I'm seeking information on James Stewart McDowell (b.1828 in Mullan) who married Martha McDowell (b.1828 Drummuck) in Aghadowey in 1854. I've found seven children Hugh b.??, George b.??, John b.??, Jane b.1862, Elizabeth b.1865, Samuel b.1870 and William James Stewart b. 1860. All were born in Aghadowey except Elizabeth who was born in Ballynakelly. They were presbytarian. I am directly decended from William James Stewart McDowell. Both James Stewart and Martha died in Aghadowey in 1895 and 1892 respectively.
James father may have been a James McDowell. I have found a James McDowell who married a Jane Stewart who I'm wondering whether they were related - this James McDowell died in Coleraine in 1887.
Can anybody help with any information? Particularly with information about any children James Stewart McDowell had, and any informaton about his parents and other ancestors? This is one of my big road blocks, and any help would be much appreciated!
Thursday 24th Apr 2014, 08:02AM
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Dear mellie
As you can see from the link below, Aghadowey is a Civil Parish in Derry:
Records for the corresponding Roman Catholic Parish of Coleraine begin in 1848 while there are no pre-1870 entries for Church of Ireland records. Presbyterian records begin in 1855 for baptisms and 1845 for marriages. You seem to have already found a great deal about the McDowell family. You should be able to find out more about the descendants of James and Jane and indeed their parents from the civil records. Have you already tried the sites suggested below?
There are some places where you can search online, however these websites do not have complete collections and many do not cover the period after 1900:
www.familysearch.org has a huge database of genealogical records including some church records for Ireland.
www.rootsireland.ie have a large collection of Irish Church records, however you have to pay to use this site.
http://www.ancestryireland.com/ website of the Ulster Historical Foundation
Other important sources include the Tithe Applotment Books and Griffith?s Valuation. Even though these sources only record the head of the household, the information is very important and can be valuable:
Tithe Applotment Books (1823-1837): http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/index.jsp
Griffith?s Valuation (1847-1864): http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
The National Archives of Ireland: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/ you can search the 1901/1911 Census on the National Archives page too, for instances of the family name at that time. There are 100 McDowell entries in 1901:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/results.jsp?census_year=19…;
Remember to post any new information that you find here. The more information you post, the more likely it is that one of our volunteers will be able to advise or assist you. Also include information concerning which sources you may have already used so others may further your search.
Best of luck with your search
Clare Doyle
Genealogy Support
Friday 25th Apr 2014, 12:19PM