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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: Carol Mack on Sunday 22 January 06 20:55 GMT (UK)
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I am looking for any McVitty (McVittie/McVityMcAvity etc.etc.) information especially if there is a connection to Co.Donegal in Ireland pre.1800. Its a shot in the dark but you never know!!
I did a search for McVitty on the IGI and the majority of the names came from Dumfries. Is this a common name in these parts?
Any help very welcome,
Carol.
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Dear Carol,
Having only just found this site its taking me a while to have a look at all the posts that interest me.
I too am looking for early McVitties in Ireland and have got back to an Elliot McVittie born in 1778 in Clones, County Monaghan. He was a weaver and later became a long serving soldier in the Royal Irish Artillary and North Cork Malitia. Clones on the boarder of Monaghan and Fermanagh is not too far from Donegal and your area of search, maybe this small bit of info will help in your quest.
I would be pleased to hear more from you and share any little info I have with you,
I look forward to hearing from you,
James McVittie
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This site may help:
http://www.mcvittie.co.uk/
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Thanks Walter,
I know this site well but only deals with the Scottish McVitties and my lot very definitely have Irish roots. Fermoy, Clones and Dublin are locations that pop up, never Scotland. Certainly if one goes far enough back you may find the cross over but my earliest man only goes back to around 1800 called Elliot and married someone called Blake!
Not much to go on but am always hopeful.
Thanks again for your post,
James McVittie
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Thought you might find these interesting! I found them when I was looking for my lost relatives! 1848 births, Mouswald, Dumfriesshire
McVitie/James natural son of Mary McVitie born 1 October 1847. the mother was ( unreadable, looks like sponsor ? ?) the father having left the country.
Mary natural daughter of William McVitie & Grace McMillan born 14 january 1848.
I,m sure I have seen the name McVitie on other searches I have done in Dumfriesshire
akc
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Hi again, just had a quick look on ancestry.com and there are a lot of McVittie,s in the Dumfries area
akc
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My 2x grandfather Archibald Graham b.1834 was married to Isabella Jackson b.1835, her uncle David Jackson was married to Isabella McVittie b.1810 in Langholm.
They had at least six children all born in Langholm and Ewes, Dumfriesshire.
The website quoted by walterC, http://www.mcvittie.co.uk/ lists them
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Hello everyone,
What a lovely surprise to find this flurry of interest in Mcvitty!
I have always been led to believe that the McVitties came from the border or lowlands of Scotland and that the name derived from Beattie, certainly in Ulster. I think they were Border Rievers who fled to Ulster.
I was born in Donegal in the parish of Drumholm so I therefore concentrate on Ulster McVitties, many of whom emigrated to Canada. I have studied the Muster Rolls for Donegal for 1690, not a McVitty to be seen although there was one at the Boyne and at Waterloo. The earliest I can find is Co.Cavan Muster Rolls 1680 (I think) where there are 4 Mawhittie men. James, Monaghan and Cavan are also very close! I will contact you by email and pass on my information if you would like it.
Does anyone know if Hamilton is a Dumfries name? The Hamiltons were granted lands in Donegal and Cavan. There may be link.
Regards,
Carol
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Hi Carole,
Great to hear from an Irish McVittie! I would be delighted to have any info you have on McVittis from your neck of the woods. I recently came across a reference Published in Angol-Celt in Cavan, county Cavan on the 9th Novemebr 1849 " Oct. 31, at Rockfield House, county Monaghan, the lady of John T. M. VITTIE, Esq., of a son." and a marriage ; "In Rostrevor Church, on the 17th instant, Sanford M'VITTIE LLOYD, Esq., M.D., staff surgeon, to Marian, elcest (sic) daughter of the late Dr. CURRIE, of Ballyconnell, county Cavan"
I am looking for McVitties in Clones, Co. Monaghan and in particular an Elliot McVittie who married a Blake!
Anything at all for these folks around the 1750 would be grand!
I look forward to hearing from you,
With very best wishes,
James McVittie
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Hi to possible relatives!
I've been so busy for so long I'd even forgotten I'd already registered on this site.
