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McKane, McKean

My great grandfather William McKane was born in 1857 always believed to be Tyrone but I think in Donegel based on what I have learned about his family. He was the son of Joseph McKane and Mary Doak.

Joseph McKane and Mary Doak was married on 8 Dec 1851 in Taughboyne, Donegal, Ireland.Their marriage record says St Patricks. Would anyone know if there are any pictures of that church??

Joseph was the son of William and Katherine (McCrudden) McKane. Mary was the daughter of Archibald and Ann (Allison) Doake

Joseph and Mary had the following children. Some born in Donegal and others born in Scotland. Annie (1852), Frances (1854), William (1857), Eliza (18620, John abt 1862, Joseph 1864, Mary abt 1864, Archibald 1868, James 1872, Thomas 1873, Katherine 1876. family members believe that the family first migrated to Scotland and ended up in the Fall river area of Massachusetts by abt 1886.

My great grandfather William married Mary White in Strabane 2 Feb 1885 and by March of 1885, immigrated to United States and settled in Everett, Mass.

If anyone can help with information on this family, history of Taughboyne in the mid 1800's or information on the church St Patricks, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you

Audrie Arseneault

stargzer1954@y…

18 replies

Audrie,

Can’t help with the photo of the church. Perhaps someone else will have one.

The William McKane who married Marianne White in 1885 had a father named John McKane (a labourer). (Marianne appears to have been Church of Ireland). Are you sure this is the correct marriage?

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1885/10858/5964803.pdf

I found Archy’s birth on 4.12.1868 in Wood Island (Co. Donegal). Father Joseph was a labourer at that time. Wood Island is on the bank of the River Foyle, about half a mile north of Lifford town.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1868/03420/2254708.pdf

I also found an un-named male child born “The Island” (which may be the same as Wood Island) on 13.4.1873. Father John McKane and Mary Doake.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1873/03197/2172555.pdf

Another un-named male child to Joseph McKane & Mary Doak on 12.1.1871 at the Island, Lifford.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1871/03310/2213385.pdf

So did Joseph also use the name John or were there 2 different couples with similar names?

Wood Island is a small townland in the parish of Clonleigh, Co Donegal. The civil registration town for births etc in the area around Lifford was Strabane, which happens to be in Co. Tyrone, but until 1922, half of its registration area was eastern Co Donegal.  So you get events in Donegal registered in Tyrone, which confuses some people but it’s straightforward enough really. The registration district encompassed part of 2 counties.

There’s somebody else researching McKane in Taughboyne on this link. You might want to exchange information:

http://donegalgenealogy.com/taughboyneproj.htm

Going to Scotland to work before going on to the USA (or some other country) was very common. It was called stepped migration. There were lots of new jobs around Glasgow and few jobs in Donegal, so it was a common move. Donegal to Glasgow was a very easy and cheap journey (overnight ferry from Londonderry to Glasgow, 3 times a week) and lots of people from Ulster went there. (Still do, in fact).

Have you looked for the family in Scotland? They might be in the 1881 census (and perhaps the 1871 depending on when they moved) and you should be able to find birth certificates for the Scottish born children. Both sets of records are on the Scotlandspeople site: https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn,

Thank you so much for your response. I am almost embarrassed to say that I am just seeing your message now... a couple years later. I had a hard time getting back on the site at some point I just gave up and then recently I tried it again and had to reset password and such but finally got on. I was never aware that I had gotten a answer back and I feel horrible that you gave all this time and information and it hadn't been reconized til now. I so appreciate your time and knowledge.

As far as the marriage record for my great grandfather William to Mary Ann White..I was sure it was it because Mary Ann had a sister named Elizabeth (Eliza) White and Eliza was a witness to the marriage.Also Eliza did come to the states but not until after the marriage. Also in the census records and my great grandfather's citizenship papers said he was married in 1885. My grandmother said that both William and Mary Ann came from Strabane so it all seemed to fit.I don't know who told me but I had heard my great grandparents got married and came shortly to the USA and that fits with his citizenship paperwork that says when he came here. It might not be the right certificate but I was guessing it was because everything seemed to fit except that the father was listed as Joseph instead of John.  I do not know if Joseph also went by John.

