Marlee,
The family being Presbyterian fits with the timing of their departure from Ireland. The vast majority of migrants from Ireland in the 1700s were Presbyterian. (Roman Catholics didn’t start migrating in significant numbers till the 1800s). Being Presbyterian and originating in Tyrone points strongly to them being of Scottish origins. They’ll have settled in the area in the 1600s.
There are very few records in Ireland for the 1700s and research at that period is notoriously difficult.
You say the Rowan family came from Ballynagappock. I can’t find any townland with that name in Co. Tyrone at all. There is a Ballynagappogue in Co Down but nothing that seems to fit in Tyrone. (Ballynagappock is likely to be an approximation of the townland name in Ireland). How sure are you that your family came from Tyrone? The reason I ask is that I have found references to a Rowan family in Ballynagappogue in Co. Down. The references can be found on the PRONI website. (PRONI is the public record office in Belfast). You can find it using the PRONI website names check. https://apps.proni.gov.uk/ProniNames_IE/ResultDetails.aspx
The site tells you that there is a record of a John Rowan of Ballynagappog, Co Down. Probate was granted on his estate in 1728 and a copy or transcript of the will exists in PRONI, Ref T/808 p12970. (The transcript is not on-line. You either need to go to PRONI to view it, or pay them to copy it for you). There is a second reference to this same estate but with a date of 1749. So that might indicate a fresh probate grant. That may have happened if the original executor failed to wind up the estate effectively.
A Stewart Rowan of Ballnagappog is also listed. Probate was granted in 1728. His transcript is also under ref T/808 p 12970.
PRONI has a map of Ballynagappog compiled in 1748, under ref D671/M/7/1.
I searched the tithe applotment records (compiled c 1825-1835). They list farmers and others with land. There were no Rowans anywhere in Tyrone at that period.
Griffiths Valuation for 1859 list one Rowan household in the county. He was William Rowan who had a farm labourer’s cottage (plot 6b) on William Boyd’s farm in Tullylagan which is in the parish of Desertcreat.
Here are all the Rowans in what is now Northern Ireland in the tithes:
Rowan Bell, Jno.-Townland: Demesne of Down Year: 1833-Down-Down
Rowan, Alexander-Townland: Livallyreagh Year: 1828-Dromara -Down
Rowan, Alexr.-Townland: Levallyreagh Year: 1828-Dromara -Down
Rowan, Andrew-- Townland: Altnamighan Year: 1830-Newtownhamilton-Armagh
Rowan, Archibald H., Esq.-Townland: Corporation Year: 1827-Killyleagh-Down
Rowan, Capt. Townland: Corporation Year: 1827-Killyleagh-Down
Rowan, Daniel-Townland: Ballydesland Year: 1834-Clonallan-Down
Rowan, Daniel-Townland: Burren Year: 1834-Clonallan-Down
Rowan, David-Townland: Levallyreagh Year: 1828-Dromara -Down
Rowan, David-Townland: Livallyreagh Year: 1828-Dromara -Down
Rowan, George-- Townland: Shewish Year: 1833-Kilmore-Armagh
Rowan, James-County: Down Townland: Balinadrone Year: 1834-Magheralin-Armagh
Rowan, James-County: Down Townland: Ballymacateer Year: 1834-Magheralin-Armagh
Rowan, James-County: Down Townland: Ballymacmean Year: 1834-Magheralin-Armagh
Rowan, James-Townland: Balinadrone Year: 1834-Magheralin-Down
Rowan, James-Townland: Ballymacateer Year: 1834-Magheralin-Down
Rowan, James-Townland: Ballymacmean Year: 1834-Magheralin-Down
Rowan, James-Townland: Glenavy Year: 1826-Glenavy-Antrim
Rowan, James-Townland: Glenavy Year: 1834-Glenavy-Antrim
Rowan, James-Townland: Knockentern Year: 1827-Coleraine-Derry
Rowan, Jno., Esq.-Townland: Demesne of Down Year: 1833-Down-Down
Rowan, John-Townland: Demesne of Down Year: 1833-Down-Down
Rowan, John-Townland: Drumnadrogh and Ballygowlan Year: 1835- Carnmoney-Antrim
Rowan, John-Townland: Drumnadrough Year: 1835- Carnmoney-Antrim
Rowan, John-Townland: Narrowwater Year: 1834-Clonallan-Down
Rowan, John, Esq.-Townland: Coole Year: 1827-Derrykeighan-Antrim
Rowan, John, Esq.-Townland: Coole Year: 1827-Donegore -Antrim
Rowan, John, Esq.-Townland: Knockavallon Year: 1827-Derrykeighan-Antrim
Rowan, John, Esq.-Townland: Knockavallon Year: 1827-Donegore -Antrim
Rowan, Mr. Jno.-Townland: Ballywarren Year: 1833-Down-Down
Rowan, Mrs. Townland: Larne Gardens Year: 1834-Larne-Antrim
Rowan, Robert-Townland: Newhill Year: 1825-Ballymoney-Antrim
Rowan, Robert-Townland: Newhill Year: 1825-Ballymoney-Derry & Antrim
Rowan, Thomas-- Townland: Altnamighan Year: 1830-Newtownhamilton-Armagh
Rowan, Thos.-Townland: Barmeen Year: 1834-Drumgath-Down
Rowan, Widow Townland: Lisnamuck Year: 1828-Maghera-Derry
Rowan, William-Townland: Clanmaghery Year: 1828-Seapatrick-Down
Rowan, William-Townland: Loughan Year: 1834-Kildollagh-Derry
Rowan, William-Townland: Snowhill Year: 1834-Cleenish-Fermanagh
Rowan, Willm.-Townland: Demesne of Down Year: 1833-Down-Down
Rowan, Wm.-Townland: Corcreeny Year: 1834-Donacloney-Down
Rowan, Wm.-Townland: Demesne of Down Year: 1833-Down-Down
Rowan, Wm.-Townland: Drumanee Year: 1828-Ballyscullion-Antrim & Derry
Rowan, Wm.-Townland: Drumanee Year: 1828-Ballyscullion-Derry
Rowan, Wm.-Townland: Old Town Downing Year: 1828-Ballyscullion-Antrim & Derry
Rowan, Wm.-Townland: Old Town Downing Year: 1828-Ballyscullion-Derry
There was only 1 Rowan family in Tyrone in the 1901 census but they were not native to the parish. The husband was from Armagh and his wife was from England:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Castlecaulfield/Castlecaulfield/1738598/
Ballynagappogue in Co Down is in the parish of Clonduff. There are 2 Presbyterian churches there: Clonduff & Hilltown. Neither has any records before 1842.
I suspect your Rowan fmaily were from Co. Down and not Tyrone.
There were only 2 Porterfields in Northern Ireland in the tithes, one of which was in Tyrone, in Leckpatrick parish:
Porterfield, John-- Townland: Rathconwell Year: 1834-Loughgilly-Armagh
Porterfield, Wm.-T: Leck Y: 1826-Leckpatrick-Tyrone
Griffiths Valuation for 1858 lists just 2 in the county. Both were named John Porterfield. One farmed plot 8 (11 acres) in Windy Hill, parish of Donaghedy. The other farmed plot 7 (27 acres) in Cortlogher, in the parish of Urney.
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml
The Cortlogher/Gortlogher family were still there in 1901:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Altaclady/Gortl…
Altogether 14 Porterfields in the 1901 census of Tyrone. (5 households). All were Presbyterian:
You could check the Presbyterian church records for those areas. (They are all near Strabane). As far as I am aware none of the 6 or 7 Presbyterian churches in the area has any records for the 1700s.
