I need some advice if there is a way that I can track down marriages for Monroe cty. between 1860 and 1880. I am researching the Gilligan family line. My great grandmother Ellen Gilligan Wagner had 5 sisters that I cannot find any information about them. I believe they were married and listed under a new married name. Her sisters were Winifred (Willie), Mary Ann, Bridget A., Elizabeth and Alice Emily. They were Catholic but I can't find any where that there would be published church records. Any advice?

The LDS church has microfilmed the records for the entire Diocese of Rochester. You can see them in person several places in Rochester or order them to be sent to a Family History Center library for a few dollars. There is an online page for the city marriages (which is helpful but known not to be complete):
http://www.cityofrochester.gov/app.aspx?id=8589936475,

the city directories are online at: http://www3.libraryweb.org/lh.aspx?id=628,
and so is a 19th century newspaper index:
http://www3.libraryweb.org/lh.aspx?id=685

Unfortunately they don't appear in the online index to marriages in the city [http://www.cityofrochester.gov/app.aspx?id=8589936475], but that is not surprising. They could be in the filmed records of the Catholic churches which are available on films either here in the library or through the LDS family history centers. You would have to know what church they attended though as there is no maser index to them all. We have mentioned the online city directories, where you might find the street address.

There also seem to be entries for them in the newspaper index:
http://www.libraryweb.org/~digitized/newsindex/1851-1897/Ind...

And from the following censuses it seems that they were married in that time period 1860-1880. The parent's obits might give the daughters' married names.

This whole group of people does appear in the 1860 census of Rochester City.

1860 United States Federal Census
about John Gilligan
Name: John Gilligan
Age in 1860: 37
Birth Year: abt 1823
Birthplace: Ireland
Home in 1860: Rochester Ward 6, Monroe, New York
Gender: Male
Post Office: Rochester
Household Members:
Name Age
John Gilligan 37
Mary Gilligan 36
Winifred Gilligan 18
Mary Ann Gilligan 17
Joseph J Gilligan 12
Bridget A Gilligan 11
Theresa A Gilligan 10
Elizabeth Gilligan 9
Ellen J Gilligan 7
Alice Gilligan 4
Margaret Gilligan 1.12
Michael T Gilligan 2

and 1870:

1870 United States Federal Census
about John Gilligan
Name: John Gilligan
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1820
Age in 1870: 50
Birthplace: Ireland
Home in 1870: Rochester Ward 6, Monroe, New York
Race: White
Gender: Male
Value of real estate: View image
Post Office: Rochester
Household Members:
Name Age
John Gilligan 50
Mary Gilligan 48
Willie Gilligan 20
Tresa Gilligan 18
Jane Gilligan 16
Alice Gilligan 12
Michael Gilligan 10
Maggie Gilligan 6

and 1880:

1880 United States Federal Census
about Mary Gilligan
Name: Mary Gilligan
Home in 1880: Rochester, Monroe, New York
Age: 57
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1823
Birthplace: Ireland
Relation to Head of Household: Self (Head)
Father's birthplace: Ireland
Mother's birthplace: Ireland
Neighbors: View others on page
Occupation: Keep House
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Gender: Female
Household Members:
Name Age
Mary Gilligan 57
Michael Gilligan 19
Alice Gilligan 20
==============
brother Joseph J Gilligan has this entry in the online marriages:
City of Rochester Archives and Records Center
Historic Marriage Records Research Site Search Results
(Scroll down to see the entire record)
Page Number 21
Date of Marriage 04/03/1877
Husband's First Name JOSEPH
Husband's Middle Name J
Husband's Last Name GILLIGAN
City 44 ST JOSEPH
State NY
Husband's Age 26
Husband's Color W
Husband's Occupation MACHINIST
Husband's Birth Place ROCHESTER
Husband's Birth State NY
Husband's Father's First Name JOHN
Husband's Father's Middle Name
Husband's Father's Last Name GILLIGAN
Husband's Mother's First Name MARY
Husband's Mother's Maiden Name
Husband's Mother's Last Name MADDEN
Husband's Number of Marriages 1
Wife's First Name ALICE
Wife's Middle Name
Wife's Maiden Last Name DUNBAR
Residence/City -
Residence_State -
Wife's Age 25
Wife's Color W
Wife's Birth Place CANADA
Wife's Birth State -
Wife's Father's First Name CYRUS
Wife's Father's Middle Name
Wife's Father's Last Name DUNBAR
Wife's Mother's First Name ELIZABETH
Wife's Mother's Middle Name
Wife's Mother's Maiden Name COWALL
Wife's Number of Marriages 1
Marriage Official's Name ISRIAL FOOTE

GILIGAN, JOHN 6395 1882
GILIGAN, THERESA 3360 1877
GILLIGAN, JOHN 3743 1877
GILLIGAN, MARGARET 4363 1879, appears on

http://mcnygenealogy.com/cem/holy1.htm.

Mrs. Mary Gilligan's obits are not informative at all (died, yesterday at her home...) but her husband John's was more useful:

He was born in Boyle, Roscommon Ireland in 1822. At age 20 her immigrated to Canada, and in 1847 moved to Rochester, where he stayed until his death/ He enlisted in the 140th Regiment of NYSV during the Civil War (Company K), and when he died he left 2 sons and 7 daughters (no names given unfortunately). Burial as from St. Bridget's church. As it turns out the LDS has filmed the records from 1854-1910.

Thanks for the info. They were all Gilligans and not two of Giligans. John who died in 1877 was my 2nd great grandfather and Margaret and Theresa were his daughters.

This is good information. I see you are very helpful to anyone that you can assist. So I have another question. I trust and respect the work that you do. I live two hours away from the closest family research center for the LDS. I live in the rural area of Nettie, WV. I am the only caregiver for an elderly parent so travel at a distance is out of the question. I am wondering with the amount of contacts you must have if you could recommend someone I could hire to reserch the St Bridget's church records for the Gilligan name. I could send them an advance in payment if you felt they were honest and responsible. Thank you.

Tom Wagner

Thank you!

We have an ask a librarian service
(http://www2.libraryweb.org/orgMain.asp?formid=20);
just use that to request us to email you a list of locals people who may be engaged to do research. Many of them belong to the Rochester Genealogical Society and have been using our collection for years. They are very familiar with the resources here.