Archibald Caldwell

[Sandra Skinner]

 ???Looking for the birth or a baptism of an Archibald Caldwell born around 1852. His father was James Caldwell and his mother Phillis. James was leasing 600 acres of land at Widgeon Lodge, Newtonlimvardy Londonderry. They moved there from Edinburgh Scotland in 1851. They were Presbyterian. Any ideas as to where to go to search would be accepted gratefully. As I am in Australia I do not know which church they may have attended in that area. 
Sandra

[kingskerswell]

Sandra,
          I am familiar with the area but have never come across a 600 acre farm known as Widgeon Lodge in the NEWTOWNLIMAVADY area. The Griffiths Valuation of 1858 lists two James Caldwells in the Limavady area. One rents a farm of 47 A in the townland of Magheramore, Parish of Faughanvale and the other rents a farm of 25 A in the townland of Killylane, again Faughanvale.
 See  http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml
        The IGI gives the Christening of a Phillis Caldwell, born to James Caldwell and Phillis Thompson, on 11 Apr 1850 in Bread Street United Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Regards

[Sandra Skinner]

Hi Kingskerswell,
Thanks for your reply much appreciated. The information I supplied re the leasing of the land was taken from an article printed in the Caledonian Mercury in 1851. The Phillis you mention I know about and there was also a daughter, Marion  born in NSW in 1959. James and Phillis arrived in Melbourne Victoria in 1855. Archibald was with them. We think he was born in 1852. As you can see from the dates the Caldwells were mentioned in the Griffiths Valuation it is probably not our James. Will keep looking....

[aghadowey]

"Looking for the birth or a baptism of an Archibald Caldwell born around 1852."
"They moved there from Edinburgh Scotland in 1851."
"Phillis Caldwell, born ...11 Apr 1850 in ... Edinburgh, Scotland"

If they had a child born in Scotland in 1850 and Archibald was born c1852 is more likely that Archibald was born in Scotland not Ireland. Phillis isn't a common name at such an early date- could she also be Scottish and the marriage have taken place there?

[aghadowey]

Have just found your topic started yesterday on Scotland General board looking for Archibald's birth 1852 in Scotland-
"Looking for a birth of an Archibald Caldwell about 1852. Parents James Caldwell and Phillis nee Thomson (1st marriage Rutherford.) Married in 1849 St Cuthberts Edinburgh Scotland"
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,589663

[scotmum]

By the 1860/1870s, a Samuel M'Donnell is associated with Widgeon Lodge it seems:

http://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/derry/censubs/derry-landowners-l-mcquillan.txt

A google search produces a few genealogy board postings from folks researching this chap....perhaps contact with some might shed more light on 'Widgeon Lodge' itself.

If you haven't already tried it, a search site (pay to use) such as http://derry.rootsireland.ie/ may have Archibald's birth indexed, if it did happen in Ireland, but this would depend on them having records from the particular church the family attended.....not all church records are available. Unfortunately, for timescale, there is no Civil Index of Births in Ireland.

[aghadowey]

"The Will of Samuel Macdonnell late of Widgeon Lodge Ballymacran County Londonderry Farmer deceased who died 1 January 1878..."
"Macdonnell John Gault of Widgeon Lodge Myroe county Londonderry farmer died 26 June 1937..."
"MacDonnell Margaret Elizabeth of Widgeon Lodge Myroe county Londonderry widow died 2 October 1940..."
see www.proni.gov.uk

[aghadowey]

For reference here's the newspaper article connecting James Caldwell, butcher of Edinburgh, to Widgeon Lodge.
Caledonian Mercury, 26 May 1851: Supper and Presentation- "Mr. James Caldwell, flesher, Home Street, Edinburgh, who has taken a lease of upwards of six hundred acres of the lands of Widgeon Lodge, Newtonlimavady, county of Londonderry, Ireland... previous of his leaving Edinburgh..."

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   The Ordnance Survey map shows Widgeon Lodge in the townland of Ballymacran. It lies on land which was reclaimed from Lough Foyle in the 1840s between the mouth of the River Roe and the village of Ballykelly when the railway line was constructed between Coleraine and Londonderry. The townland of Ballymacran is only about 180 acres so other areas must have been included in the estate.

Regards