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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: mwysocki on Thursday 13 June 13 16:45 BST (UK)
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Hello everyone,
This is my first posting on RootsChat and I am excited, if not a bit overwhelmed...
I am looking for information about my great grandfather, James McCaughan (c1857 - 28 Dec 1898) who lived in Belfast. The death date is a firm one, based on his probated Will. In that Will, it states he had three pieces of property at the time of his death in Belfast: one on Linfield Road, one on McCalven Street, and one on Railway Street. He lived at 2 Spruce Street with his family for years and years. After doing some investigation I found the location of Spruce Street and I'm wondering if he sold that property before his death. (He made his Will 5 days before he died)
My question is this: How do I go about finding records of the three pieces of property his Will states he owned at the time of his death?
Secondarily, family oral history states he was born in Scotland, as was his wife Margaret Lynas. Not sure where in Scotland or how to retrieve emigration documentation from Scotland to Ireland. Any direction on this would be outstanding.
Thanks everyone!
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Hi Welcome to RC!
irish records can be tricky as not a lot available - more coming all the time.
I have found the marriage if you don't have it on Roots ireland:
http://www.rootsireland.ie/
you will need credits to see the full record. this may help if it has fathers names - you could then search SP:
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
for baptisms in scotland.
Diddy
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The Scotland censuses don't have anyone called James McCaughan born c.1857.
jim
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James McCaughan married Margaret Lynas in 1871, might suggest his DOB was earlier than you stated. His father was William, hers was James.
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PRONI will states died 27th December 1898, as does Belfast City Council burial record which can be found here (presumably wife
and 2 children (edited: children not Margaret's) with him?):
https://ssl.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialsearch/BurialSearch.aspx
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mwysocki, just posting some info immediately available, it provides backgound and 'hooks' for people reading your enquiry. Several Children:
Robert:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F5DH-72Y
James:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F5JP-9RL
Charles Henry:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FGNN-FP1
John Lynas:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FGJ7-GJF
Edited to add: BTW "emigration documentation from Scotland to Ireland" isn't worth pursuing, there was regular / continuous undocumented to'ing and fro'ing between Scotland and Ireland on a daily basis...
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WOW - I am unbelievably impressed! I did find their marriage record (thanks Diddy) and yes, James died on 12/27, buried December 29th. James was buried in the same plot as his wife, son and daughter.
Gaffy: Aren't those dates a mystery? The cemetery records state he was 52 when he died, making his DOB somewhere around just around 1846. His marriage record states he was over 21, making his DOB somewhere around 1850. Guess I'll have to find his birth record to resolve the conflict.
I have quite a bit of information on their children, including all the ones you listed, Gaffy.
Thanks everyone... this is so exciting!!!
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Not to detract from your central question about the Belfast properties and the Scottish roots, are you aware that Margaret was killed in a burning accident in 1893?
Edited to add: Just thinking out loud, but why would a linen lapper have several properties, did he come into family money?
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Gaffy: Just learned yesterday about the 3 properties... which raises ALL kinds of questions. I'm trying to chase down the answers to some of those questions - hence the property question. I'm not sure where the money came from... very intriguing.
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I can't see the family in 1901 in Spruce St. but he may never had owned it in the first place.
It wasn't unusual for property owners to rent the one they lived in.
jim
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It should be fairly easy to trace the details of the 3 properties as well as the Spruce St. address and his last residence. See Valuation Revision Books (go up to c1930)-
http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/val12b.htm
There are also some Belfast directories online- see links in Resources-
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,369534.0.html
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Just catching up.On his marriage which states over 21 meant just that,he could have been any age.
Was he a widower?
jim
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Jim - the church marriage record has him as unmarried coming into this marriage. Additionally, he was only 52 years old when he died in 1898.
Thanks for that insight, though.
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Going back couple of years back I was in contact with a lady who was descended from James McCaughan. Lived somewhere if I remember rightly on the west coast of Ireland..
Do you know of any siblings for James McCaughan, his father as stated was William McCaughan, the same name as my 2nd great grandfather, his full name was Wm John McCaughan, believe to have been born in Belfast (1901 census). I have records of some children all baptised at St Anne’s, as yet I have no record of any sibling named James, but I feel there must have been more brothers and sisters. William’s wife was Anne Telford. Believe to have been married around 1842
Any thoughts on this one, also any idea what Williams occupation may have been
Richard
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Hi Richard -
Sorry for my delay in getting back to you, but I'm a teacher and school is just back in session. Unfortunately, genealogy takes a back seat during the school year.
I have found very little additional about James McCaughan's parents or siblings. Irish records are a challenge for me. As far as I know, none of my relatives live on the west coast of Ireland, but there were some on the east coast, near Donaghadee.
Margie
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Hi Margie
Good to hear from you. Yes, I was in touch with a descendent of James and Margaret McCaughan. (nee Lynas), and she was stuck going back further in time. If you want to contact her then look at Genes Reunited as she has a listing on that website.
If James’s father was William McCaughan then there may be a connection as there was only two/three William McCaughan’s in the Belfast area. That would fit in with a particular time frame. My William was married to Anne Telford circa 1842, I believe in Belfast, the children that I have found were all baptized at St Anne’s Belfast. I feel sure there are more to find. On my last visit to Proni, I just ran out of time to look for more siblings, also, to confirm their marriage.
Best of luck on your search
Richard
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Thanks, Richard, for a new and exciting lead! That will be fun to chase down. I'll keep your emails and let you know of anything I find that may work for your part of the tree.
Happy Hunting!
Margie
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Hi Margie. Any more news on your McCaughans? Have been searching for little lot. and nothing to new in all these years.