Roulston, Wray, Maxwell, Long Families

Hi Charline,

The Donoughmore burial ground referred to in your post is more than likely the one at Donaghmore Church of Ireland which is siutated at Castlefinn, County Donegal.

This link might be of help: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal/donaghmorebmd…

Also:

http://www.geograph.ie/photo/2170364

Hi,

I'm slightly confused and apologize. The spelling and religion are a little baffling to me.

The family was Presbyterian from what I've come to believe all these years.  The Wray family definitely was, but now I'm not sure about the Roulston family from the photo of the church you provided.

The oldest that came to America kept the name Roulston which was the spelling on the trunk my grandfather brought over.  However, Andrew's nephew James came to America and took the name Rollston and I see that spelling in Donegal locations.  My grandfather, Samuel Ellis changed it to Rolston, I tend to believe "Roulston"  is the actual family name.

When I can find the Roulston's, Wray's, Maxwell's, Long's, Kee's, Blackburn's and Baird's together I may be able to finally break down the brick wall. Or, have some concrete confirmation of my gggrandfather, Samuel and Elizabeth and their children as listed in my original message, then I might finally be able to confirm my Roulston side of the family.

Please continue to help as I am quite open to any information possible to help me knock down my brick walls.

I have many pictures and stories that I would love to share with any relative from Ireland.

Hi Charline,

Apologies, but I forgot to mention that there is also a Donaghmore Presbyterian Church at Liscooly, Killygordon!

Different variations of a family name are quite common, especially after emmigration to places such as the USA.

A lot of times, the Americans preferred to spell names phonetically, ie Roulston was changed to Rollston and Gallagher to Gallacher.

For official births, deaths and marriages records for Donegal:

Letterkenny Civil Registration Service, Tirconaill House, (St. Conal's Campus), Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 9.15am-4.30pm (late opening Thursday to 7.30pm)
Phone: 00353 74 9123771 / 00353 74 9123772

Stranorlar/Ballybofey Civil Registration Service, Primary Care Centre, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal
Opening Hours: Monday-Thursday: 09.30am - 5.00pm (late opening Tuesday to 6.00pm), Friday 9.30am-3.30pm (with the exception of afternoons when the Registrar is off-site solemnising weddings)
Contact: 00353 74 9189554

Suggested links:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=csrolpt4shnnc0bcupdv…

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal/Donaghmorepro…

Thank you for this additional informatin.  I appreciate all the help.

Also, a big thank you for this exciting program.  Maybe I can provide some help in return should anyone need assistance looking up information in Connecticut.

Hi Charline,

James Maxwell (son of John Maxwell) and Elizabeth Roulston are my husbands GGgrandparents. Through their son Samuel Richardson Maxwell born July 21, 1844, died May 10, 1915.

I have only seen William mentioned twice in any of my research. Once in a library genealogy book in Waitsfield, VT and once in the Fayston, Vermont records showing he was married to Abby Long and that they moved to New York, he was a hatter from what I gathered. I do not know where they moved to in New York, whether it was to New York City or else where in the state.

I am now wondering Charline if you are charzie2000, if so, we may have contacted each other through ancestry.com.

Gail Maxwell

Charline - I have Roulston's from neaby Ardagh and Treantaghmucklagh in my line. I have visited Donaghmore Presbyterian Church at Liscooley. My Ogilby line have a stone there. I have photographs of all the stones there. Contact me at mustardgeni@gmail.com and we can go from there.

Paul 

Chaline,

My tree has numerous Roulstons from the parish. I'd be happy to share with you? Do you have any links to Bates and Thompson families all from same parish in your tree?

Hi,

Thank you for your post.  Unfortunately, I do not know of how many Roulstons from Donaghmore that are related.  I know that John, my gggrandfather, and his wife Elizabeth Blackburn are buried in the Donaghmore bury ground according to her death announcement.  I am uncertain how many children John's parents Samuel and Elizabeth (nee ?) Roulston had and  who stayed in Ireland.  I know of 6 (5 coming to America and 1 (John) remaining in Ireland) for sure. Of the 12 children that John and Elizabeth had (so I'm told they had 12), I can only account for 2 here in America (my grandfather, Samuel Ellis, and his brother James Rodger).  Other 1st names could be Charles (almost positive), George, William, Thomas, David (?), Herbert, Andrew for boys and girls Elizabeth, Margaret, Martha - but this is just a guessing game as to the remaining family from Ireland.  I was told my father had an uncle Andrew who came to America and headed west never to be heard from again and I found a few Andrew Roulston's out west but again cannot make a connection.

Those coming to America emigrated through Ontario, Canada to Vermont as I was told, but who knows some could have come through Boston or New York.  Since I cannot make any connections it is hard to say.  I've discovered other Roulston and Blackburn marriages and families in Canada.  Not sure if they are related.

Whatever you could share would be most appreciative.  Other family names include, Long, Maxwell, and Wray.  The only Thomspon I have in my tree is a Myron Willie born 1877 in Warren, Vermont.  I did not list his parents as he married Clara Bessie Kathan, daughter of Elijah Kathan and Sarah Boyce (ggrand niece of Samuel Ellis Roulston).  No Bates.

I'll be happy to provide more detailed information relative to the family tree should it be helpful.  Is there anything I can do to assist you in your research? 

Also, I apologize for taking so long in responding.  My mother passed away recently and I had put aside all research until now.

Charline

Hi Thanks for your information re your Roulston Line.

My Earliest Roulston is William (C1813) his son David (1833-1916) m Elizabeth Elliott (1838-87). Children: James Roulston (1865-1961) m??? Wray

I need to do some more tracking... these families remained in Ireland.

regards

Alan

Hi all,

Please see the link for Doaghmore Presbyterian Church on the main Donaghmore page.

Hello Charline,

Thanks and Thanks for your genealogy work and the post.

I am interested in Martha Roulston (b abt 1805, Ireland; d 1868, VT)  who married Thomas Maxwell.

These are my materanl GG Grandparents.  Have you any new information since your post last year?

Their son, Samuel, born 20 SEP 1841  Blairstown, Donegal, Ireland  is my Ggrandfather.  (I have diaries, civil war records, and pictures).

I am very interested in any information you have about Samuel's wife, Sara Long.  I knew she was from Philadelphia, but did not have her father's name.  Do you have anthing else on this line?

Do you have any story for the children of Martha and Thomas (Margaret, Samuel, Matilda)  and ( Robert, Thomas,  and Mary) being forn in Blairstown.    The pattern seems higly unusual.  Also, Samuel was born 20 September 1841.  When in 1841 was Mary born?  twins?

Sincerely,

Dan

Hi Dan,

We've communicated before through Ancestry and since that time have found out some more information.  Do you have the civil war records for Thomas S?  It is quite a story about he was shot and the bullet remained in his head for many years.  When I get my thoughts and facts together, I will post a reply for everyone in case someone else may have more information to share.  Until then I wanted to let you know I saw your post.  

The strange thing is Matilda Maxwell was supposedly my grandfather's first wife, and she was my 1st cousin 1x.  The only indication that Samuel Ellis (Roulston (birth name)) Rollston and Matilda Maxwell (Thomas Sr.'s daughter) were married is on her headstone in Irasville Cemetery, Waitsfield, Vermont because I cannot find any marriage certificate. She was mentioned many times in my grandfather's letters as was Margaret's daughter Marion. They were not married in Ireland as the Thomas Maxwell's family immigration records show the girls as single. 

 I'll send you an Email very soon.

Charline