Is McCaa a name?

[Harlem]

Hello

I have a Margaret Anne McCaa listed as the mother's maiden name of James Douglas, baptised 10 May 1835 in St Anne's Shankill. His father was John Douglas.

Is McCaa a name? Could it be a transcription error? Might it be McCall, McKay or something else?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Harlem's wife.

[aghadowey]

IGI lists lots of McCaas in Ireland (some submitted records) but it could be the spelling from old records such as church registers. McCaw is an alternative spelling.

[TheWhuttle]

Lots of mentions of McCaa at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ...

[Christopher]

ifhf.brsgenealogy.com contains three birth records and one marriage record for McCaa. There are no records for the Census, Deaths or Griffith's Valuation for Ireland. 

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Must be many variant spelling of another surname, the Oxford Names Companion inseveral editions but in the 2001 gives no entry but several variants under McKay, eg McGhie etc

There are no McCaa's in the registry for Belfast Clifton St cemetery

In the new www.familysearch com  pilot project for BMDs etc for Ireland just one
Name: John McCaa
Registration district: Newtownards
Record type: MARRIAGES
Registration date - quarter and year: 1849
Film number: 101242
Volume: 9
Page: 16
Digital GS number: 4195888
Image number: 00420
Collection: Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958

on www.nifhs.org/ there are 4 entries which boil down to 2 at Garvaghy via www.angelfire.com/falcon/bannvalley/ Garvaghy and 2 at www.billmacafee.com/1740returns/1740religiousreturnsnames.htm  at

At PRONI’s new eCatalogue there are 3 entries unchecked if relevant
At the freeholders database at www.proni.gov.uk/
Result 1  McCaa  John  Carnlough  D/1364/L/1   
Result 2  McCaa  Michael  Ballywilliam  D/654/A3/1B   
Result 3  McCaa  Samuel  Ballywilliam  D/654/A3/1B   
Result 4  McCaa  Hugh  Carrickmannon 
nil at the Ulster Covenant database at PRONI
nil at the Wills database at PRONI

Over in England etc from www.freebmd.org.uk
about 10 McCaa  Births are recorded from 1899 onwards
about 7 McCaa  Marriages are recorded from 1846 onwards
about 7 McCaa  Deaths are recorded from 1846 onwards

One of the variant spellings used is McCahey, but my ulster ear thinks its much more like McKay,  but best to me is McGhie or McKie, all of which are getting close to Mackie depending how you say it. I dont think its McKee.

Scotlandspeople.gov.uk seems a good starting point as advocated by TheWhuttle,
have you exhausted St Annes Cathedral records?
Good luck, Jim

[aghadowey]

on www.nifhs.org/ there are 4 entries which boil down to 2 at Garvaghy via www.angelfire.com/falcon/bannvalley/ Garvaghy and 2 at www.billmacafee.com/1740returns/1740religiousreturnsnames.htm  at

Just a correction: it is GARVAGH (in Errigal Parish, Co. Londonderry) not Garvaghy.

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Hi Harlems wife and Aghadowey, OOps sorry about the y.
Going back to the start James Douglas, baptised 10 May 1835 in St Anne's Shankill. His father was John Douglas.

Is this the previous church in Belfast to the cathedral?   St Annes Church. Its not by chance somewhere else in Shankill civil parish.
 
PRONI and the Cathedral website dont seem to detail the records for St Marys, Proni does have a microfilm but what is on it ?perhaps I should have looked up Dublin Hdqs.

Going back to familysearch.com there are other St Annes and Douglas entries eg ALEXDR DOUGLASS
Christening:  28 MAY 1809   St Annes, Belfast, Antrim, Ireland
Christening:  03 JAN 1813   St Annes, Belfast, Antrim, Ireland
Parents:
  Father:  ALEXDR DOUGLASS  Family
  Mother:  BELL
 
In case you dont know there are possible manuscript family trees that might be relevant  eg DOUGLAS volume16p60, volume 52 connected to Belfast and also thew other spelling DOUGLASS in volume 49 in the Blackwood Family history manuscript trees in the LinenHall library, Belfast.  I suggest you vist if at all possible, ask them for photocopying estimates if they think your knowledge relevant and you should be prepared to pay a fee for copying, post and packing, and perhaps some staff time and overheads. However if the material is really relevant when you get it, I suggest a further donation to this unique library that is always needing extra funds . Linen Hall Library,17 Donegall Square North, Belfast BT15GB, Northern Ireland, Telephone: +44 (0)28 9032 1707,  Fax: +44 (0)28 9043 8586, Email: <irish.reference[at]linenhall.com>.replace the [AT] with the symbol please
 
Wishing you luck, Jim

[Harlem]

Thank you all for your responses to my query.

I am now sure that McCaa is a name and I apologise to Margaret Anne and all other McCaas for thinking it might not be.

From my research via Genuki and various other history sites I believe that the Parish Church of St Anne in Shankill subsequently became the cathedral. Local people may correct me here.

As to the spelling of Douglas/s - my family have both. We were always Douglas, but my great grandfather was Douglass, although he couldn't write his name, so I think the spelling is arbitrary and depends on the official doing the writing. Alexander is a family name, so it's possible he is James' uncle, I think. However, I understand it is not possible just to look through the Parish Records, as one might in England, to find siblings and other family members. You have to know what you are looking for. Is that right?

I have been doing my research on www.ancestryireland.com, and see there are few hits in St Anne's before James' birth in 1835. So I am not sure where to go to find that marriage. There was one hit in Scotlandspeople, but it was McKay, not McCaa, and I didn't pay the money - maybe I should . .

It seems a holiday in Belfast might be in order . .

After all this, James emigrated, first to Glasgow, and then to St. Helens in Lancashire. I cannot find the family in 1881 though, and am wondering if they returned to Ireland. They were back in St Helens in 1891, though. Interesting to me was the fact that there was no family memory at all of an Irish connection. Everyone has always believed the Douglases were Scottish.

Thank you for your thoughts. Any others would be welcome.

Harlemswife

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Have you seen the original entry for Margaret Anne McC.. or are you reading somebody's transcription.  The McCaa could have been misread or mispelt or the pen 's ink ran out.  The reason I was so keen on St Anne's records was picking up any syblings births that might spell her name differently. Proni have a microfilm, but consultation only at the premise, suppose LDS saints have a copy, are you near a big Mormon church?. Also someone then has the original.  For example my speculation would be taken from family search
ISABELLA DOUGLASS  Christening:  17 MAY 1839   St Annes, Belfast, Antrim, Ireland
Parents:
  Father:  JOHN DOUGLASS  Family
  Mother:  MARGARET CRAWFORD 
Dont speculate the experts will tell you. I do so as to be aware of posssibilities.  Over to you, Jim