Search for James and Margaret Campbell

Bill,

Campbell is a pretty common name in Co. Donegal. There’s 1180 people of that name in the county in the 1901 census. I think the original Campbells there were Scots from the western islands of Scotland who were invited to come to Ireland as mercenaries (in the 1300s or 1400s) and were given land by local chiefs in return for their fighting skills. Such mercenaries were known as Gallowglass.

The problem you face is that the births, deaths and marriages are all before the start of statutory registration in Ireland (1864). Normally you would be able to rely on church records to get back a bit further but in Donegal none of the parishes have any records much before 1850. RC parishes generally don’t keep burial records either so that won’t help with tracing the graves.

Your best bet might possibly by DNA comparison, because I think you’ll struggle to find any paper records.

Bill:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

Unfortunately, Co. Donegal is very difficult to research because the RC parish records for the most part start very late. Generally they start around 1860s, some a little earlier and some a little later. I would agree with your choice of starting with Templecrone because of the high number of Campbells in that parish. I would also point to Glencolumbkille parish which has a great number of McNelis records although no Corneilus. and four Campbell records. I did a number of searches on Roots Ireland trying to find some baptismal records for the couples shown on your file but no success.

You may want to consider autosomal DNA testing. Possibly you might match someone who has more information on your Campbell family.

Let me know if you have questions.

Roger McDonnell

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/donegal/glencolumbkille.htm

Elwyn & Roger,

   Many thanks for checking for me regarding James and Margaret Campbell.  It is what it is, can't be helped. God Bless,

Bill McCafferty

Hi Bill,

This is a long shot and many years later but I beilive we may be searching for the same James and Margret Campbell. 

James and Margaret had a son named John Campbell in County Atrim 1838.

John married Mary Jane Lavery on 06/11/1860 at the Romoan Presyterian Church Moylein county Atrim

John and  Mary had 8 Children: Ezekiel, James, Elizabeth Ann, Charles George (My great Grandad) Mary J (Madge), Catherine/ Kate, John and Maggie.

John and Mary then moved the family during the fammine out to New Zealand in 1856.

If you could please kindly email me on mark.campbell@tti.co.nz it would be great to share further research into James and Margret Campbell.

Many thanks

Mark C,

      Good to hear from you.  Unfortunately I don't think the James and Margaret Campbell you speak of is a common ancestral couple of ours.  Our James and Margaret are described in the Ancestors section of IrelandXO  (under XO Chronicles, County Donegal).  As you read, our James and Margaret lived in Counry Donegal and his family moved to the United States in 1843.  There must be a lot of Campbells in Ulster, wouldn't you think.  Good luck finding the Atrim Campbell's.

God Bless,

Bill

Bill;  I am sorry no Margaret or James Campbell.  We do have Boyle, O'Donnell, McHugh from Donegal. Dna sugest heavily Gallaghers, Sweeney but we have yet to have them.  Hope you have sucess in your search..Ina