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James Moody (or Moodie) 1823 - 1870

DerryAghadowey (Derry)

I am looking for the burial site of my 2 x great grandfather James Moody (or Moodie). He died, suddenly, on 12th October 1870 in Ballynacally, Aughadowey, according to his death certificate. He lived in Scotland with his wife and children, and I believe he was a Roman Catholic. Hopefully, when I can find where he is buried I shall find other family members.

I have written to 3 churches in the area of Ballynacally and I did not receive a reply. I have also written to Coleraine Cemeteries Department and although I did receive a reply but she did not tell me if she had conducted a search of their records. I have also contacted Coleraine Library to see if they hold burial records and I am waiting for their reply.

Help wanted. What do I do next?

Sheila

8 replies

Sheila,

Churches here get a lot of genealogy related queries. They are not always seen as a top priority. Sadly they don't all get a reply. Sorry about that. You could look up the parochial office(s) on the internet. Usually gives a phone number. You could ring and find out whether they have any useful records that way.

In the 1800s few RC parishes kept burial records so the chances are there are none to find. Some have had gravestone inscriptions transcribed so that can be a help. The Causeway Coast & Glens branch of the North of Ireland family history society has some gravestones transcriptions from that parish on their website so you could try that source. E-mail the NIFHS and they’ll likely do a look up for you.

What was your ancestor’s occupation. Only wealthier folk tended to have gravestones (save where there was a benign descendant in America or Glasgow willing to pay). So if he was a labourer, he probably does not have a gravestone. Farmers were more likely to have gravestone but if he had gone off to Scotland to work I assume he wasn’t a farmer.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Many thanks for your reply. I shall try phoning the parish office to see if they can help.

I have had a look at The Causeway Coast and Glens family history society website. I shall contact them to see if they can help. Also, I noticed that two of their members where researching the surname Moody in the area - I shall try to make contact with them, as you never know.

James Moody had married Ann McAullay in Ireland (I have yet to find their marriage) and they had a son James Moody about 1844, in Ireland, before moving to Newmains, Lanarkshire, Scotland, where he worked as a coal miner. James and Ann had two more children Helen in 1847 and William in 1849, in Scotland. I had thought that James has returned to Ireland because of a death in the family, so I looked in the indexes to see, and I found a Thomas Moody who died on 7th October, 1870, (a few days before James), aged 35, in Coleraine. I wonder if he was a brother of James or is this too much of a coincidence?

Sheila

Sheila

Ann.

Your idea might be right but might not. We need to do more digging.

Who was the informant for the 1870 death and what was his/her townland? I'll have a look to see if that gives any leads.

If James and Ann married in the Aghadowey area and were RC, then the bad news is that the parish (Killowen) has no records for the years you need. Baptisms from 1843 but no marriages at all. Lost presumably. If they had a child in Scotland in 1855 or 1861 onwards then those birth certificates should record the date and place of the parents marriage. That may be the only way of getting the information. If it is of any consolation an RC marriage in the 1840s doesn’t normally contain parents names. Often all you get is the date, the couples names and their 2 witnesses.

Given the birth of 1st child in Ireland in 1844 that gives you reasonable pointer. Have you searched for his baptism on the usual websites?

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hello Elwyn

The informant on James Moody and Thomas Moody's death was the Coroner. Which is no help. James Moody and Ann McAlluay only had three children: James, Helen and William. This is confirmed by census information. I have searched for James Moody (born 1944) birth/baptism on Irish Genealogy, Roots Ireland, Ancestry and Family Search, without success.

The only other information I have on James Moody (born 1823) is that his parents were probably John Moody and Cecilia Wright. John Moody met Cecilia in Scotland and they married on 3rd July 1804 in Dunbar, East Lothian, whilst he was serving with the 18th Regiment, Royal Irish. John and Cecilia had three children, who were born in St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands - William born 1810, Elizabeth 1811 and John 1813 (I have their baptisms). This checks out with the Regiment's movements. The only other child that I know of is Sarah Moody who was born in 1817 in Coleraine. There may have been others. The interesting thing is that I am in contact with descendants of William and of Sarah because our DNA matches!

I did find a Cecilia Moody in the 1831 census living in Brook Street, Coleraine Town - one family - one male and three females. Also there was a John Moody living on the same street - one family - 3 males and 3 females.

I hope you can make sense of all of this.

Thank you for all your advice.

Sheila

Sheila

Sheila,

Leave that with me for a day or two. Re the 2 entries in the 1831 census, Cecilia as head of household is likely to be a widow. Both families were Presbyterian. That doesn’t fit very well with the other Moodys being Catholic. Or were they? Did daughter Helen marry, and if so in what denomination as that should give a clue as to that family’s denomination.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hello Elwyn

Helen Moody, my great grandmother, married Hugh Campbell on 29th April 1878 in Free Church Manse, Wishaw, Lanarkshire. They were living in Furnace Row, Newmains, Lanarkshire. However, their children married in St. Brigid's R.C. Chapel, Newmains, Lanarkshire.

Sheila

Sheila,

Interesting. Free Church is Presbyterian as I am sure you know and tradition was to marry in the bride’s church indicating Helen at least was Presbyterian. (And by church I also mean the Manase. That was a common place to marry. Church weddings are a comparatively recent thing in Scottish Presbyterianism). When you say their children married in Catholic churches, were those boys or girls? If boys then they could have been simply marrying Catholics but not Catholic themselves, at least till that point.

There’s a report in the Belfast Morning News of 10.10.1870 which covered the Thomas Mooney inquest. Thomas was a young farmer from Cashel, Macosquin. His body was found at the roadside between Ballymoney and Coleraine in the early hours of Friday morning. He had spent the day (Thursday) at Ballymoney fair and was on his way home at night when his cart overturned and he was killed. Derry Journal 8.10.70 mentioned that he had been known locally as a fast driver. So basically he died as a result of a single vehicle road traffic accident, at night with no lights when he was probably drunk. You find similar cases today with young drivers. (The horse survived the accident).

The Cashel family was Presbyterian:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Letterloan/Cashel/1517639/

No report on James Moody’s inquest. Presumably not sufficiently interesting. But he died in a different parish so probably not connection with the Cashel family.

I'd search all denominations graveyards frankly to be on the safe side.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hello Elwyn

Thank you for the information regarding Thomas Moody.

James Moody's children were James and Helen who married in St. Brigid's Chapel. His other son William, died aged 23, before he could marry. I think I am going to expand my search.

Thank you for all your help.

Sheila

Sheila

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