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Mckeever/Wallace County Derry, N. Ire

McKEEVER, Clark and WALLACE, Jane     Clark McKeever was born in Tobermore, Derry county, N.Ireland 11 Jun, 1798.  Father possibly: John McKeever (b. 1760 visited USA, PA in about 1828) and died in 1830 ?N Ire.  Clark married Jane Wallace b. 1794, Derry county, N Ireland and had first child, daughter, Elizabeth born 25 Dec, 1822, Derry Co, N. Ireland. 

Per cousin;  Warren Mckeever letter 1965, "In 1820?  Clark McKeever, his sister and 2 or 3 brothers migrated to the USA..  One child, Eliza came, and a brother and sister of Jane Wallace.  Possible brother, John and sister Mary who married a man named BRADY one of whose daughter's married a STEELE, both of whom died in Norton City, Kansas leaving a large family.  One of the Mckeever boys was a champion at Pole Vaulting canals in Ireland"  The 2nd child Margaret Mckeever was born 31 Jan, 1825 in Russelville, Pennsylvania, thus travel to USA 1823-1824 (Passage not known).  Another description of where they lived is about 6 miles out of the village of Tobermore called long ago 'the land grant of Moy-beg'

Any help with this family research would be appreciated.  I will be coming for Collette tour Northern  and Ireland in April.  Be in Londonderry Tues eve April 12 and free time Wed, afternoon April13, 2022.  Thinking of a car to see Tobermore and surrounding area.

marshja48@gmail.com        in Kansas USA

marshja48@gmail.com

4 replies

Julia,

Then only Moybeg I know of near Tobermore is Moybegkirley which is about a mile outside Tobermore, on the modern Moybeg Rd. I looked in the 1831 census but did not see any McKeevers or Wallaces living there then.

You haven’t said what denomination(s) the families were. The local Church of Ireland (Kilcronaghan parish) has records from 1790, Tobermore Presbyterian has baptisms from 1860 and marriages from 1819 onwards. The RC records don’t start till 1848, so too late. There are copies of the Church of Ireland and Presbyterian records in PRONI in Belfast.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

MkKeever, Northern Ireland Tobermore, Derry County

Elwyn,Tthank you for the search.  Other info I have from  letter of cousin:    William Archibald McKeever was a writer.  He worked an Kansas University, Lawrence, Kansas.  His father was Archibald McKeever born 4th to Clark McKeever and Jane Wallace, 6 April, 1830, Chester Co, PA.  William Archibald says "I can trace my ancestry back as far as one Fergus McKivor, 'Chief Clan Kush' in Scotland.  Was banished to Ireland in 1516".  I also herd McKeevers in Scotland were Vikings, no proof.  Could also have been spelled McIvor

I have not been able to find their denomination yet.  Looking for church records on line.

Julia

marshja48@gmail.com

marshja48@gmail.com

Julia,

I am always a little cautious when folk claim to have traced their family back to the 1400s and 1500s, given that save for a few people of high status, neither Ireland nor Scotland has any birth or marriage records for that period. I have never heard of a Clan Kush either. That’s a new one on me. I’d be fairly cautious about that information without convincing proof.

MacLysaght’s “The Surnames of Ireland” says McKeever (a variant of McIvor) comes from Mac Iomhair (from a Norse forename) and is found in Tyrone and adjacent areas. So there may be some accuracy in the suggested Norse connection. But that would be in the period 700-950 AD, long before baptism records were routinely kept.

MacLysaght says Wallace is: “The name of a Scottish clan; also occasionally a synonym of Walsh.” Given that the family were living in Co Derry, Scottish origins are the most likely in this case. (Half the county are descended from Scots settlers, so that’s not unexpected).

In the 1831 census of Co Derry there were about 97 Wallaces. The vast majority were Presbyterian (pointing to Scots origins and a likely arrival in Ireland in the 1600s). There were about 55 McKeevers and they were nearly all Roman Catholic indicating that they were probably “native Irish” who had been living in Ireland much longer than the Wallaces.

The church records you may need are not on-line. The Church of Ireland and Presbyterian records for Tobermore are in PRONI. Personal visit required to view them. (Take photo id to get your reader’s ticket). The RC records don’t start till 1848 so they will be of no use in this case

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi,

 

I am planning a trip to Ireland next summer and have been told that Clark McKeever a 5x Great Grandfather on my Grandmothers side. My grandparents settled in St. Joseph, Mo on the border to Kansas and I believe they were from Kansas but not exactly sure where at this time. I just did a google search and this site came up. I will try and get more info from my Aunts and see if I can add more info.

 

wmcdowell1

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