McGahey

[MarieMcDaid]

Hi folks

My great great grandfather was Peter McGahey.  His wife was Mary Friel and they had 3 children - Mary B 1875 or 1873 (my gr grandmother), Margaret (B 1878) & Peter.  They were living in Ture, Donegal which is just outside Derry in 1878.  Mary Friel died c.1900 & Peter snr died 1916.  Their children died:

Mary d c. 1927
Margaret d 1965
Peter

Peter jr has been a mystery to date.  Apparently he went to Scotland as a young man and died there not long after arriving.  I have however been unable to get any information on him.  So far I have not even found his birth cert so am unsure as to where he was born.

Peter snr has also proven to be an enigma as I have no idea who his parents were or indeed where he originated from as the McGahey name is not a popular one in the area.

Does the above ring any bells with anyone?

Thanks
Marie

[aghadowey]

Here's the family in 1901-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Three_Trees/Aught/1190278

Margaret born 29 Jan.1878 according to extracted birth at www.familysearch.org. Can't see the other children but suspect the problem in the spelling of the surname.

The same site has an interesting SCOTTISH birth which may be a red herring-
Peter Mcgeachie, born 4 May 1872 Greenock, parents- Peter Mcgeachie & Mary Friel.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQTL-126

[aghadowey]

Daughter Margaret's baptism listed here (scroll down page)- have you tried for church records?
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donegal/iskmc.htm

See that Peter has been mis-transcribed as McGaley in 1911-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Donegal/Three_Trees/Aught/500185

[MarieMcDaid]

Hi

Just now seeing your reply to my previous post.  Very interesting record in Scotland.  Defnitely worth checking out which I will do asap.  Yes have seen the baptism for Margaret and also the incorrect spelling in the census.

Will let you know how it goes.

Thanks
Marie

[MarieMcDaid]

Hi Aghadowey

I checked out the McGeachie record you mentioned in your previous email.  Looked promising but stated the parents were married in Belfast in 1862.

I have since found my great grandmother Mary McGahey birth record (1875) in Greenock Scotland (listed on birth cert as McGaughran) with parents Peter McGaughran & Mary Friel with their marriage in Iskaheen Donegal in November 1861.  This looks like the correct person as the Iskaheen address would fit.  Unfortunately Iskaheen does not have marriage records going back to 1861.

I didn't expect this couple to have married in the 1860's and never expected to find any records for them in Scotland.  Mary's birth is listed as Donegal in the 1901 & 1911 census.  I have not however found any further records of any additional family.  I think its surprising that if they married in 1861 they did not have any family until 1875!!!

Does anyone out there have any experience with records for Greenock?  I am still trying to find a brith and death record for their son Peter and if they had any additional family that I do not know about.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Marie

[Roisin Garlick]

Hi
My name is Roisin I don't know if we are talking about the same people but my great grandfather is Peter McGahen, but looking back on some documents they had also spelt it McGahey.  We found them living in Belfast city center on Wilson's court in 1910 census.
Peter McGahey was my great great grandfather his son Peter is my great grandfather, he married in Belfast to Mary Dawson and died in Belfast on 1947, one of his sons Joseph McGahen is my grandfather who's son is Michael McGahen my dad who lives in Ardoyne, Belfast.  My dad has 3 sisters Hannah, Eileen and May and 1 brother John, who all live in Belfast.  Unfortunately my granda Joseph died in 1989 when I was 13yrs and my granny died in 2014 with 5 kids, 17 grandkids and 18 great grandkids with a few more added on since then.
One of Peter's sisters Margaret married a soldier in Belfast and emigrated to America in the 1920's.  I just found and got contact with her grand children within the last 5 years they live in LA, California.

[rathmore]

donegal resources

http://www.donegalgenealogy.com (as given above)

Ture comes under Muff

[aghadowey]

Unfortunately Iskaheen does not have marriage records going back to 1861.
LDS have microfilmed Iskaheen marriages 1858-1921. The microfilm ordering service now discontinued but records may become available digitally.
https://www.johngrenham.com/records/rc_church.php?churchid=0370&parish=Iskaheen

I think its surprising that if they married in 1861 they did not have any family until 1875!!!
I asked back in 2012 if you'd checked church records- they are now available online.
http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0370

Peter McGahey died 1916-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1916/05237/4450639.pdf

[aghadowey]

Peter McGahen & Mary Josephine Dawson m.1913 Belfast- father listed as Peter-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1914/09854/5578712.pdf

Peter McGahan born 1881 Belfast- parents Peter (oyster dealer) & Hannah (maiden name Mullan)-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1881/02808/2030429.pdf

Peter McGahey, age 29, born Belfast, son of John in 1911-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/St__Anne_s_Ward/Wilson_s_Court/134046