Irish Immigrant Murdered in USA 1832, Goes Back to Ireland for Reburial

In 1832 the widowed 29-year old Catharine Burns left Tyrone Ireland for America. 

A few weeks after her arrival she was murdered along with  other Irish Catholics at Duffy's Cut in Pennsylvania. 

Many of the dead died of cholera but evidence suggests that some were murdered. Blunt force trauma and axe wounds were determined to be the murder victims cause of death.

Prejudice against the Irish may have been the cause of the attacks.

Catharine's bones were recently discovered and she will be flown back to Ireland for reburial. Sadly her relatives have not been found and all that is known of her is that her father-in-law was John Burns, born circa 1758. He was on the ship with Catharine heading for America in 1832.

Read more on BBC News at Duffy's Cut: Irish emigrants' plight highlighted as murder victim returned home

Featured Database: Irish Valuation Revision Books 1864-1933

Today's featured database is the Irish Valuation Revision Books  at PRONI (Public Records Office of Northern Ireland) covering counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone between the years 1864 to 1933.

In total, c.3,900 volumes were digitally captured, with over 440,000 images now available to view online.

As of this blog post, the books are only searchable by placename, and there are still 41 volumes to be scanned. 

Genealogists with Northern Ireland ancestors will want to take a look at these Valuation Revision Books.