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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Derry (Londonderry) => Topic started by: lucy34 on Monday 14 June 10 22:01 BST (UK)
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Hi, I'm fairly new to this and am struggling a bit with where to go next so hope you can maybe give me a push in the right direction ;)
I am trying to find out more about my mothers fathers side of the family, my grandfather. I think I have him living in the same house in Keely, Aghadowey where my mother grew up thanks to the 1911 census, it includes two older siblings known to my mum. My grandfather was born in 1913, James McKergan. His father appears to be James McKergan also and was married to a Mary Magee. My problem is my mum believes her fathers mother to be Anna Piper who I can find no trace of? I'm assuming a second marraige? She also believes these McKergans to be from Ballymoney of which I can only find name variants, McKirgan and Kirgan.
Any hints as to how to find a connection would be greatly appreciated,
Sincerely,
Lucy :)
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Welcome to Rootschat, Lucy. I may have some information on your family but have to find the file those notes would be in so I'll post again later to let you know whether or not I can give you more details.
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Thats great news, thankyou, anything at all to get me going, there are 4 children we know of, Thomas, Annabella, James (grandfather) and John, all McKergan.
Thanks again :))
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Here's a bit to start with-
Annie McKirgan, servant, Managher, daughter of Thomas McKirgan (labourer), married 31 Dec.1904 at Coleraine Registry Office to William Pyper, labourer, Knockaduff, son of William Pyper (farmer). They had at least 5 sons (younger ones might still be alive so I'll not list them here).
Also, John McKirgan married Fanny Wallace and had at least 3 sons, one of whom had Pyper as a middle name (again, could still be alive).
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sounds good, could be the Pypers I'm looking for, will do a bit more investigating and understand why you can't name the younger siblings ;) Thankyou :)
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Have split your posts from the other McKergan thread on Antrim board an moved this thread to Co. Londonderry/Derry board.
Mary Magee m.1906 Co.Derry to James McKirgen.
1901 census James' family is in Drumaduan townland (near Coleraine)-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Knockantern/Drumaduan/1519423/
Also in 1901 census is the Magee family (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/results.jsp?census_year=1901&surname=magee&firstname=&county=&townland=keely&ded=&age=&sex=&search=Search&relationToHead=&religion=&education=&occupation=&marriageStatus=&birthplace=&language=&deafdumb=&marriageYears=&childrenBorn=&childrenLiving=) in Keely (it's possible that James came to work in Aghadowey, met Mary and stayed in Keely for a while). There was, I think, another daughter Margaret "Maggie" not listed with the family- she was born c1889.
Both Carrie (Caroline) and Maggie went to Collins School- can't see Mary in school register but perhaps she went to Cullycapple School in the other direction (it would have been a girls school until 1890s) or even Aghadowey School.
Also at Collins School were the McKergan boys-
-Tom McKergan, Keely, born 16 Jan.1908 entered 13 Dec.1919 (doesn't say what school he'd attended earlier), Presbyterian, father labourer.
-James McKergan, Culdrum, entered 17 Nov.1919 age 5, Presbyterian, father labourer.
There's also a McKergan boy from Culdrum (Church of Ireland) who started at Collins School in 1923.
It's possible the McKergans had moved to Culdrum in or before 1919 but that Tom, the eldest boy, stayed in Keely with relatives.
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Thankyou so much :) I can now see the link via James aged 17, then in Keely. At least I know I am following the right family. I have a good bit of the maternal side of the family so it is now good to be on the right track for the paternal side.
I will post any significant finds, thanks again for your insight :)
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Hi, just an update. The mystery of Anna Pyper seems to be resolved thanks to one of your earlier posts ;)
I got my grandfathers long birth certificate and Mary Magee was his mother, much to my mums surprise. She spoke again to her older reletive who remembered who they called granny pyper having to take them somewhere when something happened so assumed she was their granny. We have decided this must have actually been the aunt Annie who married William Pyper. Mary Magee must have passed before they where born and was never known to any of them.
I have been told a few of my Uncles and Aunts are buried in St Marys, Aghadowey so am going to jump on my motorbike and head over there shortly to have a look around and hopefully/possibly find Mary buried there, hopefully James senior aswell?
Thankyou again, without your help I might still be struggling and having doubts...
Lucy :)
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Do you mean the Magees are buried at the chapel? I don't recall a headstone there but since it's not a name I was looking for I might not have remembered a stone.
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I'm not sure to be honest? I'm assuming she would be buried as a McKirgan but I will be looking out for Magees aswell, will let you know what I find ;)
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The McKergans were Church of Ireland but John Magee was R.C. so I would think McKergans are buried at St. Guaire's (C. of I.) in Aghadowey townland while the Magees could be at St. Mary's (Cullycapple Rd.).
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ok thankyou, I will go to both :)
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I never was good at going anywhere myself without getting lost lol but to cut a long story short I took a left instead of a right and a right instead of a left and found myself at Ballygallon church in which I found releatives :)) I didn't have much time but found Thomas McKirgan c.1908 (My grandfathers eldest brother) along with his wife and beside him, Mervyn James McKirgan, possibly a son. I have been assured their father is there somewhere by a family member so will be returning for a proper scout around. I also had a quick look around the initial Ballygallon graveyard further up the road, beautiful!
In St.Guires my Uncle, Aunts and cousin. In St.Marys I found Pypers. I have yet to find any Magees.
I plan to visit a church near Castleroe which an uncle was known to attend as a child and Coleraine cemetary where I know my Granny and Granda are intered.....
till then... :))
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Think you ended up at Ballylaggan Reformed Presbyterian Church? There's a headstone for Thomas McKirgan died 7 June 1974 aged 66 years there (gravestones were recorded a number of years ago and there might be more recent names on the stone).
Surprised you found Pypers buried in the chapel graveyard since most of them belonged to Crossgar Presbyterian Church (there was a plot but no headstone last I looked).
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lol sorry, yep, Ballylaggan ;) James stone now includes 'also his wife JEAN died 20th June 2005, aged 91 years.
As for the Pyper headstone, there was no name outside the chapel and I reversed back down the cullycapple road when leaving so if there is another on that road I have missed it? The headstone reads 'In loving memory of a dear husband and father ARCHIE PYPER died 2nd September 1970 also his loving wife ELLEN died 25th August 1993'
These names mean nothing to me yet.
I have seen the headstone for my cousin John recorded online but it now includes his father and mother (my Uncle and Aunt) reading 'Also STEWART, a dear husband, father and grandfather, died 29th January 2003, aged 65 years and FLORENCE, a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, died 27th October 2004 aged 67 years.'
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hi just saw you post now wondering did you find out any more on the pypers as i have been tracing my mums side of the family her father was daniel pyper from crindle in derry his father was john and john's father was william