John Gailey White, born 1756 in Lurgan, Shankill, Armagh; emigrated about 1780

Dear William,

Thank you very much for your query to Ireland Reaching Out. Well done finding information for the 18th century - an achievement indeed!

What was the religion of this family? If they were Church of Ireland, there is a good chance that records are still available for birth and marriage.

Was John in the military and posted to the US? Was his wife born in the US? Consider checking military records, but also think about checking shipping records. If you knew the name of the ship they emigrated, you might be able to find more detail for Susanna. Then at least you would know where she was from (or what country at least).

Try checking the Public Records of Northern Ireland (PRONI) for more information. There is also a website available for the history and ancestry of Lurgan, in County Armagh.

Hope this helps to get you started.

Kind regards,

Sinead Cooney

I have some of joyce hughe's research, she like myself is a direct descendent of the aforesaid. She charts your james white as senior, the 1820 census shows a james white junior.  I also have considerabe information on the shortess family, whose family origin is also likey scotish.  Like the prendergast family, they had a strong presence in the clonmel-kilkenny area of ireland.  You might enjoy going tonthe oregon state library (portland) and reading some of the handwritten letters shortess family to robert shortess, who was the real founding father of the governmnt of oregon.  These letters are over 150 years old and written to robert shortess when he was living at tongue point(astoria).  John gailey white and susannah shortess were children aboard the same ship of immigration.  Their parents, thomas white and thomas shortess owned ajoining farms.  For more information contact me, don burlingame, olympia, washington.