MARGARET MOFFAT of DERRYVULLAN

[Margaret Irvine]

My second great grandmother was MARGARET MOFFAT of Derryvullan, Fermanagh.
She married WILLIAM IRVINE on 11 May 1821 at St Mary's, Ardess, Magheraculmoney Parish, Fermanagh.

I would like to be able to trace her forebears if possible.

[patrick_a]

If she was from the townland of Derryvullan, then she would have gotten married in a church closer than St. Mary's. It was the tradition to get married in the bride's church. I believe that she resided in the parish of Derryvullan and in a townland further north.
townland
https://www.townlands.ie/fermanagh/tirkennedy/derryvullan-and-islands/derrybrusk/derryvullan/
parish
https://www.townlands.ie/fermanagh/derryvullan-and-islands/

Looking at the tithe applotment of 1835 in the parish of Derryvullan there were 4 Moffats:
Moffitt, Andrew T: Drumschool Y: 1835
Moffitt, James T: Drumschool Y: 1835
Moffitt, William T: Drumschool Y: 1835
Moffitt, William T: Drumshane Y: 1835

In 1862 there were 4 Moffats in the same parish:
Moffatt, John L: Brownhill
Moffett, Andrew L: Drumskool
Moffett, James L: Drumskool
Moffett, William L: Drumshane T: Lisnarick

It would seem that she was likely from one of the two townlands:
https://www.townlands.ie/fermanagh/lurg/derryvullan-and-islands/drumskool/
https://www.townlands.ie/fermanagh/lurg/derryvullan-and-islands/drumshane/

There was a William Moffitt who passed away in 1874 at the age of 74 in the townland of Drumskool who might be her brother.
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01qau/

[patrick_a]

If you do a search on PRONI for freeholders you will see 2 entries for Moffitt in Drumschool:
Surname of Freeholder    Moffitt
Forename of Freeholder    William
Address of freeholder (townland or street)    Drumschool
1796

Surname of Freeholder    Moffitt
Forename of Freeholder    William
Address of freeholder (townland or street)    Drumschool
1788

It would imply that this William Moffat was the probable father to Margaret. I would suggest looking at the names of Margaret's children and the children of the possible siblings in Drumschool. My 2X great grandfather and 2 of his siblings who immigrated earlier did not follow the traditional Irish naming tradition. His brother who stayed and married in Ireland did follow the Irish naming tradition. It took a few years of research, but I was able to corroborate the names.
https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Irish-names.html
While the siblings who didn't follow the Irish naming tradition for first names, some of the children's middle names did correspond with grandparent's and great grandparent's given names and surnames.