I'm tracing the family of James Dempsey of Derrykeighan who was married to Jane McLoughlin and they had several children with whom they emigrated to Australia in 1838. I strongly believe that their eldest child (probably male) remained in Antrim. There could also be a connection to a Daniel Dempsey of Derrykeighan but haven'y found it yet. Would love to find some descendants still in Ireland.
The births and marriage are all well before the start of statutory registration (1864) so you won?t find a marriage or birth certificate for your Dempsey family. So to try and trace them you normally need to rely on church records. You don?t say what denomination the family were. (In Co Antrim it?s predominantly RC but there were also a couple of hundred Presbyterians and Church of Ireland people with the name too). I?ll assume they were RC. Derrykeighan civil parish is in Ballymoney RC parish. Unfortunately it?s baptism and marriage records don?t start till 1853, so too late for your family.
Dempsey is a common enough name in the Ballymoney/Derrykeighan area. You can see who was living there in the 1901 census on this link. You can filter to limit it to Co Antrim and RC faith etc. There were 152 RC Dempseys but the majority lived in Belfast. When you eliminate them it?s a more manageable number.
Hi Jennie
No luck on www.rootsireland.ie/ (pay site) finding James or the children or the marriage & there aren't any Dempseys in the Irish phone book in Antrim!!
However the Johnson Family tree on ancestry.com (public member tree) has James born in Bushmills Antrim in 1795 - parents John & Catherine (no source given!) Married Jane McLoughlin 1814 & died in Newtown 1888 aged 93; is this your man?
They have little on Jane however.
Nearest birth/baptism matches for her on rootsireland are Jane Loughlane 1796 Kildare, Loughlin 1796 Westmeath, MacLoughlin 1798 Meath & MacLaughlin 1798 Meath
Can send the ancestry page to an email address if you don't have access.
Col
Hi
I have an interest also in the Dempseys but just across the Baan at Agivey. I have a Catherine Dempsey 1823 in Bendooragh, Co. Antrim. just a few km from ballymoney. Her fther may be a Richard Dempsey (b 1791) with a wife Mary (nee McCarroll b 1793). I likewise have a Mary McLaughlin b 1848 and married into the Deighan family oriinally from the Ballymoney areas plus connections with some McDonalds likwise from the Ballymoney areas. There seems to be a strong connection to the Agivey nd agadowie areas across the baan river from ballymoney.
Anyway hope this helps
Thanks
Douglas Trevett
Thank you to Agohill Antrim, Colcaff & Cleaunz for your replies. Sorry I am so late in ackowledging my thanks - the start of this year went downhill very suddenly in our house but I hope to carry on with some research now.
I have done a lot of research into the Dempsey's of Antrim and a current lead I have at present is a Daniel Dempsey who was a churchwarden at Derrykeighan CofI 1818. I'm wondering if he was in fact an elder brother to my James Dempsey born c1795.
I'm sure one day someone will read this and know the answer.
Thank you,
Jennie Fairs.
County Antrim Northern Ireland
my great grandmother Mable Anna Dempsey born in the USA married Menzo Kenward in Orleans County NYS USA. Her father was John albert Dempsey born in the states his father James Dempsey? born in Ireland and his father Edward?. All very common names and very difficult to trace. any assistance is apprieciated ansetry states Edward was from Antrim.