RC Parish Records - 1830 and before: McWilliams/Costello

Stacie:

I have a resource book, "A Guide to Irish Parish Registers", by Brian Mitchell, which indicates that RC records for Termoneeny begin around 1837.

Roger McDonnell

Roger,

Thank you, that's what I had heard.  This is the most information on any of my Irish lines that I have [I at least know where in the county they are from!]. 

It's looking like I'll never figure out if we're really Irish or Scottish. It's probably just as well, I'm not sure some of my relatives would be able to handle the 'news' if we were really Scottish ;)

Thanks again for the information!

Stacie

I have a no idea if this will be useful, but my 5xs grat grandfather, Richard McWilliam, appeared in Delaware circa 1735-1740 from Ireland according to published histories in the States.  He apparently came to the US with education and money because he attained a prominent position in government almost immediately as Recorder of Deeds for Delaware.  He married two of the most eligible ladies in the community and went on to be Chief Justice in Delaware by the 1760s.  

The earliest record I have found that mentions Richard McWilliam was a document involving the Penn family in the early 1740s. In Delaware he was supported by several powerful men from Derry, including Dr. John Finney and son David Finney.. Dr. John Finney had come to the Colonies circa 1720.  Another one of McWilliam's peers was George Read, whose family also was from Londonderry.

Richard McWilliam was very involved in the Church of England.  It is very possible that he was a great nephew of  a merchant John McWilliams who came to Pennsylvania. John McWilliams left his estate to his brother's children, who appear to have migrated into Antrim after 1710.  Because the earlier person had established himself with Pennsylvania Society, there has been some conjecture that there was a connection to Richard McWilliam.  Unfortunately no proof.  

Richard had two children who survived to adulthood.  His eldest son Richard succeeded his father as Chief Justice of the State of Delaware after his father's death in 1775.  He died, however in his 30s.  Richard's youngest son, Stephen died shortly after the Revolution.  While the McWilliam family attained high office they did support the Colonists .  There was one son William, for which no information in known.  The only relative found in Delaware was a "brother in law" William Spencer, whose family had been in Delaware for several generations.  

Some time in the 1750s, Richard McWilliam built an estate outside of New Castle called "Spring Garden" ...supposedly after his ancestral home.  I have found no estate called Spring Garden in existance in 1700 in Ireland, though there was a later "Spring Garden Estate" in Galway  

I believe that there is a strong possibility that my ancestor descended from one of these families that went back and forth from England to Ireland as Richard McWilliam may have been educated in London at one of the Inns.  To date I have found no record but he practiced law.  It it remarkable to me that a person with such privilege left so little information about his Ancestral heritage.  I have looked at the McWilliam Burke lines....I have also found an earlier 17th century mention of a Richard McWilliam of Iffa and Offa...which I believe is in Tipperary?  I have no idea whether this is my line or not.

Any information that could help me identify early records that could lead to discovery, would be greatly appreciated. I have wondered if later family might have followed that we have not acknowledged.  The number of officials in early Delaware from Londonderry is significant.  It seems that some were related at the time.

Thanks so much!!

Bev W

Hi Stacie, I have been looking at the Termoneeny parish records from 1837 on the National Library of Ireland website NLI. I have seen some McWilliams but can’t tell you many details as I was not looking for that name specifically, but it did crop up. In my notes I have written that Margaret McWilliams was a sponsor at a baptism in January 1838 and Mary was also a sponsor in June 1838. Maybe if you look around this time the name you are looking for will appear. These were Broagh baptisms as that is where my people are from. Hope this helps somewhat. Lisa