Looking for Monds/Munns Cousins in Ireland

This summer, I’ll have the good fortune to travel to Ireland again! After visiting in 2017 with my husband, we’re going back and bringing our three kids on their first international trip. We were in Sligo when my husband told me this place was so magical, we must bring the kids someday. Also joining the adventure this year will be my mom, my aunt and my aunt’s husband.

It’ll be my third trip, as I also visited during university in the late 1990s. My mom has been to Ireland once for a few days and only briefly visited Cork, Blarney Castle and Dublin. My aunt (mom’s sister) and uncle have been talking about visiting for a while. After we bought my immediate family’s plane tickets, I gently nudged the others to get theirs.

I’m in full planning mode. While we may split up part of the trip based on differing interests, we have a common goal: we’re really hoping to meet real-life, Irish cousins in person.

Daughters and granddaughter of Gerald Munns — (L-R) Eileen Munns Peters and Margaret (Peggy) Munns Payne Groves are daughters of Gerald Munns. I am on the far right, Erin Payne Johanning, daughter of Peggy.

In 2017, my husband and I met with a researcher at the Co. Sligo Heritage and Genealogy Center, when I received a ton of information on my McGinnis and Munns ancestral lines, both of which came from Co. Sligo. I’ve since done the homework the genealogist “assigned” me for the Monds/Munns side, and think I’m close to finding relatives whose lines did not emigrate.

Munns is my mom and aunt’s maiden name, and we all grew up on the Munns farm in northwest Iowa, US, and the farm is still in our family. We’re among many more Munns descendants here in the Midwest US. My grandpa Gerald Munns (mom’s dad) and his parents (Thomas Jay Munns and Irene Crelly Munns) regularly instilled in all of us that we should be extremely proud of our Irish heritage.

Who I’m Looking For

I’m looking for distant cousins who are also descendants of Edward Monds/Munns and Jane Stuart/Stewart of Co. Sligo. We plan to visit Co. Sligo on our upcoming trip and would love to meet other family members who still live in Sligo or other parts of Ireland!

Here’s some background: Edward Monds/Munns and Jane Stewart were married 23 April 1819 in Drumcliff, Co. Sligo. Marriage witnesses were William McVeerty and James O’West. (It’s possible “McVeerty” is McVitty, and this man is the same William McVitty who had two children marry into the Monds/Munns family, as noted below.)

Edward Munns-Jane Stuart Church Marriage Record-1819 — Edward Munns married Jane Stuart 23 April 1819 in Drumcliff, according to this Church of Ireland marriage record. Details are transcribed as shown in the church record without spelling changes. I received this document from the Co. Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Society.

Edward and Jane had seven children between 1820 and 1833.

John, Thomas, Catherine, Edward: I haven’t been able to locate details on their descendants, if any.
Robert: My third-great grandfather emigrated in 1866 with his wife Ann McVitty Munns and their four children (the oldest, William, was 7 at emigration and is my second-great-grandfather). They had one more son in Illinois, US, in 1869, and Ann died in childbirth or shortly afterward. Robert later remarried and had five more children.
Jane: She married Robert McVitty just seven days before their siblings, Robert Munns and Ann McVitty, married each other. Jane and Robert lived and died in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal., where it appears their children did not have children of their own. One of their daughters emigrated to Illinois to be with her first cousins (children of Robert), but she did not have children.
William: I think this line is where there could still be family in Sligo. (See below.)

Baptismal Records of Edward-Jane Munns Children1 — This transcription of Church of Ireland baptismal records shows the birth and baptismal dates for Edward and Jane Munns first four children: John, Thomas, Catherine and Robert. All were living in Ballinagalliagh townland, Co. Sligo. Details are transcribed as shown in the church record without spelling changes. I received this document from the Co. Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Society.

Baptismal Records of Edward-Jane Munns Children2 — This transcription of Church of Ireland baptismal records shows the birth and baptismal dates for Edward and Jane Munns last three children: William, Edward and Jane. All were living in Ballinagalliagh townland, Co. Sligo. Details are transcribed as shown in the church record without spelling changes. I received this document from the Co. Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Society.

