Devlin and McCann.

I can see 4 children in the stautory records. (There may have been others). Margaret Jane 22.5.1869; Robert 7.10.1870; Catherine 25.12.1871 & Annie 8.8.1873. All born Ballymulderg. Father a weaver.

Hello hch58,

To add to the information kindly provided by Elwyn, I’ve attached the birth records for four of five children of Robert Devlin and Margaret McCann, including the birth record for their son Henry, who was born in 1868. The four birth records were uncovered at the free irishgenealogy.ie website. Henry’s birth was a little challenging to find, as his birth is indexed at irishgenealogy.ie under the surname of “Delvin” rather than Devlin, though his surname in the actual birth record is spelled correctly as Devlin.

Unlike his siblings who were born in Ballymulderg, Henry was born in “Ballyneall,” Londondary. His date of birth is 22nd May 1868. His father is Robert Devlin, a weaver residing in Ballyneall. Henry’s mother is Margaret Jane Devlin, formerly McCann. Robert reported the birth to the local registrar, whose first name is Frederick, but whose last name is difficult to determine. Henry’s birth was recorded by Frederick in the Magherafelt Registration District on 29 May 1868. Henry’s birth record is Number 228 in the attached birth register.

Robert’s birthplace is alternately spelled “Ballyneill.” When Henry was born there was a Ballyneill More and a Ballyneill Beg, meaning Ballyneill Big and Ballyneill Small. I believe there are still townlands called Ballyneill More and Ballyneill Beg. The Ballyneills were situated in the Civil Parish of Artrea, rather than Magherafelt, though Magherafelt is just north of Artrea. See the map for the Civil Parishes of Artrea and Magherafelt from the National Library of Ireland website: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0182

You can see the locations of Ballyneill More and Balyyneill Beg on maps from the townlands.ie website. They are highlighted in blue and are just to the west of the town of Ballyronan and Lough Neagh:
https://www.townlands.ie/londonderry/loughinsholin/artrea/ballyneill-mo…
https://www.townlands.ie/londonderry/loughinsholin/artrea/ballyneill-be…

If you scroll down the townlands.ie page you’ll come to the section called, “Borders,” showing that one of the bordering townlands to the north is Ballymulderg, where the other three Devlin children were born. There are actually a Ballymulderg More and Balluymulderg Beg

Or, you can go to the following townlands.ie map to see the location of Ballymulderg, situated between Magherafelt and Ballyronan: https://www.townlands.ie/londonderry/loughinsholin/artrea/ballymulderg-…

As mentioned earlier, the birth records for Margaret Jane Devlin (1869); Robert Devlin (1870); and Annie Devlin (1873); are also attached.

The following link, from the GeoHive website, shows an Ordnance Survey Map of Ballyneill More from the 1837 tom 1842 time period: https://bit.ly/3gaClsu

The next Ordnance Survey Map from GeoHive will show you Ballymulderg Beg: https://bit.ly/3fcgAqW

I also located the birth index for Robert and Margaret’s daughter Mary Devlin, who was born in Old Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on 28 September 1874. Her baptism index comes from the free FamilySearch website. In fact, I also located one christening index and three birth indexes s for the Devlin children born in Ireland at FamilySearch. The Ireland indexes provided the years of birth that made it a lot easier to uncover copies of the original birth records at irishgenealogy.ie:

Below is the FamilySearch birth index for Mary Devlin in Old Monkland, Lanarkshire:

Mary Devlin
Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950

Name: Mary Devlin
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 28 Sep 1874
Event Place: Old Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): Old Monkland, Lanark, Scotland
Gender: Female

Father's Name: Robert Devlin
Mother's Name: Margaret Jane McCann

"Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 20 June 2020. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.
____

You can obtain Mary’s birth and baptism records at the subscription website, ScotlandsPeople. The home page for ScotlandsPeople is: https://is.gd/XgWOx4

While there is a cost to purchasing birth and baptism records, you can search indexes at ScotlandsPeople for free. I located the birth and baptism indexes for Mary Devlin, which you can view below:

