Caldwells from Magilligan

[E Caldwell]

The Caldwell farm in the 19th century was across from the intersection of Duncrun and Leighery roads.  The information about graves on farms unearthed in the 50s and 60s, toward the shore, is also potentially very interesting to us, since we have records of Caldwells down toward Tircrevan into the 1700s.  We spoke with several locals on multiple occasions, *, *, * & * and none of them ever mentioned anything about graves on farms or the graveyard up off Limestone Road.   I have been in touch with David B. and even Robert F. in this search for clues.  So far, on the issue of the absence of graves for over a dozen Caldwells in Magilligan, your suggestion that there are some graves on farms and also an older graveyard (Limestone Rd & Duncrun), is the most interesting to me.  Our search has carried us well outside of Magilligan for these graves or clues, right now we are tracing newly discovered records of John Caldwell in 1830 renting land near Knockmult & Formoyle.  But since we believe we are the first Caldwells to go back looking for this line of Magilligan Caldwells in a century and a half, chances are that if these graves are there, chances are that they are buried or at least in disrepair.   

We also have found nothing to tie Elizabeth Caldwell or Captain A Caldwell from Dunboe to our line in Magilligan - although naturally with Dunboe being the closest Presby Church (pre-Magilligan Presby), we too have them as possible relatives. 

One theory I initially had after climbing to the vista on the cliff overlooking the farm area in Magilligan was that our Caldwells probably would have opted to walk down to Ballykelly because even though it would have been a longer walk, it would have at least been a flat walk (as opposed to the hike to Dunboe).  Unfortunately, that theory proved naive - no records of Caldwells in Ballykelly. 

Kingkerswell, thanks for helping.  The Alexander Caldwell you found is the brother of my great-great-great grandfather (the Caldwell who emigrated).  We still think that he is our best bet because we know that he died in 1899, had two daughters and a sizable piece of land.  We should be able to find his grave - although we have had no luck on that yet. 

Moderator's Comment: names removed as it is against Rootschat policy to post names and details of living people.

[stmccmagilligan]

check { results of archaeological monitoring of road repair works at point road, magilligan} a pdf file will open, look at the digs carried out in the past. may be off interest. ballymulholland is just down from the tircreven road. a did in 1965 is not on this. this unearthed 3 sets of remains on the recedding dunes at ballymulholland.up to 40 years ago there used to be extensive sand dunes faceing the lough. erosion from the dredging climate change has almost lost these dunes. lenamore dunes are gone, ballymulholland dunes are almost all gone

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   The graves in the dunes may very well be the results of the depradations of the Laggan Army, a large group of Presbyterians under the command of two professional soldiers, Sir Robert and Sir William Stewart who came from the area between Lifford and Londonderry on the west side of the River Foyle in Co. Donegal,  during the Irish uprising in 1641/42. They had relieved Strabane, picked up reinforcements at Londonderry, relieved Limavady then the McClellands at Ballycastle in Aghanloo and were on their way to relieve Coleraine when they turned back and relieved Dungiven. I am unsure why they turned back but it may have been because the tide was in and the only way from Magilligan to Coleraine in those days was along the shore beneath the cliffs at Downhill, cut off at high tide or in bad weather. The current road, the Lions Brae, was not built until the early 1850s when the railway tunnel was constructed through the Cliffs.
     Stmcmagilligan I will send you a PM about meeting up at your convenience to visit the site of the old monastry and having a look at the graveyard.

Regards

[E Caldwell]

I pulled up the .pdf.  Fascinating, but it looks too old to be of much use.  We have traced our Caldwells, or Caldwells we have reason to think to be related to us in Magilligan to well into the 1700s, current thinking according to our research is below:

-Spinster sister Caldwells buried at Magilligan Presby Church -
-William/Alexander - brothers born in early 1800s and on the book at Magilligan Presbyterian Church - Alexander is father of spinsters and we have record of his marriage and date of death from newspapers, but no grave
-Magaret Brewster Caldwell - buried St. Aidans, died young, wife to John Caldwell, mother to William/Alexander
-John Caldwell Jr., born late 1700s, father to William/Alexander
-John Caldwell Sr., probably born mid 1700s, died in 1840s at 80 years old
-Robert Caldwell, 1720s/30s birth, death around 1800
-Robert or David Caldwell 1690s - 1760s
William or Hugh 1670s - 1740s
Hugh, Sam, William? born in Scotland 1630s/40s

Of course, each of these Caldwells had families.  That translates to a lot of Caldwells in Magilligan for almost 200 years and you can get a sense for why the lack of graves is so perplexing. 

The possibility that there was a Caldwell plot on one of the farms is interesting but as I mentioned, something that no Magilligan resident had previously mentioned. 

Thanks for helping us continue this quest.

[kingskerswell]

E. Caldwell,
                 Being local I have more time than you to linger so in the next few days I will have a look at the graves in Tamlaghtard, the Presbyterian Church and St. Aidan's and let you if I come across anything extra.

Regards

[E Caldwell]

Thanks Kingskerswell.  I have been multiple times to all 3 of those over the past 4 years.  But your effort is very generous and appreciated.  I am not sure how we will be able to make inquiries about the graveyard stmccmilligan mentions or follow up on the graves that are mentioned as being unearthed out near the point.  If they are pre-1700s, then undoubtedly erosion will render them unreadable.  But as I mentioned, with so many of our Caldwells there in the 1700s and early 1800s, I am clinging to a hope that somewhere in the area there will be a number of Caldwell graves (doesn't make as much sense to me that generations of Caldwells farmed in the Tircrevan/Lower Ballyleighery area but chose to be buried in a Presby Church somewhere beyond Ballykelly or Dunboe). 

The living Brewster relative thinks that the Caldwell farm was very small per his recollection but we have found in the records that much of the current Br farm is on land that for most of the 1800s was recorded as being worked by Alexander/John Caldwell.  Since Alexander Caldwell's mother was a Brewster/Browster, and because Alexander did not have any male heirs, we speculate that at some point in the 1800s he worked out a deal with the Brewster relatives for the land.  None of that is really important for our work, however, because what we really want to do is find some way to tie the Caldwells I listed together. 

[aghadowey]

I think you have to consider that many old gravestones simply no longer exist or are illegible. In a local parish church near us were 8 family headstones (newspaper article in early 1900s mentions them) but only 2 survive. Needless to say they aren't the ones I'd really like to see!

[E Caldwell]

I accept that likelihood.  Especially if no Caldwell has been around to care for those graves since maybe 1930.  But I have to think that at a minimum I would be able to find Alexander Caldwell's grave, who died in 1899 and had two daughters who survived him (who presumably cared for his grave until their deaths later in the 20th century).   

[aghadowey]

It's surprising that some families/people don't seem to get around to putting up headstones, adding further inscriptions, etc.