Author Topic: Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down  (Read 9149 times)

Offline Bellaanne

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Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down
« on: Wednesday 30 July 14 03:46 BST (UK) »
Trying to find info on Mcilmurray/McElmurray, my mother?'s great grandparents.  I am aware they were from Co. Down, might have been flax farmers, were Catholic and lived or worked in Upper Rathmullan. .(I cannot even find anything about Upper Rathmullan.). They came to the US in about 1848.  Any help greatly appreciated!

Offline gaffy

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Re: Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 30 July 14 05:50 BST (UK) »

(I cannot even find anything about Upper Rathmullan.)


Rathmullan Upper is a townland in the civil parish of Rathmullan (there is also a townland called Rathmullan Lower in the same civil parish). You can see the location of Rathmullan civil parish at this link:

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0194n/

Also, some history of the name: http://www.placenamesni.org/resultdetails.php?entry=17629

There are still McIlmurrays (Eliza and Richard) in Rathmullan Upper at the time of Griffiths Valuation (print date is 1863 for that area), perhaps they might be relatives.  You can see them and other occupants by searching at this link (search on Rathmullan, upper):

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=placeSearch

Or if you can't find it, it's reproduced here: http://www.lecalehistory.co.uk/griffiths/page286.htm

Some McIlmurray graves are mentioned in one post here:

http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=4669&p=localities.britisles.ireland.dow.general

Have you any other details eg. forenames?

Offline Bellaanne

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Re: Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 30 July 14 13:11 BST (UK) »
Thanks, this is exciting.  I think I have forenames and will get those later today.

Offline gaffy

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Re: Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 30 July 14 14:32 BST (UK) »

Thanks, this is exciting.  I think I have forenames and will get those later today.


By all means post more info, just to pre-warn you that for all sorts of reasons, Irish records for that period are  challenging, but if you don't ask... (I must dig out the great advice on this website about Irish records if I can find it, anyone else reading, please help).

Anyway, here is the townland of Rathmullan Upper shown in the Ordnance Survey mapping of Ireland from 1829 - 1842, you are looking at an area about 1 mile wide by a bit under a third of a mile tall  (notwithstanding all the ups and downs).

http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,747683,837772,5,7

You maybe saw this in the map at the Griffiths's Valuation link I posted already.

On the map it's striking that virtually all of the habitation in that townland is concentrated in the cluster of buildings called (on the Griffith's Valuation map at least) what looks like Scollogstown. At this point I know nothing more about this...  ???


Online scotmum

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Re: Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 30 July 14 15:07 BST (UK) »
PRONI have a will indexed for 1864 of an Elizabeth M'Ilmurray, spinster, late of Rathmullan. The image can be viewed on their website.
"Trees without roots fall over!"
 
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Online scotmum

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Re: Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 30 July 14 15:14 BST (UK) »
Scollogstown was a minor placename within Rathmullan parish, like a small clachan (settlement) and set within Rathmullan Upper. It would not have been part of the historical administrative system.
"Trees without roots fall over!"
 
""People who never look backward to their ancestors will never look forward to posterity." - Edmund Burke

Don't just wait for the storm to pass, learn to dance in the rain.

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Be curious and however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”  Stephen Hawking

In a world where you can be anything, be kind .

Offline gaffy

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Re: Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 30 July 14 15:20 BST (UK) »
Scollogstown was a minor placename within Rathmullan parish, like a small Clachan and set within Rathmullan Upper. It would not have been part of the historical administrative system.

Thanks scotmum, bowing out now.  :)

Offline Bellaanne

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Re: Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 31 July 14 03:39 BST (UK) »
I have more info on my Mcilmurray family sometimes spelled McElmurray.  It appears the name might have changed when they came to the US.

William McElmurray born Co. Down 1817' died Davenport, Iowa US 1859
Eliza McElmurray born Co. Down 1824.

Four of their eight children were born in Ireland, four in New York. 
James 1847 about
Eliza 1844
Ellen 1849
William 1850 about

It appears they came to the US in the early 1850's where the next four were born in New York.  They subsequently moved to Davenport, iowa.

Ellen McElmurray married John Turner and these two are my great grand parents.

I am only guessing that they might have beem involved in flax farming as I find that name connected to flax.  Have also seen reference to a McIlmurry buried in Saul Church cemetery.

I hope to visit your lovely country and hope the, at least, stand on the ground where they might have lived.  Again, any help will be greatly appreciated.  Hope I posted this in the right place.  Thank you.
Anabel Kuriger Flaherty


 

Online scotmum

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Re: Mcilmurray, Upper Rathmullan, County Down
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 31 July 14 10:29 BST (UK) »
So, this refers to Ellen:

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0195p/

and this, her sister Eliza:

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0195q/

and this, their parents Wiliam and Eliza:

http://iowawpagraves.org/index.php?last=MCELMURRAY&cid=82&lc=4



Having those full dates of birth for the daughters, if they are correct, would at least help to cross reference with birth records. Unfortunately, for timescale, those would be Church Records, and so it is dependant on the records, if any, surviving and you discovering which church the family were connected with.

Do you have any documents from the family's time in Iowa that mention Rathmullan? In your first post you say they 'lived and worked in Upper Rathmullan' - where have you sourced this info from?
"Trees without roots fall over!"
 
""People who never look backward to their ancestors will never look forward to posterity." - Edmund Burke

Don't just wait for the storm to pass, learn to dance in the rain.

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Be curious and however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.”  Stephen Hawking

In a world where you can be anything, be kind .