Author Topic: Gurney/McCay  (Read 2508 times)

Offline smicker59

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Gurney/McCay
« on: Sunday 18 September 16 10:13 BST (UK) »
Im looking for anything on Paul Gurney and Sarah McCay from around Lower Cumber .... they had a child Martha dob 14/01/1807 who later married a Bernard Carten in 1833 but no info at all about her parents except their names x

Offline scotmum

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Re: Gurney/McCay
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 28 January 17 22:16 GMT (UK) »
If it was yourself who posted on Belfast Forum previously, then it was suggested that you consider the Paul Gurney in Mullabuoy/Mullaboy townland in 1831. The townland was within Lower Cumber parish.

Having looked at the entry, I see that including Paul, there were a total of 2 males and 2 females in the house, no servants. A William Gurney was in another house in the same townland, with himself and one female noted.

This sounds a strong possibility for your Paul, given Martha married 2 years later.

Both Paul's household and William's were members of the established church.
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Offline scotmum

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Re: Gurney/McCay
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 28 January 17 22:26 GMT (UK) »
I wonder if the Sarah Curvey indexed in nearby Slaghtmanus townland during the Griffiths Valuation, might actually have been Sarah Gurney:

http://www.failteromhat.com/griffiths/derry/cumberlower.php
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Offline scotmum

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Re: Gurney/McCay
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 28 January 17 22:41 GMT (UK) »
A Hugh Gurney and Isabella Cannon (indexed as Canning in one of their children's records) also married in Lower Cumber in 1825. Possibly the same Hugh found in Ervey townland in 1831. Might be worth looking further into this couple too.

There is a birth entry in Lower Cumber for a Hugh, son of a Ford and Margaret Gurney, that might be the same chap as the marriage above.

This old post may be of interest:

http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/gurney/402/

especially

Quote
My father understood that, originally, (1)the family went to Ireland from Cornwall and (2)they were Quakers (they are listed in Church of Ireland records).
"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 scotmum

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Re: Gurney/McCay
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 28 January 17 23:13 GMT (UK) »
This old rootschat post may also be of interest:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=524775.0
"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 smicker59

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Re: Gurney/McCay
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 28 January 17 23:18 GMT (UK) »
Thank you scotmum. It's all still a muddle to me. Hugh is very much everywhere I look so not sure of the connection. Paul and Sarah I can find nothing at all except there names on my G Grandmothers birth  I'll try to follow ur suggestions. Thank you very much x

Offline scotmum

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Re: Gurney/McCay
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 28 January 17 23:31 GMT (UK) »
As the Paul in Mullaboy may also have had a son (as 2 males recorded in household in 1831), you could try a search in Scotland on off-chance he, if correct family and therefore a sibling of your Martha, also ended up in Scotland.

Certainly, in one of my own lines from the same parish, I discovered that whilst 2 brothers emigrated to America, a sister and her husband migrated to Scotland and settled in same town as my ancestor and her husband, who had migrated there a few years earlier.
"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 smicker59

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Re: Gurney/McCay
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 29 January 17 08:26 GMT (UK) »
It's all so confusing at times. My Martha we thought only a sister so I wonder if Hugh is a factor here. I wish I cud tie him in lol x

Offline scotmum

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Re: Gurney/McCay
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 29 January 17 09:05 GMT (UK) »
Unfortunately, the 1831 only listed one name from household and then total numbers of male/female/servants, so at best is only an indication of possibilities. For example, the other male could have been an adult sibling of Paul, an unrelated boarder etc. 

Purely based on the not overly common surname in the timescale/area and there being others in the same parish, it is possible there were 'cousin' relationships around. I think it is more likely this is where Hugh would fit in. That is to say, possibly as a cousin to Martha, albeit there may have been no connection at all.

I would definitely try to pursue the other Gurney, ie William, who was in the same townland as a Paul in 1831, as judging by property numbers, they seemed to live near each other. Overall numbers of any surname in the townland were small, so I would think there was a high chance of a family connection between the two Gurneys.

Yes, it can at times be frustrating and/or confusing and often it is unfortunately impossible, in part due to lack of records in some areas, to ever make complete sense of a particular family group or their extended family, but it is always worthwhile extending searches out to 'nearby possibles', as sometimes they can ultimately provide a clue or missing link or if nothing else, perhaps even be eliminated entirely.
"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 .