William Caldwell & Sarah Morrison

[BostonRott]

I am looking for any church records of William Caldwell, who married Sarah Morrison.   I believe they were from the First Dunboe Presby church.   William was one of the defenders of Londonderry in the late 1600's.    He, Sarah, and their children left for New England in August 1718, landing in Massachusetts, and settling just west of Worcester, MA in a small town called Barre.

They brought with them a note from their parish:
"The bearer, William Caldwell, and his wife, Sarah Morrison, with his children, being designed to go to New England in America - These are therefore to testifie that they leave us without scandal, lived with us soberly and inoffensively, and may be admitted to Church priviledges.  Given at Duboe, Aprile 9, 1718 by James Woodside Jr, minister."

I would like to find possibly his birth record to find out who his parents were, or if there is a record of their marriage (abt 1710).  According to our records, William was born 1684.   He died in Barre, MA in 1783 at the age of 99!

This is my husband's direct-line ancestor and there is no information that I can find going back behind William.

Thank you kindly for your assistance!
Gretchen Caldwell

[aghadowey]

You will be more likely to find details of this family in New England records than in Ireland. For example, the character reference from the minister of First Dunboe Presbyterian Church is mentioned in Bolton's Scotch Irish Pioneers along with the other details you've put in your post.
First Dunboe Presbyterian Church has some records microfilmed in PRONI (Public Record Office Northern Ireland), Belfast: earliest baptisms 1805, earliest marriages 1845, Session and committee minutes 1828, male communicants 1826, poor list 1830, lists1853- all of which are far too late to find William Caldwell's family. These are apparently the oldest surviving records for the congregation.

[BostonRott]

Thank you for the information.   Guess that's why it's been a dead end over here.   There is no further info here, I've exhausted all sources.