Hamiltons of "Culachy"?

[Gilby]

Hi All,

I’ve been given some notes written down from the verbal recollections of Margaret Stevenson (1850-1938) when she was about 80.

She refers to two Hamilton brothers who fought on either side during the siege of Derry.  The younger brother was on the winning side and was granted the family estates by King William.  The elder son’s family ended up at somewhere called “Culachy” (I think – the writing is hard to make out).

I know half this story is likely to be apocryphal, but I’m trying to find Culachy so that I can try to trace the family.  I’m posting this in the Derry forum, but I think it is just as likely that Culachy will turn out to be in Donegal.  (I’m aware there is a Culachy in Scotland, but I don’t think that’s it.)

Thanks,
Gilby

[shanreagh]

Cullagh or Curragh in Co Donegal.  Though it could just as easily start with G.  Or try xxxxough/y ie names with the 'ough' on the end.  We don'e know if Ms Stevenson was replicating the sound or the spelling.  Do you know where she lived?  This might give us a clue as to what she may have heard.   

Here is a wonderful site with Irish townlands on it. 
https://www.townlands.ie/

http://donegalgenealogy.com/
This is a good site for Donegal. 

Have you checked going back the more traditional way from ancestors close to you and then going backwards?

Also if the writing is hard to read what about asking the wonderful handwriting experts on this site. 

[Gilby]

Hi, thanks.  Yes it could potentially be Curragh or something similar.  I’m a fan of the townlands.ie site too and have tried lots of combinations.

I’m reasonably confident of the spelling in my document as “Culachy”, and in one case there is a circumflex over the c, so the transcriber was presumably making clear that it ends in a “ch” noise, like Karachi.  However, as you say, it could be quite different.  “Cul” could equally be “Call”.

Margaret’s Stevenson family “came from Scotland originally but [spent] many generations in Dromore near Letterkenny”.  Her mother was Elizabeth King from Trimragh, also near Letterkenny (Leck parish).  According to Margaret, Elizabeth’s grandparents were James King and Miss Hamilton from Culachy (no dates, but we’re probably back to the mid/late 1700s).

This would point more to Donegal than Derry.  Bedtime now, but I’ll have a look tomorrow evening to see if I can find any Hamiltons of Curragh in the Tithes.

[Gilby]

Coolachy!  (Thanks to BA who pointed this out by email)

I found this account about the family:
http://lisburn.com/books/hamilton/hamilton2.htm

On the right track now…