One of the things I've done is to move to Northern Ireland. ;D
My mother's family (Bamford) come from Fermanagh, but I have not yet been able to trace my grandfather, James Presley McVitty's origins. He could have been from Fermanagh, Monaghan, Cavan or Tyrone.
The spicy family story is that he was a commercial traveller, aged 29, and my grandmother a girl of 18, when they went off to Dublin to get married by special licence. I suspect her parents were not happy about the relationship. My grandfather did become a most respected businessman, with a very profitable business in Scotch Street, Armagh, so maybe they came to terms with it. :) There they lived in a house called Woodford. This was after 1912.
They were living in Clones, in a house called Greenbank, when most, if not all, of the children were born: Gerald Sidney, Dorothy Lillian, William James Denis, Laura Presley (my mother), and James. All are now deceased - hardly surprising when you think that my mother, the second youngest, was born in 1908.
I had also heard, Carol, that McVitty derives from Beattie, and interestingly enough, my mother used to talk about cousins with the surname Beattie.
At least two of my great-uncles moved to Ontario, possibly three: Reverend S.R. McVitty (the S could be for Samuel) seems to have arrived on the Virginian in 1908, and was principal of the Mount Elgin school at Muncie, Ontario for many years. In his death record I see a name for his "brother", another Reverend: William McVitty. This is the one I know nothing about. The third was William Bamford, who worked on the farm at Mount Elgin for a while before branching out on his own.
I have become very intrigued by the McVittys, as they are so difficult to find. I'm quite surprised I haven't found more about my grandfather, as he was a justice of the peace as well, and even today is remembered by people in Armagh. He died during the war - I don't have the date to hand.
If any of these names ring a bell, particularly Canadian connections, I would love to hear from you. My son now lives in Ontario, but I have not had a chance to visit since I found out about great-uncle S.R. or the two Williams, for that matter. I do have more names, but I yakked enough for now.
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Wow!
Hi Carol. Any chance you might direct me to where I can get copies of the muster rolls in Cavan you were speaking about.? My MAVITY family has an oral tradition that say's we had an ancestor at the Boyne. There is no officer listed in the regiments with any variation of the name that were at the Boyne, but in 1708 there is listed an Alexander MacWattie, who I'm guessing was a foot soldier in the regiment in 1690.
My earliest ancestors are Robert and Margaret Morton Mavity. They had a son William born Nov. 4th 1747. The only place I find Mortons and Mavity's together is in Kinawley Parish at that time frame. I believe Kinawley is in Cavan and Fermanagh.
I have also done extensive DNA testing that tells me that my early ancestors came from Dumfriesshire Scotland with the names of Glendinning, Elliot and MacGregor. Putting a common ancestor with them at 98% around 1590.
DNA shows that my ancestors are closer to these family names than the McVitties or Beatties, which I find strange. But, I'm sure there were many reasons to change names or identities back then!
Thanks
EDIT: I found the records. It is the 1630 Cavan Muster Rolls and lists Thomas Maywitie under Sir Francis Hamilton - Knight & baronet, undertaker of 3000 Acres - his Men & Arms
Barony de Tulknock
And John, James, and Nathanial Mawitie under Sir Francis Hamilton - his Men & Arms
Brian Mavity
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Hi Carol,
I'm in Canada on holiday and had a notification you'd sent me a message.
I feel a bit dim because I can't find how to reply to you directly, so I hope you see this. :P
There was a large family of Buford's in Fermanagh, so it is quite likely the one in the Fusiliers was one of mine. :)
When I get home I intend to check the Public Records Office in Belfast; something I've been intending to do for ages.
I will then tell you what I find.
I went to St Thomas in Ontario a week ago and found some very interesting info on my great uncle Reverend Samuel McVitty, who was principal of Mount Elgin Industrial School for many years.
What fascinated me most was that he and his brother my grandfather James, each gave one of their daughters the identical name: Laura Presley McVitty, and one was my mother.
How weird is that? I am sure my late mother didn't know, because she would have mentioned it.
The Canadian Laura was seven years older than my mother, and died in 1939, aged only 38.
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Hi Carol,
I am using an old laptop that is driving me crazy with its bad keyboard.
Just spotted "Bufords" ???
Supposed to be Bamfords, of course.