Name: DEVLIN MARY
Parents: ROBERT DEVLIN/MARGARET MCCANN
Sex: F
Birth Date: 28/9/1874
Baptism Date: 11/10/1874
Parish: Coatbridge, St Patrick's
____

Name: DEVLIN MARY
Sex: F
Birth Year: 1874
Ref: 652/2 712
Registration District Name: Old Monkland (Middle District)
____

You will have to purchase credits before obtaining copies of the original records. For information about purchasing credits, go to: https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/buy-credits

Going back to records for Ireland, the following FamilySearch indexes include the birth for Henry Devlin, and the baptism for three of his siblings:

Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913
Name: Henry Devlin
Event Type: Birth
Event Date: 22 May 1868
Event Place: Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Ireland
Event Place (Original): Ballyneal, Magherafelt
Gender: Male

Father's Name: Robert Devlin
Mother's Name: Margaret Jane McCann Devlin

Citing this Collection
"Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913." Database with images. FamilySearch. https://FamilySearch.org : 30 May 2020. General Register Office, Southern Ireland.
____

Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881
Name: Margaret Jane Devlin
Event Type: Christening
Event Place: Magherafelt, Derry, Ire
Event Place (Original): Magherafelt, Derry, Ire
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 22 May 1869
Birthplace: Magherafelt, Derry, Ire

Father's Name: Robert Devlin
Mother's Name: Margaret Jane Mc Cann

Citing this Collection
"Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 18 March 2020. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.
____

Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881
Name: Robert Devlin
Event Type: Christening
Event Place: Magherafelt, Derry, Ire
Event Place (Original): Magherafelt, Derry, Ire
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 7 Oct 1870
Birthplace: Magherafelt, Derry, Ire

Father's Name: Robert Devlin
Mother's Name: Margaret Jane Mc Cann

Citing this Collection
"Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 18 March 2020. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.
____

Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881
Name: Annie Devlin
Event Type: Christening
Event Place: Ireland
Event Place (Original): Magherafelt, Derry, Ire
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 8 Aug 1873
Birthplace: Magherafelt, Derry, Ire

Father's Name: Robert Devlin
Mother's Name: Margaret Jane Mc Cann

Citing this Collection
"Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 18 March 2020. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.
____

The FamilySearch index for Henry Devlin also helped to uncover a transcription of his baptism, as well as a copy of his original baptism record. The transcription was found at the Find My Past (FMP) website. Irish Catholic Parish baptisms, marriages, and available burial transcriptions are free to search at FMP

Attached to the baptism transcription is a link that takes you to a copy of the original baptism record for Henry. The Catholic baptism, marriage and burial records are held by the National Library of Ireland.

Henry was baptized in the Ardtrea and Desertlin Catholic Parish on 23 May 1868. His FMP baptism transcription can be accessed at the following FMP link:
https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F2232997

A copy of Henry’s original baptism register entry can be accessed at: https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000632466#page/22/mode/1up

There are two facing pages to the baptism register. Henry’s baptism is the 2nd entry down from the top of the left-hand baptism register page. You can enlarge the page by means of round icons in the upper center/ right of the screen. The icons are white with green backgrounds. You can also access the full-screen function by clicking on the last icon on the right with the two arrows pointing northeast and southwest.

The name of Henry’s godfather appears to be Chas (Charles) McCann. The first name of the godmother looks like Margaret. Her last name is difficult to read, but may be Wiley.

The Catholic Parish Church of Ardtrea and Desertlin is actually located in the town of Moneymore, with two other chapels located at Ballynenagh and Derrygaroe. This information comes from the 1837 edition of Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, which you can access at the LibraryIreland website at:
https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/A/Ardtrea-Loughinsholin-Londonderr…

Once the page downloads, scroll down to the 2nd to last paragraph to read about the Ardtrea and Desertlin Catholic Parish.

