Looking for Farrel, O'Farrel, or Young

Coagh is in Co. Tyrone, but right on the border with Co. Derry.  It’s in the parish of Tamlaght. The parish is partially in Tyrone and partially in Co Derry. This may account for the apparent confusion over which county the family is from.

Birth registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864. Prior to that you need to rely on church records. You haven’t said what denomination the family was.  The Church of Ireland (Episcopalian) for Tamlaght has records starting in 1801, Presbyterian start 1839 and Roman Catholic in 1865. So the only denomination with any records for the period you need is the Church of Ireland. If the family may have been of that denomination then the records do not appear to be on-line. However there is a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

I checked the tithe applotment records for Tamlaght for 1827. Tithes were paid by people with land (ie mostly farmers). There are no Farrell (and variants) listed in that parish. That suggests that if it is where they originate, then they were labourers or others without land who can sometimes be hard to trace.

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/tyrone/tithe-applotment-books/parish-of-tamlaght.php

I checked the tithe records for the rest of Tyrone and for Co. Derry but did not find either a Samuel or a Joseph listed there.

I searched the 1798 flax growers list (which would list most farm labourers and small farers). Again I didn’t find a Samuel or a Joseph in Tyrone or Derry.

https://www.failteromhat.com/post1796.php

There are 69 trees on Ancestry with this family. I haven’t searched them all, but many mention Coagh. One also has son William born in Ballygonny Beg in 1815. That’s a townland in the parish of Tamlaght but in the Co Derry part. It’s very close to the village of Coagh, just a quarter of a mile west of it. I checked Griffiths Valuation for 1859 but there were no Farrell households in Ballygonny Beg then. It’s not very big. It only had 8 houses then, and just 6 in the 1901 census.

The 1831 census has a Francis Farrell living in Ballygonny Beg. The family was Church of Ireland and his household comprised 4 males & 6 females. I note from the Ancestry trees that one of Samuel/Joseph’s children was named Francis, so that does suggest a possible connection with your family.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Loughinshollen/Tamlaght/Ballygounybeg/28/

Francis is not in the tithes so that suggest he was a farm labourer.

No sign of Samuel/Joseph in that 1831 census, so it suggests he was living in Tyrone then, and that census has not survived. But the information does suggest it would be worth checking those Church of Ireland records for the family.

You might want to post details of your family on our Ancestor Chronicles section in case others with more information can add to it.

Elwyn, Many many thanks for your prompt and educational reply.  We are not even 100% sure my ancestor was named Joseph, though that;s the name that came down in family history.  Similary, Elizabeth Young is an uncertain connection, but there are more US records indicating that the name and general DOB is right.  Ill be adding to the Ancestor Chronicles, as suggested!

May your Christmas be merry and your fqamily dsafw and healthy!  I'll be visiting Ireland, someday!!!

KB