McMurtrie's from Carrickfergus

Hi Norm

No gold I'm afraid

I could not find a birth/baptism for James or any other first name & surname McMurtrey + surname variants on www.rootsireland.ie/ in any county

PRONI name search (free at http://apps.proni.gov.uk/) has 6 McMurtreys including John & Thomas in Comber Down in the 1775 Dissenters Petition

There are none in the early Irish Censuses or the Tithe Applotments

Griffiths Valuation has 5 - all in Londonderry in 1859

No luck on ancestry or findmypast.ie either.

I assume you've seen the ones on Family Search (free at https://familysearch.org/) from Carrickergus

I assume you've seen this too:

The earliest record of McMurtrys in Ireland is the 1630 Muster Roll for North Antrim.  We find two John McMurterys, a Thomas McMourtry and a Gillaspy McMyrirty all in  Dunluce listed as the Earl of Antrim’s British Tenants.  In 1620 James I created Randall MacDonnell the 1st Earl of Antrim and this Scottish Catholic peer proceeded to populate his Antrim lands in Dunluce with Scottish Highlanders and Lowlanders.  Interestingly, Alexander McMoretery is listed in Cary as one of the Earl of Antrim's British Tenants on his Native lands set aside for Highlanders.

In 1637 John McMurtry leased some land in Co. Antrim for 20 years.  A generation later, in 1667, an Archibald McMurthy is mentioned in a Co. Antrim deed.  In 1669, the Hearth Money Roll Index lists a John McMurtrey in the Scotch Quarter of Carrickfergus and a Gilbert McMurtry in Ballypollard. 

Col 

Col,

Thanks for your efforts but I dont seem to be any closer. Have managed to track all branches of the family since their arrival in Australia, but no luck going the other way.

Warm Regards,

Norm

I have some new information that may lead down some different roads.

The family travelled to Australia on the barque SULTANA which left Plymouth on 6th April 1850 and arrived at Port Adelaide on 25th July of the same year.

The passenger list shows a family of six under the surname of McMurty. The members, and ages were: James (37), Margaret nee Moore(MUIR) (36), John (16), James (14), Thomas (11), and Jenny (infant).

Other indicators put James senior as being born in 1806 putting him at 44yrs during the trip. He possibly dropped his age to pay a lesser payment towards his passage as persons aged between 14 and 40 made a payment of 2 pounds, while the over 40s paid 6 pounds.

The family disembarked at Port Adelaide and immediately walked the 500kms to Culgoa in Victoria.

Any information on how they would have made the journey from Antrim to Plymouth etc. would be appreciated.

Warm Regards,

Norman McMurtrie