Your information was so extremely helpful especially explaining why and how  people would of went back and forth to Scotland. It has been a question asked by my new found cousins. I will definately send along this great information. Also That you for the explaination of Woods Hole. It helps me understand the surrounding areas better.

I recently found a cousin in Fall River,  Mass where most of this family ended up after leaving Ireland and Scotland. Ancestry DNA helped me connect with McKane relatives and the McKane name is still thriving. It seems that Joseph McKane and Mary Doake and some of their children came here to Massachusetts abt 1892 and settled in the Fall River area. Joseph and Mary's first child Annie born Oct 5, 1852 in Swillybrin Donegal married a James Britton in Strabane, then went to Glasgow where they had 3 children before coming to the states in Oct 1885 and settled in Fall River. Their 2nd Daughter Frances born 14 Feb 1854 in Swillbrin might of died young and before Joseph and Mary came to US. There is no record for her here. Their son Joseph born July 1, 1864 in Donegal was one of the first of the children to leave Ireland in 1882 and went to Philadelphia. Interestingly enough there was a newspaper article of how 20 years after he left Ireland, he found out his family went to Fall River and reconnected with them there. Amazing. Joseph and Mary's daughter Mary born Sept 11. 1864 in Rahoe (Last name was spelt McKean) ( Some of this family spelt their name McKean even when coming to the states and others went by McKane).She came to the states abt 1884/1885 settled in Mass, Their son John born 16 Sep 1866 in Swillybrin came her about 1880 and settled in Medford, Mass, Archie..you had found his birth record had come to Fall River about same time as parents, Son James was the unnamed baby born in 1871. I was told he went to either England or Scotland. Son Thomas born Mar 18, 1873 in Scotland came here in 1892 and settled in Fall River, Katherine, their last child born Jun 8, 1876 in Islandmore came here about 1897 and settled in Mass.

Joseph McKane died here in Rehoboth in 1906, his wife Mary died in Boston in 1901,she was staying with one of her children. 

So now I am trying to figure out what is the best way of finding Joseph and Mary's parents. Joseph's parents were William McKane ..I am guessing was born about 1800 and I would think still in the Donegal area. He married Katherine McCruddent. Since Joseph was married in Taughboyne...would that mean that his parents were from the same area? Could you advise me of where I could start looking for records in the early 1800's and marriages?? Mary Doakes parents names were Archibalde Doake and Ann Allison. Mary was born about Nov 1829 in Donegal and I have that her father ws born about 1790.

I did do a search on familysearch.org but didn't see anything so I do not know how I would get records from late 1700's to early 1800's when it comes to births and marriages ..could you advise me on which would be the best route for that. ???

Again I great appreciate all your help and information you had provided me.

Audrie Arseneault
 

stargzer1954@y…

Audrie,

In your original post you asked about a photograph of St Patrick’s church in Taughboyne. I can’t find a church of that name. The marriage certificate on the irishgenealogy site only says they married in the parish church of Taughboyne. That’s probably Taughboyne St Baithin’s. (There are 4 churches in the parish today). See:

https://www.ireland.anglican.org/find-a-church/parish/11700/taughboyne-st-baithin-churchtown

And:

https://www.gloine.ie/search/building/3360/taughboyne

Here’s a general site for Co. Donegal. May provide you with a little background.

http://donegalgenealogy.com

You mention Thomas as being born in Scotland on March 18 1863. I think he was born in Ireland.  (There’s an un-named male born at the Island on 13th April 1873 to Joseph McKane and Mary Doake). And obviously they couldn’t have had 2 children a month apart.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1873/03197/2172555.pdf

Probably worth explaining that dates of birth In Ireland always need to be taken with a pinch of salt. You were supposed to register a birth within something like 21 days, after which there was a penalty for late registration. People in rural areas tended to wait till they were in town on other business. That might be a month or so later. If the birth was more than 21 days before, they usually just altered the date to one that did not incur a penalty.  Combined with that, most people in Ireland didn’t celebrate birthdays and often had no idea when they were born. If officialdom later asked for a date of birth, they often just made one up. So you don’t always get consistency with dates of birth.

