Mckay/Darragh in Antrim advice.

[Maccahc]

Hi did not include this in my look ups request as I understand its more vague.
My paternal gggrandfather James Mckay was born in Antrim around 1852, the son of James Mckay and Bridget Darragh.
He married Isabella Paterson in a Primitive Methodist church in Wishaw, Lanarkshire in 1875, witnesses are Charles Mckay and Margaret Mckay who are undoubtedly relatives and possibly siblings of James but I have had trouble tracking this down in Scotland.
I am not 100% sure he was methodist as his son, my ggrandfather, was R.C.(posibly converted after marraige??) and the family remained so, though went to non denominational school just to confuse us.
I dont have a parish for James` birth or any other info regarding his parents and wondered how to go about finding his parish of birth or his parents marraige, I understand this may be easier if they were methodist as records were kept earlier. If they dont exist would this confirm they are likely R.C.??

[aghadowey]

Civil registration of Irish births began 1864. Before this date there were no birth certificates so you have to search for church records (if they exist). To do so you need to know where the family lived and what religion they were.
There are Methodist records (dates vary according to curcuits and churches) but you would need to know where the family lived to find the local Methodist churches.
Civil registration of non-Catholic marriages began 1845. You could try searching on a site like Emerald Ancestry to see if James and Bridget's marriage happened after 1845.

[Maccahc]

Many thanks again. I hope to check some poor law records here that may help narrow down the town or parish but don`t hold much hope as Counties are as good as it gets in most Scottish information.

[Maccahc]

Reopening this one as the family were definately R.C which has been confirmed by finding the baptismal records on the catholic registers on Scotlands people.

Now it seems James and Isabellas oldest child Margaret and her next sibling Bridget were baptised in St Mary Immaculate, Pollokshaws here in Glasgow along with their mother not long after my greatgrandfather  Wm. James was born and baptised there also. The record confirms that James from Antrim had been born and baptised catholic.

Margaret however was born 2 years before James and Isabella married in the methodist church and Isabella was at least 4 months pregnant with Bridget when they married, indeed I am not sure Margaret is even James daughter as I can find no birth record for her and his entry as her father on the baptismal register has been erased and left blank.


Anyhow, they may have married in the methodist church simply for expedience or because there was no local catholic church or the local priest would not marry them, truth is I will never know the answer to that one.

I have James occupation consistently as a freestone quarryman in his earlier years, his father James was a farmer or ploughman and his mother Bridget a domestic servant.

Based on their occupations and the 18 James Mckays in Griffiths as well as the overall distribution of Mckays and Darraghs in Griffiths there seems a fairly high likelihood that my James is from the Tickmacrevan or Carncastle area or the Glens in general though proving this may be difficult, which R.C. parish records are likely to cover these areas and is my "guesstimating" way off for any reason???

Many thanks

[Maccahc]

An update on an old post. The 1921 Scotland census has at last cleared up part mystery and confirmed my James as born in Armoy, Co. Antrim, it doesn`t say whether parish or town. Confirms date as circa March 1849 to James Mckay and Bridget Darragh.

There`s a few Darraghs around Armoy in Kilchroan and the Glenshesk side of Armoy in Griffiths and Census but few Mckays, one Presb family who don`t seem connected. There`s one J. MCay on Knocklayde in the 1832 Tithe.

Most of the Mckays seem to be situated in the coastal area and sub coastal between Ballycastle and Ballintoy in Griffiths and Census, there`s also some further south in Loughguille, the odd one in Cushendun. If they got married in the brides parish as was tradition I guess James could be from any adjoining areas

Frustratingly despite much more records being available these days, his parents remain elusive, Bridget Mckays/Darraghs are not common in death indices anywhere or BMDs or RC parish records.
The Armoy RC records have some interetsing spelling of most names and I think Mckay has been recorded as McKy  and transcribed to Ancestry/Findmypast as McFly!! but am not 100 percent on that.

 I have shown DNA connection to a line of Darraghs and Coyles who got in touch with me over the years on other sites and are linked to Dan Darragh of Ballycastle who died in Portland jail for his part in IRB activity in Antrim and UK mainland. But she would be ages to be his aunt rather than a sister I think.

If this dislodges any new info from anyone it would be much appreciated.