witherow /wray families from Dungiven or Straidarran county Londonderry

[Alison Garstin]

I have been researching into the life of my great uncle Thomas Fulton Mccay who died in ww1 at age 22 years . He stayed whilst at school with cousins in Derry -relatives of Mrs Jane WRay from Drum in Dungiven. I,m trying to establish the family connection and need help. Alexander and John Thomas Witherow were friends of my uncle and nephews of Jane Wray. They too were killed in ww1 and originally were from Straidarran near Claudy.The Witherows were related to Alexander Hunter Witherow [son of Rev William Witherow who lived in Belfast]

[aghadowey]

I read your post last night and again now but I'm still not quite sure what you are asking for help with.

Are you trying to make a connection between your great uncle Thomas Fulton McCay and Jane Wray? or between Jane Wray and the Witherows? or something else?

David Wray married (12 Aug.1886 Derry district) Jane Witherow.

Alexander Witherow married (17 Dec.1889 Limavady district) Margaret Quigley. They had a son Alexander Hunter Witherow as well as other children.

Let us know what you need help with and well do our best to find information or suggest where to search next.

[Alison Garstin]

Thanks Aghadowey I think you have answered my question.I think Margaret Quigley was related to my great grandmother Martha Quigleywho married william McCay.Possibly sisters.This would mean that Margaret Witherow's children would be cousins of Thomas McCay but that Jane Wray would only be  a cousin in law??Jane Wray being a sister of Alexander Witherow.My great uncle Thomas was also a good friend and cousin of Alexander Witherow (son of Margaret and Alexander).He also died in ww1.Thanks again

[aghadowey]

Glad that was easy to sort out. Just in case you want to look further... (note: places for vital records are registration districts):

___ Witherow m. Mary Jane (c1814-Apr/June 1904 Limavady)
1.   Alexander Witherow (c1845) m. Margaret Quigley
2.   Rev. William Witherow (c1849), Belfast, m. Margaret Hastings
3.   Mary Witherow (c1852-aft.1901)
4.   Jane Witherow (c1857-1927) m. David Wray

Alexander Witherow (c1845), farmer, m.(17 Dec.1889 Limavady) Margaret Quigley (c1869-13 Mar.1930)
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Foreglen/Kilculmagrandel/1525069
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Fore_Glen/Kilculmagrandal/596173
Witherow Margaret of Ballindreen county Londonderry widow died 13 March 1930 Administration Londonderry 11 June to William Hunter Witherow farmer. Effects £617 12s. 10d.
1.   William Hunter Witherow (8 Dec.1891 Limavady-25 Dec.1952) m. May
     ? Witherow William Hunter of Ballindreen Coleraine county Londonderry farmer died 25 December 1952 Administration Belfast 13 February to May Witherow the widow. Effects £2798 14s. 2d.
2.   (John) Thomas Witherow (7 Feb.1893 Limavady)
3.   Alexander Hunter Witherow (21 Oct.1894 Limavady)
4.   Margaret Fulton Witherow (29 May 1896 Limavady)
5.   Mary Jane Witherow (9 Feb.1899 Limavady, mother- Cusley)
6.   Violet Martha Witherow (18 Sept.1900 Limavady-Apr/June 1902 Limavady)
       Birth: Violet Martha, death: Violet May

Rev. William Witherow (c1849-aft.1911) m.(12 Jan.1888 Limavady) Margaret Hastings (c1860 Co.Donegal-aft.1911)
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Pottinger__part_of_/Kirkliston_Drive/228673
1.   Margaret Witherow (16 Jan.1889 Belfast)
2.   Rev. Thomas Hastings Witherow (7 Sept.1890 Belfast-1 Sept.1989) m.(1948) Olive Wilson
     http://www.markethillpresbyterian.co.uk/history_3b.htm
     Rev. Thomas Hastings Witherow B.A. The son of the Rev. William and Mrs Witherow. His father was successively minister of First Donaghadee, First Killyleagh and Westbourne Belfast. He was educated at Campbell College 1902, Academical Institution Belfast 1909, graduated Queens University 1912, Magee College 1914, and became a student for the ministry under the care of the Belfast Presbytery. On outbreak of War in 1914, he received a Commission in The Ulster Division, and until May 1918 served with that Division during the hard fighting. Before Armistice in 1918, he was given a permanent Commission in the Indian Army and took part, with his regiment, in the fighting against the Bolshevists in Russian Turkestan in 1919. In 1920 he was engaged on active service in connection with the Afghan War and received the Afghanistan Medal in 1920, he also served in Persia and on the North-West Frontier of India. In January 1923, he resigned his Commission and was placed on the retired list, being permitted to retain his rank of Captain. Having resumed his studies, he was licensed by Belfast Presbytery on 16th May 1923 and became assistant minister in First Derry the same year. He  was ordained as minister of the congregation on 3rd. February 1926. In 1948, Mr Witherow married Miss Olive Wilson B.A., in St. John’s, Malone, Belfast. In 1963, he was Moderator of the Synod of Armagh and Down. He retired from active ministry on 30th April 1963 and went to reside in Bangor and in the late 1970’s moved to Newcastle. He died on 1st September 1989, in his 99th year.
3.   William Witherow (11 Aug.1893 Belfast)
4.   Mary Witherow (15 Sept.1894 Belfast)
5.   Maude Ramsay Witherow (22 Oct.1895 Belfast)
6.   Alexander H. Witherow (17 Apr.1898 Belfast)
7.   (Frances) Irene Witherow (7 Oct.1902 Belfast)


continued...

