Author Topic: Crawford & Strahan anyone  (Read 7496 times)

Offline Yodi

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Re: Crawford & Strahan anyone
« Reply #18 on: Wednesday 04 March 09 17:41 GMT (UK) »
I'm back . . . another Crawford/Strahan matter:
my surname immigrant to USA is found in 1820 Fed Census and 1825 Illinois census with a William B. Crawford living next door born ca 1772 Scotland.       His son Blair Strahan is still living next door to a William B. Crawford, the grandson, in 1870.   This is in Randolph Co., Illinois, and a family file for this Crawford family is to be found at familysearch.com.       
Now my immigrant and his siblings and possibly his parents immigranted from Co. Antrim and we have reason to believe that his father was a cousin to Sam of Rathkenny married to (thought to be) Jean Martin.  AND all kinds of people from Co. Antrim reunited with folks from Co Antrim in that community in Illinois—and they came to Illinois via Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Pennsylvania...
Now we have this Crawford family stuck side by side with us for the good part of a century—and it is supposed to be from Dreghorn and Irvine in Ayrshire.    The first William B.'s father is supposed to have been William Crawford b. 1772 married Helen Beveradge [sic] m. 21 May 1796 in Dreghorn and buried in the Old Cemetery Irvine.   She is buried in the Caledonia Cemetery, Sparta, Illinois   They had fourteen children, the oldest of which is a Andrew b. 1797 then a David b. 1799. . . Most of them died in Scotland.   The third son John died in Havana.      The younger children died in the USA in Illinois or Kansas and include a Bryce Crawford.
Now I know from Bryson research that some Brysons who came to this country from Co. Antrim and Co. Down had actually been born in Scotland around the same time.
So my question is do you know if any of your Crawfords had family members in Dreghorn or Irvine, Ayershire?   Do you have an idea of when your Crawfords came to Co. Antrim?
  I'm inclinded to think that these families in Randolph County had known each other in either Ireland or Scotland.

Offline dwrcrawford

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Re: Crawford & Strahan anyone
« Reply #19 on: Wednesday 04 March 09 19:32 GMT (UK) »
Hi again Yodi,
well your info is very interesting indeed and would be great if it was only 1770s when Crawfords came to Antrim cos we'd have half a chance of tracing them with scottish records.
As you know already my ancestors relating to you are "Robert Crawford and Ann Strahan" and "Daniel McCay and Mary Strahan".
Robert was born in Co. Antrim (presumably Ballycraigagh) around 1790s.
Robert Crawfords farm was in Ballycraigagh (near Clough, Antrim). Robert and loads of his descendants are buried in the nearby cemetery known as Dunaghy Old.

2 pieces of circumstantial evidence I have relate to these 2 facts.
1. On June 1st 1776 the freeholders list found on the PRONI website details a Matthew Crawford as the head of household in Ballycraigagh.
2. There are some old headstones in Dunaghy Old one of which was for John Crawford of the colliery. He died aged 49 in 1769. There is a family crest on the headstone and a coat of arms. I researched this particular coat of arms and it is for the Crawfords of Kilburnie in Scotland.
It's my belief that the Crawford family in Clough would have originally come from there.

That is not to say they couldnt have come via Irvine. It's possible so my question to you is have you any idea of the ancestors of William B Crawford? maybe a baptismal record which one could then trace any other children of those parents...would be nice if they had children called Robert, Matthew and John as well as William.
Crawford: Kilburnie to Clough
Strahan: Clough
McKillen: Ballyclug/Tully
McCue: Broughshane

Offline akanex2

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Re: Crawford & Strahan anyone
« Reply #20 on: Wednesday 04 March 09 22:43 GMT (UK) »
Although I have often used them as a starting point, basing your assumption of parent's names on usual naming patterns seems a weak argument against an established family tradition.  This is especially the case when the second son is named for the maternal grandfather and none of the 4 sons bear their father's name, as with Daniel and Mary's family. 

In addition, Mary is noted in some places as "Mary McIntyre Strahan" so the McIntyre name clearly comes from the Strahan, not McCay, side.  Of course naming a child after an unrelated friend or neighbour also happened - causing much confusion to later generations as I've found before.  The middle name "Brown" is also found recurring in one of my lines and it took me years to discover the original "Brown" in my line was named after his mother's brother in law!

Offline GeneDigger

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Re: Crawford & Strahan anyone
« Reply #21 on: Wednesday 28 March 18 21:42 BST (UK) »
Hello All,

It's been many years since there was any activity on this subject so I know this is a long shot.

I have several Strahan (along with half a dozen spelling variations) which have come up as DNA matches.  They all come back to Samuel and sister Ann (wife of Robt Crawford Ballycregagh).
I've done a lot of work on this, but have hit a brick wall.

RE: Samuel Strahan b ca 1790 and Mary McIntyre.
I have a Jane Strahan b ca 1821 died 1893 Ballymena RD who married Robert Buick.  Her husband Robert, Craigs farmer,  has a will on PRONI site 14 Jan 1886. 
Is there a researcher out there who can confirm Jane (noting source) as a daughter of Samuel/Mary?

Any assistance is appreciated.

Genedigger