A challenge for anyone who loves to dig! (I have used rootsireland quite a bit in my search already, just to let you know)
I'm researching McLaughlins in Derry, trying to pinpoint the bio father for my gr-grandfather, who was born in a poorhouse in Scotland, father unnamed. I had my Dad's dna done, and the results indicate that the mystery man's surname is likely McLaughlin (or derivative thereof) and that he was likely Irish. Upon examining and analyzing the people who match my father's dna and who have trees posted, I have discovered a McLaughlin family that FOUR of his matches have on their trees. My problem is, I need to figure out which member of this McLaughlin family was the culprit!
All four of these dna matches to my Dad descend from children of Daniel McLaughlin (b abt 1835-1840 in Derry) and Elizabeth Cummins or Cummings (b 1844 Magilligan, Derry). The man I'm looking for would have had to have been an adult and in the area of Paisley/Glasgow Scotland in April of 1871, which was when my gr-grandfather was conceived. Meaning that Daniel, if he happened to be in Scotland, could have been him.
However, he could well have been a brother of Daniel or even a cousin. Problem is, I cannot identify Daniel's parents and do not know of any brothers. I did find a couple through rootsireland records named Patrick McLaughlin and Margaret MacHugh who had a son Daniel in Ballycarton, Magilligan in 1835 who could be his parents, but can't make the connection for certain. Daniel did die in 1877 in Ballycarton, Derry.
All of Daniel's children were born in either Ballycarton or Bellarena in Derry. However, there is one tantalizing tidbit. A Hannah McLaughlin was born in Kilbarchan, Renfr., Scotland in 1868 and her parents are Daniel McLaughlin and Elizabeth Cummins. The mother of my gr-grandfather lived in Renfrewshire at that time and through the birth of her child in 1872. The child Hannah would fit perfectly into the McLaughlin family, as they had their first child in 1866 and then children in 1870, 1872, 1874 and 1876... in other words every 2 years except for the "hole" where Hannah would fit.
Could Daniel and Elizabeth have had family in Scotland where they happened to be for whatever reason when their daughter Hannah was born?
There is one Daniel McLaughlin who I found who was a sailor on a ship that traveled between Ireland and the Scottish ports, but the record lists this Daniel as having been born in Antrim, so I don't think that would have been him. However, he was discharged, according to the record, in 1876, just a year prior to my Daniel's death, so..... ??
There are records of other Irish McLaughlin men who came to Scotland to work, either in the mills, the shipyards or as sugar laborers, who are of an age to have been the father too, but I cannot match any of these to the family of my Dad's dna matches, Daniel's family.
Any ideas on where I might go from here would be of help. I am bound and determined to find my gr-gr-grandfather McLaughlin! Luckily, there was a very good census in 1871 in the very month when he was conceived, but the McLaughlin man may not have been a resident and not counted at all. Interestingly, I cannot find the mother (Caroline Reid b. 1848) in that census at all, nor her one year old son whom she had at that time (elder brother to my gr-gr-grandfather).
Anyway, enough rambling and let me know if anyone thinks of any avenue of research I might take next!
Kat
