John McCOY s of Robert birth in ?Ballinderry

[Deborah Boss]

Hello
I hope someone might be able to help.

Fom the 1851 census, I know that John McCoy was born sometime around 1798 in Antrim and was the son of Robert.  He married Isabella Higginson in 1836 in Ballinderry and had several children.  Their daughter Isabella is my great-grandmother.

Does anyone know anything about John, his wife Isabella and their parents? other children?

Thanks for any help.
Deborah

[Gortraney]

Hello
I hope someone might be able to help.

Fom the 1851 census, I know that John McCoy was born sometime around 1798 in Antrim and was the son of Robert.  He married Isabella Higginson in 1836 in Ballinderry and had several children.  Their daughter Isabella is my great-grandmother.

Does anyone know anything about John, his wife Isabella and their parents? other children?

Thanks for any help.
Deborah

I know I'm answering a very old message, but I'm doing so in the hope you might still be on the boards as I am also researching this family and thanks to this message was able to fill in John McCoy's wife Isabella's last name - so thank you!

If you are descended from their daughter Isabella's line that would make your line the Gibson's? My great-great grandmother was Minnie (Mary) McCoy who married a Robert Higginson in Ballinderry, which I think makes her Isabella's sister. There is also a brother, William Higginson McCoy and his family listed on the 1901/1911 Census - one of his sons named James Gibson McCoy for who may be your great-grandfather.

Anyway, if you are still active on the boards, I would love to hear from you - or anyone else researching this line for that matter!

Trish

[Deborah Boss]

Hi Trish
Sounds like you are a cousin!

I have that the marriage of John McCoy and Isabella Higginson took place on 28 Oct 1836 but source for this was the IGI.  Typical Irish marriage of much older man and young woman.  The 1851 census indicates their ages as being 53 and 33 respectively.

They had children: Robert, Matthew, Mary, John, Edward and Isabella.  Isabella was born in 1850 and married James Gibson in 1872 and their second son John McCoy Gibson who was born in 1875 is my grandfather.  Isabella McCoy died in 1946.

Mary McCoy was born ca 1842 and was possibly the witness to her sister's marriage in 1872.  I hadn't traced her beyond 1872.  Can you let me know more?  Is the Robert Higginson a cousin?

I also had noticed a William McCoy on the 1901 census and postulated that he was 'one of mine' but without his middle name couldn't be sure.

So yes still active on the board but haven't done much with this family recently.  I'll see what else I have but wanted to acknowledge straight away.
regards
Deborah

[Gortraney]

Hi Trish
Sounds like you are a cousin!

I have that the marriage of John McCoy and Isabella Higginson took place on 28 Oct 1836 but source for this was the IGI.  Typical Irish marriage of much older man and young woman.  The 1851 census indicates their ages as being 53 and 33 respectively.

They had children: Robert, Matthew, Mary, John, Edward and Isabella.  Isabella was born in 1850 and married James Gibson in 1872 and their second son John McCoy Gibson who was born in 1875 is my grandfather.  Isabella McCoy died in 1946.

Mary McCoy was born ca 1842 and was possibly the witness to her sister's marriage in 1872.  I hadn't traced her beyond 1872.  Can you let me know more?  Is the Robert Higginson a cousin?

I also had noticed a William McCoy on the 1901 census and postulated that he was 'one of mine' but without his middle name couldn't be sure.

So yes still active on the board but haven't done much with this family recently.  I'll see what else I have but wanted to acknowledge straight away.
regards
Deborah

Hello!

I'm so glad you're still active here I'm still very tentatively feeling my way around this branch of the family, but I knew there had to be a link as Isabella and James Gibson were the witnesses at Mary McCoy's wedding to Robert Henry Higginson. So it looks like the sisters returned the favour for each other...

As I say, still very tenative, but it looks like Robert may possibly have been a second cousin/removed a time or two of Isabella Higginson. There are so many Higginson's in Ballinderry I'm still wading my way through them! Robert's father Hammond Higginson was born in Ballinderry (his father was Edward Higginson) and then moved to Magherafelt in Co. Londonderry. From what I can glean Robert either returned to Ballinderry to marry Mary (she was known as Minnie to the family) and stayed there or was farming land there. Their eldest son Albert John Higginson (a banker) then married Ellen Skillen Currie (known as Nellie) who are in  the picture I'm using on my profile. They were my great-grandparents. My grandmother on my mothers side was Edith Winifred Higginson, their eldest daughter.

