michigan State Archives in Lansing hold:

• State census records
• County histories (including the detailed History of Ionia County, Michigan)
• Newspaper collections (including runs of the Hubbardston Advertiser)
• Historical photographs

Research Tips for Hubbardston Families

1. Start with the cemetery. Gravestone inscriptions at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery often include county of origin in Ireland — crucial for tracing the Atlantic crossing.

2. Check the 1860 and 1870 Census. These censuses captured the community at its most Irish — most residents were first-generation immigrants, and the census records their birthplace as "Ireland."

3. Look for the western New York connection. Many Hubbardston Irish spent years in Livingston, Genesee, or Monroe counties in New York before moving to Michigan. Census records from those counties (1850-1860) may show your ancestors.

4. Trace the chain migration. Hubbardston families came in clusters — if you find one family member, look for siblings, cousins, and in-laws who followed.

5. Check Irish records. For County Wexford and County Monaghan origins, the Irish civil registration records (from 1864), Catholic parish registers (from the early 1800s), and Griffith's Valuation (1847-1864) are available through IrishGenealogy.ie and the National Library of Ireland.