my ancestor George Carson, his wife Margaret Graham, and children George, Henry, Mary Jane, Margaret, and Ann went to USA in about 1842. They had lived in Trory Townland. He was headed to Pitsvale but there is no such town. He ended up in the neighborhood around Poughkeepsie, New York, we think both Mary Jane and Margaret married brothers last name of Mortimer.
Did George and Margaret move from Scotland to Trory?
Thank you
The following were among the Flax Growers living in Fermanagh in 1798. There are three Carsons. There are numerous Grahams, a couple of which lived in Trory townland.
FLAX GROWERS LIST 1798
Carson James Cleenish Fermanagh
Carson James Killesher Fermanagh
Carson William Cleenish Fermanagh
Graham Andrew Aghalurcher Fermanagh
Graham Andrew Magheracross Fermanagh
Graham Andrew Magheraculmoney Fermanagh
Graham Arthur Kinawley Fermanagh
Graham Christopher Devenish Fermanagh
Graham Crozier Magheracross Fermanagh
Graham Francis Drummully Fermanagh
Graham George Cleenish Fermanagh
Graham James Aghalurcher Fermanagh
Graham James Aghavea Fermanagh
Graham James Cleenish Fermanagh
Graham James Magheraculmoney Fermanagh
Graham John Cleenish Fermanagh
Graham John Derryvullan Fermanagh
Graham John, Jr. Magheracross Fermanagh
Graham John, Sr. Magheracross Fermanagh
Graham Matthew Magheracross Fermanagh
Graham Noble Derrybrusk Fermanagh
Graham Richard Clones Fermanagh
Graham Robert Trory Fermanagh
Graham Samuel Kinawley Fermanagh
Graham Simon Magheracross Fermanagh
Graham Thomas Derryvullan Fermanagh
Graham Thomas Devenish Fermanagh
Graham Walter Cleenish Fermanagh
Graham William Aghalurcher Fermanagh
Graham William Derrybrusk Fermanagh
Graham William Derryvullan Fermanagh
Graham William Drumkeeran Fermanagh
Graham William Magheracross Fermanagh
Graham William Trory Fermanagh
Graham William, Sr. Magheracross Fermanagh
Grahan John Magheracross Fermanagh
About whether George and Margaret were born in Scotland, have you seen their marriage and death records? Their children's vital records? Censuses they were named in? These should indicate the birthplaces of George and Margaret. I hope this helps!
Enniskillen,
You ask if George & Margaret moved to Trory from Scotland. I think that is unlikely. Both surnames are clearly Scottish and numerous in Ulster, but the families arrival will have been in the 1600s. By the 1800s folk were leaving Ireland not arriving, at least not in any significant numbers.
Graham is a common surname in the Scottish Borders. Huge numbers of Scots were moved over from the borders to Fermanagh between 1610 and 1625 so the county is riddled with common Scottish names like Armstrong, Elliott, Henderson, Carson & Graham.
They are known as Border Reivers (a Scottish word for robbers). The broad historical background to the Reivers arrival in Ireland is that when King James I became King of England in 1603, he was already King of Scotland (James VI) and then became the first King of both countries. For hundreds of years the Scottish Borders had been fairly lawless and travellers were routinely robbed, and cattle often stolen and herded across the border by moonlight. The new King was particularly keen to stamp this out because he saw it as an obstacle to commerce between the 2 countries, and being joint ruler that bothered him more than his predecessors.
At the same time he had the problem of Ireland. The Spanish Armada had recently attempted to invade England and further invasions by the Spanish or French were feared. Ireland was seen as a possible jumping off point for such an invasion and understandably, the native Irish could not be relied on to support the English or resist any invasion. So the solution was to plant trusted settlers from England, Wales & Scotland in Ireland in large numbers, to subdue the native Irish and be on hand to deal with any invasion. King James I was a Scot and so particularly favoured his fellow countrymen. Much of Ulster, including Fermanagh was heavily settled by Scots. During the 1600s, some 200,000 Scots settled in Ireland representing something like 15% of the entire Scottish nation.
As far as the Border Reivers were concerned, King James I decided to move large numbers of them to Ireland around 1610 onwards. He needed settlers in Ireland and he wanted to get rid of the Reivers from the Borders, or at least stop the criminality by breaking their control of that area. So moving them to Ireland was a bit of a masterstroke which killed two birds with one stone. So your ancestors probably arrived in the first 20 years of the 1600s, as part of the Plantation of Ireland.
There are no records of individual settlers at that time. We do know the names of the big landowners (Scots & English) but not of their tenants and others who followed them. There are no comprehensive paper records in Scotland or Ireland which record individuals names or arrivals.
If you visit Border towns like Selkirk, Hawick, Galashiels & Jedburgh, you will find a strong Reiver tradition with folk & food festivals every summer. You can go for a Reiver walk by moonlight and have a 16th century banquet. (The usual tourist nonsense). For example, see:
http://www.borderreivers.co.uk/Border%20Families/BORDER%20SURNAMES%20%202.htm
If you want a detailed read about the Reivers, a good book is Godfrey Watson’s “The Border Reivers” published in 1974, ISBN 0 709 4478 4. Plenty of bloodthirsty and cruel tales. The Grahams get regular mention.
Hopefully this gives you a bit of general background history about your ancestors’ origins.
George and family arrive in New York in 1842. Children range in age George 20- Ann 8. Did they have other children they left in Ireland?
| Name | George Carson |
| Age | 51 |
| Birth Date | abt 1791 |
| Birth Place | Ireland |
| Departure Port | Liverpool, England |
| Arrival Date | 2 Jun 1842 |
| Arrival Port | New York, New York, USA |
| Residence Place | Ireland |
| Ship Name | Superb |
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Maybe,
| Name | George Carson |
| Record Type | Marriage |
| Marriage Date | 1809 |
| Marriage Place | Clogher, Ireland |
| Registration Place | Clogher, Ireland |
| Diocese | Clogher |
| Spouse | Margaret Graham |
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FYI
Trorey - Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837)
138 killadeas road
Rossfad
Ballinamallard
BT94 2LS
Co Fermanagh
Regards- Mary
On the ship passenger list the entire family was born in Ireland. All the US Censuses that I have found show they all, including the parents, were born in Ireland.
Mary