Descendants of William Monds/Munns (1829-1866) and Bessie Munns Monds (1838-1918)

William Monds is the brother of my 3rd great-grandfather Robert. William is my 4th great-uncle. Here’s the info the local Sligo genealogist told me based on her research on William, as well as other details I have located.

Born: 6 July 1829, at Drumcliffe, Co. Sligo
Married: 30 April 1855 to Elizabeth “Bessie” Munns (also her maiden name) at Clooneen, Drumcliff, Co. Sligo
- According to the marriage record: William is listed as Farmer. Bessie is listed as a minor, so she was under age 18. Both are Church of Ireland. Witness 1: James Harvey. Witness 2: Robert Munns. Father of William: Edward Munns, a farmer. Father of Bessie: Robert, a farmer.
- According to his birth date, William was nearly age 26 at the time he married Bessie.

William Munns-Elizabeth Bessie Munns Church Marriage Record-1855 — William Munns married Elizabeth (Bessie) Munns (also her maiden name) on 30 April 1855 in Drumcliff, according to this Church of Ireland marriage record. Both are from Clooneen townland, Co. Sligo. Details are transcribed as shown in the church record without spelling changes. I received this document from the Co. Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Society.

Children: William and Bessie Monds had five children:
- Robert (1856-1928): According to 1901 census, he was a farm servant/helper at Lissadell House. He never married.
- Elizabeth (1858-?): I don’t have additional details on her.
- Anne (1861-?): She emigrated in the 1880s to Massachusetts, US, where she married George Keyes in 1892, in New Bedford. They had two daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth Keyes.
- John (1864-1956): I believe he was in his mid-40s when he married Mary Ann (maiden name unknown) in June 1912 in Co. Sligo. They had two children: John Albert “Bertie” Monds (1917-2014) and Marcella Elizabeth Monds (1919-1924).
- William (1867-1952): At some point, he emigrated to Massachusetts and lived with his niece Elizabeth Keyes. He never married.
Death: William (the father born in 1829) died in 1866, while his wife Bessie was expecting their youngest son, whom she named William. This death happened the same year William’s brother Robert (my third-great-grandfather) emigrated.

Baptismal Records of Wm-Elizabeth Munns Children1 — This transcription of Church of Ireland baptismal records shows the birth and baptismal dates for William and Elizabeth Munns’ first four children: Robert, Elizabeth, Anne and John. All were living in Clooneen townland, Co. Sligo. Details are transcribed as shown in the church record without spelling changes. I received this document from the Co. Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Society.

Wm-Elizabeth Munns child Wm birth record transcription — This transcription of Church of Ireland baptismal records shows the birth and baptismal dates for William and Elizabeth Munns last child, William. The family was living in Clooneen townland, Co. Sligo at the time. Details are transcribed as shown in the church record without spelling changes. I received this document from the Co. Sligo Heritage & Genealogy Society.

Are You Related to Bertie Monds?

So how do all these historical records relate to today? I would really love to know if you are a descendant of any of these other Monds/Munns family members.

Since 2017, I’ve I’ve since discovered quite a bit of additional details online about John Albert “Bertie” Monds, including his death notice/obituary, a Sligo Champion newspaper article about his interesting life, and audio recordings on Irish Life and Lore, where he talks about the origin of the Monds name and his grandparents, William and Bessie.

Bertie would be my second cousin 3 times removed. I am Erin Payne on the slimmed-down family tree below.

Monds-Munns Focused Family Tree — With this focused family tree, I’m trying to locate Monds/Munns descendants who still live in Co. Sligo and other parts of Ireland. I’m “Erin Payne” as noted in the bottom left.

According to Bertie’s obituary, he and his wife Anneta Mona Lyttle Monds (1927-2008) had four children as well as grandchildren. Are you any of those people? If yes, please email me, Erin Payne Johanning.

When my husband and I visited the Drumcliffe church and graveyard in 2017, we were told by the genealogist to look for the Monds name and to enquire at the nearby teahouse. I visited with a nice woman there who told me that Bertie had been living with his daughter around the time of his death, and she had recently moved the house. We saw his gravemarker and wondered if he was tied to my family. It seems that is the case.

