Ferguson, Newton Limavady, Londonderry

[princess41]

Majm

I have replied to you in the Australia Forum.  Thanks for the links.  Fantastic. Forgot to say I thought I saw the name McIlroy in the Drumachose Parish.  Another thing I will have to look into.

Glenys

[Gilby]

You were wondering about the source of the "King" middle names.  I can't really help apart from to point out I have "William King Stevenson" in my family.  I believe his mother was Elizabeth King, and I'd guess her father was William King (Co Donegal I think).  People quite often gave the name of the mother's father to the eldest son.

I came to this thread because I have links to Osbornes of Altmover and Fergusons of Cookstown area (and McCauslands of Limavady).  I've only really skimmed through the thread, so I'm not sure whether or where we join up.

I think you said you've been to PRONI and you picked up a few dates, but your not sure of some if they're your family.  I wonder if you've scanned through the BMD notices on the Belfast Newsletter?  You mentioned Ancestry.com, so you probably have a full subscription - they have scanned images of the Newsletter up until about 1925 (with only a few small gaps):

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=2193&path=

Don't rely on the searches from Findmypast, The British Newspaper Archive, etc, because they don't pick up everything (nowhere near as good as Trove in Aus).  If you know the exact date, just find the next day in the Newsletter and work through up to 2-3 weeks after the date.  Not every family posted BMDs in the Newsletter, particularly not in the early years, but I think it's worth a try.

[princess41]

Thank you MFGilbert for your contribution.  I agree with you that the King is probably from the Mothers Father. 

In the Drumachose Parish there are Ferguson's & King's in the early 1700's.  Unfortunately the records are missing between approx 1750 and 1804 so if there was a marriage at that time I may have no luck in finding it unless there is a bible with a record or I find someone who knows something. 

I have not looked at The Belfast Newsletter.  I no longer have Ancestry but will check with the National Library in Canberra if they have access to the Belfast Newsletter.

Good luck with your research.  I will be interested to see where it goes, especially with the Ferguson's and Osborne's. 

Cheers
Glenys

[Gilby]

Oh, I actually just (finally) came across a record last night to confirm my ancestor “William King”.  He was apparently of “Timra, Co Derry”, though I’m not convinced that shouldn’t be “Trimra, Co Donegal”.

Anyway, if we are linked through the Osbornes it *might* be through the Rev. Joseph Osborne mentioned by George Speer at the top of page 8 in this thread.  According to George, Rev Joseph had a 1st cousin called Samuel Osborne who we believe may have been grandfather to my ggg grandfather Samuel Osborne McCausland (there’s that name thing again).  Samuel McCausland's parents were a William McCausland (of Streeve I think) and a "Miss Osborne of Altmover".

If you are going to a library I suppose you might as well try to get your hands on the Londonderry Sentinel and any other local newspapers.  Though I think only the Newsletter covers the 1700s?  There is an index for the Belfast Newsletter for that period, though there weren’t so many BMDs in those days (mostly death notices for the better off):

http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/bnl/

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
    I think that "TIMRA" should read TIMRAGH and you are correct - it is a townland in the Letterkenny District of Co. Donegal.

Regards

[Gilby]

Thanks, I think I'll go ahead and post about the Kings in the Donegal forum (hadn't been sure where to put it).

Edit: Just came across a tree on ancestry - might not need to.

[princess41]

Thanks MFG for your contributions.  I will keep an eye on your posts and if I see anything that rings a bell let you know.

Do you think there was a lot of movement with families between Donegal and Limavady mid 1700's early 1800's?

Glenys

[Gilby]

I've no evidence our Kings are related - I just mentioned them because the name became a middle name in both our families.  And then after I posted I found proof of my original theory, so I mentioned them again

I don't know of any particular movement between Limavady and Donegal either.  My Donegal Stevensons+King branch is seperate from my Limavady McCausland+Osborne branch (until 1915, by which time they were in Belfast).

[Gilby]

By the way, this is what my gg aunt Ky McCausland (1889-1998) wrote about the Osbornes in 1937:

"My Great Grandfather was called William McCausland and was born in Dungiven about 1775 and married a Miss Osborne of Altmover near Dungiven.  The Osbornes have only left Altmover about fifteen or perhaps twenty years ago when the entail was broken.  My grandfather Samuel Osborne McCausland had no brothers and one sister who became a Mrs Glenn and was buried in Dunluce Graveyard near Bushmills (I think Mr Glenn went (undeclared) to America!!!).  My grandfather was born in 1800 and was ninety five when he died ... My Great Grandfather and his wife are buried I believe at Strieve near Dungiven ... I possess a brooch and nine old teaspoons which belonged to my Great Grandmother who was Miss Osborne.  The Osborne connection I know as some of them are now in Belfast - and they have many connections."

By the way, if anyone has any idea from the above where I might be likely to find the grave (if there is one) of William McCausland and his wife please do tell.  We're a bit confused about the references to "near Dungiven" because it had been our understanding that our McCauslands were from Limavady - perhaps my gg aunt's geography was just a little off?