McCombe Nodwell from Magherafelt

[emmag]

Any way I can find out whereabouts they lived on a map?

[Elwyn Soutter]

Ballydawley can be found on a map on the Griffiths Valuation site.  Confusingly, there’s Ballydawley also known as Crosspatrick and another townland just known as Ballydawley, immediately to the south of that one. Your McComb family lived in plain Ballydawley.

The Valuation revision records tell me that Alex had plots 18 & 19 which combined came to about an acre. So fairly basic. However he did own it outright. It wasn’t leased. He appears to have acquired that around 1901, going by the date in the revision records. That property today, if it'd still standing, is up a dead end lane off the Ruskey Rd, near its junction with the Springhill Rd. Alex's name remains against the property up to 1929 when those records stop.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch

I see from his marriage to Mary Burnside that Alex was living in Ruskey in 1895.

[emmag]

Thankyou so much this is very helpful. I am confused as on the census it has Alex's spouse as Ellen Dunn? Would this be incorrect. Also if Robert Hamilton McCombs middle name is Hamilton would that be Northern Ireland patranomics?

Kind regards

And thankyou

[emmag]

Wondering how I can find more out about the family?

[Elwyn Soutter]

Samuel McCombs was born 13.4.1896 in Tamlaght. Mother was Minnie Burnside. (Minnie is a diminutive for Mary). Emma Jane was born 3.6.1898 in Ballydawley, Mother Mary Burnside. Mary Burnside died 24.6.1898 aged 22, of consumption. It was only 21 days after giving birth so presumably that left her too weak to recover.

Robert Hamilton was born 22.10.1900 at Ballydawley. Mother was Ellen McCombs formerly Dunn. Alex & Ellen were married in Tamlaght parish church on 7.11.1899. He was a widower.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1899/10397/5785660.pdf

Alex was a widower by 1911 but I can’t see Ellen’s death anywhere in Ireland.

Re Robert Hamilton McComb, it’s not a patronymic system. It could be a forename or it could be someone else’s surname. I don’t know. Sometimes a middle name can be the mother’s maiden name (though not in this case obviously). Sometimes the name of a respected person in the area eg the Minister or the schoolteacher.  However Hamilton is a common enough forename in Ireland. There were 1030 people with it as their primary forename in the 1901 census. It could just be that.

[emmag]

Wow Elwyn , this is amazing thank you so much. Just looked on Marriage and Ellen's dad is Hamilton!

[emmag]

Hi Elwyn

Just wondering, do you think the family would have been in the area since Plantation times? And is there any way I can find out more about the family. You have been a font of information. Thankyou so much.

[Elwyn Soutter]

I looked in the Muster Rolls for Co Derry (c 1630) and I don’t see either McComb or Burnside listed. That suggests they arrived after that time.

Burnside is a Scottish name and  McComb is generally only found in the counties of Ulster. It too appears to be Scottish in origins.

https://www.johngrenham.com/surnames/

There were several waves of settlers from Scotland in the 1600s. Some came 1610 onwards as part of the Plantation; others arrived in the 1640s when General Monro’s 10,000 strong Scottish army disbanded in Carrickfergus and many decided to stay. Another big wave arrived in the 1690s due to famine in Scotland.  By the 1720s, the Scots were starting to leave Ireland, and so I’d say your families probably arrived in Ireland sometime in the 1600s, though not necessarily as part of the original plantation.

[emmag]

Hi Elwyn. 

Just a couple of questions. Can I ask if Alexander is also buried at Tamlagh Parish Church. Also if Robert Hamilton McCombs second wife Mary J’s marriage is regist red and which church did they marry at, I understand she was Catholic. Furthermore I understand Robert also had a daughter called Winifred, do you know when she was as born?

Thankyou so much ch for all your help.