Gavin Families of Lafayette County 1860 & 1870

In my attempt to tie families back to my Hughes & Hastings I came across a baptism for one of the children of James & Sarah (Hastings) Hughes (with my comments on possible connections):

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (ICCC), Lexington, Missouri Baptismal: Oct 23, 1864; Sponsors: Thomas Gavin [unknown relationship, possibly a cousin to Mom, Sarah?] and Bridget Hastings [Grandmother?/Mom's side]; Edward Hamill

So, that prompts me to go look at the sponsors, and other Gavin families. Are they just neighbors? Kin? or County/Township Countrymen? So here's what I've come up with:

1860 census, Clay twp, Laf, MO (Dennis Gavin Adj)
Thos Gavin, 34, stone mason, Ireland
Mary Gavin, 25, Ireland
Michael Gavin, 2, had ditto (error?, or just in?)
_________________________
1860c Clay twp, Laf, MO
Thos. Gavin, 34, Stone Mason, Ireland
Mary " , 25, f, Ireland
Michael " , 2, m, " (ditto in census)
_________________________
1870 census, Lex, Laf, MO (in bef. 1858?)
Gaven, Thomas, 45, laborer, 450 - , Ireland
           Mary, 40, Ireland
   Michael 12, Margret 10, Thomas 5, Martha 6/12 all MO
>>>>also found in 1860 census, adjacent to Michael Hastings
Patrick Garvin, 30, Ireland
Catherine  "  , 26, Ireland
Mary  "  , 6, Va; Ellen  "  , 4, Iowa
_________________________
fit? 1880 census
Census Place: Lexington, Lafayette, Missouri Page 202B 
Mary GAVIN Self F W W 44 IRE  Occ: Keeping House Fa: IRE Mo: IRE
Bridget GAVIN Dau F S W 22 IRE Occ: Servant Fa: IRE Mo: IRE
Micheal GAVIN Son M S W 21 IRE Occ: Works In Coal Mine Fa: IRE Mo: IRE
Maggie GAVIN Dau F S W 19 MO Occ: At Home Fa: IRE Mo: IRE
Thomas GAVIN Son M S W 15 MO Occ: Works In Coal Mines Fa: IRE Mo: IRE
Mary GAVIN Dau F S W 8 MO Occ: At Home Fa: IRE Mo: IRE
_________________________

Note that Michael was born in Ireland. Based on all of the commonality of Irish names, this may be a stretch, but I found what looks like pretty close fit:

Mayo Ancestors - Official Genealogy records of County Mayo, Ireland

Type                     Baptism Record
First Name               Michael
Surname                  Gavin
Date of Christening      25 July 1858
Denomination             Roman Catholic
Address                  Curveigh Lower  (just 9 miles from my Hastings?)
Parish                   Aghagower Roman Catholic parish
Region                   South Mayo
Father's Name            Thomas Gavin
Mother's Name            Mary Keane
Sponsor 1 - Name         Mathew Keane
Sponsor 2 - Name         Bridget Keane
Reference  2-2 
-----
Which fits pretty closely with his death certificate:
MO Death Cert:
DoB: July 31 , 1858 - Ireland
DoD: Aug 8, 1930 - KCMO
Fa: Thomas Gavin
Mo: Mary Kane
-----
Another tie in to County Mayo may be concluded from the baptismal record of a daughter, Mary:

familysearch.org:
from Missouri, Births and Christenings
Name: Mary Gavin
Gender: Female
Event Type: Christening
Event Date: 17 Dec 1871
Event Place: IMMACULATE CONCEPTION,LEXINGTON,LAFAYETTE,MISSOURI
Birth Date: 12 Dec 1871
Father's Name: Thomas Gavin
Mother's Name: Mary Kane
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C51183-1 , System Origin: Missouri-ODM , GS Film number: 980518
--

