McGill Castle Carey Ballyrattan

[amanda t]

Can anybody help this four year search please?

I am searching the whereabouts of my grandmother Mary Ann McGill in 1902-1914.
She was born 1896 in Stockton Durham and "orphaned to her distant relatives who were nuns in Ireland" to a place she later recalled to my uncles as "Castle Carey" (spelling phonetic).
I have previously been following up leads in Tyrone and Antrim until I now find out that there was a school called Castle Carey in Ballyrattan Donegal. 

Does anybody have any information on this school please?

I understand the LDS have school lists and I hope to contact them when I return from holidays next week, in the meantime if anybody has leads on her or her father James McGill b about 1865 or her grandfather John McGill I would be absolutely delighted to hear from them!!! (I am assuming, until my next lead, that they were based in Donegal).

John McGill worked as a labourer in the coal mines, were there any in Donegal?

The sources I have on these lines are:
Mary McGill's birth and marriage certificates and 1901 census in Durham
James McGill's death certificate 1899 in Stockton Durham and 1891 Durham census.
James' brother Partick McGill's marriage certificate 1890 in Stockton Durham listing John McGill as the father. (James and Patrick were buried in same grave in the 1890s Stockton Durham)

I am awaiting possible birth certificates of James McGill in Antrim from Proni but I don't hold out much for these to be my James McGill.

Desperately seeking my McGills.
Best wishes
Amanda
(I will be back online next week)

[aghadowey]

1910 Ulster Towns Directory- Moville- Mrs. Esther Sproule, Superioress convent

www.movilleinishowen.com:
March 2005 Moville Housing Project at site of former convent (Main St.)
lovely old photos- Convent school, Convent infant school, St. Michael's Convent of Mercy. etc.

(convent built 1863 with schools for boys and girls)

[amanda t]

Thank you Aghadowey,
I have glanced at this website before, I must spend more time on it!
I haved also searched the 1911 census for Moville but no sign of any McGills.
Lots of blind alleys but I am not giving up!!!
Your help is appreciated.

I am away on holiday tomorrow (Monday). Hopefully there will be some good leads to come home to. I'll spend more time on the Moville website too.
Thanks
Amanda

[aghadowey]

Didn't notice any school lists in LDS catalog that you mentioned earlier.

Maybe by 1901 the McGills had moved away, daughtered out or died out.

[amanda t]

Hello again Adhadowey

I found a spreadsheet showing the National Schools Register for Ireland compiled by Terry Eakin (who I believe is a RootsChat guy) this lists the LDS film number for each school. I am assuming this refers to the pupils on the roll. In my case: Donegal Moville Upper, Ballyrattan Castlecary NS 1871-1925, film no 2356284 item nos 13-14.
Let's hope I'm right!

Amanda

[aghadowey]

Any of the Irish school registers I've seen give the following information: name, date of entry, either age or date of birth, residence (either townland or street if in a town), father's occupation (of father is dead sometimes says orphan), religion. There can also be name of school child transferred to and from if you are lucky. They do not list father by name or give place of birth.
Boys and girls are usually in separate books and might be separate books for infants roll so if you are looking on a microfilm check the whole roll for the school.
Good luck.

[amanda t]

Thanks for your advice Aghadowey. If I do find my grandmother (Mary Ann McGill) on the school list it will be a result itself. I know her parents names etc I just need to locate their parish/townland or even a county would be helpful! An entry alone would be a result!

I'll keep you informed of progress, if successful it might be worth posting the original spreadsheet if I can find it again.
Amanda

[amanda t]

Hello Aghadowey

Didn't notice any school lists in LDS catalog that you mentioned earlier.

Maybe by 1901 the McGills had moved away, daughtered out or died out.

Having returned from the London LDS I can confirm they do have films showing the registers of the National Schools, in some counties there are over 100 schools on the film. Alas I didn't find my grandmother's name on the Castlecary register but I was impressed with their clarity. This register simply named the children in the class and the dates they attended the school.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate the original electronic list of schools held by the LDS but I am sure their librarians would assist, they are extremely helpful.
Best wishes
Amanda

[aghadowey]

Have you tried searching library catalog on LDS website?