The main problem I'm having with the Higginson/McCoy link to my lot is Mary's age. I have the same information you have from the 1851 Census fragment and I know from their marriage details on AncestryIreland.com  that they were married on the 24th March 1880 and her father was John McCoy, a farmer from Gortraney, Ballinderry  (and as I say the witnesses were James and Isabella Gibson). HOWEVER if Mary was born in 1842 as per the 1851 Census that not only makes her older than Robert (which is unusual, though I suppose not unheard of) but it means she was having her last child (Anna May Higginson) when she was in her 60's!

So I'm a bit stumped...

One of the things I had wondered was something I've tripped across on both sides of my family tree when one sibling was given the same name as a sibling who died or they were given the same first/middle name and were known by one or the other. VERY HELPFUL ancestors! But until I get birth certificates, I really can't be certain where I'm going wrong. Worse comes to worst, I'm hoping to visit PRONI when it re-opens in April to research the family members I'm stumped on.

I too have John and Isabella's children as Robert, Matthew, Mary, John, Edward and Isabella from the 1851 fragment, however there is also the William Higginson McCoy on the 1901 Census who had a son named James Gibson McCoy.  On AncestryIreland.com he is listed as born on 5th February 1858, father John McCoy, a farmer from Gortraney, Ballinderry and mother Isabella. He was christened on 21st February 1858. There is also a Thomas McCoy born 7th January 1855, christened 11th March 1855 with the same details, so there were definitely more children after the 1851 Census.

Maybe we can work it out together? I'm so VERY GLAD to *meet you*!

Trish

[Deborah Boss]

Hi Trish
I just found this entry in the Belfast Morning News for 1880

HIGGINSON-McCOY - March 21 in Moira Wesleyan Chapel by the Rev C M'Kay.  Robt. H. Higginson only son of Hammond Higginson of Ballmaghan, Magherafelt, County Londonderry to Mary youngest daughter of the late John McCoy Gortrany, Ballinderry, Co Antrim

so this strongly supports the idea that the name Mary was reused for a younger sibling (which seems to be the only explanation which fits all the facts anyway).
regards
Deborah

[Gortraney]

Hi Trish
I just found this entry in the Belfast Morning News for 1880

HIGGINSON-McCOY - March 21 in Moira Wesleyan Chapel by the Rev C M'Kay.  Robt. H. Higginson only son of Hammond Higginson of Ballmaghan, Magherafelt, County Londonderry to Mary youngest daughter of the late John McCoy Gortrany, Ballinderry, Co Antrim

so this strongly supports the idea that the name Mary was reused for a younger sibling (which seems to be the only explanation which fits all the facts anyway).
regards
Deborah

Hello again!

Thanks for this! It's not only GREAT to have it confirmed, you've also saved me a lot of time and effort looking for any more male children of Hammond 

I also discovered Robert and Mary had a son they named James Gibson Higginson,  presumably after your ancestor. Unfortunately he died when he was two but again it helps confirm the link.

From the research I've done, it would seem to indicate only Isabella, Mary and William Higginson McCoy remained in Ireland. The other brothers (except Edward, who I can't find anywhere) emigrated to Australia. Does that tally with what you've discovered?

Trish xxx

[Gortraney]

Have just got a copy of Minnie (McCoy) Higginson's obituary from 1924 and listed among the mourners is Thomas Gibson of Glenavy, a nephew. So it would seem you are most very definitely stuck with me as a distant relative

Trish xxx

[marz8earth]

Hi all
I know this is an old post but I hope some of you might read my question? I believe that there is a connection between the Robert McCoy who is the Father of the Robert McCoy mentioned in your post and my John McCoy (my Great great Grandfather)who immigrated to Canada 1838. I speculate they could be brothers. My John McCoy was born abt 1764. I was hoping that someone had more information on the extended family of Robert McCoy. Trees I have seen have three generations of Robert McCoy but no brothers mentioned for them? I have tried a number of sites but have not found a source for the information on this family? Hoping some one might be able to help me. Possibly church records or some other source?
Cheers
Ron McCoy