You say that James McKane born 12.1.1871 in Ireland is believed to have moved to Scotland or England.  There is a tree on Ancestry (brooke mckane) which has him marrying in Fall River, MA in 1905. There’s no spouse or other details and no additional information after that, so I can’t comment on how accurate it is.

Regarding Joseph’s parents, at the time of his marriage he was living in Porthall, parish of Lifford (according to his marriage certificate). There isn’t actually a parish named Lifford. Porthall is in Clonleigh parish (which encompasses the town of Lifford). Griffiths Valuation has a William McCain living there in 1858. He had a labourer’s cottage on Charles Anderson’s farm. The cottage is numbered 4B(b) in the Griffiths records. So that looks likely to be where Joseph lived then. (Today that’s quite close to Gerard McGirr’s wedding services on the R265, a couple of miles north of Lifford).

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameS…

Clonleigh Church of Ireland looks to have lost it’s early baptism records in the 1922 fire in Dublin and now has nothing earlier than the 1870s. So if that’s where Joseph was baptised and perhaps his parents married, there won’t be any surviving record. So getting back earlier is probably not possible. Much Irish research comes to a stop around 1800 due to the general lack of records, so this is not unusual.

Regarding Mary Doak’s ancestry, tradition was to marry in the bride’s church. Her townland (address) on her marriage certificate was Creaghadoos. I searched Griffiths Valuation and I found a William Doak there in 1858. He had a labourer/weaver’s cottage, plot 8e. Today that’s on a minor road near Rateen. Again a mile or two from Lifford. Perhaps Archibald had died and William took the property over. Possibly his son? You might find Archibald's burial in the church records.

Taughboyne Church of Ireland has baptism, marriage & burial records from 1820 onwards so that should include Mary if born c 1829. There were earlier records for that church but unfortunately they too were lost in the 1922 fire. There’s a copy of the surviving records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. Some of the records are also on the rootsireland site (pay to view) but I don’t know if they cover all years.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn,

Thank you again for all  the information and the different links I can explore. I will enjoy looking into them all.

I will have to look at the copy of marriage I have. I know I had to get St Patricks from some place but I am glad you gave me that site that I can look at that.

I know what you mean as far as birth dates..I will look into their child Thomas birthdate...it was given to me from my cousin in Fall River.It was his grandfather.  I did see that other date of the un named child on familysearch..I wondered the same thing. Also..as far as dates of births...my great grandfather had at least 3 when he came and settled outside of Boston. (Everett, Mass) He had one he listed on his citizenship paperwork, his gravestone has a different year and other paperwork, he had another one.Census records, he was a different age each time census was taken on him.  When researching Irish ancestry both  on my side and my ex husband's side..it was funny how so many were born on Saint Patricks day or close to that date. My exhusbands side were all from Cork and many of the records couldn't be attained because they were either destroyed by fire or government.

Around the time of about 1858..the time you had referenced the Griffens Valuation..what was the population like in those areas? I guess i am asking and I might sound so stupid right now..when looking at them..how would you be able to tell if it was your ancestor or not.

Thank you again..you have been so helpful and I will check out all the links you have sent me.

Have a great day

Audrie

stargzer1954@y…

Elwyn,

 I also noticed when I looked at the unnamed child born on April 13, 1873, Mary Doake's mother may McCruddent was there at the birth.

stargzer1954@y…

Many ages and dates of birth on official documents in Ireland were just a guess.

Alexander Irvine was born in 1863 in Antrim town and became a Minister living in the US. This extract from his book “The Chimney Corner revisited” perhaps explains why people often had to guess their ages:

“My mother kept a mental record of the twelve births. None of us ever knew, or cared to know, when we were born. When I heard of anybody in the more fortunate class celebrating a birthday I considered it a foolish imitation of the Queen’s birthday, which rankled in our little minds with 25th December or 12th July. In manhood there were times when I had to prove I was born somewhere, somewhen, and then it was that I discovered that I also had a birthday. The clerk of the parish informed me.”

