From Carol:
The short version: Mary Ellen got abstracts from the Northern Tipperary Heritage Center of the marriage record of James Nolan, born around 1792 in Ireland, to Bridget Ryan, born around 1800, in the Roman Catholic Church in Borrisokane. The record says Bridget's address was "Bokane" which we take to be an abbreviation for Borrisokane. Per the Irish Tithe Applotment records (the government forced the Irish to pay tithes to the Church of England at one time), there were lots of Ryans living in and near Borrisokane, but very few Nolan families. Mary Ellen also got abstracts of the baptismal records of James (Jr.), my great-great-grandfather, in January 1822; and younger children Darby/Jeremiah, Mary (baptised 3/17/1826); Margaret, and John, born in 1833. Missing is the one for Mary Ellen's ancestor, Thomas, but she's working on it.
The family sailed from Liverpool to NewYork on a ship called the American, arriving on September 14, 1835. According to the handwritten ship's passenger list, baby John died at sea on 9/1/1835. The family settled in or near Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, for the next several years. Children Malachy and Bridget were born and baptised at St. John's Catholic Church in Newark in 1837 and 1839, respectively. It appears Malachy died before 1840. At the time of the 1840 US Census, the family was living in Belleville, Essex County, New Jersey, which is north of Newark. Their last name appears to be "Noram" or Norum" in the transcription of the US Census record, but I'm sure it is the right family. James and Bridget's youngest child William was born there in December 1841 and baptised in St. Peter's Catholic Church. In the same church record book I also found the marriage record of my great-great grandparents, James Jr. and Susan Connolly, on 6/6/1840.
At some point after William's birth, the family moved to Iowa. I don't know how most of the family got from New Jersey to Iowa. James Jr. and Susan's oldest son Thomas reportedly was born in Mobile, Alabama, in December 1842 (though we haven't found his baptismal record yet), which suggests that James and Susan sailed from New Jersey to the southern coast, most probably going on to New Orleans and up the Mississippi River; they lived in Washington County, Missouri, for several years, and their next 3 sons were born there. But I've got no evidence that the rest of the family took that route.
I've picked up what appear to be records of James Nolan/Nowlan Sr. in Iowa as early as 1843. He and his son Thomas bought land in Johnson County in eastern Iowa in what originally was Newport township; it got split up and their land was in Graham and Cedar townships. They were instrumental in the building of the original St. Bridget's Church in that area, which became known as the Nolan Settlement. James Sr. died there in 1870. We believe his wife Bridget may have died the year before, and we think they may be buried in the cemetery around St. Bridget's but there are no records of this. Right before he died, James sold some of his farmland to youngest son William for $1. In his will he left his remaining farmland to his two daughters, Mary Beeson and Margaret Kelly. It appears the Beesons did move up to that land and farmed it for a time. Mary Ann appears to be the only Nolan that we know for sure is buried at St. Bridget's - she died at age 49. We really don't know what became of Margaret at this point. Absalom and one or more of his sons seem to have continued farming the land for a time.
James Jr. and his wife Susan ended up farming in Union township, Johnson County, west of Iowa City. Susan died in 1873 and is buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Iowa City. James remarried; he died in 1905, and his wife Annie died 3 years later. We believe both are buried in St. Joseph's too. Their four sons had all moved away. Both Thomas and William eventually sold off their land and moved away. Jeremiah and his wife Elizabeth had moved to Nebraska not long after they married. By 1889 there were no Nolans left living in the Nolan Settlement.
