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Derry folks,

 I could use a little help/advice. My great-grandfather, James Murray was born in Bolie, Faughanvale Parish, Derry, on 26 Oct 1855.  There is some confusion as to his parents –Margaret McLaughlin (b. 1872) and Daniel Murray or William Murray (1827).  On 10 Nov 1874, he married Margaret Connor (b. 1859) – probably from Faughanvale but have not definitively locked that in. The witnesses at the wedding were Pat or Daniel Connor and Matilda Hegarty. They had 4 sons - Edward (b 1876), John (b. 1878), Thomas, (b.1880) and James (b. 1883). Church was St. Mary’s Star of the Sea for marriage and baptism of boys I suspect.

James immigrated alone to the US about 1883, Margaret and the boys joined him in 1884. I never knew him but my dad, uncles and aunts never knew of any of his brothers or sisters either in the USA or Ireland.

Through my genealogical research and some DNA matches, I’ve identified another family who had immigrated to the Philadelphia area (Edward Murray married to Margaret Hegarty) and also possibly a William Murray to the Jamestown, NY area. A lot of help came from the recently released NLI RC Births and Marriages.

Faughanvale Cemetery has a good on line listing of their interred, but I did not locater any related Murrays, and I suspect that there may be a RC cemetery in the area where they may be buried. Any possibility that you know of that would fit the bill?

It appears that all of the Murrays immigrated prior to the 1091 and 1911 censuses, and I do not find much on Derry Murrays in either of those. Griffiths Valuation shows both a William and an Edward in Bolie with land, but in the Tithe Applotment records I can only find William.  

I have also found siblings Henry, Ellen married into Hampson and Hegarty families, and another generation removed a Murray married in to the McIvor/McKeever family. Also my ggreat grandmother was a McLaughlin and I’m sure there are numerous McLaughlin families in the area and I have not done any research or found any information in that regard.

Would appreciate any help or contacts you might know of or be able identify from all of this.  Appreciate your help and thank you in advance.

 

Kevin F. Murray – Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA

 

kemurray

Thursday 16th Jun 2016, 09:06PM

Message Board Replies

  • I searched in the civil records and find that the marriage between James Murray and Margaret Connor appears there on 3rd Jan 1875, regd in Derry city. You might want to have a look at that as the civil records generally contain more information than church ones (at that period). You should get the couples fathers names, occupation and the couples townlands at the time of the marriage.

    You can view the original certificate on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

    https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

    You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

    Dates of births for the children:

    Edward 20.1.1876

    John 28.1.1878

    Thomas 18.5.1880

    James 27.1.1883

    All regd in Limavady

    Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Wednesday 22nd Jun 2016, 05:27PM

  • Elwyn,

    Thanks so much for your information. I'll definitely be following up on the PRONI site and get those records. 

    One aditional thing that I mentioned in the original request was regarding where they might be buried. Being from Bolie, Faughanvale, I checked the records of the Faughanvale Cemetery online and did not find anything of value. Since they were RC is there possibly a catholic cemetery affiliated with the St. Marys Star of the Sea Church, or some other cemetery in the area were there would possibly have been buried? 

    Thanks,

    Kevin Murray

     

    kemurray

    Thursday 23rd Jun 2016, 06:49PM

  • Kevin,

    I don’t know the area well enough to advise on likely burial sites. You could try contacting the parish priest and asking his advice. Can’t see an e-mail for him, so you may have to write. You could also try Derry City council graveyard department. They have good records for burials in their graveyards, though there may be a fee for searching.

    http://www.derrycity.gov.uk/Subsites/cemeteries-(1)/Cemeteries

    Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Friday 24th Jun 2016, 12:52PM

  • Thanks, I'l follow up with the parish and City council.Appreciate the assistance. Plan on making my way to Derry once I have a better handle on all of this, probably another year before that happens.  Thanks again, Kevin

    kemurray

    Wednesday 29th Jun 2016, 10:12PM

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