Newbie in Ireland - LINN/LYNN CUNNINGHAM/CUNINGHAM

[cocksie]

Oh, thank you
Both those james cunninghams look possible!
And 1 Robert Lynn - so he is my best bet for "robin".

Very interesting to read about the area and history which is what I have been doing for a couple of hours. Plus virtual driving around on google earth to get a feel.

Am feeling a bit lost about how to track down information on these Cunninghams, Lynns and Muldoon(?). I gather there was a fair bit of Irish-Scottish traffic in the area (could explain the Muldoon as I can't sight any in the area).

I might have to cast around for other Lynn and Cunningham marriages around 1835, ie possible siblings of my two and see if I can make a link there somehow.
Perhaps cemeteries.

If you have any thoughts or know of any online resources I would love to hear about them.
Ireland is a whole new kettle of fish for me and I need to get a handle on how to research and what is available.

Robert and Mary Anne were tough farmers when they came to oz and did an exceptional job increasing the oz population (as did their children!). I look at the pictures of your area and compare it to where this couple made their life and .... Well they were tough cookies!

Thank you once again for your help.
Cocksie

[cocksie]

    I have also found that in the 1841 census (copied down in 1908 to prove age when the old age pension was introduced) there is a William Lynn 30, Margaret Lynn 30, William Lynn 5, James Lynn 3, and James Lynn 1 month. I assume the earlier James died young. They lived in the townland of Bevevagh which is also in the Parish of Bovevagh and next to Bonnanaboigh.

You mention a copy (or part thereof) of 1841 census - is this a personal copy as I can find no mention of any existing 1841 Irish census in my web searches? Or am I not looking in the right places?
Cocksie

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   The first complete census of Ireland is the 1901. Scraps of earlier ones exist eg. the 1831 for Londonderry. When the old age pension was introduced in 1908 the 1841 and 1851 census were used to determine if an applicant was at least 70 years old. Clerks then usually copied details of the whole family. These census pages were later destroyed. However the copies are not indexed. In the case of local Muldoons in 1831,
Thomas Muldoon, Townland of Ovil, Parish of Dungiven
Charles Muldoon, Townland of Terrydreen, Parish of Banagher
Pat Muldoon, Townland of Terrydreen, Parish of Banagher.

In 1859 Terrydreen was placed in the parish of Learmount.

Regards

[aghadowey]

Not sure how one pronounces "Bovevagh"?
Bo-ve-va

Question:  Could a/or is it a local likliehood that a Robin Lynn would also be known as a Robert Lynn, ie "pet" name?
Robin is a nickname for Robert and the surname Lynn is interchangeable with Lynd.

[cocksie]

Apologies
Did not get notification of any new replies for last few days.
Will digest
Cocksie

[cocksie]

Afternoon Angels'
Well I have been busy trying to get "comfortable" with Irish resources online and layout of the County of Londonderry (and how Bovevagh Civil parish fits in).  I have also been relooking carefully at all the documents and data I have on the Lynn/Cunningham(/Muldoon) families and collating all the information posted so far.

Found rootsireland and I purchased the marriage info following the info provided - just to see if there was anything else on the record.  The purchased record gives witnesses Robert Taylor and Robert Jackson for the Robert Lynn/Mary Anne Cuningham marriage on 27 Nov 1835 (as opposed to 21 Nov 1835 so I suspect there is possibly a transcription error somewhere) at Bovevagh Presbyterian church - so I have now sighted evidence of this Bovevagh marriage which is a thrill. 

I have looked up the 1831 census info available and there were certainly Taylors and Jacksons in and around Bovevagh in the timeframe.

Have worked through the info posted regarding the Lynn, Cunningham (I am drawn to the Camnesh Cunningham) and Muldoons in 1831 and have added all info to my spreadsheet.

I can't seem to find any evidence of any other Cunningham or Lynn Presbyterian marriages in and aroundBovevagh between 1825-1845.  ie I was looking for sibling marriages in the same area.  (Mind you I find the rootsireland difficult to search for marriages with any degree of accuracy without spending too many $$$ - so there must be a way to do this that I have to figure out)

I can't find any Lynns in early Tithe books as yet (is this where I should go next?) but have just started this search.  I have found Cunninghams in early Tithe books in the area.

Now ...... Robert & Mary Ann (nee Cunningham) Lynn boarded the vessel "Wilson" at Greenock, Renfreshire, Scotland as bounty immigrants, arriving Sydney 7 Jan 1842.  There were a mixture of Irish and Scottish immigrants on board but NO ONE else from County Londonderry at all was on board (I've been through all 195 immigrant records).  So that is not much help.

Robert & Mary Ann seem pretty particular about their "native place" as being "Bannahaugh", which, for the moment I am thinking might well be Civil Parish of Banagher, County Londonderry.  "Native place", after all could just mean the last place they were living ....... which brings me to another query .....

Queries for this afternoon:
Robert & Mary Ann immigrated with their two children:
William Lynn, age 1 1/2 in January 1842 (so born abt mid 1840).  Only info is born "Londonderry".  Can't find any baptism record for him either as yet.

