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Macferran / McFerron / McFerran / McFarren

DownKillyleagh (Down)

I amresearching my father's family who emigrated from Co. Down sometime during the 1700's. They appeared in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA prior to 1793, according to a note in the 1784 Edinburgh Bible that states the Bible is bequeathed to Samuel Macferran by his father William.

Any advise or help would be appreciated. PRONI records show several McFerron marriages and baptisms for the early/mid 1700's for the Killyleagh Presbyterian Church although I don't have any graveyard references that early.

Thank you,

Laura Macferran Kraus

Phoenix Arizona USA

IrelandXO member

1 reply

Laura,

You don’t actually say what denomination the family was. I assume Presbyterian. Very few Presbyterian churches in Co. Down have records for the 1700s so you may struggle to locate your family origins through documentary records. Killyleagh does have records for the 1700s but even they contain large gaps. PRONI has this:

1st Killyleagh
Baptisms, 1693-1757 and 1835-1881; marriages, 1692- 1757, 1833-51 and 1854-72; minute books, 1725-32, and 1809-70; accounts, 1820-60; communion rolls, 1835-70.

Ros Davies has quite a few McFerran references on her site:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Erosdavies/SURNAMES/Mc/McEMcF.htm

It’s a pretty common surname throughout Co Down and unless you have something specific to link your family to a town or townland, it will be very difficult to make any progress. Killyleagh happens to have some for the 1700s, but the name was found all across the county. Just that most churches haven’t got any records for the 1700s.  So unless you have evidence linking your family to Killyleagh it’d be unwise to rely on their records as proof that that is where your family originated.

 

Being realistic probably  DNA testing is the only way you may link in with family from the 1700s.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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