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As a teenager I lived in 41 Moneybrannon Road, Aghadowey, Coleraine, NI.  Our house was one of two remaining of the Black Row as it was known, and a few wallsteads surrounding indicate that there were probably at least a couple more.  There was a strange hollow ring when you stepped on the concrete yard and someone suggested once we had a cellar - but that would have been only found in grand houses and this was a two up two down.  There was a brick feature arch around a window and we wondered if it was a carriage house, as a former resident had a great ghost story about a phantom horse that nuzzled the door beside it at midnight.  A relative also had an ancestor named Magee/McGee who was on census as in the house next to the old lady with the ghost story - I wonder if census collectors in 1901 and 1911 listed the houses in order of visitation, or of location.  If anyone who knows the history of these dwellings can supply info on the residents, etc we'd be most grateful.  In the seventies this was the property of landlord Adam Black, and we believe his farm at Keely House may have been in the possession of the Orr Family who connected also to Lizard Manor in the late 1800s.

I have an Ancestry substantial DNA match with a person originally from Giant's Causeway (Aird) North Antrim, on my paternal side.  Whilst I cannot say this is impossible it is unlikely and my match is adamant that it is wrong!  Paternal side lived in Shuttle Hill Coleraine in the late 1800s and as I think my married great uncle fathered a child to have this size of match possibly with a neighbour, a Mary Kane nee Martin in 1914.  I think she was Scottish, and her husband Alexander, a tailor was from a line of Kane/McKillip from Killowen (though those are Bushmills names I can find no connection).  Mrs Kane had a baby girl Annie Jane in a house at the Aird at the same time as an Aird girl had a daughter Winifred- she was Lizzie known as Stirling or McCollum.  Lizzie had several children which I believe her mother reared as her own, including this 1914 arrival. I think these babies were perhaps mixed up as this could explain the DNA match - Kane's baby stayed with Lizzie's mother?  Six months later we learn of the Kanes living in Belfast (quite a move for Killowen people) and Mary Kane dies at that point of TB. Alexander remarries and has two more children but Annie Jane born at Aird is not listed in their family per Wikitree (all else checks out including his profession as a tailor).   I would appreciate it if anyone can tell what became of Annie Jane or if anyone can help explain why what appears to be a dying, pregnant woman went to a house at the Aird to have her baby.  My DNA match who connects to the child Winifred who remained with McCollums/Purdys has no idea of these distressing twists - lives overseas.

Hi, I have a fair part done researching Scotts of Garvagh/Kilrea/Swatragh.  The branch i am working on now is the family of Charles Scott born 1866, who resided between Garvagh and Swatragh in the late 1900s.  Charles marrried twice, his first wife was McCullough with whom he raised a large family.  After her death he remarried to Eliz Smyth and they had a son John Smyth Scott 1909.  We do know the son William went to S Africa, Lewis and Hugh went abroad and returned. Others may have stayed overseas, or returned, we just don't know. We are told leaving date was circa 1920 and Hugh at least back within five or six years.  I am looking info on the marriages, if any and the burials of Charles junior, Archy (Archibold), Hugh and John Smyth Scott, I think I can account for the sisters who went to NZ and Lewis who appears with Archibold in 1937 as chief mourners at the Father Charles' funeral in Main Street Pres. Garvagh - I know ladies would not have been named as such in any case, and he was buried from Lewis' home near Stewartstown. We always knew hot weather made Charles senior ill and he had to come back to NI.   However Archibold if he was the only surviving or remaining in NI son except Lewis is elusive. Any info on the sons gratefully received.  Also interested in Scott of Moyletra who were cousins of these on some level.

DNA match of mine shows Purdy as being from around Giant's Causeway NIreland.  I find there are large clusters in Limavady-Coleraine north Londonderry as well.  Wonder if there was a migration across and all one family.   Possible contacts to McDonald, Irwin, Purcell, Londonderry county  all would be interesting to investigate as this could explain why this match contacted me thinking I was from the Causeway when I have no relatives there!  Our earliest common relative if DNA correct was  John Purdy born 1835 or thereabouts - he  was a fisherman at Causeway  as was his his son  John,  whose daughter born 1912 or so was Winifred. All info gathered from census and irishgeneaology.ie, but Winifred missing.

Am trying to trace my grandfather's ancestry.  He  (John Gordon) was born 20 June 1894 to Catherine (nee Simpson) and John Gordon.  The Simpson line is relatively straightforward - I assume her father Alexander Simpson married twice to Catherine and Ellen both McKinley as her youngest sister has a different mother's name - family from Newtowncrommelin Ballymena.  Anyone researching this family welcome to comment.

Real puzzle is on the Gordon side before 1890s - there is a shortage of Gordon surname north Antrim on most ancestry sites, but I find a John Gordon on the birth record for mother Hanna Wilson 20 March 1864 Topp (my recently deceased ancestors are from the Topp) whose mother may have been Jane Reid as she was child's grandmother and who I suspect is the Jane Reid died 1918.  No father listed  Some ancestry sites list child as John Gordon, some John Gordon Wilson. Hanna seems to have had a child with a father named Sweeny some years later and another in Ballymena without listing father in 1876. Any help appreciated.