William McCue

BlueOcean1,

You say that your ancestor came from Kilraine Co. Donegal. I can’t find a townland with that exact spelling but there is a Kilrean in the parish of Kilteevogue (near Stranorlar) and also Kilrean Upper and Kilrean Lower in Killybegs Lower RC parish, in the west of Donegal.

I searched all 3 in Griffiths but none had a McCue (or variant spelling) listed in 1857. I note there is a graveyard in Kilrean Upper. Always worth a check.

I checked the same townlands in the tithe applotment records for 1834 but again no McCue listed.

You haven’t said what denomination the family were. I’ll assume RC.  Kilteevogue does not have any RC baptisms earlier than 1855; Killybegs start in 1850. So you are unlikely to find any baptisms for William, if he wasborn in 1842 and came from either of those parishes.

The William McCue in Griffiths in Barkillew could be related to your William but it’s unlikely to be the man himself as he would only have been 13 at the time. In general, householders in Griffiths would be adults. Where the person was a minor there was usually a trust arrangement, and Griffiths would show that. Barkillew is in Glenties RC parish (Inishkeel civil parish). Their baptism records start in 1866.

Bear in mind that spelling of surnames varied widely in Ireland and the name may also be spelled McHugh etc in Irish records. I checked the 1901 census for Barkillew. No McCue households there then. 75 McCue & 1107 McHugh in the 1901 census of Co. Donegal.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project and can offer FTDNA testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).

Thank you so much for your research on our family's behalf, Elwyn. I did find Kilrean in my research and also noted a topographical line above Kilrean  named "MacHugh." So that could very well be the place that my paternal great grandfather's family hailed from. The misspelling of Kilrean comes down in family history from his granddaughter, (my aunt), who wrote a family biography in the 1940s. My aunt says that my great grandfather William McCue changed the spelling of his name from McHugh to McCue at some point because it was "easier to write." My aunt didn't note when he changed the spelling, but I'd guess he changed it entering the US. His brother Cornelius maintained the McHugh spelling and moved to Bismarck, North Dakota. So far I haven't found Cornelius McHugh in U.S. records, but I've only just begun that search. That may lead me of course to more information about his brother, my great grandfather William McCue. It also opens a world of research possibilities with the two different spellings.

Fortunately we are in frequent contact with my maternal grandmother's family in Ballinrobe, County Mayo, and visit with our Walsh cousins there regularly. My niece lives in Dublin and married a man from Cork, so we maintain close contact there as well. Finally, to answer your question, yes William McCue and both sides of my Irish family are Roman Catholic. We are Irish American on both sides---maternal and paternal. I may consider DNA research at some point, but not yet.

My long-winded response may hopefully help someone else researching McHughs/McCues with these first names.

Thanks again for all your help.

BlueOcean1

Being unable to help with your request William McCue

Hi. I'm looking for any County Donegal descendants of the family of William McCue, born February 2, 1842, in Kilraine, County Donegal. William emigrated to U.S. in 1867. He had two brothers. One brother (possibly named Andrew) came to U.S. before William and fought in the U.S. Civil War. One brother may have stayed near Kilraine.

Griffith's Valuation places a William McCue as a tenant in Inishkeel Parish in 1857. Landlord: Stewart. Forename: H.G. Murray. Townland: Barkillew.

Any guidance would be appreciated. We will be in Donegal near Ardara in November 2018 and could visit any genealogy centers during that time.

I enlisted the help of Descendants of Families from Ardara, Co. Donegal on Facebook and have received the following replies to your query:-

Kay Lough Hourigan Have you had your DNA taken? Lots of Mchughs in Ardara and Glenties and DNA is the only way to get a link for someone who left the area prior to 1864.

Colette Ni Ghallchoir family tree dna is good

Stacy BooherStacy I have traced a William McHugh in my family to Ardara through a marriage record to Sarah “Sally” Burke at the parish of Ardara May 4, 1873. I have his birth year as 1852 though. He does have a brother Andrew (born 1868) and a brother Joseph (born 1867). They immigrated to the US together, not sure the year, but would’ve been before 1880. Sounds very similar!

Stacy Booher  Also, I have William’s father as James McHugh & mother Rosalie Heekin

Kay Lough Hourigan Stacy Booher I can't find that wedding but I did find a birth for Joseph, father Charles Mchugh, mother Bridget Gallagher, Born Killybegs in the townland of carrick...... Sorry I am not familiar with the Killybegs townlands so I can't read it. I am sure someone else on this site will be able to help.

Stacy Booher you are so sweet! Thank you!! I’ll show you where I found it, one second.

Best wishes

James

Thank you James and Asdee and everyone else who chimed in with connections and ideas! I really appreciate it. I'll have to check out that page on Facebook.

Update on William McCue: I just learned from family notes that William had a twin whose name was Cornelius. They also had a brother named Patrick. So much for the brother named Andrew. One of William's brothers immigrated earlier than William, who arrived in 1867, and served in the Civil War.

Cornelius spelled his last name "McHugh" and immigrated to Bismarck, North Dakota. In 1867, William landed in New York, then on to Pennsylvania coal mines and railroad work, settling in the Pittsburgh, PA area working in the steel mills.

So I have a great deal of information to work with here in the U.S. but am trying to track my greatgrandfather William's family in the Kilrean/Glenties/Ardara area. Perhaps my U.S. search will provide some leads. 

Thanks again, everyone! See you in Ardara mid November!

BlueOcean1

Update 4/1/22 regarding William McCue. I found William McCue's U.S. death certificate and discovered his parents were Neil (Cornelius?) and Mary McNeillus/McNellis/McNelis McCue. The death certificate only provides their county of Donegal. No other place name information available. 
I searched Griffiths Valuations and came up empty for Neil McCue but found many McNeilis names listed in the Ardara area. I'm just beginning this part of my search and would appreciate any thoughts or tips you may have. Thank you, BlueOcean1