[aghadowey]

Jane Witherow (c1857-19 Feb.1927) m.(12 Aug,1886 Derry) David Wray (c1845-7 May 1906), farmer
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Drum/Drum/1523855
Administration of the estate of David Wray late of Drum County Londonderry Farmer who died 7 May 1906 granted at Londonderry to Jane J. Wray the Widow. Effects £380 9s. 10d.
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Londonderry_Urban__4_/Westland_Avenue/604379
Wray Jane Jamison of The Manse Somerset Road Douglas I.O.M. widow died 19 February 1927 Administration (limited) Belfast 29 July to William J.G. Seeds solicitor. Effects £5 11s. 6d.
1.   David W. Wray (13 Dec.1888 Limavady)
2.   Rev. Alexander Hunter Wray (15 Nov.1890 Limavady) m.(1928) Hannah Louise Cummins.
Donaghmore Presbyterian Church, 8/8/1928 - Alexander Hunter Wray - Full - Bachelor - Pres. Clergyman - Ile of Man, Douglas - David Wray - Farmer - to - Hannah Louise Cummins - Full - Spinster - Ringclare - William Cummins - Farmer. R. J. Porter - Thomas Hastings Witherow & Evelyn Cummins.
http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/pb1925/text.htm (published 1925)
The Rev. A. Hunter Wray is a native of Londonderry. During boyhood he lost by death his father, who was Clerk of Session of the Dungiven Presbyterian Church. He was educated at Foyle College, Derry, the Macrae. Magee College, and Trinity College,. Dublin. He took his Divinity course in Macrae-Magee College. He was a most successful student, gaining the following distinctions: the Houston Scholarship, the Kyle Bigger Scholarship, the John Knox Scholarship in advanced Hebrew and New Testament Greek. He also gained "firsts" in Junior Hebrew, Senior Hebrew, New Testament Greek, Theory of Music, Elocution, Scripture Reading, etc.
In 1919 he took the M.A. degree of Trinity College, Dublin.
Mr. Wray is an athlete of no mean order. He represented his school in the Ulster Schools Cup competition (Rugby) and later captained his college Rugby Club. He had also the honour of captaining his college Hockey Club team. He represented both the college and the city of Derry in lawn tennis.
Mr. Wray belongs to a patriotic family. His four brothers served in the army during the Great War, namely-the late Capt. D. W. Wray, died on active service, Lieut. W. L. Wray (Seaforth Highlanders), E. J. Wray (Canadian Mounted Rifles), and Lieut. H. H. Wray (East Lancashire Regiment).
In 1916 Mr. Wray was licensed by the Derry Presbytery, and after that, he did a good deal of work in connection with three churches -first in Ray, Co. Donegal, then as assistant to his uncle, the Rev. Wm. Witherow of Westbourne Presbyterian Church,Belfast, and later in the Banbridge Road Church, Dromore. During his college days he went out to the far North-West of Canada and did Home Mission work for the Canadian Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Wray's first charge was at Rostrevor, a picturesque spot in Co. Down, where he was ordained and inducted in 1919. ...
3.   Edward John Wray (28 June 1891 Limavady)
4.   William Long Wray (2 Mar.1893 Limavady)
5.   Kathleen Mary Wray (10 Nov.1894 Limavady) m.(July/Sept.1919 Limavady)
6.   Herbert Hans Wray (16 Dec.1896 Limavady)
7.   Alfred Wodrow (Witherow?) Wray (12 Apr.1899 Limavady)

There's also a long Wtherow thread here which you may not have seen:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=443923.0

[Alison Garstin]

Wow! That's a lot of information !some I have by tediously trawling censuses .Or is it censi?However you have filled in some gaps to the whole story.Thanks again for your help.Might be getting back to you.Next I need to look at the Quigley family(my great grandmother Martha).

[aghadowey]

That was just a brief outline but glad that it's of some help to you at the moment.

[staceywitherow]

i have came across photos of both john thomas and alexander if this is any use to you

[Witherow]

Hi Alison
Not sure if you are still working on this as I see you haven't posted since 2014 but I have quite a bit of information and a few photographs of the Witherow & Wray Families including details of John Thomas' and William Hunter's sister Margarets work in WW1 if you PM me I might be able to help you out.

Witherow