spon: Peter Guil/Gill

spon: Mary Gavin ----- The Lexington intelligencer., October 07, 1905, Image 1 About The Lexington intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949 Death of Peter Gill, Died, in this city, Friday morning, at the home of his sister, Mrs. Patrick McDonald, Peter Gill aged 68 years. Mr. Gill was born in County Mayo, Ireland, and at the age of eighteen years came to this country. He had lived here for fifty years. For months he had been an invalid. The funeral services will be held Saturday morning at 9 o'clock at the Catholic church, Rev. Curry officiating Interment will take place in the Catholic cemetery. --- Peter was also witness to a Margaret Hastings (daughter of Michael and Bridget (Stewart) Hastings in 1867 (Lexington ICCC): m: Margaret to Patrick McGril wit: Peter Gill wit: Cate McDonald --- I also believe this is Patrick McGreal's baptism in County Mayo:  Mayo Ancestors http://www.mayoancestors.com/Default.aspx?SID=101699&PID=192156&Type=BI&S=BP 2/17/08 Official Genealogy records of County Mayo, Ireland Type Baptism Record First Name Patrick Surname McGreal Date of Christening 5 July 1842 Denomination Roman Catholic Address Balygolman Parish Aghagower Roman Catholic parish Region South Mayo Father's Name James McGreal Mother's Name Mary McGreal Sponsor 1 - Name John Boland Sponsor 2 - Name Mary McGreal Reference 3-3

-----
I didn't find Bridget in some of the early census, but this seems to fit in as the daughter, which is also interesting in that locating the area in Ireland that a person was born is a very rare find within death certificates:

Missouri D.C.
Mrs. Bridget Gaven Gossett
23rd St., Davis Twp, Higginsville, Lafayette, MO
Widowed: William Gossett deceased
dob: Feb 22nd 1856 - pob: Westport, Ireland (which is nearby the townships noted)
86 yrs, 3 mo, 5 days
dod: May 27, 1942
fa: William [sic?] Gaven/ Ireland
mo: Mary Cain / Ireland
informant: Mr. J. T. Summers, Higginsville, MO
----
So this may fit to her birth:
----
Mayo Ancestors Official Genealogy records of County Mayo, Ireland
  
Heading              Data
Type                 Baptism Record
First Name           Bridget
Surname              Gavin
Date of Birth        24 February 1856
Date of Christening  4 June 1862
Denomination         Roman Catholic
Address              Thonelegee (Curveigh Lower, the next baptism I have guessed about, is 1 mile away, just south of Aghagower and 8 miles East/NE of Derryherbert)
Parish               Aghagower Roman Catholic parish
Region               South Mayo
Father's Name        Thomas Gavin
Mother's Name        Mary Keane
Sponsor 1 - Name     John Keane
Sponsor 2 - Name     Bridget O Brian
-----

Evidence also appears to support that Dennis Gavin was a brother (adjacent to Thomas in 1860 census, and there were only a few Irish families in Clay Township in that census):
----
1860c Clay twp, Laf, MO
Dennis Gavin, 34, Coal Digger, Ireland
Mary " , 24, f, Ireland
Mary " , 5, f, Ind
-----
1870 census Lex, Laf, MO
Garven, Denis, 45, m, laborere, Ireland
  "  , Mary, 32, f, Ireland
  "  , Mary 14, f, Missouri (Indiana in 1860 c!)
  "  , Thomas, 9, m, "
  "  , Patrick, 7, m, " (DoD 1924/MO)
  "  , William, 4, m, " (DoD 1919/MO)
  "  , Rosa, 2/12, f, "
-----

So the conclusion I come to is, even if not blood kin, they appear to be within just a few miles of where I believe my Hastings were in County Mayo so they had something in common. Now if I could only find some descendants that I could compare DNA.....

