John McNICHOLL and Alithia O'KANE

[gilroy1790]

Looking for any information on John McNicholl and his wife Alithia O'Kane of Londonderry. Time period, c1815-1900.

They had a daughter called Matilda, born c1847, who married James Grehan in Kilmaine, County Mayo in 1877.

Also two of John and Alithia's sons, John and James, ended up in Scotland. I believe they were boot and shoe makers.

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[carolanne124]

Hello!  I know this is an old post to be responding to now but I'm trying to find my Irish ancestors.  I am a descendant of Alithia O'Kane and John McNicoll, down through their son James McNicoll who's daughter was my paternal grandmother, Mary Ann McNicoll Connolly.  Have you been able to find any records or documents from Ireland back to that time?  I understand how difficult it is but since they were from Ulster, I wondered if there were more/better records available than might have been destroyed in Dublin in 1922.  I don't know how to search parish records and have little to go on other than these names.  Just thought I'd reach out since we may be long lost relatives.

[aghadowey]

Welcome to Rootschat. Gilroy1790 hasn't been online since 2012 but hopefully they will see your message and reply.

Meanwhile, a few bit of general information for you.

The majority of records destroyed were census records (some pulped during WWI), Church of Ireland registers and Wills (pre-1900ish but more on this in a minute).

The existance of church records depends on the religion and the individual church, and also how well the clergyman kept records. Once you know where a family might have lived then you can check to see what church records for that area survive. PRONI, Belfast have an extensive collection on microfilm but if you have any queries about any particular ones just ask.

*PRONI also have a large collection of Wills, the volumes which recorded probate and administration details and, in the case of pre-1900 Wills, microfilmed copies of the Will Books (wording of the Wills copied by clerks into ledgers) but if there was no Will there will only be the indexed entry. PRONI have put the Will extracts online (covering probate for Armagh, Belfast and Londonderry).

The first complete census for Ireland is 1901- it and 1911 are online (free) on National Archives, Dublin website. For earlier years only small fragments survive- the 1831 for Co. Londonderry does but it only lists head of household, number of males & females and religion.

[carolanne124]

Thank you so much!