In the year since I posted my first message on this board, I have found records for 4 possible GGG grandfathers (possible fathers of James McGee born 1785, my GG grandfather, and his brother Robert born 1795 in Leckpatrick Parish, Tyrone.)
- James McGhee (son of William McGhee who died 1773 in Leckpatrick), residing in Killynaght Townland. Source: Abercorn Estate renters, 1787-1809.
- Alexander McGhee, residing in Artigarvan Townland. Source: Abercorn Estate renters 1777, 1794-1809 Ballymagorry old lease. Also 1796 Flax Growers List.
- Joseph McGhee, residing in Artigarvan Townland. Source: Abercorn Estate renters, 1777, 1794-1809 Manor of Cloghogal survey. Also 1796 Flax Growers List
- Patrick McGhee, residing in Strabane Town (part of which is in Leckpatrick, but I don't know which part he lived in.) Source: Abercorn Estate renters 1794-1809. I think he was the father of Robert McGee who lived in Strabane Bog during the Griffith Valuations, and grandfather of Robert's son Henry Magee, also of Strabane Bog in the Griffith Valuations. Henry married Isabella Gamble in 1851, daughter of Robert Gamble of Strabane Bog. Isabella and her daughters Margaret and Sarah Magee were still in Strabane Bog in the 1901 census; in 1911 the daughters were still there (Isabella had died by then).
A possible cousin of mine in the USA thinks I am descended from the Scottish Catholic John MacGhee who fled Dumfries in 1610 and resettled with help from fellow Catholic George Hamilton on the Abercorn Estate in 1610. John's 1617 grave is the oldest known gravesite in Ulster.
Anyone with any information on these Leckpatrick McGees, please share your information with me. I can't come to Ireland myself.
Thursday 14th Mar 2013, 02:03AM
Message Board Replies
-
Hi,
Thank you very much for your message. You have been very busy since your first message! I am glad that you have found these records. I hope now that someone with information on the family makes a connection with you to help you further with your research.
Please be patient - as our programme has only begun to rollout across the island of Ireland and volunteers in some areas may not yet be organized.
Kind regards,
Genealogy Support
-
Over the summer, ancestry.com posted new British Army records online. Unfortunately, the Robert McGee from Leckpatrick Parish, Co Tyrone, died at least 5 years before mine died in the USA. So it's back to the drawing board, back to wondering AGAIN where we came from in Ireland. The good news is that I have just found my Robert McGee in Charlottenbourgh Township, Glengarry County, Upper Canada in the War of 1812. Even better, with him in the 1st Flank Co. (Captain John Hooke Campbell's Co.), 1st Regiment of Glengarry militia, are a James and a William McGee. Then I found Charlottenburgh marriage bonds for Robert and William for 1820 and 1821 respectively; I'm now awaiting the arrival of some baptismal records for 4 of Robert's children. This means my McGees first came to Canada over 200 years ago-VERY exciting news. I'll stay on this parish board just in case, as we may still be from the area.
-
Dear patarlmcg
I am so happy to have found your post about the McGhee clan, although I was a bit slow in locating it. My wife's great-grandfather, Hamilton McGhee lived in Artigarvan, Co. Tyrone. I believe his father and mother were John and Ruby. Hamilton was born April 2, 1817, and was married in the mid 1840's in the church there. He and his wife left for Canada shortly thereafter, and settled near Madoc, Ontario. His son Robert, my wife's grandfather, was born June 26, 1861. Robert (and wife, Ellen Marshall) had three sons- David Wishart, Robert Hamilton, and Willam Samuel Marshall. After Ellen's passing, Robert remarried Alice Emerson (whose family was from Fermanagh) and they had four daughters Laura, Mary, Vera and Eva. Vera was my mother-in-law.
I don’t know if this information is helpful to you, but I am very curious to know if there might be a connection of Hamilton with one of the McGhees with whom you are related. I am most anxious to find out. I will pass this information along to my wife.
With warm regards, Ron
-
Ron, please e-mail me privately at patarlmcg49@ gmail.com.