I have attached a letter which I found in parish records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast from someone in Pettigoe, Co. Donegal in 1908 writing to his Minister, asking for proof of age (ie a baptismal certificate). All he knew was that he was between “70 and 78 years of age.” He clearly had only the vaguest idea and couldn’t narrow it down to within 9 years. (The likely reason for the letter was that the old age pension was being introduced in 1909 for people aged 70 and over. Documentary proof of age was required. Thus, probably for the first time in his life, establishing his age accurately became relevant to him).

Regarding the size of the population, a townland was anything between 1 acre and 2000, though the average was probably 300 or 4000 acres. If we look at Porthall in Griffiths there were about 28 houses listed. In the 1901 census there were 41 houses and a total population of 169 people. So with those small numbers, if we find someone with the name you are looking for, at the time we know is right, there’s a fairly strong chance it’s your family. (We know Joseph lived in Porthall in 1851 and his father was named William. In 1858 in Griffiths there were 28 houses in Porthall and just one McCain, who was named William. Statistically it's likely to be your family. Can't prove it for certain though without other records).

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Clonleigh_North/Porthall/

Interestingly, looking at Porthall I see 1 McKean household there, plus another McKean lodging with another family nearby:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Clonleigh_North/Porthall/1195725/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Clonleigh_North/Porthall/1195727/

So they could be related to your family, though the farmer was Presbyterian whereas your family was Church of Ireland so they may not be connected.

McKean family in Porthall in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Clonleigh_North/Porthall/1195727/

I researched them a little.  William McKean married Isabella Fyffe in 2nd Strabane Presbyterian on 20.1.1909. (Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church).  William’s father was James McKean.

What looks to be William’s birth was on 23.6.1871 in Rateen, Taughboyne to James McKean & Esther Hamilton. (Thomas McCane was born in the same place 1st March 1874._

James McCain married Esther Hamilton 19th March 1868 at 2nd Ballylennon Presbyterian. He was living in Rateen and his father was also James. So it looks as though this McKean family did not arrive in Porthall until some time after 1874 (when Thomas was born). So they weren’t there in the 1850s. So possibly not connected to your family.

There’s a Catherine McKean death in 1870, aged 62, registered in Strabane.  That could be William McKean’s wife (maiden name McCrudden). The age seems about right. That death is not on-line free yet. You would need to buy a copy from GRO Roscommon. I can explain how to do that if you are interested in seeing it.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn,

Thank you for sending the letter about the man questioning his birth. Wow, it really brings home how births had to be , like you say ; taking with a pinch of salt. I also loved reading Alexander Irvines account. So interesting .You can really see how birth dates could get so uncertain. A mother keeping at least 12 births in her head could get very confusing. I know my father..although not from Ireland but Canada; always said he was born Jan 14, 1902..every document here in the states said the same thing. When I visited his homeplace in Canada where he was born and baptized, I found his birth record at the church he was baptized at. He was actually born in 1903. No big deal I guess except I remember when he turned 65, he was forced to retire because of the" 65 year rule " they had back then when i was a kid. He was not happy at all because he loved to work, he had to support his family as well and my mother ended up being the bread winner of the family.

After reading about how few people were in the area, it does make sense that this was my William McKane.

The 1901 census..I do believe could either be another family or perhaps other children of William McKane (my ggg grandfather) that we do not know anything of as of this point. I do know that by 1901, my ggreatgrandfather Joseph and his children were living in US by that point. My great grandfather William as well. It is hard to know if these McKanes, McKeans relate to my family as of now.

The death of Catherine McKean in 1870 with the maiden name of McCrudden is interesting. Perhaps my gggreat grandmother Mary (McCruddent) had a sister Catherine and maybe married another McKean brother or something. That is possible and interesting especially being registered in Strabane, the area where my grandmother said her family came from. Her age at death would bring her about 1808 and I was guessing that Mary McCrudden birth to be around 1800 or so so it does fit that it could be perhaps a sister of hers.