Eliza Jane Lynn, age 4 1/2 in January 1842 (so born about mid 1837).  Her death certificate states she was born in "Cumberclaude, Londonderry".  There is no such place that I can see.  Closest I can find is Townland Claudy in the Civil Parish of Cumber Upper.  This seems to me to be one of the civil parishes "circling" Bovevagh (and next door to Banagher).  I cannot find any baptism record for her as yet.  What are you thoughts about my deduction?

Thank you your assistance and comments to date, it has all been very very helpful.

Oh, just thought of something else which has confused me ...... One of the history webpages I was reading indicated that Dungiven was essentially a Catholic area - forgive me if I inadvertently step on any toes here - but, if this information is correct, then should I disregard this area - given the Cunninghams I am looking for are likely to be Presbyterian???

And finally, thank you for getting to the end of this post!
cocksie

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   Civil birth registrations did not begin in Ireland until 1864 so to locate the childrens' births you would need to have the name of the church where they were baptised. One problem here is that meny Presbyterian churchs were only being built about 1840
    Your ideas on Claudycumber are probably correct. Claudy is a village about 9 miles west of Dungiven.
    Dungiven was a mainly Catholic area but there were 4 Presbyterian churches and 3 Church of Ireland Churches in Dungiven and the surrounding area so there was a sizable Protestant population.
    Finally I have found 4 Lynn marriages, excluding yours , between 1826 and 1831 but they all took place in Dungiven Roman Catholic Church. The only local Cuningham/Cunningham marriage which I can find at that time was yours in Bovevagh.

Regards

[cocksie]

Kingskerswill - thank you for looking for Lynn marriages - and finding a lack thereof (which may be a clue in itself). Interesting info about Presbyterian churches and also about Dungiven.

I am not sure how much emphasis to place on the Presbyterian aspect. The family ended up marrying and being buried as Church of England once in oz ..... But swapping from catholic to Presbyterian seems unlikely. Having said that it may be possibly plausible for Robert's family to be catholic and the Cunninghams were Presbyterian ..... And they marry at the church around the corner from the Cunninghams. Mmm I will mull over that possibility.

At immigration Robert was unable to read or write.  Mary Anne could read. Which is also interesting.

Once again, thank you for all your generous assistance and information
Cocksie

[Laricu]

Hi,  I could not find a year for the dates of these posts so I don't know if I am talking to a terribly outdated and forgotten post.  But it's new to me so...  I have been trying to find out about Cunninghams in and around Bovevagh for a few years now and have spent some time and $$ on the Irish Roots site to find some Cunningham marriages in Bovevagh.  Or the Cunningham saying their residence is Bovevagh.  They are:

-Bolton Cunningham baptized 1 Jan 1806 address-Bovevagh, Parish-Dungiven, Church of Ireland  (my gr gr gr grandfather immigrated to Canada from Scotland 1844) father-Bolton Cunningham
-Bolton Cunningham and Margaret McLaughlin m. 4 May 1832 St. Columb's Church of Ireland both residences Curchtown (also my gr gr gr grandfather)
-James Menagh and Mildred Cunningham (address Bovevagh) m. 26 May 1823 Church of Ireland Parish-Dungiven  (his sister, pretty sure)
-William Dugald and Greselda Cunningham (address Bovevagh) m. 12 Dec 1823 Church of Ireland Parish-Dungiven (possibly his sister)
Griselda Cunningham baptized 27 Jun 1824 address-Bovevagh, Parish-Dungiven, Church of Ireland father-John, mother-Margaret  (possibly his neice)
Gersarda Cunningham baptized 13 Oct 1822 address- Parish-Dungiven, Church of Ireland father-William mother-Ann  (not sure)

I noticed while working on my Cunningham tree in Canada that all the families had a Bolton and a Griselda in their children's names so I believe that the parent's of the immigrating family were Bolton and Griselda.  That was partially proved to be correct by finding my immigrating Bolton Cunningham's baptism record which gives his father as Bolton but does not give a mother's name.

I've made this post for 2 reasons. 
1- to give Cocksie a few Cunninghams in the area (we may be related) and
2- to ask- 1. if anyone can tell me anything about this patriarch Bolton Cunningham probably born around 1765-1775 (first child John born abt. 1790 last known child Bolton b. 1806) and seems to have settled in the Bovevagh neighbourhood and most likely married a Griselda.  I have looked high and low and every Bolton Cunningham I have found with these names being given at birth, are related to this tree.  I feel that Bolton is originally a surname so I would suspect that there was a marriage that introduced the surname which later was handed down as a given name.  It might be in the female line though and not have been a Cunningham/Bolton union.
           2. His son Bolton Cunningham b. 1806 married Margaret McLaughlin in 1832.  Their first born, John was born in Scotland in 1837 and their first census is there in 1841.  Then immigrating in 1844 to Canada.  There is another family in my tree that also started in Ireland and first went to Scotland before immigrating to Canada.  I wonder if this was common.  Was there a particular procedure to work in Scotland for a set amount of years and then be helped to immigrate.  Was there a process in place for this?  And if so what was the criteria and where might I find relative immigration records.

I too am challenged by research in Ireland.

Looking for a little help and hope these Cunningham vitals may be of interest to someone.

Thank you - Lari