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family from Fermanaugh County

Fermanagh

Looking for information on Edward McCrea, his  mother was Mary Campbell ( born in Scotland) a window, she lived with a William Campbell family in Pettigoe, Edward was a stone mason while he lived in Irelnad,  William Campbells wife's name was Elizabeth.  William came to Canada in his twenties. In a letter to her son, dated April 29, 1868, she mentions a  Mary Corrigan,  that William Campbells son's Edward got married and was living with a Mr O'Dars.  She mentions a Willy McCrea from Sprintime who has six sons and two daughters. They lived in the house Gerard Wood lived in, which was the only house in Springtown.  A Billy Richardson is also mentioned along with William Fitzpatrick and his wife.  Andy Brittain was also mentioned in the letter.  She also mentions that Pettigo had become regular maket town the station house is in  the old Blach Green  the train went from Pettigo to Derry. Edward's father, Mary's late hiusband,  is buried in the area of Kesh. He was a Catholic   In her letter to Canada she mentions she is not a able to get to see the grave................we don't know why.  Hope this helps and thanks so much.  John and Irene McCrea

Irene McCrea

7 replies

Irene,

The only Edward Campbell marriage in the Pettigoe area that I can see in the civil indexes was for an Edward whose marriage was registered in Donegal Town in 1867 Volume 17, page 55. If you order a copy of that marriage certificate you should get his townland (address), father?s name etc etc.

You can order a photocopy from GRO Roscommon for ?4 per certificate. Put the place, year, quarter (where there is one), volume & page number on the application form (anywhere). Don?t worry about leaving some boxes blank. You don?t need to fill them all in if you have the reference details. http://www.groireland.ie/ You have to post or fax the form to them but they will e-mail the copy certificate to you if you wish. Tick the relevant box on the form.

Tradition was to marry in the bride?s church (assuming the couple attended different churches) so that may be the place to look for the bride?s baptism and that of any siblings. Unless it was a registry office marriage, the specific church and denomination will be on the certificate.

I suspect that Sprintime is Springtown, in Fermanagh. It?s in the parish of Drumkeeran, not too far from Pettigoe. Griffiths revaluation shows a John McCrea who had a house and small garden there (plot 1B9b) till 1864; William McCrea who had a farmhouse, outbuildings and a total of just over 44 acres on plot 2; John McCrea who had a house on plot 3a till 1861.

There were still McCreas farming on plot 2 in the 1901 & 1911 censuses:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Fermanagh/Clonelly/Springtown/1353851/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Fermanagh/Clonelly/Springtown/519920/

The revaluation records suggest there were still McCreas farming there in the 1930s and there are a couple in the vicinity in the current phone book for the Springtown area. http://www.ukphonebook.com  The postal area is BT93.

Springtown is between Pettigoe and Kesh. You can see where it is using the maps on Griffiths Valuation (when the site is back up again):

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

 

 

Elwyn

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for all the information, we are looking for Edward McCrea background.  His father was married to Mary (Campbell) Mccrea.  Edward is the on who came to Canada.  We are trying to find his father's first name as well as where his father  was buried.  Thank you so much for what you have been able to supply to us.  We will look up the information you gave us.  Would there be a way to search the buriels in that area for a McCrea, married to a Mary Campbell.  We think he was  buried in the area of Kesh.  He was a Catholic.  Thanks for helping us.  One of the family members will be visiting Ireland in May.  This info should help them.  Irene McCrea

Irene McCrea

Looking for information on Mary McCrea(Campbell) who lived in the area of Pettigo in 1868.  She was a widow who boarded with a Campbell family who were not related.  Her son, Edward McCrea emmigrated to Canada before that year as we have a letter dated 1868 which she sent to him here in Canada.

Irene McCrea

Here?s a link to a site that has some Pettigoe graveyard transcriptions:

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/FERMANAGH-GOLD/2005-02/1108954557

However people aren?t always buried in the most obvious place. If they have a family plot somewhere, it may not be at the church they actually attend. Some Church of Ireland graveyards are mixed, and so you get RC burials in them. And so on.

Your best bet, especially if you are visiting the area, is to speak to the McReas who still live there. Ask them where they bury their relatives. You can also ask them what they know of their ancestry (though if they are typical they probably won?t be able to go back more than 3 generations, but you never know).

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you so much.  I will look into the site you gave me.  Take care, apprecaite all your efforts.

Irene McCrea

Hi, I have tried to get into the links given to me but no success.  Is there a simpler way of reaching the information?  thanks, Irene.  We were wanting to search the grave stones in Kesh/Pettigo.  Thanks

Irene McCrea

Irene,

Sorry, I can?t provide you with any additional on-line information. Not all burial records in Ireland have been transcribed, nor are they on-line. (And the vast majority of the population were buried without gravestones anyway).

If someone from your family is visiting in May, I suggest you call at the McCrea farm and speak to whoever lives there now. They will surely be able to advise you on local graveyards and possibly let you know of any descendants still in the area (but you may find they have moved to Dublin, New York or London).

Have you ordered the 1867 marriage certificate that I suggested? If so, does it confirm the locations?

Why not try contacting the McCreas in the phone book. They may know much more than you will ever find on-line. I do know the Pettigo area reasonably well but I live 80 miles away and so am not well placed to help you with local enquiries. But the best way forward is to speak to people locally. You?ll get much more than way then you?ll ever find on-line.

 

Elwyn

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

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