Again Thank you. I have been so enjoying reading all this information and researching the different links you have sent my way

Audrie

stargzer1954@y…

Elwyn,

You mentioned Brooke McKane on ancestry. She is actually the cousin that I realized I connected with on the MCKane through the DNA testing a couple of years ago...probulary when I made my enquiry on Ireland XO,

We had both done  DNA tests through ancestry and I noticed that she came up as a match with me. I contacted her right away and realized there were others from the McKane side that I matched DNA wise after she and I shared the names of our ancestors.

I was so excited because at that point...I only knew that my ggreatgrandparents names were Joseph McKane and Mary Doake. I did not realize at that point that they had come to the United States after my great grandparents came. So I was at that brick wall not knowing what happened to them..did they stay in Ireland?

The one thing I could never figure out for years and wondered about was on the obit for my great grandfather, on the bottom it said that a notice was also going in the Fall River papers. I couldn't figure out why and it bothered me.  I remember looking in Fall River for the name McKane and I saw a Thomas but not a Joseph. Not knowing my great grandfather's siblings names or if he had any..I couldn't figure out if they were his family. What I also did not know at that point was that Joseph McKane took on the spelling of McKean when he came here and also some of his children did as well. I was lookng at that time for MCKANE.

Apparently after exchanging information..we both realized that some of the siblings settled in areas around where my great grandfather William settled..Everett, Boston, Winchester, Revere and then the rest of them settled in Fall River and Rehoboth areas.

As far as James McKane ...I did see that Brooke had that he married in Fall River and I will have to check it out. Another cousin Bob has that James died in the same year he was born in 1871..like a month or two after he was born in Ireland. For some reason I had he died in England or Scotland and I will have to check where I got that information from. I know I had to get it for somewhere but I also saw that I made a note that the information I had was not verified and to check out.

I am so grateful for this DNA testing, it has gotten me in touch with cousins I did not know I even had.

I have been researching the different areas near the RIver Foyle like Porthall, Lifford and Strabane and it is amazing how close they are to each other.

I remember my grandmother telling me that my great grandmother Mary Ann (White) worked as a maid in a castle and my great grandfather rowed over every day to see her while they courted. I thought it was a nice little story but Not really knowing where he came from..I was told both Great grandparents came from Strabane, Tyrone ..I didn't know where he could of rowed from or to so I just kept the story in my mind but that was about it.

I was always told how much he loved Mary Ann. When she died, he died 3 days later, my grandmother told me he died of a broken heart. I did get his death record and when I looked up the word they used for his cause of death..his death was caused by being really upset.

I know you questioned whether I had the right marriage record for William McKane and Mary Ann White and I believe that I do only because the ages fit with their births..her death record gave the name of her father and that was the same on marriage record and name of William's father was the same as was on his death record.. Mary Ann had a sister Eliza and she was listed on the record as well. Her sister did come to the states after Mary Ann did and settled in Everett , same place that My great grandparents did so . Also on a couple of census , it stated how many years they were married and the year fits with the certificate so I don't know...I can't be for positive but I do think it is theirs.

Audrie

stargzer1954@y…

Regarding the family story about rowing over to visit Mary Ann White where she worked in a castle, Porthall, Lifford, Woods Island etc are all on the River Foyle. It is navigable (by small boats) and so it’s perfectly feasible that he rowed across to see her. Probably 500 yards. The only bridge across for miles is at Lifford, so rowing would probably save a long walk. Whether she worked in a castle or not is less certain. (It’s funny how many anecdotes about Ireland and Scotland involve a castle! Wishful thinking I sometimes suspect).  I can’t think of a castle in that immediate area but there were plenty of large houses that employed servants so broadly the story seems perfectly feasible to me.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

 Audrie,

A colleague on the excellent Co Tyrone genealogy website: https://cotyroneireland.com/index.html

has suggested some sites that might give you additional information on your family. He saw your post here and commented that they have the Taughboyne CofI baptisms, marriages, burials and vestry minutes on-line (thanks to the RCBL, Dublin) and they may contain data useful to you. By way of background he also said: “There were several families of that name in Taughboyne and Clonleigh parishes who seem to be descended from an early settler, an Abercorn tenant, Moses McKane. The family name is generally spelt McKean in Donegal, but the families in Donagheady and Leckpatrick parishes on the eastern bank of the Foyle in Co. Tyrone have spelt it McKane.”

