Greenbank Presbyterian Church Parish Muff Co. Donegal graveyard lookup request

[helenjean]

My great grandparents were married in this church in 1878, and I wondered if their parents or relatives were buried in the graveyard. The bride was Rebecca Weir of Mullagheagh and the groom's name was John Gallagher of Carey (occupation labourer).  Her father's name was Joseph Weir, occupation farmer and his father was also John Gallagher, occupation mason. Rebecca's mother's name was Rachel, possibly nee Weir also. My great grandparents went to Glasgow around 1900 with their three Irish born children: Joseph b. 1879, John b. 1884 and my grandmother Margaret Jane b. 1889. I know Rebecca died in 1902 of pneumonia, but haven't been able to trace her husband John, nor her sons Joseph and John after that: family lore has it that Joseph went to Canada and Margaret (my nana) married in Scotland in 1909 and came to Australia with their three Scots-born children in 1920. Witnesses at John and Rebecca's wedding were Robert Joseph and William Weir. I do hope someone can help... and thanks in advance.

[joemc]

Hi, this gravestone, from the above graveyard is probably of interest

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=2282157&GRid=31245691&

Regards

Joe

[helenjean]

Thanks Bob: I had found this family on a census or two, and the given names of the males certainly match the info on the marriage record, but Rebecca's mother's name was Rachel (nee Weir), according to her husband John Gallagher,  the informant on the record of death in January 1902 in Gorbals, Scotland; unfortunately, Rebecca's mother's name was not given on the marriage record.  But I will keep on looking 

[joemc]

Hi, took another look at this, I think you have the spelling of the place name wrong, think it was 'Mullaghagay' not Mullageagh and was a small Clachan in the townland of Three Trees, Muff, a Joseph Weir is recorded as farming there in the Griffith Valuation of 1857,(place name visible in map, not record) there is another Joseph weir recorded in the townland of Aught, Muff, I think that is the Joseph from the gravestone in my previous post, name is not common in area so both Joseph's are probably related

In the 1901 Census there is a Robert Joseph weir (45) unmarried farmer living at Three Trees, Muff a possible brother of your Rebecca, also a witness at the marriage?

[joemc]

In 1911 he is living with his sister Margaret Allen (a widow) and her family, a marriage record from 1866 exists for Margaret and confirms her father as Joseph Weir
 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FGDK-NF8

Sorry didn't mean to make new post here, just modify existing 

Update: I have found the birth record of Robert Joseph Weir, he was christened as Knowhead Presbyterian church, Inishowen in 1853 (Greenbank wasn't built until the 1860's) His parents are recorded as Joseph Weir and Rachel (nee Weir) Margaret Weir's birth is also recorded in 1839, same parents, unfortunately Rebecca's birth does not seem to be recorded.

[helenjean]

Thanks Joe:

Had to go to work (drat!) - hence the delay in replying. This is getting so exciting!

It does seem that there were two Weir men named Joseph (probably cousins) in adjoining townlands: another kind Rootschatter has sent me a personal message about finding three records of baptism in the presbyterian parish of Knowhead all with father Joseph Weir and mother Rachel (nee Weir in one of them): Margaret 1839, Rebecca b. 1 January 1848 and Robert Joseph b. 4 June 1853 (parents living in Townland of Three Trees, Civil Parish Muff) I have yet to find Margaret's date of birth, but now I know to look in parish Knowhead (thanks for the info that Greenbank wasn't built until the 1860s!) - possibly will also find William Weir, the other witness at the wedding and maybe even more siblings.

Rebecca's d.o.b. doesn't quite fit with the age at death (49) given by husband John (the informant) on the death record in Scotland in January 1902, but I guess these variations happen. Both father Joseph and mother Rachel were shown as deceased on Rebecca's death record. I think I have found a record of death of Robert Joseph Weir in 1919 - he apparently never married.

The place names Mullagheagh and Carey: both are transcriptions - from an Ulster Historical Foundation report I commissioned in 2002 (they found only the marriage details) and again on a Rootsireland search.  And what's a Clachan? 

On with the search!  Thank you sooo much for your interest  Helen

[aghadowey]

A clachan is a group of houses clustered together.

[joemc]

Hi, glad to be able to help, the William Weir may have been a cousin of Rebecca's, there is a Will calender entry at PRONI for a William Weir of Aught:

Letters of Administration (with the Will annexed) of the personal estate of William Weir late of Aught County Donegal Dealer who died 17 March 1894 at same place were granted at Londonderry to Joseph Weir of Aught Farmer the Brother.

The Civil record of his death states he was 54 years old, his name is on the gravestone from my previous post,

I missed Rebecca's birth because of the spelling of her name 'Rebeka' in church record, it was common to knock a few years of an age, especially for women, also with little literacy from the time period some people only had a vague idea of when they were born.

Also meant to mention yesterday, there are still Weirs living in the Three Trees townland

[helenjean]

Thanks again Joe: with your help I am really fleshing out the family tree (if that's not a mixed metaphor!)

Re the Weir families still living in Three Trees, I am hopeful of visiting Donegal later this year, so in the meantime, I may be able to contact some living descendants of Joseph and Rachel. Other (Scots) family names in my maternal tree include Anderson and Wylie, which also seem to have been around parish of Muff in the 19th century - could be Irish connections there too...

But finding the right Gallagher family is sure to be difficult - perhaps if I can find John's death record in Scotland, (I have posted elsewhere on Rootschat and will search ScotlandsPeople)- it may have his mother's maiden name on it.  I wondered, too, why both witnesses were Weirs - I would've thought John would have had a brother attending him...or perhaps he wasn't from Co. Donegal at all.

More sleuthing to be done! H

Cheers and thanks once again.  Helen