McCormack

[Michael99]

My GGGfather was Michael McCormack, born abt 1820 in Ireland, don't know where.  Married to Mary McDouall born in Ireland 1823.  Arrived in Aston Warwickshire abt 1845 with two children - Ann & Patrick.  There is slight evidence they came from Roscommon.  I really need some clues as to how to track them down!
Rgds

Michael

[aghadowey]

First you should follow all the family in each census to see if there's something besides Ireland for a birthplace. However, even with the county you won't be able to search for church records, etc. You do need to know both the family's religion and where they lived (parish of not actual townland not just the county).

[Michael99]

Well, thats my problem, isn't it?  They never gave a county in the English census returns.  They were Roman Catholics, like most Irish.  I can see them on every census in Aston and I have their baptismal records.  Amongst their friends, relatives and neighbours, the most common county that IS mentioned is Roscommon.  Plus my GGGmother Mary MacDouall has this:

"Mac Dowell (Mac Dugbghaill (dubh, black - gall, foreigner).  This is the Irish form of the name of the Scottish family of MacDugall which came from the Hebrides as Galloglasses, and settled in Co. Roscomon where Lismacdowell locates them.  It is now mainly found in north Ulster, largely due to more recent immigration.  Fm “The Surnames of Ireland” by Edward Maclysaght."

[aghadowey]

Not sure exactly what you mean by this:

Plus my GGGmother Mary MacDouall has this:
"Mac Dowell (Mac Dugbghaill (dubh, black - gall, foreigner).  This is the Irish form of the name of the Scottish family of MacDugall which came from the Hebrides as Galloglasses, and settled in Co. Roscomon where Lismacdowell locates them.  It is now mainly found in north Ulster, largely due to more recent immigration.  Fm “The Surnames of Ireland” by Edward Maclysaght."

McDowell, Madole, etc. is a surname found in many parts of Ulster and quite possibly other parts of Ireland.

[Michael99]

OK.  The way I see it, MacDowell is a Scots surname that settled in Roscommon and later spread to Ulster.  I have no reason to think that any of my lot came from Ulster and I have no idea of the timeline for the spread of the name.

My GGGF Michael has a potential sister-in-law whose maiden name was Grady.  One of his daughters married a Grady born in Roscommon.  I have no idea how clannish the Irish were when they arrived in an English slum.  However, some of their neighbours were also born in Roscommon.

I know its all a bit thin - but if I assume they came from Roscommon, what's the best way to research the parish registers for 1790-1845 in Roscommon?

[aghadowey]

There might very well be McDowells that settled in Roscommon but it doesn't mean that your family did so. With any sort of research you need to search from the known facts without skipping about making assumptions.
To search for church registers (if they exist- for the dates you are looking for they may not) in County Roscommon you need to know both their religion and where they lived (parish if not actual townland not just the county as I said before.

[Michael99]

Well, as I said, the known facts are rather thin on the ground