RootsChat.Com

FYI the John H. Bullick who is mentioned above as born in 1902 died in Scotland in 1992; his youngest son, John Bullick, has taken an ancestry.com DNA test and matches both my father's sister and me with one DNA segment (21 centimorgans).  My late father and I (and my aunt) are descendants of the McCunn family -- Irene May (McCunn) Bullick (1869-1957) was a 2nd cousin of my great great grandmother, Eliza Jane (Ray) Cochran whose mother was Jane (McCunn) Ray from Faughanvale parish, County Londonderry.

Richard M. Cochran, Big Rapids, Michigan

Just wondering how these fit into your family tree-- I have an autosomal genetic link to a descendant of this Samuel Irwin -- made interesting because there is a Sarah Coughran listed in the 1831 census in the townland of Leeke, Bovevagh parish, living next to Oliver Pollock (1762- 3 Dec 1839, buried in Largy Presbyterian Church cemetery) who appears to be part of the Pollock family that sponsored my great great great grandmother Cochrane's transit to America in 1851. 

Is John Oliver Irwin, son of John Irwin, Sr. related to the following Samuel???
Samuel's sister, Martha Irwin (May 1829-16 Nov 1901 - died in Philadelphia) was married to Joseph Irwin, son of James Irwin at Scrigan Presbyterian Church on 7 Sep 1852; marriage record shows both Joseph and Martha claimed Derryork as their residence in 1852.

from Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Beers, 1903, pp. 1262-3:

SAMUEL IRWIN, a well-known and highly respected citizen of Christiana, is a self-made man, one who by his own efforts has won his way to a position of responsibility, with the great Pennsylvania railroad system.

Samuel Irwin was born in County Derry, Ireland, Nov. 9, 1833, son of John and Martha (Fleming) Irwin, farming people of County Derry, where their whole lives were passed, the father dying in 1867, in his ninety-third year. The mother passed away before her son left home, in 1848, at the age of sixty years. Of his grandparents Samuel Irwin only recalls that his paternal grandfather fell a victim of smallpox. The children born to John Irwin and wife were: William, James and John, who died in Ireland; Nancy J., who (first) married Thomas Culverson, and (second) William Hutton, and died in Philadelphia; Mary (deceased), who married Alexander Hutton: Martha, who married Joseph Irwin (no relation), and Samuel.

Samuel Irwin came from his native country to America in 1852, and located in Philadelphia, where he followed weaving for five years. He had also been a farmer in Ireland. Desiring to resume his old occupation, he removed to Lancaster county and remained for eitht years, on a farm in Sadsbury township, leaving there to enter the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, his first work being on the track. This necessitated a removal to Christiana. Soon his business ability was recognized, and he was made foreman of a track crew on the Christiana division, remaining for twenty-five years in that position, attentive to every detail of the work, and esteemed by his employers. His work included attention to signals, and so reliable was Mr. Irwin that when a serious illness attacked him he was sadly missed. Since 1895 he has had charge of the electric signals, a position of great responsibility.

Samuel Irwin was married, Feb. 4, 1854, in Philadelphia, to Matilda Seaton, and children as follows were born to this union: Martha J., who married Gus. Skillman, lives in Philadelphia, and has two children; Rachel, at home; John H., who is track foreman on the Pennsylvania railroad at Pomeroy, married Isabella Knox, and has ten children; Margaret, who married Isaac Williams, lives in Philadelphia; Samuel J. B., who married Sadie Carlin, is the shipping clerk of the Brayburn steel works; William S., who is foreman on the N. H. & H. Railroad, at West Dale, Mass., married Jean Bowland, and they have three children; Charles F., who married Amy Skillman, is a railroad foreman on the Pennsylvania line, and they have three children.
 
Mrs. Irwin was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, and passed away at her home Feb. 18, 1900, at the age of sixty-five years. She was buried in Atglen, Pa. She came to America when she was eighteen years old, and was a daughter of John and Matilda (McKay) Seaton, both of whom spent their days in Ireland.

