A branch of the Munkittrick family came from Ardee in County Louth in Ireland. One member of the family left Ardee and took up residence in Lancashire (Manchester area) in the early 1800s (certainly before 1850).
What I am trying to pin down is which of the Munkittricks it was who moved from Ardee to Lancashire and when this happened. I believe his first name would have been Robert or, maybe, Alexander.
I have done some digging and, as it happens, both Alexander and Robert Munkittrick moved from Ardee to Manchester. They were brothers and the sons of another Robert Munkittrick (born 1786 died 1849) who became a pillar of Ardee society and responsible for much of the location's administration.
Firstly then - Robert. There are many records of him being a 'merchant' in Lancashire and he married Sarah Heap who was a daughter of Samuel Heap - head of a long established family in the Lancashire cotton industry - in 1842 at the Manchester Collegiate Church.
It seems unlikely that Robert could have established himself as a merchant in Manchester and found, courted and wed Sarah in less than 4 to 5 years. This places his arrival in Manchester as about 1837 and well before the 1845 Irish famine.
There are records of Alexander in Manchester which came to a head in 1849 when he sold his house as part of his eventual move to New York and into the insurance industry.
So, it looks as though first to Lancashire was Robert and he was joined by his brother, Alexander, in preparation for the latter's move to USA.
I know there is some conjecture in all this and it would be nice if someone could produce confirmatory evidence.
The first record I have for Robert in Lancashire is in 1842 and is the announcement of his forthcoming marriage to Sarah Heap.
