McCalliog - Keeldrum, Gortahork, Co. Donegal

[Oguhugo]

Hi,

I'm researching my grandmother's family whose surname varies a lot. I've seen it written as McCallig, McCallough, McCallion, McCallie, McCauley, and occasionally Campbell. She says it is pronounced in Irish like Mac Cah-weel (I don't know the proper spelling).

Her parents were Daniel McCalliog (b.1877) and Annie Rodgers (b.1893) who lived in Upper Keeldrum, Gortahork, Donegal. Their address was usually given as 'The Mines' as they lived near some old lead and silver mines.

Daniel's parents were James McCalliog and Angel who also lived in Upper Keeldrum. From the censuses, Angel was born 1842 in Donegal and James had died before 1901. They had 12 children total and 9 still living in 1911. One of them was Margaret (b.1874), who married a John Carrick. I've been told there were at least two women who moved to the USA.

I've been through the online parish records but been unable to find a marriage record so Angel's surname remains unknown. I thought Angel would be easy to track down as it doesn't seem to be a common name in Donegal at all (neither does Angela), but I've been proven wrong very quickly!

Angel was living next to a Denis McCallough in 1901 who seems a good fit to be James' brother. He was born in 1821 in Donegal and married a woman named Mary. I know he had at least two children - Jack who was an Estate-Bailiff and Catherine who married a Patrick O'Neill and moved to Tyrone.

My grandmother has had her DNA tested at Family Tree DNA and we are waiting on the results back from AncestryDNA. So far, no luck in identifying any new cousins. I'm hopeful that I'll convince one of her nephews to do a Y-DNA test for the McCalliog surname in the future.

I would be pleased to hear from anyone with a possible connection to this family or any additional information.


Hugo

[rathmore]

Angel McCullough widow and son mention on the donegal resources site.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal

upper keeldrum and gortahork come under Tullaghobegly.

Come down the page and click on Tullaghobegly

[joemc]

Hello,

I see some of civil births recorded on the family search site, surname spelt McCallie, going by these records Angel's maiden name may also have been McCallie (not unusual at the time)

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FG81-NJX

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGVH-LYF

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGJN-HZQ

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGJN-TZB

Looks like Bernard and Angel (jnr) may have been twins

Also see that Angel was summoned to the Petty sessions in 1911 for not dipping her sheep! It was recorded as a 'no appearance ' which doesn't surprise me given she was 79 years old!

See a possible death record for James registered at Dunfanaghy in 1889 aged 60

[Oguhugo]

Rathmore, do you mean in the census?

Thanks a lot Joe! I've seen those family search records before. At first I figured that they just hadn't written a maiden name down, but I agree it's possible that she was born a McCallie. It seems a bit odd as there weren't many in the area, though.

That's interesting about the petty sessions- I hadn't seen ones that recent online. I can't say I'm surprised as my grandmother told me about how it was her job to take the dogs up a hill every time an inspector came by!

I think I checked that James McCallig death record, but he was listed as single and living in a workhouse. So I thought that was unlikely to be him.

[gaffy]

An earlier Daniel (1864):

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRWB-W6X

I've seen the transcribed civil record (reg. Dunfanaghy), the address is Keeldrum and Angel's surname given as McCallig.

[rathmore]

yes it is from the census.

There was grandson living with Denis, John O'Neill aged 5 on the 1901 census.

There was a granddaughter  living with Angel, Annie Carrick age 1.

The donegal site might be able to help you.

[rathmore]

1911 census

Angel age 79, Daniel age 27 and Annie Carrick age 12 living at 11 Keeldrum upper

I don't think there was a census for 1921 because of the troubles.

Most Irish ages your have to take with a pinch of salt.

[Gortachoirce]

My dad who is now 76 grew up next door to Daniel McCallion and his wife Annie (nee Rodgers) in Keeldrum, Gortahork, Co Donegal. He was very young when they were alive.  Daniel and Annie had 5 of a family - 3 girls and 2 boys.  Angela who my dad believes was the eldest was killed by a motorbike in Glasgow on her way home from work. Angela had one son named.  Margaret (married name: Curran) - also known as Maggie Dan. Mary emmigrated to New Zealand around the 50s.  Edward also known as Ned Dan was married with no family.  Jimmy moved to Glasgow after leaving Keeldrum and then moved to England.  My dad says Jimmy had 2 girls and 3 boys.