You can view the “R. C. Chapel” in Moneymore at the following Ordnance Survey Map from the 1837 to 1842 time period at the GeoHive website link at: https://bit.ly/2P0Cm6y

The Catholic Church in Moneymore is called St. John and Trea. You can view the location of the church on a Google Map of Moneymore at: https://is.gd/bmizYo

For a Google Street View of the church in the Springhill Road, go to: https://is.gd/fw5Bsu

I didn’t find the FMP baptism transcriptions for the other three Devlin children in Derry. I also did not find the May 1866 church marriage transcription for his parents, Robert Devlin and Margaret McCann at the FMP website.

In addition I did not locate any information about Robert and Margaret’s daughter Eliza, either in Ireland or Scotland.

As you noted the marriage record you have for Robert Devlin and Margaret McCann shows that Robert’s father was Henry while Margaret’s father was Arthur. I next looked for the individual baptism transcriptions for Robert and Arthur at the FMP website, though I wasn’t sure if either had been baptized in the Ardtrea and Desertlin Catholic Parish. I figured that Robert and Margaret were born sometime between 1830 and 1850.

I looked for their baptisms in the Ardtrea and Desrtlin Catholic Parish, the Magherafelt Catholic Parish, and other Catholic parishes in County Derry.

According to the National Library of Ireland the Ardtrea and Desertlin baptisms commence on 1 July 1832, while marriage begin on 14 April 1830. There are gaps in these registers however. See: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0182

The National Library of Ireland website also shows that the Magherafelt Catholic Parish baptisms start on 4 January 1834. Marriages begin on 2 January 1834. There are gaps in these registers as well. See: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0230

I did not find a baptism transcription for Robert Devlin anywhere in County Derry or any other Irish County. But I did locate what I believe is the FMP baptism transcription for Margaret McCann. In the transcription her first and middle names are in Latin, Margaritam Joannam. Joannam is the Latin for Joan. I’ve also seen Joannam in baptism records for the names John and Jane.

Margaret was baptized in the Ardtrea and Desertlin Catholic Parish on 14 April 1839. Her father is Arthuro McCann. Her mother is Maria Timoney. The residence of the parents is “Ballymulding,” which would be a transcription error for Ballymulderg. See the baptism transcription at the following FMP link:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F2231805

A copy of Margaret’s original baptism record is the first entry on the right-hand baptism register page at: https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000632465#page/20/mode/1up

No godfather is recorded. The godmother looks like Rosa Morgan. Following Rosa’s name you’ll see the townland of residence for Robert, Margaret, and their daughter Margaret. By enlarging the page you can see the residence is Ballymulderg, rather than Ballymulding.

I next looked for and found the Ardtrea and Desertlin Catholic Parish marriage transcription for Arthur McCann and Mariam Timoney at the FMP website. They were married on 11 September 1833. See the transcription at: https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FMAR%2F0493155%2F1

A copy of Arthur and Mary’s marriage record is the last entry on the left-hand marriage register page at:
https://registers.nli.ie//registers/vtls000632465#page/36/mode/1up

The witnesses to the marriage are Catharina McCann and is Isabella Cannell or Canwell.

I next found at least one more FMP baptism transcription for a child of Arthur McCann and Mary Timoney. This is for their child Joannem. This could be either John or Jane, or perhaps Joan. It’s difficult to tell when the name is recorded in the Latin. The child was baptized in the Ardtrea and Desertlin Catholic Parish on 19 March 1834 according to the transcription at: https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=IRE%2FPRS%2FBAP%2F2231641

Joannem’s baptism record is on the left-hand register page. I count that is five baptism entries down from the top of the page. The names of the godparents look like Charles McCann and Alicia McCann.

Joannem was baptized 6 months and 8 days after the marriage of her parents, which is an indication that her parents had married when they did so that she would not be born out of wedlock.

Best Wishes,

Dave Boylan

Thank you so much for all this information. My great grandmother was Annie Devlin, not married and unfortunately died when she was 26 so my matenal grandmother and great uncle were orphaned. But is all i knew except for my gggrandfather and gggrandmother. I will work my way through the websites you have given me. once again thank you.

Thank you very much for all the information you have forwarded to me. I knew about Annie as she was my great grandmother. I will study everything you have uploaded and hope i can go further back.

You're welcome. Many thanks for writing back.

Dave