https://www.cotyroneireland.com/births/taughboyne2.html

https://www.cotyroneireland.com/churchrecord/taughboyne.html

https://www.cotyroneireland.com/burial/taughboyne2.html

https://www.cotyroneireland.com/churchrecord/taughboyne2.html

and also

https://www.cotyroneireland.com/churchrecord/taboyn.html

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Good Morning Elwyn,

Thank you again for all the wonderful information and links you have sent my way!!!

I have only checked out two of the links and found some really great information on my family. I have been on the cotyrone site before and found great information on it but missed this information that I got this time around. I am so excited in what I am finding. My great great grandmothers side the Doakes,,,I was able to find siblings of hers and again narrowing down the area in which they lived.

 I am so excited! I can not wait to look into the other links you sent me..!!!

I have pictures of my great grandparents, great great grandparents and I will be posting them on this site, hoping to help someone else that extends from this family..I am going to write a bio of all the information I have and would  love to share it to your site.

Please thank your colleague for me...is he James McKane??? I will send him a message of thanks if it is

Thank you again Elwyn for your time and most appreciated information!

Audrie

stargzer1954@y…

Audrie,

Glad I have been of help. It was Len Swindley who offered the advice I passed on.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn,

With your help and Len Swindley's I was able to find siblings of my ggreat mother Mary Doakes sibling's baptism as well as children of Mary and Joseph McKane. On the Doak side, Mary's father Archibald and her mother were living in Crahadoos at the time of the birth and baptism of their children and he was working as a weaver. I looked up Crahadoos to see where it was actually and I couldn't find any information on it. Was it in Donegal or Tyrone? Also...on McKane side ..Swillybrim was mentioned in several of the baptizm records as the family being from and same thing...I can't find any information on where it was located ..i figure by the River Foyle since all the places they seem to have lived were so close to the Lifford/ Strabane area near the river. I realize that many of the places like Porthall and Wood Island were very small but even though they were small areas, I was able to find information on them...Are the area's of Crahadoos or Swillbrin exist anymore or are they called something else??

Thank you

Audrie
 

stargzer1954@y…

Audrie,

The spelling of townlands varies and in some cases the names used on official documents are places within a townland.  So they can be even harder to find. Often just a handful of houses, and not somewhere that will always come up on a google search.

There’s a townland of Swillybrin in Donegal. That might be the Swillybrim you have found. 152 acres, in the parish of Clondahorky. 9 houses there in Griffiths Valuation of 1857. North of Letterkenny on the road to Dunfanaghy. 10 houses in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Ards/Swillybrin/

If you don’t see any familiar surnames there, give me details of at least one of the baptisms/births and I’ll look at it to see if I can identify the location for certain.

Crahadoos is likely Creaghadoos which is in Taughboyne civil parish in Co. Donegal. I see 1 Doak household there in Griffiths Valuation, with a labourer’s cottage. Today it’s spelled Craigadoes. It’s a mile or so north of Lifford. 1901 census with 24 houses. Population 120.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Feddyglass/Creaghadoos/

Creagh in gaelic often means rock (or crag) and dubh/doo etc means black. So Creaghadoos probably means “Black Rock.”

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn,

I have referred back to these series of posts we have made several times and it seems there is always a small detail I miss or a link you have given me that I hadn't explored. As you know with each link is another link or something within that links that gets me exploring other information in other areas. So many times I have clicked so far off the link that I forgot where I was or got so overwhelmed with the vast amount of information I was getting that I had to stop.. 

Again...I can not thank you enough for all the informtion, links, etc that you have given me. Unbelievably valuable information, and such a better understanding of areas in which they lived and of course it has led me to find more of my family and correct information on my family that I had wrong. It is wonderful when you find the actual record that proves the ancestry and facts of course.

