Machery Knappan, Diocese of Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland

[Athenaglass]

Help! I am clueless how to search for pre 1800 Ulster records! I am actually going to Ireland but don't know where to look! I'm hoping to find something, a record or a grave. (would be amazing) This is what I know.

I know my 4th great grandfather William Watson and his 4 brothers came as young men from Machery Knappan, (Machrey Knappin or Mackeynappau) Diocese of Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland to the United States at various times in the late 1700's. The five Watsons: William b. 12 June b. 1772, James b. 5 March 1774 , Aaron 1775, Oliver b. 8 Sept 1776 and John 1778. They had to be Church of England or Presbyterians. I believe they were all in the US well before 1800. William came 1792 and was naturalized in 1799, Oliver naturalized 1802. So this is all I have to go on.

I did find 2 Watsons in the Donegal Will Index Diocese of Raphoe 1684 - 1858:

Watson, James; Galdanagh; 1756 and
Watson, Oliver; Machery Knappan; 1776.
Oliver has to be a grandfather or uncle but what do I do with this information? Is there a chance there will be something to find in the archives in Belfast or Dublin?

I also I do not know if Machery Knappan is a town or farm or ?. I can find nothing about this place.

Can someone PLEASE head me in the right direction? I have been reading Irish Geneaology Toolkit and other helpful sites but need some concrete direction. I am so excited. I'm American but actually lived in N. Ireland many years ago and although I didn't know about my ancestry, I loved loved loved the country and felt so connected...one of my children was born there.

[Elwyn Soutter]

I think the townland your ancestors probably came from is now called Magheranappan. It’s 425 acres and is in the civil parish of Convoy, (barony of Raphoe). You can see it on a map, using Griffiths Valuation:

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

It’s about half way between Letterkenny and Stranorlar, a mile east of the N13 road. 18 households there in Griffiths in 1857. No Watsons.

18 households there in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Convoy/Magheranappan/

Unfortunately the earliest church records for that area are a lot later than you need. The Church of Ireland records start in 1871, and the Presbyterian records in 1822.

As I understand it, Oliver Watson’s will was held in the Public Record Office in Dublin, but was destroyed in the 1922 fire. All that survives is in effect the index book that listed it, from which you know that it was probated in 1776. There are no other documents to see. So it tells you that someone of that name lived and died in Magheranappan around 1776 (probate can often be granted a year or two after the death) but not a lot more. Perhaps that he held sufficient property to require probate. (Many estates were administered without probate).

There are very few sources for research in the 1700s. You could try the Registry of Deeds records (originals in Dublin, copy in PRONI, Belfast) to see if there are any deeds registered for Watsons in that townland. Perhaps also local graveyards for gravestones.

[rathmore]

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal

then come down the page to Basic Search box, they type in Box- Machery Knappan

will take you to page, Index to wills diocese Raphoe donegal 1684-1858
come down the page a Oliver Watson 1776 Machery Knappan

[rathmore]

you can send a e-mail to the donegal site, they might be able to help regarding Oliver on the wills pages.

[joemc]

Hi
from 1822 Convoy Presbyterian church Congregation

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal/convoycen.htm

MAGHRYNAPPIN
John Watson, wife nee Mary Smiley. Child: Aaron Watson married Nancy Greer.

Regards



 

[Athenaglass]

Thank you so much to everyone who answered! Magheranappan is the town for sure and I would never have figured it out! The Watsons listed in the 1822 Convoy Presbyterian Church are certainly relatives!

I also just stumbled into finding more Watsons who came to the US from Magheranappan about 20 years after the five brothers (around 1818.) They also have to also be relatives. James Watson b 1855 his wife  Margaret McCleary and children William, Thomas and John who were born in Ireland, were in NY and then Illinois. James might be the Uncle of the 5 brothers. So if any Watson's eventually see this please contact me! 

I had planned on checking in the Irish National Achieves and National Library for any other clues but feeling it might be hopeless. I will look around old graveyards in Convoy. It would wonderful to find the actual farm. Any advice would be appreciated!

[Elizabeth Hower]

To: Athena Glass...
Just saw this post this week.  My ancestor is also William Watson and I am heading to Ireland ..
was wondering if you found the property that the Watsons owned in the 1800's in Magheranappan.
I have three letters written by the five brother's father and I think his name was James.  One written in 1808 and the other 2 written in 1820.  If you see this please get back to me and thank you!

[Kiltaglassan]

Welcome to RootsChat 

Unfortunately, the original poster (Athenaglass) hasn't been online here since May 2014. If they have the same e-mail address they registered with on RootsChat and still have notifications for replies turned on, then they should receive an e-mail to tell them of your post.

If you make at least one more post (just say Hi etc), you can use the Personal Message (PM) system to attempt to contact Athenaglass and exchange personal data, such as e-mail address.

...Magheranappan. It’s 425 acres and is in the civil parish of Convoy, (barony of Raphoe)

To help you, here's the location of Magheranappan.
https://www.townlands.ie/donegal/raphoe-south/convoy/convoy/magheranappan/

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/5588783#map=12/54.9036/-7.6873

Best of luck with your trip to Ireland 

[rathmore]

donegal resourses

http://www.donegalgenealogy.com

then click on parish of Raphoe
then look under Births Marriages and Deaths

you will see Index to Wills

Knappan 1776