Virtue and Crawford families of Castlefin

Ruth,

I think the townland where your ancestors lived was formally called Sessiagh (Long). There are other Sessiaghs nearby including Sessiagh (Allison) & Sessiagh (O’Neill).

According to a transcription on rootsireland, Thomas and Margaret married on 21.11.1861. His father was Robert, hers Thomas. Both came from “Lougassagh.” That’s likely to be Sassiagh (Long). Witnesses were William & John Crawford.

Griffiths Valuation for 1858 lists a William Virtue farming in Sessiagh (Long). He had plot 12 which was just over 21 acres. You can see where the property was/is using the maps on Griffiths Valuation. Today it’s near the modern Sessiagh Park road.

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

No Virtues farming in Sessiagh (Long) in 1901 but there were Crawfords still there, including what may be Margaret’s father:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Castlefinn/Sessiagh__Long_/

1911 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Donegal/Castlefinn/Sessiagh__Long_/505076/

There’s a death for a Robert Virtue registered in Strabane in 1870 aged 64. That might be Thomas’s father. You would need to purchase a copy of the certificate to find out. Likewise there’s a death for a William Virtue aged 69, registered in Strabane in 1872.

Assuming the families attended Donaghmore Presbyterian, there are copies of that churches records in PRONI in Belfast for the following years and events:

Baptisms, 1835-1961;

Marriages, 1819-42 and 1845-1905.

There are no earlier records.

 

Hi Ruth, 

The people at the Castlefin and District Historical Society might also be of help.

Their email is castlefinnhistoryproject@gmail.com and they also have a Facebook page.

All the best,

Cronan