Hello
Interested in the Boyces of Ballydugan. John Boyce (1815-1897), son of John Boyce and Mary McCormick, was my Gt Gt Grandfather. He married Sarah Ann Forsyth (1820-1902) from Dromore, Co Down in Gilford, Co Down on 18th Nov 1844.
John and Sarah moved to Ayrshire, Scotland and lived their lives there in Girvan, Troon, Saltcoats and Ardrossan, having 11 known children along the way between 1843 and 1862. Among them was my Gt Grandmother, Mary Boyce (1846-1915), who married James Welsh in Glasgow in 1877.
A poor relief application made late in life by John Boyce indicates he was from the parish of Ballydongan, Co Down, Ireland. However, as far as I can determine, there is no place called Ballydongan in Co Down or elsewhere in Ireland for that matter.
If you look closely at the poor relief application, which would have been written by the assessor in Ardrossan, I believe it could either say Ballydongan or Ballydougan?
There seem to be a couple of Ballydugans in Co Down! i understand that locally it was pronounced Ballydougan or Ballydoogan which would explain why the assessor noted it as such.
One Ballydugan lies on the border between Cos Down and Armagh. It lies between Lurgan and Gilford, which would make John and Sarah’s marriage place plausible.
Note Dromore, Co Down (Sarah Ann Forsyth’s said birth place) is not very far either.
Ballydugan is also a townland lying SW of Downpatrick and the road between Downpatrick and Clough is actually called the Ballydugan Rd.
Be pleased if anyone can share any info you have on the Boyces of Ballydugan
David McMillan