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I know this is a "needle in a haystack" attempt but what the heck. I am trying to connect with someone who might recognize the names Isabella McGee and John McDevitt who married in Philadelphia Dec 1847. She was from Derry and he was from Donegal. Around 1855-56/ they moved on to Saint John Nb.
My DNA kit number is AF4721662
Bob McDevitt
Ktone
Friday 2nd Dec 2022, 12:49AMMessage Board Replies
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Bob: In the 1857 Griffiths Valuation, the surname McDevitt was primarily found in two civil parishes-Convoy and Donaghmore in east central Co. Donegal. As you likely know, there are very few pre-1840 RC records available for Co. Donegal Roger McDonnell
Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Friday 2nd Dec 2022, 04:31PM -
Roger, thank you for responding. I am new to these available Irish sites and am just accessing some of them for the first time. It will take me a while to try to figure them out. I was unaware that a few pre-1840 RC records are available, but I am glad to hear there are. Is there a special website to access those pre-1840 RC records? Bob McDevitt
Ktone
Sunday 4th Dec 2022, 06:50PM -
Bob: The pre-1840 records do not exist. Many parishes in the west of Ireland including Co. Donegal do not have early records. Probably based on directives from their Bishop. Maybe a holdover from the Penal Law environment where masses were held secretly and records not retained. Roger
Castlemore Roscommon, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Monday 5th Dec 2022, 06:08PM -
Bob, my second great-grandfather was a John McDevitt, b. 1830 and immigrated to Philadelphia in 1949, but he married a Margaret Kelly, so not the same person! He was from Letterkenny, so maybe that area is a possibility. Unfortunately I don't have any leads on who his parents could have been, or siblings. Julie McDevitt
sfmcdevitt
Sunday 8th Jan 2023, 06:57AM -
Julie, thank you for responding. A Hugh McDevitt was a sponsor at one of their children so I would think he might be a sibling but I have not been able to make that connection. The other sponsor was Hannah Shields. I thought I had a record of their marriage but can’t locate it right now. Have you ever come across their names. Bob
Ktone
Monday 9th Jan 2023, 04:05PM -
Julie, thank you for responding. A Hugh McDevitt was a sponsor at one of their children so I would think he might be a sibling but I have not been able to make that connection. The other sponsor was Hannah Shields. I thought I had a record of their marriage but can’t locate it right now. Have you ever come across their names. Bob
Ktone
Monday 9th Jan 2023, 04:05PM