McElhinney of Inch and Bohillion

Hi Gai

There is a Samuel and Elizabeth McElhinney buried here at this graveyard http://www.fahanchurch.org/graveyardfahan.htm The inscriptions are included in the 28 page document.

It is difficult to tell if they are in any way connected to your ancestors but I think it is worth further investigation considering the close proximity to Burt and that some members of this family also appear to have resided in Burt.

Marshall is also a strong surname connected with the Burt area so it is very possible that there was an earlier connection with the name.

Regards

Louise

Thankyou for your replies.  I always check the census's for familiar names and to see if there are family still living in the area, but there are no real clues in the 1901 and 1911 census.  The Fahan Church graveyard backs the information from other Ireland sites with the death of a Samuel and Elizabeth McElhinney.  They both died at Castletown which is near Fahan.    It looks like he only had one sister, a Mary Anne who married Rev James Anderson.  She is also on this list, buried at Fahan.  The names Mary and Anne have been passed down to James' children.  I just need a record of his birth to tie him in. On his death certificate it says he was born in Bowhillin, Burt, Co. Donegal.  Do you have an idea which parish church may have records? He was presbyterian.  Once I have him as a definite, then its onwards and upwards to find Samuel's parentage.

I had a look at the Griffith's valuation and located Samuel McIlhenny's farm in Bohillion Upper, which he appears to have shared equally with a William Ferguson. Incidentally, the farm is nearby to where I live. I think it will be difficult to locate a birth record for James Edward if he was born c1827 as the records of the local Presbyterian churches of Burt, Fahan, Inch and Newtowncunningham start much later, the earliest being 1830. However, I did locate a few church records which may interest you and I also have  a few suggestions as to where to go next. I will email you the information in a few days time when I get time to put it together.

Louise

Thank you Louise. I am assuming at this point that this Samuel and Elizabeth are in all probability my GGGgrandparents. I hope I am not prematurely excited.  I have collated notes for the last 12 months so will go over these now more carefully and reconstruct as much of Samuel and Elizabeths life as is possible.  A Samuel, James and Alexander McElhinney were flax growers at Aghanunshin, Donegal- namely Loughnagin anf Rough Park in 1793. As Samuel was born in 1793 these could be his father and uncles or even his grandfather.

This Christmas I hope to gift my GGGgrandparents life story to: their GGG grandchildren, GGGG grandchildren and their GGGGGgrandchildren!  I look forward to any further information or suggestions you can pass on.  I can't believe you live near there.  I study maps and google earth and imagine how life must have been then.  You live amongst so much history and in an area of so much cultural change.. I hope to get there one day in the near future. I have googled the old churchyard and seen the monument- can't read anything on it, but I have the enscription.   I can't find anything about Castletown's history.  Upper Bohullion (and all the alternate spellings) seems to have been a major flax growing region with the flax mills marked on the old maps.  I can't find the maps (1858 composition of tithes) that show the no's of Samuels land- 182, 183, 184,185, 188, 193 so I can find the same area on the maps of today. I will keep plugging on. Thank you for your help,

Gai

Hi Gai

I am also researching my family history, and it would seem I have reached the same point as you. In that I am directly related to James in Australia and therefore his parents Samuel & Elizabeth. I am afraid that I do not have any further to share on Samuel & Elizabeth - I would be interested if you have any further updates on you research.

My name is Ken McElhinney and I live in Mlebourne.  My line is:

Samuel > James > James Marshal > George Marshal > Royston.  

I have a reasonable amount of information on that line, and I am happy to share if it is of value to you.

Regards

Ken

Mark McElhinney was my GG Grandfather, he died in Glasgow in 1946 (he was Catholic) William was his Brother