Kilrea - Richard McCotter

[peter55]

good detective work -thats me!!
ive no immediate plans to visit but when id  ilook fwd to meeting you!!
cheers
peter

[akanex2]

A daughter of Richard and Margaret McCotter married James Church of the Grove, between Kilrea and Garvagh, and died in Farmersville, Texas on 29 January 1918.  I found her death certificate on the LDS pilot record search site under the first name "Nannie" but have no idea what her "real" name was.  Her death certificate gives her parents' names and her date of birth as October 1854.

James was the younger son of Stephen Church of Grove House, close to Moyletra Church, who was murdered on Boxing Day 1874.  In the RW Patterson book "Garvagh - A Town and Two Parishes" the author records local gossip that James was in fact the perpetrator, but no prosecution was ever brought.  Patterson points out none of the official papers point to any offical suspicion falling on the young man.  Following Stephen's death his widow, daughter and younger son emigrated to Texas to join the elder son who had already left Ireland before his father's murder.

As I have not come across the marriage locally, I assume Miss McCotter must have gone out with the family and married in America.  James is a distant relative of mine and I was hoping someone could tell me his wife's name.

I also remember McCotter's bicycle shop in Kilrea in the 1970s - I'm pretty sure it was on Maghera Street.

[aghadowey]

1900 census also on LDS Pilot site gives James Church's wife as Winnie (and it does look like it could be Winnie in census) but looks like Nannie on death registration.

Wonder if McCottter's bicycle shop in Kilrea moved? Have picture taken c1951 and I think it was The Diamond.

[Cat_Kilrea]

Nancy McCotter (17 October 1852) married James Church on 14 June 1882. She was the third child of Richard & Margaret (nee Shaw) McCotter. I have the dates from the family bible - I'm fairly sure the 1852 is correct - earlier in this post Aghadowey notes records of her Christening - is the 1854 you have on the death certificate handwritten?

That is an incredibly interesting story! I have it written down that James Church died in 1918 but I'm not sure where I got that from. Do you know if they had children in Texas?

Nancy's sister Emily also emigrated to Farmersville, Texas. I'm not sure if she followed Nancy out or perhaps even came with her. She was a lot younger, born in 1870 and married in 1896 so likely that she followed. Great to know where the Texas location comes from!

As far as I know there was more than one McCotter family in the area - the distinction is relatively easy to follow as the other McCotters would all have been of Catholic religion. I have been told the bicycle shop belonged to them but I could be wrong.

[TF13]

hi,

there is a will,presumably in proni, for a stephen church died 26-dec-1874 county londonderry. his residence is given as moyleteraghtoy,probate was granted in 1875. i cant get on the proni search page to check this but it looks like the one akanex2 mentioned.

tony

[TF13]

i just got on to proni will search page. the probate was given on 2-2-1875 to elizabeth church of moyleteraghtoy(garvagh) the widow. effects were under £100.

tony

[akanex2]

James Church and Nancy McCotter had 4 children per 1900 census:-
Elizabeth E Church b Feb 1883
Mary Burnett Church b 8 Jun 1885
Carrie Church b 8 Dec 1889
Warren G Church b Jan 1891

Although LDS transcribe the mother's name as Winnie, the image could easily be read "Nannie".
Carrie and Mary died unmarried in Farmersville Texas in 1992 and 1969 respectively and the LDS site also has death certificates for them.

James and Nancy's grandaughter, Mrs BT Franks of Gainsville, Texas, wrote to the Coleraine Chronicle in 1969 seeking information on her descendants.  She give James' birth date as 8 Jun 1850. 

The will in PRONI is that of the murdered man - The Grove is in the townland of Moyletratoy, parish of Desertoghil.  His widow, Elizabeth, died on 31 Jan 1878 and is buried in Pecan Grove Cemetery, McKinney, Texas.

[jimi mckay]

Hi, I came across your posting for;

Kilrea Church of Ireland:
16 Jan.1849 Robert McCay? married Sarah Jane McCay of Lislea- witness Richard McCotter.

I believe Robert and Sarah McCay are my great great great grandparents. Do you have any further information on them?

kind regards
Jim
New Zealand

[BruceCC]

Hello,

    Just saw your posts (questions) regarding "Nannie McCotter" (and others). I live in Texas (not too far from Farmersville), and Nannie McCotter was my great great aunt. Stephen Church (of the Grove) was my great great grandfather. My grandfather's name was Warren Church. My mother's name is Nannette (maiden name Church), and was named after Nannie McCotter. My mother is now 87 and knows quite a lot about the Church and McCotter families -- and Thomas (the lone boy) and a lot about the sisters that settled in America. My brother has a large portrait of Stephen Church in his house. My mother knows a lot about what happened to those who immigrated to America and settled in Farmersville. I wish I could speak with you in person, but I have printed out this entire thread and will give it to my mother and post the details she gives me.

Apparently, I have living relatives not only in Ireland (which I already knew -- but did not know who they were) but also in Australia and New Zealand. I just happened upon this thread by googling "Stephen Church, the Grove."