Witherow families, Aughlish, Gallony, Belfast and elsewhere

[Witherow]

Hello there Elphie Bey. Welcome to Rootschat, I must apologise for not getting back to you sooner but I have been  a bit on the busy side recently and had a family bereavement so I'm afraid the old genealogy had to take a back seat for a while. I'll personal message you with some details.

[withmnnc]

Hi
New to site.  Ultimate goal to link MD/PA Witherow immigrants (?1740) to later MN/ND group (1860's) of which I am a member. Saw reference from Gortinanima to census of 1821 which was supposedly destroyed.  Is data valid as these are likely my line ?. I have been to Aughlish House and talked with the folks there. Built by Hugh but he is not my immediate relative.  My grandfather said the Aughlish at one time was exclusively Witherow Need better info.  Is this site still active?

[withmnnc]

1821 census Auglish, Banagher [T808/15137]

No 4
Joseph Witherow, aged 60 farmer of 12 acres
Mary, wife, 56
James, 26
George, 23
Joseph, 15
Mary, 20 * [could be your Mary who married John Collins?]
Fanny, 13

I think this is my grandfather's great granfather
Your posts interest me - I wonder if we could communicate directly

[Dave MacLurg]

I have a book that has been staring at me from my shelf every since my father died 10 years ago. Its called The Autobiography of Thomas Witherow 1824 - 1890. It was published by the ballinascreen Historical society in 1990 on the centernary ofThomas Witherow's death. He was born in Aughlish and became Presbyterian minister of maghera nd then first Professor of Churgh History in Magee College Londonderry.
As you might suspect is mostly about church history but he does talk about his famly a little.
Here is his ancestry that I have put together from what I have read so far.

James Witherow had a small farm in Aughlish
born 1759 in Aughlish
died 1845 in Aughlish
m
Jane Chambers one of 3 daughters of  Hugh Chambers of Upperland
died 1839

They had 4 sons and three daughters
Hugh born 1787 was the eldest
Thomas
James
He does not give the name of the other son or any of the daughters

Hugh married Elizabeth Martin daughter of Thomas Martin
Hugh inherited the farm from his father.

Hugh and Elizabeth had 4 sons
Thomas the author of the autobiography
Robert inherited the farm and when he died intestate it was sold.
The other two died young

Thomas was born on 29 May 1824
he married Catherine Milling on 13 April 1859

He had 3 sons two of whom died in infancy
The third was Rev James Milling Witherow
His daughters were
Mrs W Adams
Mrs D Craig,
Mrs A Gilchrist
Mrs Dr Hamilton
Mrs H M Knox
Miss J Witherow

Hope this is of interest to some one.

Dave MacLurg

[TanyaA]

I was wondering if anyone could help me connect the Witherow families in Alla, Claudy with the Aughlish and Gallony families. or even with the Witherows in Co Donegal.. Im sure they must all be connected.
I have a Hugh Witherow B. 1826 D. 1915 married to Mary Jane Johnston D. bef 1901. I believe Hughs father was Alexander Witherow but I have no further information on him.

According to the 1831 census there looks to be 2 Witherow families in the Alla, Claudy area at that time but I have no information on them

Witherow   Witherow   Alexander   Tirkeeran   Cumber Upper      Alla Upper
Witherow   Witherow   David   Tirkeeran   Cumber Upper      Alla Upper


Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Witherow]

Tanya

I can perhaps help you a little bit anyway. Your Hugh Witherow appears on the 1901 census of Ireland but the name was wrongly transcribed as Witheron and so you would have to search for that. I had his wife as Mary Jane but didn't know her surname until I saw your post. Hugh's Father was Alexander and his mother was Mary, again I'm sorry but I dont know her maiden surname.
Like you I firmly believe that all these Witherow families are linked and I have around 15 Witherow trees that I am slowly getting linked together. I have quite a lot of information on the younger descendants of your Hugh Witherows tree and would be happy to assist you in any way I can. Feel free to personal message me an e-mail address if you feel It would be easier. I'm away all day tomorrow so it might be Sunday or Monday before I can get back to you.

Regards
Witherow

[TanyaA]

Thanks Witherow for your reply..I would be interested in some information..I already have most of the younger descendants but it would be.nice to fill in some gaps. I couldn't find Alexanders wife's name so that's one gap filled already...:-)
One thing I'm really interested in is where have all these Witherow families gone? Like you mentioned there were a lot of interconnected families at one stage but now there are only a few In this area

Ill be in touch

Tanya

[TanyaA]

Also looking for any further information on a Thomas Wodrow, son of Robert Wodrow (Eaglesham, Glasgow) brother of Rev James Wodrow, who moved to Ireland and changed his name to WITHEROW. Found some information that says he moved to Ireland and changed his name to get away from some "political trouble" and that he had 3 sons that settled in Donegal, Derry and Antrim???

[rwithrow]

I, too, am trying to find information about this Thomas Witherow/Wodrow, brother to Rev. James Wodrow of Eaglesham, Scotland, subject of a book by by his son Robert.  I also read that Thomas moved to Ireland because of some political trouble.  A number of online genealogies show him as father to a Christopher Paul Withrow, who, they say, was father to Robert Withrow, b. 1692, who was the ancestor of many American Withrows, including me.  However, I have seen no evidence at all to support this claim and can't figure out how it got started.  If anyone has any information on Thomas's children or this mysterious Christopher Paul Withrow, I would love to hear from you.