Church family - Derry to Canada 1820's

[cellogirl]

George (b. around 1780) and Letitia Church moved from Ireland to Canada in the 1820's with their 6 children. Two sources indicate that they came from Londonderry. I have found the information on the internet about the Church family in Desertoghill, but have been unable to make a connection with that family. There is a second Church family in Canada that also moved from Londonderry likely around the same time - a William Church (b. 1798 in Londonderry) married to Mary Ann Gass (b. 1802 in Ireland).  I have not been able to connect this family yet to mine but strongly feel that there may be one.  Can anyone help me make a connection between my Church family and one in Ireland?  I think I have exhausted all my sources here in Canada. Thanks!

[akanex2]

Hi Cellogirl

I am a descendant of the Church family of Desertoghill living in Northern Ireland.  I can't see a connection to your George and Letitia in my research but I would be very surprised if there wasn't one at some stage.  My gt gt gt grandfather had a cousin William Church (b. 1804) who went to St Johns, New Brunswick in the 1820s, but he was married to a Jane Irwin and the family moved on to the US after their first 3 children were born.  Otherwise I have no record of family members moving to Canada until the early 1900s.

As far as I know all the Churches in Co Londonderry are descended from Thomas Church who was born in England and died in Kilrea, Co Londonderry in 1654.  His second son, George, bought the freehold of a farm in Desertoghill (neighbouring parish to Kilrea) in 1621 and the family have been in the area every since.

Once you have made a couple more postings on this site I can send you some more details by PM (personal message).

[cellogirl]

Thank you very much for your reply. You have already told me more than I knew about the Church family and its origins in England - thank you! One item that may help me trace my line is that in 1820 something called the "Waterloo Settlement" was established in Beauport parish near Quebec City for colonists (English, Scottish, and Irish) who participated in the fall of Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo. I don't know if this means that they were given land, but I do know that George and Letitia Church lived there at least until 1829 when their daughter Elizabeth was married. This is confirmed in the record to her marriage to John Quirt. They later moved to the Winchester area south of Ottawa, and my line ended up in the Wellington County area by the 1850's.
I am very interested in exploring possible resources in Londonderry that may help me find a connection.

[akanex2]

Hi Cellogirl

Have you tried military records to see if George is mentioned?  The Waterloo link might well give a lead.  When you have made 1 most post you will be able to use the PM system.

Good luck.

[cellogirl]

Hello akanex2, I attended an Irish Genealogy conference in Ottawa a few years ago, and had the opportunity to search the military section of the Find my past website. I found several Churches listed but no George Church. There may be other sites that I should be searching, and would appreciate any recommendations. Thanks.

[bshewmach]

I am descended from Stephen CHURC and Bridget WELSH. Two years ago, a gentleman provided me with the following information in an email message Re: Stephen Church dated Sat, 23/02/2008
"there was a Bridget Church gravestone in Kilrea Church of Ireland graveyard. I looked in up in my files and found the following: To the memory of Bridget Church who departed this life 9th July 1839. Aged 59 years. Also her daughter Eliza who departed this life 12 June 1830, Aged 23 years
He felt it likely this could be Bridget WELSH, Stephen's wife and their daughter, Margaret (b abt 1813- d 1864 Calton, Glasgow). He went on to note: "Church is quite an uncommon name and all  the Co Londonderry Churchs descend from Thomas of Kilrea who died in 1656..."
Stephen and Bridget's daughter Thomason (b 1800-1807 / d 13 Feb 1865 in Hutchesontown, Glasgow wife of Andrew DIAMOND. (Will post Diamond information in separate message). Any help in identifying any of these folks would be appreciated.

[bshewmach]

 In 1861 (Census for Gorbals Glasgow, pg 181, #89), 38 Main Street was the residence of Thomasina DIMOND, household head, widow, age 54, born in Ireland  and her children John 22 and Andrew 17---both Iron Moulders; Mary  Ann 17 a cotton weaver, Elizabeth 13 scholar---all born in Ireland. John  McDonald age 22, an iron molder and Patrick Dempsey a  slater---lodgers born in Ireland. On February 13 1865---two years after the death of her son Andrew at 73 Main Street---Thomasina DIAMOND widow of Andrew DIAMOND, mason, journeyman, died at 2h30m pm at 73 Main Street, Glasgow. She was 65. Her parents were Stephen CHURCH, farmer, deceased and Bridget Church ms WELSH, deceased. The informant was John DIAMOND, son, residing at 51 Muirhead Street.
In an email message Re: Stephen Church Sat, 23/02/2008 I was advised: As Thomasina Diamond was a householder in Kilrea in 1858...If we assume this is your ancestor who turned up in Glasgow before 1861, then Andrew must have died and been buried in the Kilrea area - sadly before civil registration of deaths here.  If he was a stone mason by profession, a gravestone is not an unreasonable assumption... [Suggested trying both Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland graveyards in Kilrea and Desertoghill Parishes...] Any help regarding the CHURCH or DIAMOND families would be appreciated.
Bonnie

[Ulster Alexander]

Hi Akanex2,

I'm interested in your knowledge of the Church family of Ulster. I'm an American and was intrigued by seeing Church descendants immigrating into Canada since I have Church ancestors who ended up in Pennsylvania in the 1700s. A greatgrandfather of mine was Thomas Church, born ca. 1743 "at the Grove near" Straton in Londonderry. (Does anyone know where Straton is in Londonderry?) While I know Thomas' mother's given name (Martha), I do not know his father's name. His mother died in Pennsylvania in 1773 and is buried next to Thomas, who died in 1812. For most of Thomas' life in the US, Thomas lived in Lancaster County. But in the late 1790s he moved to neighboring Chester County.

A contemporary in Lancaster County was Paul Church, who died 1765. His wife's given name was Dorcas.

Back to Thomas, however. In the late 1790s when Thomas Church was moving his family to nearby Chester county, a Dr. William and Mary (McAllister) Church settled in Lancaster County. This Dr. William Church was born about 1772 in Londonderry, and "Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania biography: illustrated," Volume 2, by John Woolf Jordan; Thomas Lynch Montgomery; et al states that this Dr. William Church was the son of Sir William Church.

By the way, a given name passed on among Thomas Church’s descendants is Alexander. I’m wondering if someone upline was also named Alexander.

These are the only Churches in this part of Pennsylvania, and I suspect they are all related but am unsure how at this point. Akanex2--do you know who Sir William Church was in Londonderry? Any idea how these Churches fit into the bigger picture in Londonderry?


 

[aghadowey]

As far as I know there isn't a place (townland or otherwise) called Staton in this area. Suspect that 'The Grove near Staton' might be The Grove near Garvagh.