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Where to research, Tyrone

Leckpatrick (Tyrone)

I am actually going to be visiting Ireland in August to view the land of my ancestors. They emigrated in 1825 from a tiny town near Strabane called Ballymagorry. I understand that there arent many surviving records back that far. I plan to visit PRONI in Belfast while we are there. Is there any other library, maybe in Derry or Strabane, that would have family history information that would be worth visiting? The family handed down the names of the parents of the immigrant husband but not of the wife. Her surname was McBeth, and I have found a woman named Esther McBeth of the right age, who was with them on the ship's passenger list and was likely to be her mother.  I am trying to understand if there is anywhere to go in Northern Ireland besides PRONI that there could be historical info or handed down family genealogies, that might have something specific about 1825 people.  Thank you

krworley

6 replies

PRONI is the main repository of records in NI. The idea was to gather them all in one place. Omagh library has a Tyrone local studies section which mainly contains accounts of life in earlier years but may contain some genealogical information. Likewise the Linenhall library in Belfast also has a genealogical section on the top floor. But your main source is likely to be PRONI. If your ancestors were farmers or folk with some money, then they may appear in leases, wills etc, but if they were labourers then, in the early 1800s, few records tend to exist.

I checked the tithe applotment records for Leckpatrick parish (which includes Ballymagorry) for 1826 but there were no McBeth households listed. Likewise Griffiths Valuation for Ballymagorry in 1858 does not list any. They had evidently died out or moved away from the townland.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Who did McBeth marry?  Her approx age? His? Their children? There are many records online, so with some more details we may be able to assist  you.

glanvil3@aol.com

Her name was Mary McBeth; she was called Mollie. She married William Nickle son of Andrew Nickle and Jane  or maybe Rebecca, Cunningham, a few years before 1825. Her siblings who came to Pennsylvania were named James Rosanna John Jane and Eliza. There was mention of an uncle in Indiana County, PA whose last name was McFarland, and one of Mollie's sons was named John McFarland Nickle, so it is likely that her mother's name was Esther McFarland and maybe her father was James or John McBeth. When my mother and I visited PRONI 20+ years ago, there was a map of Ballymagorry that had several McBeth houses on it and if I remember correctly at least one other document had McBeths. They were in the Duke of Abercorn collection. You weren't allowed to take pictures, you had to pay them to do it, and they didn't have time before we left. So we paid for a whole stack of things to be copied and mailed to us, but nothing ever came. So I didn't write down the details because I was expecting to have copies. At that time I didn't have the name McFarland, so I just looked at Nickle and McBeth and Cunningham. 

krworley

Hello krworley,

Have you considered engaging a local guide to show you the area in and near Ballymagorry? A guide, if available during the time period you are in Ballymagorry this coming August, may have insights about the area and people living there, past and present, that may be of interest to you.

Hello krworley,

Have you considered engaging a local guide to show you the area in and near Ballymagorry? A guide, if available during the time period you are in Ballymagorry this coming August, may have insights about the area and people living there, past and present, that may be of interest to you.

To see if a guide is available, fill out a Meet and Greet form which you can download from the Ireland Reaching Out link at:

https://irelandxo.com/meet-and-greet#google_vignette

As you can see, this is a free service.

Kind Regards,

Dave Boylan

davepat

Thanks very much,. I already tried that and they said no one was available. 

krworley

If you are visiting ORONI their e-catalogue mentions 3 documents that might help:

D623/C/2/1 is a rent roll of Ballymagorry dated c 1720.

D623/D/1/16/30 & 31 are maps of Ballymagorry dated 1777.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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