Hi – I’m Randall McMullan and live in Auckland New Zealand. One branch of my family migrated from Ulster to Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand in 1866/67.
The IGI database records a marriage in The Parish of Ballyscullion on 13 May 1865 between Mary THOMPSON (father Hugh Thompson, mother possibly Malone) and Thomas McMULLIN (father James McMullin, mother not known). The IGI database also lists a son Hugh being born in Bellarghy on 1 April 1966.
This fits with family memories (but no contacts) and stories that the McMullin/McMullan family came from Ballymena - nearby. Mary’s NZ death certificate of 1920 records her birth place as Castledawson. Mary is remembered as being staunch Anglican (Church of Ireland). So it is probably the right family and presumably it was in the Church of St Tida.
Thomas/Mary and infant Hugh migrated to New Zealand together with Mary’s brothers and sisters Jim, Margaret and Elizabeth. They travelled via London on the ship Warrior Queen which provided greater comfort than a sponsored migrant ship, so perhaps the family had enough means to pay their way.
I have been interested to read all about the Bellarghy area and am keen to know of any information about the Thompson family – perhaps of Bellarghy / Castledawson. I haven’t been able been able to find records of Mary’s birth (about 1842) or father Hugh’s marriage.
Also interested to learn further of the McMullin/McMullan family links – likely to be over in the Ballymena area.
McMullan
Tuesday 23rd Apr 2013, 04:22AMMessage Board Replies
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Hi,
Thank you for your message.
Given Mary?s year of birth you will have to look in church records to find her birth record as civil registration only began officially in Ireland in 1864.
Most surviving Church of Ireland records are still held by the local clergy, although some are in the National Archives of Ireland and others are in the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin. Here are their websites: http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ and http://ireland.anglican.org/about/42
Here is a link to a list of Church of Ireland Registers in the Representative Church Body Library, Dublin
http://www.ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/AboutUs/library/parregs.pdf
Lists of these surviving registers can also be found at the National Library of Ireland.
You could also check for record of the family in Griffith's Valuation. This is a property valuation survey carried out in Ireland 1848-1864. http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
Some other websites that may be helpful to you are:
The National Archives of Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/
The National Library of Ireland http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx
The National Archives UK ? genealogy search: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/
The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/family_history.htm
Genealogy Links: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/derry/index.html
Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/browse/
You could also try contacting Derry Genealogy for some assistance however a fee may apply. Here is their email address: genealogy@derrycity.gov.uk
Please be patient - as our programme has only begun to rollout across the island of Ireland and volunteers in some areas may not yet be organized.
Kind regards,
Genealogy Support
Thursday 30th May 2013, 09:26AM