Slainte'

Michael Hastings Naturalization

As anyone that has done research for early 19th century naturalization records, they can be a frustrating search. They are rare finds, and when you do find them, they can be very pro-forma that don't provide much in the way of details. It was a two step process, an "intent" to be naturalized and then after the statutory time, the naturalization. Michael Hastings' naturalization is shown above. Both of the documents could be found in any number of courts, at any given point of time along an immigrants travels. So even though I found his naturalization document, his "intent" document could be anywhere (any Missouri county that he lived in at the time, or State for that matter), or not survived. I had hoped to have found the initial document as I'm told it may contain more details, but so far in the locales that I've checked I haven't come up with anything. It is gratifying, however, to have seen him go through the formal process and become a U.S. Citizen! His sons would have had to go through the same process, but so far nothing has shown up for them. The one son I did track, Thomas, was in the Civil War, and his honorable service would have shortened the time to have been eligible for naturalization, but he did go through the process before his untimely and tragic death later that year. My paraphrase:

Lafayette County, Missouri Circuit Court Records (LDS film: 959821]
Vol 15, p 479 May Term 1859, 10th Day (June 2)
Thomas Hastings admitted as citizen (native of Ireland)....resided in the U.S. at least 5 years, and in Missouri for at least 1...& to the satisfaction of the court...good moral character...taken prepatory steps required by law....declaring his oath that he will support the constitution...Thomas Hastings admitted

and the notice on his accident, just after he married on November 4th:

Missouri Valley Register, Lexington, Missouri, November 7, 1867
Fatal Accident. - Last Tuesday evening as Mr. Thos. Hastings, was riding  towards home in the west end of this city, his horse became fractious and threw him and his foot being caught in the stirrup, he was dragged a distance of about 300 yards over the rough road. He was taken home in an insensible condition, and died the following morning. Mr. H.had just been married, the day before the accident occurred, and leaves a wife and an afflicted family to mourn his death. Mr. H. was a young man of good qualities, and had served in the 10th Mo. [sic.] Vol. during the late war.
---------
The weekly Caucasian., November 09, 1867, Image 3
HURT - We understand that Mr. Thomas Hastings was thrown from a Texas pony, a day or two since, in this city, and that after he was down the animal set upon him with its fore feet, but which he was severely injured. he is of Adamson's posse.
---
a column over:
---
DEAD - Tom Hastings, alluded to in another place as injured by a horse, died on Wednesday last.

Two other sons may also have naturalizations, but I've been unable to find them, or records of them besides some early references. James, who got off the ship in New Orleans with his Mom and two of his sisters, never shows up after that day in 1855. Peter is identified in the Liverpool Census, and one more record which I'm uncertain whether it is him, or a mis-identified Thomas:

Page 389 of Lafayette County, Missouri Probate Court Records. "In Vacation, February 27^th A.D. 1856; Now at this day comes Walter M. Smallwood and J.M. Julian and files indentures of Apprenticeship entered into between Peter Hastings and his Father Michael Hastings, the said Smallwood and Julian Masters which is approved and filed by me. Edward Stratton, Judge". 

Side note: W. M. Smallwood is shown as a Probate Judge in 1860 census (p565), Lexington, Lafayette, Missouri. I also note, from exactly where I don’t recall, that Julian Masters was an editor. Maybe they were going to apprentice to be newspaper men (printers?). Also it is possible that given middle (baptismal?) and first names could be mixed up. Either Peter was very young (11-13 years old) when he went in on an indenture with his father (not impossible, though), or Thomas' middle name was Peter, which would have been a better age fit (~17). This might not be very far off since, for instance, Michael Hastings obit has his name listed as "Thomas", and Bridget Hastings, his daughter, later on in life was referred to as Anna (Hastings) Wise/Mahany, presumably her middle name.

One of the reasons I point out these details on my own family, is to provide others with ideas of other records that they might not have considered researching. In this latter case of the indenture, it places the family in the county prior to the next record I have, the 1860 census. In that census, Michael is identified as a laborer, and later as a coal miner, so it appears that the indenture didn't develop into a trade. Finding a record of the release of the indenture might be my next order of business...

Happy Tuesday...