ROSS in Upper Cumber

[Ossie]

I have a lot of ROSS data for the county, but no link from my own family to any wider connection. The earliest of mine is William ROSS (1798-1869), buried in Claudy. He was married to Sarah. Some BLAIR connections in North Derry, and McLEAN in South Derry.

One of William and Sarah's sons, John ROSS (1837-1912) is variously described as farmer, auctioneer and surveyor. Another, James ROSS (1851-1907) became a doctor in Chatburn, Lancashire; after graduating from what was then Queen's College in Belfast he practised first with Dr Allison in Claudy for a year in 1877/78.

Several of the family were involved with the running of the mail car between Dungiven and Londonderry.

Can anyone help with this brick wall, please?

Ossie

[Anthony]

Hi. just a wee bit of info for you 1852 Belfast Street Directory (Towns & Villages)
Londonderry

Robert Ross, Grocer, Castle Gate.
Rev, Robert Ross

[Ossie]

Many thanks. It's unfortunately a very common name in that part of the world -
the connection you mention doesn't come up in any of my links. I keep hoping someone will look in who knows the Claudy area.

Ossie

[Agnetta]

Whereabouts in Upper Cumber,and,did any of your Ross connection (a John Ross) marry a Gibson? Agnetta

[Ossie]

Hi. Don't know exactly where, though I'm told the old family home became the site of the police station. The townland can't be that huge. The name GIBSON certainly doesn't appear after 1800, and it's pre that date I need information.

[Agnetta]

It was just a chance,but thanks anyway. Incidentally,I don't think a police station would have been in a TOWNLAND. Townlands are only districts or areas of land,in the counties.The police station would have been in the nearest town. Agnetta

[kintree]

Townlands are subdivisions of parishes: a town, for example, or a farm may fall into more than one townland (or more than one parish, or even county). It is essential in dealing with Irish records (except in the largest dozen or so cities) to be aware of the townland involved.

A rural police station (eg in the Claudy/Feeny/Dungiven area) would most certainly be locatable by specifying the townland. And there were so many Rosses in that area that identification by townland is very helpful.

The police station in Claudy has for recent decades been at the top of the hill at the west end of the village - I can remember being taken there after a car accident in 1968. But I'm afraid I can't remember what the townland was!

The red circle on this map shows approximately where it was:
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.9132&lon=-7.1646&scale=25000&icon=x

[claudy]

If you want know a bit more about the townlands there is  a site now which has all of Northern Ireland's townlands mapped:
http://www.pointer-ni.gov.uk/pointerportal/?Mainsec=townlands&Subsec=search_townlands

[kintree]

Claudy

Thanks very much for the info.  The site is really useful for showing the townland boundaries overlaid onto OS maps - but clearly there is still a fair amount of work required to get the site working well.

I'll drink to it (as long as it stays free for 25 searches per day) !

Adrian