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McLeese/O'Hara

DerryColeraine (Derry)

Hello andGreetings from New Zealand

I have been searching for a long time for these ancestors. I think at last i have found them in Coleraine , Derry. My family are MCLEES/MCALEESE and O'HARA. I have been searching for James MCLEISH( the name the sons of the family used in scotland ) who married Margaret O"HARA circa 1845 in Co.Derry . I have had only Margaret's death cert from Greenock Renfrewshire in 1885 to base any of my information on. The witness to the death was her son Hugh who had migrated to Scotland . This same Hugh is a direct ancestor.

I have recently found using Find MyPast and accessingCatholic Parish Registers online a Hugh MCLEESE with parents James MCLEESE and Peggy O'HARA (transcript says MARA) born 1850 in Coleraine, Derry, Londonderry. There are also recorded two other children born to parents of similar names a James MCALEEES born to James MCALEES and Peggy HARA in 1847 in same parish and a Margaret MCLEESE born 1856 to James MCLEESE and Peggy HARA.

The James MCALEESE/MCLEES/MCLEISH who married Margaret O'HARA has always been a mystery. There is no record of him in any of the Scottish censuses from 1861 through to 1891. Margaret appears in 1881 Greenock Census with a son under the name MCLEISH.

Any ideas as to where to look for the elusive James or any information on the HARA/O'HARA family of Coleraine would be very welcome. Thanks in anticipation. Phyllis

IrelandXO member

10 replies

Phyllis,

You say that you have Margaret’s Scottish death certificate for 1885. That should record her parents names and occupations, also whether her husband was still alive, and what his occupation was.

Likewise if you have found her in the 1881 Scottish census, her marital status should be shown, telling you whether he was still alive then. What do these two sources say?

Looking at the baptism for James in September 1847, you may have noticed that his parents townland was given as Ahadoe (Aghadowey). Aghadowey is both a civil parish and a townland but in this case the meaning would appear to be the townland. Other places names in the same register are townlands. That narrows the search a little. Aghadowey townland is about 6 or 7 miles south west of Coleraine.

I also noticed that when Hugh was baptised on 3.11.1850, the next baptism may be a relative. Bernard McLeese was baptised to Hugh McLeese and Mary Cainy (sp?) Could just be a coincidence but possibly this was a relative.

I had a look at the 1831 census for Aghadowey civil parish. I could not see an RC family of McLeese (and variants) at all. There were some Presbyterians but no RC. Searching for O’Hara, I found just one. A family headed by Arthur O’Hara, consisting of 1 male and 2 females, all RC. They lived in the townland of Bovagh. So that could be a relation of Margaret’s. Is her father’s name Arthur on her death cert?

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Coleraine/Aghadowey/Bovagh/14/

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

 Hi Elwyn and  thanks for replying so quickly. 

Here is the information from Margaret MCLEISH 's( MCAleese )   Scottish death cert. Date March 22 1885 Greenock, Renfrewshire Scotland . Informant her son Hugh MCLEISH ( his mark ). Parents,( both deceased) John O"HARA and Jane BROWN . Married to James MCLEISH occupation Labourer . Margaret's reputed age is 53  which would give her a birth date around 1832.Her first child a James was born in 1847.  This would give her a rather early marriage age of 15 yrs. James  ( her husband )  does not appear to be deceased but neither can he be found in any Scottish census or death record !  I have not been able to find either of Margaret's parents in the  Irish Catholic Registers. i am assuming they would have had a marriage date around 1830 and probably in the Coleraine district. 

The Bernard  you found does not appear to be  a member of the family that we know of at present.  Not sure about the Arthur you found for me either as it does not appear to be a family name.

Thanks again. The search continues.  Regards Phyllis .

 

IrelandXO member

Coleraine RC marriage records only start in 1848 so if the parents married before that, and in that parish, sadly you won’t find a record of it. No easy way around that.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Phyllis, 

My great grandmother was Margaret McLeish( abt 1855) who married Edward Boyle on Oct 16, 1876 at St. Marys in Greenock.  Her parents are listed as James McLeish and Margaret O'Hara.  I think we are family. :)  This is an older thread but I though I would try reaching out.  

Maureen 

york528@hotmail.com

Hi Phyllis/Maureen

 

I am just back from the Brown Trout Inn in Aghadowey (see website www.browntroutinn.com), currently owned by the O'Hara family but previously owned by the McAleeses (who were related - not sure exactly how). It is in the townland of Landagivey and here is the link to the 1831 census showing plenty of McLees families http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Coleraine/…

 

Hope this helps

 

Andrew Kane

coolhill007@gm…IrelandXO Volunteer

 Hello  Maureen  I am so excited to think we might be related. My Mother was a Margaret Mc Leish,  her father a James McLeish  and her grandfather  a Hugh Mc Leish  ( a brother of your  great grandma Margaret). It looks like your Margaret our Hugh and another brother J ames all were  born in Aghadowey Coleraine  Derry.  My Mc Leish relatives were all born in Greenock.  I still have a Mc Leish uncle who is 94 and lives in Port Glasgow.  It would be wonderful if we could be in contact.  I dont know if I am allowed to post personal email addresses on this site.  Regards for now Phyllis ( from New Zealand ) 

orkrad

 Hello Andrew I will be following your information with great interest. I am hoping that these O'Haras and Mc Aleese s are ancestors. Their origin so far has been a very high brick wall ! Thanks for your input     Regards Phyllis 

orkrad

Hi Phyllis, 

I would love to connect.  My Margaret married Edward Boyle and settled in Greenock.  Their daughter Bridget Boyle married Michael O'Neill and they lived in Greenock as well.  My dad, their son, moved to America.  Most of my family on my dad's side is still in Greenock.  I would love to connect with you and share/compare records.  If you are in contact with your Uncle/ McLeish family in greenock ask them if they remember the Boyle/McLeish or O'NeillBoyle families in Greenock.  I can't imagine they all settled there and didn't keep in touch at some point.  I'll ask my Aunt as well.  May I ask who in the family moved to New Zealand and why?  I love to know the strories of my families migration.  

 I'm not sure how to share our emails on here.  Can admin direct us?  Is their a way to private message each other?

Hopefully we will figure out how to connect!

Maureen

 

york528@hotmail.com

Phyllis,

If you are on facebook look me up Maureen O'Neill York.  

Maureen

york528@hotmail.com

 Hi Maureen My apologies for not getting back . 2019 was a very busy year with lots of family celebrations. Today we are in lockdown so there is simply no excuse.! Sorry I am not a Facebook fan as i find it too intrusive.  My own family lived in Port- Glasgow my mother Margaret Mc Leish married  John Tolin there  in 1938. I am the eldest of their four children and am married to a Kiwi. I have lived in New Zealand since 1967.  I have a brother  and sister who live in Greenock and Port-glasgow  but  they dont know of the Boyle / O' Neill connection and they are not really interested in family history. I have a Scotlands people subscription so will try to follow up Bridget and Michael O' Neill using that.  and see what I can find. I have done my DNA and was surprised to find I am 92% Irish. That was a big  shock  I knew that one side of my family had Irish connections but not both.  Isnt family history exciting.  My 94 year old Mc Leish uncle is very unwell  and I dont think he will have much to contribute. Keep well and keep in touch.  Phyllis 

orkrad

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