Gordons of Carrick East, Ballyquin, Derry

[bettina53]

Hi All

Just wondering if anyone local can help me get back one more generation on my mother's side.  Am looking for details of Elizabeth McIlmoyle who married John Gordon and moved to Carrick Cottage early 1900s. John Gordon seems to have hailed from Myroe direction.  Trying to find Elizabeth's father & mother.

Regards

Betty

[kingskerswell]

Betty,
         I have looked at the Griffiths revision Books and cannot find a John Gordon living in Ballyquin or Carrick East between 1900 and 1909. There was a marriage of a John Gordon to Mary McELMOYLE on 5 Aug 1897 in Balteagh Church of Ireland (neighbouring parish to Carrick). I can find this couple in the 1901 and 1911 census living close to Ballyquin. Are you certain of the names and townlands?

Regards

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   A further search on the Familysearch site gives an Elizabeth McIlmoyle born on 14 August 1874 to Robert McIlmoyle and Annie Bond. The birth was registered in Limavady and the parents were married in Balteagh Presbyterian Church on 1 dec 1868.

Regards

[bettina53]

Hi Kingskerswell,

It's one of them for sure, but there are Gordons in both graveyards in Balteagh.  I am quite sure John  Gordon came from Myroe and settled in Carrick East cottage but the date of living there is "misty"!

Children of John were Elizabeth, Mary, Samuel, Edward, Sarah, Isobel and Robert.

Ta muchly.

Betty

[bettina53]

Hi

The one date I am 100% sure of is my grandmother's year of birth (1907) - she was Elizabeth Gordon.  The 1911 census shows one girl there the right age in 16 Ballyleagry (Fruithill).  My aunt (aged 80) keeps referring to Uncles John & Joe but cannot remember which side of the Gordon family they came from.  A couple of the names on this census (Maggie & Ginnie) may have died young as she does not remember them and I am aware of a couple of infant deaths, just not matched them up yet.  I promised a copy of the family tree to my youngest sister who has come home to get married in the Carrick Parish Church very soon.

Regards

Betty

[kingskerswell]

Betty,
       The Ballyleagry family sounds like yours except for the name of the mother. This is the marriage which I listed earlier: it might be worth getting the marriage certificate to confirm that the husband was from Myroe.

Regards

[gaffy]

"The one date I am 100% sure of is my grandmother's year of birth (1907) - she was Elizabeth Gordon." 

Using that as your firmest information, the closest birth datewise and geographically on GRONI online is a Lizzie Gordon born 13 July 1906, registered in Limavady, the mother's maiden name is McIlmoyle.

With this birth date, she should have been recorded as 4 years old in the 1911 census (ie. at 2 April 1911), the Fruithill record already mentioned seems closest to this:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Fruithill/Ballyleagry/596399/

The births of all the other children in this census record can be found on GRONI online (BTW Ginnie is Jane) and broadly tie in with the ages in the 1911  census record, the mother's maiden name in every case is either McIlmoyle or McElmoyle.

The closest marriage datewise and geographically on GRONI online for the couple in the 1911 census record is, as kingskerswell mentioned, John Gordon to Mary McElmoyle on 5 August 1897. The RootsIreland website search index confirms that the groom's father was also called John Gordon and the bride's father was called Thomas McElmoyle.
 
The marriage record - including digitised image - can be seen here (it's pay to view, select the "Full" option at the relevant point):

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk/

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   Using Gaffy's info there was a marriage of Thomas McElmoyle to a Sarah Ann Rentoul in Drumachose Presbyterian Church, Limavady on 4 Jul 1867. I can only find two children for this couple, Joseph 16 Jan 1868 and Alexander 16 May 1870.
Best wishes to your younger sister - Carrick Parish Church is located in a beautiful position.

Regards

[bettina53]

Thanks to both Gaffy & Kingskerswell

Mary McElmoyle it is.  Too many Elizabeths in the family, causing confusion!  At least I can go back some generations, might confirm Mary's mother yet, have until 11th Aug before going to print.  It seems lots of Rentoul in America from Limavady too.  Will double check Drumachose Presbyterian.

Again, very many thanks.

Betty