John Albert (Bertie) Monds and Anneta (Mona) Lyttle Monds gravestone — Gravestone for John Albert (Bertie) Monds and Anneta (Mona) Lyttle Monds, located at Drumcliff churchyard, Co. Sligo

Bertie Monds_Sligo Champion — Courtesy: Sligo Champion. This photo of Bertie Monds was taken for a 2014 newspaper article on John Albert Monds’ life.

What Happened to Bessie Monds?

To refresh your memory, Bessie Monds became a widow after her husband William died in 1866. She had five children aged 10 and under, including a newborn baby, also named William, who was born after his father passed.

When I visited with the Co. Sligo genealogist, she gave me homework to see if William and Bessie had moved onto the land his brother Robert previously farmed before emigrating in 1866. We don’t believe that happened, as William also died in late 1866.

According to one of the audio recordings on Irish Life and Lore with Bertie Monds, Bessie and her young family were not able to pay rent on the land they rented from the Wynne family landlords. They tried to stay in the small cottage anyway, but eventually, there was a firm eviction. Men came and stomped on the thatch roof so it caved in, forcing the family out into a ditch. Remember that Bessie had a baby and four other children aged 10 and under. Eventually, a kind man who was a neighbor took them in because he felt bad for them.

It was 10 years after the death of her husband William Monds that Bessie remarried in 1876 to Richard Shaw, another surname I’ve seen is common in north Sligo. Together, they had two sons, Samuel (1878-1941, emigrated to Boston, Mass. in 1901 and married there) and Richard (years unknown). In the 1901 and 1911 censuses, though, she was head of the household, and it’s believed her second husband Richard had died. Bessie died 7 February 1918 in Nunstown, Drumcliff, Co. Sligo.

Monds in 1858 Griffith’s Valuation

The Griffith’s Valuation land record books show several Monds/Munns families as Munds in 1855 in Drumcliff, Co. Sligo. See the names below and the records and map that follow.

A William Munds is a tenant on a plot owned by John Wynne in the Clooneen townland. This William Munds is Bertie’s grandfather and my 4th great-uncle.
Just a few minutes’ drive by today’s standards is Ballinagalliagh townland. Robert Munds (my 3rd great grandfather) rented land from Wynne, as did Robert’s father Edward Munds, who had two plots.
There are several other Munds/Monds names in nearby townlands, an Edmund Munds in Cloonmull, Edward Munds in Urlar and Moses Munds in Ballincar. It’s not known how or if these Munds are tied to my family tree.
All of these Munds were tenants of John Wynne except the Urlar-based Edward Munds. His landlord was Sir Robert Gore Booth.

Listing of Co. Sligo townlands where Monds/Munds/Munns names appeared in 1858 Griffiths Valuation

Map of Co. Sligo townlands where Monds/Munds/Munns names appeared in 1858 Griffiths Valuation

Griffiths valuation 1858-Robert Munds-father Edward Munds — This record shows both Robert Munds and his father Edward were tenants of John Wynne in Ballinagalliagh, Co. Sligo, in the 1858 Griffith’s Valuation. This Robert Munds is my 3rd great-grandfather, and Edward is my 4th great-grandfather.

Griffiths valuation 1858-William Munds — This record shows both William Munds as a tenant of John Wynne in Clooneen, Co. Sligo, in the 1858 Griffith’s Valuation. This William Munds is my 4th great uncle.

Edward Monds Urlar — An Edward Monds in Urlar townland in the 1858 Griffith’s Valuation. Unknown if related to me.

Moses Monds 1858 Ballincar Griffiths valuation — A Moses Monds in Ballincar townland in the 1858 Griffith’s Valuation. Unknown if related to me.

Edmund Munns Cloonmull — An Edmund Munds in Urlar townland in the 1858 Griffith’s Valuation. Unknown if related to me.

Contact Me if You’re of Monds/Munns Ancestry!

Again, if you are related to these Monds family lines, please email me, Erin Payne Johanning. I’d love to arrange to meet my Irish cousins when we visit in summer 2020!

~Slainte, EPJ