John Jordan and Isabella Blackburn briths and children

Jack,

I can see a Margaret Jane West of the right age in Coolaghy, Donegal in the 1901 census, and close by in the same townland is a Mary West of the right age. So I’d guess this is your family.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Feddyglass/Coolaghy/1196249/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Feddyglass/Coolaghy/1196253/

The 2 sisters are together in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Donegal/Feddyglass/Coolaghy/506081/

Today that farm is north off the R264 between Murlog and Raphoe.

http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie

Noted this probate abstract:

The Will of John Jordan late of Ballyboe County Donegal Farmer who died 19 March 1893 was proved at Londonderry by the Reverend Alexander G. Lecky of Feddyglass in said County Presbyterian Minister one of the Executors.

The will itself is on the PRONI wills site. He leaves his farm to his nephew Alex Porterfield, and there is mention of his sister Susan Jordan.

https://apps.proni.gov.uk/WillsCalendar_IE/WillsSearchImage.aspx?id=213721

That John Jordan was aged 75 and was a bachelor. His age would allow for him to be a son of John Jordan married to Isabella Blackburn. His sister Susan died 30.1.1894 aged 75. She was a spinster.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1894/05977/4699379.pdf

This may be Alex Porterfield in 1901, in Ballylennan townland:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Feddyglass/Ballylennan/1196269/

Families were all Presbyterian and there seems to be a connection with Feddyglass Presbyterian church.

Elwyn,

Thank you so much for the quick reply. I am just now reading this.  I am sorry for the late reply, but I didn't realize that there was a response until just now.  I'll go through the significant information you've sent me and get back with what I else I can share.  Thanks again!

- Jack West

The first two resources were a giant YES.  I already knew that Mary and Margaret were both daughters of Robert West and that Robert had a brother Samuel.  The census info for 1901 shows Robert as head of household, home owned by Andrew Lowry and Mary as a daughter of that household and Samuel as a brother of that head of house.  So, exact match.  That house is house 6 of 6 in Coolaghy. 

Further, the Mary and James West servants to Andrew Lowry and living at the Andrew Lowry home which is house 2 of 6 in that grouping of homes in Coolaghy.  Also, I have an article from 24 Feb 1909 in The Derry Standard Newspaper titles Donegal Probate West vs Lytle that tells of a dispute on inheritance between Andrew Lowry's nephew and Mary and James West (and I think James and Mary prevailed as there were several witnesses in court testimony that Andrew Lowry dictated his will to the lawyer with no one else present and that he was of sound mind when he did that.

Thanks again, so much.  I'll post more later as I go through the rest of your research.

Elwyn,

The will is also the right one, because the Porterfields were related.  We have several letters from Porterfield in Ireland to James West in the USA.  I noted that Alex Porterfield had 11 outbuildings with his farm, so he was probably doing okay.  Would it make sense that this is the same land as John Jordan had earlier?  The last census info on Alex is very helpful as it has several children who probably have at least grandchildren now alive in Ireland.  I'll track down that line as far as I can to see if we have some relatives still in Ireland.  Thank you again for your help.

Jack,

Regarding the land, there’s a series of records called the Valuation Revision books. They are held by the Valuation Office in Dublin. They show who was occupying land from the time of Griffiths Valuation through to around 1929. They should show whether the same land transferred from Jordan to Porterfield.

http://www.valoff.ie/en/Archives_Genealogy_Public_Office/

Thanks Elwyn.  I'll look at those records.  I did actually make contact with a shirt-tail relative in Ireland for the first time yesterday, and she confirmed that Alex Porterfield (her grandmother's brother) was gifted that land by John Jordan, and that John was a bachelor and his sister Susan remained on the farm until she died.  It is all tying together, and a little bit of work by both of us has put me in touch with relatives in that area!