McCandless in Macosquin

[Danade]

I'm researching my 4th g grandfather John McCandless married Martha Hanson and migrated to Philadelphia in 1848 from Aghadowey (I think Macosquin).  I think his father was William, and his mother was Martha, who died at sea on the voyage.   Below are his children born in Macosquin? that made the trip:

Parents & Siblings
William? McCandless
Martha McCandless (1773-1848)
 
Spouse & Children
Martha Hanson (1814-1867)
Samuel J McCandless (1837-1876)
William Hanson. MCCANDLESS (1838-1893)
Matilda J McCandless (1841-1913)
John McCandless (1843-1917)
Mary Hanson MCCANDLESS (1845-)
David Rankin McCandless (1848-1920)

Does anyone have information on John and his family or have suggestions on where I can find records?  My efforts so far haven't uncovered much.

Thanks!
Dana

[shanreagh]

I guess you have found the McCandless burials at Mt Moriah cemetery in Philadelphia. Some are buried with Lindsay Harris (who married Mary Anne Callaghan from Limavady and had a daughter Catherine Bamingham Harris in Limavady in 1862.)  They later emigrated to Philadelphia.  Lindsay Harris is my gt gt uncle.  I am not sure if there is a link or not, because of being in the same plot at Mt Moriah.

[aghadowey]

Unfortunately the information you are looking for is before the start of civil registration in Ireland and not all church records in the area will go back far enough for this family. Do you know what religion the family would have been in Ireland?

I have details of lots of McCandless families in Macosquin and surrounding area but no matches for this one.

[Danade]

They were Presbyterian.   John's profession was a farmer and they came with a servant named Elizabeth Boyd.   I forgot to mention that David McCandless, a Sadler, who was 18 also arrived with them.   His age makes him a bit too old to have been the son of John and Martha McCandless nee Hanson and we suspect he might be a nephew to John.   

I have some info on the Hansons, John's wife if that helps, but I don't have much on the McCandless side.   We might be off on Macosquin... we thought they came from that area because that was the location of Martha's father, William Hanson.   

[Danade]

Shanreagh,  Yes! Martha Hanson McCandless purchased that plot in 1857 and there are dozens of her descendants in Mt Moriah.    I don't know of a connection to Lindsay Harris, they are in the N graves of the lot and McCandless family is in the S graves.  Incidentally, Martha McBride in that lot is Martha Hanson McCandless, she remarried after John died. 

I guess you have found the McCandless burials at Mt Moriah cemetery in Philadelphia. Some are buried with Lindsay Harris (who married Mary Anne Callaghan from Limavady and had a daughter Catherine Bamingham Harris in Limavady in 1862.)  They later emigrated to Philadelphia.  Lindsay Harris is my gt gt uncle.  I am not sure if there is a link or not, because of being in the same plot at Mt Moriah.

[aghadowey]

Macosquin Presbyterian Church (also known as Englishtown) has baptisms from 1823 (gap 1845-1860 from memory) and there are quite a few McCandless baptisms over the years but none for children of John and Martha.
Crossgar Presbyterian Church baptisms start Dec.1839 but no McCandless baptisms.
Aghadowey Presbyterian Church baptisms start 1855 (too late for this family).
Killaig Presbyterian Church has a notebook of baptisms starting in 1805 but no McCandless baptisms.