The honorable positions to which Mr. Irwin has attained, and the esteem in which he is held, may be explained in one way, when it is stated that neither he nor his sons use either tobacco or drink. Their lives are hard-working and law-abiding, and all have become excellent types of American citizenship, and represent the class from which this great country has drawn her noblest and most exalted citizens.

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Thank you! 

Richard Cochran
Big Rapids, Michigan

Regarding the Robert Cochran(e) of Leck that Aghadowey mentioned in the 1831 census.  He leased 28 acres of land (see Griffith's Valuation and Valuation Revision records) in Leck and died there May 20, 1872, aged 70 (born ca. 1801/02).  Interestingly, the Y-DNA results (111 markers) of Robert's great great grandson who currently lives in Coleraine are just in and he shows a genetic distance of 1 (gd=1) to a great great great grandson (residing in Colorado) of another Robert Cochran(e) of Burren More, Dunboe Parish (1805-1888) who immigrated to America in the late 1830's. 

My Cochrane ancestors were settled in the townlands immediately south of the River Roe from Limavady (Moys, Deer Park, Ballymore) by the year 1805 but in 1921 a relative of ours visited Limavady and learned from old cousins that the family originally came from the "Macosquin district."   One of our Limavady relatives, Margaret Ann Cochrane (1850-1920) married Robert Pollock of Leck and both died there. 

The DNA test results of Robert Cochrane's great great grandson shows he has a genetic distance of 3  compared to members of my Limavady relatives -- a bit more remote than our Colorado cousin, but all it does mean we are all descended from the same eastern-County Londonderry Cochrane clan.

Richard Cochran, Big Rapids, Michigan

About John McFarland and his possible link to Robert McFarland who is listed in the 1831 census at Broharris.  It's certainly plausible that John was Robert's son -- John McFarland was the lease holder at parcel #9 in Broharris Townland in the Valuation Revision book of 1860-1863 -- with a note that this 39 acre parcel passed to John Atkinson in 1862 (suggesting that John McFarland either died or moved away).  One additional tidbit -- The October 28, 1833 (page 2) issue of the Northern Whig newspaper carried notice of this marriage:  "On the 15th inst. by the Rev. Richard Dill, Mr. James Cochrane, of Ballykelly, to Esther, eldest daughter of Mr. Robert McFarland, of Ballyspallan, in the County of Londonderry."  I believe this marriage may pertain to this family ("Esther" being a sister of the John McFarland you are interested in.  Also, I have traced the family of James Cochrane b. ca. 1809/1810 and his wife Matilda McFarland who had nine children, the first of whom was baptized in the 1st Limavady Church on 1 Sep 1834 -- this family immigrated to Philadelphia where Matilda (b. ca. 1808) died 14 Oct 1895.  James Cochrane died 18 Mar 1897.  One of their sons was named Robert.  Cheers!  Richard Cochran, Big Rapids, Michigan

I recently found an autosomal DNA match with "66northstar" who writes me "My Great Great Grandfather emigrated from County Londonderry to Canada in 1833. His name was Robert King and he came from Dungiven. He was born 1813 in County Londonderry and died 3 Jan 1880, North Augusta, Ontario, Canada. His father is also believed to be Robert King, born 1788 in County Londonderry. His wife was Margaret Wellington and born 21 Jun 1812, County Londonderry (probably Londonderry City). She died 31 Oct 1845, North Augusta, Ontario, Canada."

I, too, notice there was a Robert King living at Moyes -- there's no Robert at Dungiven shown in the 1831 census as far as I can see.  Kicker for me is that Moyes is the townland where my 4x great grandfather John Cochran(e) (ca. 1760/70-after 1831) and his brother Samuel Cochran(e) lived around 1805-1814 when their children were baptized at Ballykelly.  It could be Robert King, Sr. was married to a Cochran, or one of the allied lines I'm connected to. 

And it just might be this Robert King is related to Frederick King in some fashion.

Cheers!

Richard Cochran
Big Rapids, Michigan