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McClafferty's from Donegal

G'day everyone

For some years I've been trying to locate the place my gr gr grandmother came from in Co Donegal. Her family name was McClafferty (with several spelling variations) and it is beleived she came to Australia on The Donegal Releif Fund.

Her Christian name varies from Mary to Margory (also withspelling variations).

Something I do know for sure is that she married John Quirk (a miller by trade) in Sydney, New South Wales in 1865. The marriage records show their names asJohn Quirk and Margery McLefferty. With no further details of where they were from or parents.

Mary McClafferty Quirk's son, John Quirk,became a member of parliament and on his parliamenty story he gives his mothers place of birth as Donegal. John Quirk is the brother of my great grandmother.

As a total aside, I have done the Ancestry DNA test and have uploaded results to FTDNA as well.

What I am hoping for is that someone else on this site is resarching Donegal and McClafferty family and can help me out. I am hoping to find a parish or place that Mary/Margory was born.

Some information I have found, if I have it correct, say that Mary/Margery's father's names John McClafferty and the mother may have been Margery.

Mary/Margory had 2 sisters that she sponsored to Sydney, New South Wales. Their names were Jane and Ann McClafferty.

Hoping someone can help guide me to finding the parish where my gr grandmother was born.

Cheerio from Down Under Gerri Dalton

IrelandXO member

4 replies

Giday Gerri and welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Unfortunately, Co. Donegal RC records start much later than all the other counties. Not sure why. For the msot part they start around 1860 some a little earlier and other a little later. I did check Roots Ireland for McClafferty baptismal records with a father John. I presume Mary/Marjory was born prior to 1845 but I did not find any records. I checked our prior messages and I think we had one or two prior messages for McClaffertys. We have had a lot of messages recently for Co. Donegal.

I looked at the 1857 Griffiths Valuation records for Donegal. Go to www.askaboutireland.ie and McClaffertys seemed to be found most prominentlybut not exclusively in three civil parishes: Raymunterdoney, Tullaghobegly and Mevagh. If the father of Mary/Marjory was still alive in 1857 then he was likely one of the John McClaffertys listed. All three civil parishes have RC records starting 1849 or later and Mevagh actually starts in 1871.

Hopefully the DNA data will eventiually come up with a match that may help you break down this brick wall.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

I have been looking for my Grandmother's birth mother's family, the McClaffertys.  Recently I have heard from another Ancestry member that they hail from the Rosguill, Carrickart, Doagh area.  A John McClafferty b around 1830, married an Isabella McElhenny (name variations, such as McElhinny) from Island Roy.  They had a son James McClafferty, b around 1853, who married a Grace Murray.  She died in 1876, and he moved to Glasgow, Scotland, where in 1879 he married Annie Dwyer.  He had a brother John, and also Francis. They both came over to Glasgow too. I would be very interested if anyone out there has any further information about the mcClaffertys.

Jane Chapman

Mrs Chappie

Jane:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I used the free site www.irishgenealogy.ie and located the 1876 marriage record for Grace Murry and James McClafferty. See 3rd record when you open this link.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1876/11157/8087175.pdf

Both fathers of the bride and groom were named John.The families lived in Mevagh civil parish in North Donegal.

I searched the subscription site Roots Ireland and did not find a baptismal record for James or Grace and likely their parish does not have reocrds back that far.

This may be John in the 1901 census  http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Rosguill/Doagh/1194954/

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Roger!

Jane

Mrs Chappie

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