Just recently when I went exploring more of the Taughboyne parish records , I stumbled across my grandfather William McKanes actual baptism record. He,  as I said in ,I believe, my original post had several dates of birth recorded for him in different records once he arrived in the states. One date was actually proved to be the closest to all his guesses. I found a birth for him 13 Apr 1856, Baptistism 18 May 1856. #98 in Taughboyne parish Births of 1821-1900.All is the same area of Swilly where his parents Joseph McKane(McCain/McKean and Mary Doak had their other children born.  Very exciting to say the least.

You mentioned a death of a Katherine McCrudden in one of your last posts registered in Strabane in 1870. You said it wasn't online yet but I could get a copy  from GRO Roscommon. I would be greatly interested in finding out how to do that.

I know before 1870 she was present at least one of her grandchildren's births..I believe her grandson Archie 's birth she was and then another grandson I believe I saw her name mentioned as fare as being there at time of birth.

Also you were telling me about Len Swindly... please thank him again for the help he has given me...but he was saying how many of the McKanes originated from  a Moses McKane in the Taughboyne and Clouigh parishes. Going through the many church records in Taughboyne, I did stumble across records of a Moses McKane who was listed in the Taughboyne Vestry Minutes 1796-1876...there is one for 28 Jul 1806 as well as 2 May 1816 and a couple others. I read them..honestly couldn't understand what was on the pages but I did find it interesting that you had mentioned that name and I found records with him and he being from same area where my family was known to be.

I do have a question for you though...on 29 Oct 1870 on the Ireland petty Sessions Court registers 1828-1912 as a defendant I found a William McKane and I believe on the same date or 27 Jun 1873 I saw a Archibald Doak as a plaintaint living in Creaghadoose where we know the Doaks lived at about that time.in these registers. Is there a way of finding out details of these registers?

Thank you again for your help.

Audrie

stargzer1954@y…

Audrie,

Most Irish birth, death and marriage records are on-line free, (having been put on-line in batches over the past 6 to 8 years) but a few are not. The deaths for 1864 to 1870 inclusive are still not on-line and have to be paid for. There is a plan to put them on-line free but I think work has stopped due to Covid. 

The death for Catherine McCrudden was registered in Stranorlar in 1870. She was aged 75. It was registered in Quarter 1, Volume 2, page 309. That’s all information you need to put on the order form, under date of death. Order a “copy of the entry” which is a photocopy and costs €5 (euros), as opposed to a certified copy which is the same thing on fancy paper and costs a lot more. Plus the photocopy can be e-mailed to you. There’s a box to tick if you want it e-mailed.

https://www.gov.ie/en/service/124a70-apply-for-certificates/?referrer=https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Apply-for-Certificates.aspx

Regarding the Petty Sessions records, there’s not much more than you have found on Findmypast. The actual files have long been destroyed and all that survives is the book in which the outcome of each case was recorded. Which I think is viewable on the fmp site.  If Archibald was the plaintiff in the 1873 case it sounds like a civil case. Could be him pursuing someone because of trespass or nuisance. That sort of issue. William McKane being a defendant indicates a criminal charge. Typical common offences at that time were drunkeness, assault, & having unlicensed dogs.

I do have a subscription to a newspaper site and I searched for both court cases but without success. I have attached a page from the Derry Journal for 19th August 1891 reporting the cases heard in Strabane Petty Sessions that week.  It should give you a flavour of the type of cases the court heard. You will see that at the end it says “The hearing of some minor cases concluded the business..” That might be why neither William nor Archibald appear in the papers. Their cases were perhaps too insignificant to merit reporting in detail. That’s nice to know, but disappointing at the same time.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi,

I'm a descendant of the Britton family, and have some info on James Britton and Annie McKean, including their descendants.  Are you still researching the family?

-Cheryl

Cheryl Andrews

Hi All!

I'm not sure if anyone will see this but my name is Shannon McKane - I'm a direct decsendant of Moses McKane/McKain (1826-1910). I would love to know if anyone has made any additional progress down the genealogy line! 

slm32395

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