Articles from the United States of America
Qualtroughs in Barnstable County Cape Cod, Mass. U.S.A.
This article is compiled as a memorial to a small family of QUALTROUGHS who lived for a very short time in Dennis, Barnstable County, Cape Cod, Mass, USA.
Let us first establish where Dennis is located. As you can see on the map the thin loop of land, known as Cape Cod, juts out into the Atlantic ocean like a great arm. Much like the Isle of Man (except it is not an Island, of course) it is bound by the sea on both sides and its narrowness would allow one to believe that one was at home on the Island. (See map 1)
Map 1
It seems that a few Manx made their way to this part of the world in the 1820’s or 1830’s as part of the process of emigration to new lands.
William QUALTROUGH (parentage unknown at this time) was in Dennis in the early 1830’s. It is not known how or when he arrived, whether he went there directly from the Isle of Man, or perhaps went elsewhere in the USA or Canada first. However, records in Dennis show that on 25 December 1833, he and Anne KELLEY ( more than likely from the Isle of Man also) filed their marriage intentions. On 9 January, 1834, they were married by Rev Davis Lothrop in Dennis.
Click on Maps for larger image.
Map 2
William and Ann had two children:
Abigail K Qualtrough born 12 April 1835
Margaret Qualtrough born 14 October 1837
It seems life did not look to kindly on this family here in Barnstable County. William Qualtrough died only a year or so after the birth of Margaret, on 27 December 1838 in Dennis. On the death records is recorded he was born in Fayal. It is assumed that this is a place or property on the Isle of Man, but at this point in time it is not known where.
There are properties called Ballafayle in the parishes of Maughold and Bride in the north of the Island. However as most Qualtroughs came from the south of the Island, and there appear to be no William Qualtroughs born in either on these parishes in the late 1700s or early 1800s, it is deemed unlikely that he is from either of these areas.
Margaret Qualtrough, his daughter, died on 12 December 1859 in West Harwich and is buried in Dennisport , (see map 2) with members of the Joseph family, the family into whom her mother, Ann Kelley/Qualtrough, married into after William’s death. (See below). Margaret had consumption.Abigail K Qualtrough, William’s eldest daughter, and Joseph M Edwards filed their intentions to marry on 22 November 1853. There appear to be no children and Abby, as she became known, died on 12 February 1865 or 1866,
The girl’s mother, Ann (Kelley) Qualtrough remarried in 1842 to Francis JOSEPH of Dennis.
This small family sketch is to give them some part in our Qualtrough family endeavour. There appear to be no descendants but by their short lives being recorded here, they cannot be forgotton.
Research is being undertaken to establish the parentage of William Qualtrough on the Isle of Man. It may not be possible to do so, through lack of information, however a genealogist never gives up till all avenues are exhausted.
Submitted by Elizabeth Feisst, Bundaberg, Australia. Email
February 2001