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My Great Grandfather was William McCutcheon. According to all Canadian documents I have found for him, his parents were supposedly a John McCutcheon and a Mary McFarland. He was born "Somewhere" in Tyrone County and his parents were listed as from Tyrone County as well. I have found 3 different birth dates for him from circa 1865 to 1872. Searches done in Belfast & Dublin PRO's have turned up no birth registration for him nor any marriage for the parents. WIlliam came to Canada in 1887, on the 1891 Census he is listed as 21 years of age. In 1894, he returned to Ireland and brought his mother Mary to Canada. The passenger listing says he was 25 and she 50 years of age. Mary (McFarland) McCutcheon died in Canada in 1899 but her death registration says she was 78. In 1891, William's brother, Samuel also came to Canada. He was travelling with a Thomas McFarland; they are just listed as adults on the passenger listing so it is unkown how old either of them were. They missed the 1891 Census and both of them disappeared (headed west?) before the 1901 Census. Nothing more is known about Samuel the brother or what happened to him. Family would very much like to find out just where exactly William & his parents came from in County Tyrone but seems we have exhausted all avenues of searching and are up against a very high, firm brick wall.

The only other "lead" we may have is that there was a McFarland family from the Dunbreen/Tattynure area of Tyrone that may be connected somehow. In 1930, Samuel McFarland & his wife Cassie emigrated to Canada along with his 2 sisters who were married to Wilson brothers - they all ended up in the very same town as my Great Grandparents and the families did know one another. I believe that Mary (McFarland) McCutcheon was somehow related to Samuel's father James or his Grandfather David but unfortunately I have been unable to discover the connection.

If anyone can connect to the above families and can solve the mystery of the McCutcheon origins it would be greatly appreciated. THANKS

Ken Hartley

Wednesday 20th Mar 2013, 01:36PM

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  • This is a photograph of William McCutcheon and his wife Mary Maguire probably taken circa 1894, the year they married here in Canada. Mary Maguire's family were from the Omagh area of Tyrone County and I have been able to trace her family back to her grandparents, Edward Maguire & Anna Campbell.

    Ken Hartley

    Wednesday 20th Mar 2013, 01:41PM
  • Forgeot to mention that on their marriage registration, William ia listed as Methodist and Mary is listed as Presbyterian although the family did end up as members of the Anglican church here in town. Not sure whether William's family were Methodist in Tyrone County but if that is true possibly there are Methodist church records somewhere in Tyrone that re not part of the PRO for some reason and they might hold the births & marriage for the McCutcheon Family???

    Ken Hartley

    Wednesday 20th Mar 2013, 01:50PM
  • This reunion might be of interest...

    http://www.mccutcheonfamilyhb.com/familyhistory/

    Mark

    mbrownz

    Tuesday 6th Aug 2013, 09:58AM
  •  Hello - I am looking at a John McCutcheon and Jane Patterson from parishes south and southeast of Omagh proper in Co. Tyrone in the early 1820s who emigrated to Canada. Parishes Recarson, Garvagh and Drum... (uncertain of exact spelling) look like the origin of these two because both surname feature in Griffith's in this area). Also, in Canada censuses, they appear as Methodists and were buried United Church in Canada. Possibly related to yours? Keep in mind that religion is a decision, not a birthmark, and people changed as it looked best to them. 

    AB Wheeler

    Thursday 3rd Mar 2016, 08:42PM

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