MACK and MULVY - Coleraine

[RipleyAnne]

I am trying to find any trace of my great-great-grandmother, Kathleen (Kate) MACK, and her family who I believe came from Coleraine, Ireland.

Kathleen was born in approx 1871 to parents William and Mary MACK (nee MULVY). In approx 1884 Kathleen migrated to Australia. I haven't been able to locate a shipping record for her so am not sure if she travelled on her own or with other family members.

Kathleen married in Sydney in 1893. On the marriage certificate, Kathleen lists her parents' names as William and Mary, her birthplace as Coleraine and her father's occupation as "coach builder".

Unfortunately, this is all the information I have but am hoping that someone may be able to uncover something else for me.

Thank-you.

[aghadowey]

Mack isn't that common a name in Coleraine area. There was a firm of photographers named Mack for many years in Railway Road there.
I suspect that your William Mack may have worked for a coachbuilder- 1910 Charles Hamill and Robert Lynn were both in business as coachbuilders in the town.
I have 1897 directory for Coleraine and only Mack listed is John Mack, photographer.
The only marriage I could find around 1871 in Co. Derry doesn't fit- William Mack m.1873 Coleraine district to Margaret Anderson.
There's a death registered Jul/Sept.1890 Coleraine district for a William Mack age 50 (could be the William married in 1873).
Also checked for birth of a Kathleen Mack born c1871 and there's quite a few in Ireland but nothing in Co. Londonderry around that period.
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails;t=searchable;c=1408347
All of which makes me wonder if the family came to Coleraine from another area.

[RipleyAnne]

Thanks. Perhaps you are right and the family moved to Coleraine although I would not have a clue from where. The only information I have is that which was given by Kathleen on her marriage certificate.
I just looked again on the Family Search site but found no mention of them.

Will keep plugging away.

Thanks for your help.

Sandra

[aghadowey]

Have been out all day today so I haven't had a chance to look further but Kathleen must have had some connection with Coleraine to list it on her marriage certificate. Coleraine isn't that far from Co. Antrim border so maybe she lived somewhere outside Coleraine. However, I've had no luck yet finding anything on Kathleen (birth record) or parents (marriage).

[susie56]

Hi,
In my research on my friend's family I discovered his grandmother (Kathleen) was the illegitimate daughter of a Joseph Mack of Ireland aged 25 (in 1895). His death certificate states he was the son of William and Mary and an Ancestry Family Tree member lists his birthplace as Coleraine, Londonderry, Ireland. I assume Joseph and Kathleen are siblings and possibly travelled together, but as yet have not found immigration records. I notice in BDM that a Kate Mack married in 1900 would this be the same person?

[aghadowey]

Not sure how the information on your Kathleen Mack fits the earlier query. Lots of new resources have come online since 2009 so I can add a bit more here.

"Letters of Administration of the personal estate of William Mack late of Coleraine County Londonderry Artist who died 19 September 1890 at same place were granted at Londonderry to Margaret Mack of Charlotte-street Ballymoney County Antrim the Widow. Effects £48 14s. 6d."
This may be the William Mack who married Margaret Anderson.

Not sure if this is the online tree you've mentioned but I found one for a Kathleen Mack (1871 Coleraine-1948 Petersham N.S.W.) married Frederick John Rose but it gives her parents as William Patrick Mckay (1844-1908 N.S.W.) & Mary Mulvy (died 1871 Westmeath, Ireland). If any of that is actually correct then records for the family in Ireland are likely under McKay not Mack but it does seem strange that Kathleen would have been born in Coleraine the same year her mother died in Westmeath (probably about 150 miles from Coleraine and a considerable distance in those days).

[susie56]

Thanks for the reply. I have only just found the Joseph Mack and the Kathleen connection recently so there is lots more research to do. I will try looking for McKay and see how I go. I wonder if the original enquirer found anything.

[RipleyAnne]

Hi,

I have just come back to this again.

I think you are right in that Joseph is Kate's brother. I have found him as a witness on the death certificate of one of Kate's children. I am trying to investigate him further.

I have also seen the Ancestry tree with Kate's parents listed with the surname McKay however there is nothing to substantiate this.

I believe there may have been at least one other sibling - Rose - who married a Joseph ALLEN in NSW in 1892. I am currently waiting on a copy of her marriage and death certificates to see if they show any further details.

As Kate and Joseph (and Rose, if she is a sibling) all used the surname MACK, I tend to think the McKAY reference may be incorrect.

I will keep searching.

Sandra

[scotmum]

In a newspaper entry about his sudden death, the William Mack who died in Coleraine in 1890 is noted as having lived at New Row and been working at his business as a photographer the evening before his death. This William is also noted as having been involved with two Masonic Lodges in Coleraine and indeed having been a founding member of one. Another item mentions his funeral was with full Masonic honours, undertaken by a Methodist minister and that Masonic brethren had gathered and marched to his home beforehand, then carrier the coffin through the Diamond before placing it on hearse to take it to the cemetery.