I am new to this chat, but hopefully with some helpful info. I have been tracking two families in Longfield West and Ardstraw parish next door, the Moore’s and the McKone/McKeon/McKown family. My link is through the marriage of John McKone to Isabella Moore, with fathers John and Robert respectively n the 1st Castlederg Presbyterian Church, 1853. They emigrated to Canada ca 1855, but I have great interest in their Irish roots. The marriage record centres them in the townlands of Meencargagh, next to Ednashanlaght, in Longfield West, and Coolnaherin across the Fairy Water in Ardstraw.
There are a number of Moore baptism records in the 1st Castlederg Presbyterian parish that have been transcribed and put on this site:
https://cotyrone.com/births/1stCastledergBaptisms1823-1883.htmlThey include James Moore with a Roseann McKown with 3 children baptismal dates, and interesting notes about them going to Australia. Roseann was also known as Fanny. Go to the actual pictures in the book and you will see these notations.
There are a number of other Moore’s in there, including John, Hugh, Andrew and Samuel. Many are from Ednashanlaght, as already discussed in this chat.
There at least 3 marriages between these two families, Moores marrying various spellings of McKeon, and maybe more as they they often did not list the maiden name of the bride.
A bit later, 1878, are elders of this church listed: List of seatholders in the 1st Castlederg Presbyterian Church 1878/79.
From the Book "A short History of 1st Castlederg, Presbyterian Church by
R.S.K.Neill, 1993 printed by The Tyrone Constitution.
Robert MOORE
Hugh MOORE
Mrs John M'KEOWN
R. M'KEOWN (Meencaragh)
Samuel Moore Sr
Samuel M'KEOWN
Samuel MOORE Jr
Andrew MOORE
Charles MOORE
For me, at least, “home base” for the two families seems to be these townlands of Meencargagh, Ednashanlaght and Coolnaherin, (and, for Moore, perhaps also other Ardstraw townlands nearby, like Drumclamph, Archill, Cavandoragh, Letterbin, and even Kilstrule) where there were Moor or Moore entries in the Tithe records as well as Griffith’s. In fact, going back further, there is even a William Moor listed in the Hearth Tax records from 1666 in Kilstrule, which can be found on the County Tyrone website.
My guess is both of my two families, Moore and McKeon, were Plantation settlers, coming from Scotland and/or northern England originally., possibly as early as the 1600’s, but many came in the early 1700’s as well. This area looks to be part of the original plantation areas of Omagh and/or Strabane.
I have not been able to construct the exact family tree, but there are some helpful hints in this thread, and I thank you. The Tithe records for Longfield/Langfield West are from 1826, and there appears a “William Moor and Partners” in Ednashanlaght. He, and or brothers, appear to be a patriarch of sorts. The McKown/McKeon/McKone side is possibly of interest only to me, so I will leave that out. There are several listed for Meencargagh n the Tithe records.
Even more confusing can be the Presbyterian versus Methodist religions among these two families. In my case, all the emigrants to Canada opted for Methodist, and appear in censuses there from the get go as Methodist. Some of the Irish census from the early 1900’s shows some as Methodist, but most as Presbyterian. There are some pretty Methodist churches nearby, ne in Lisleen, and another near Castlederg. Apparently, Methodist and Presbyterian marriages were not uncommon, and the couple might visit both churches on their wedding day.
Barbara, I hope this doesn’t mess you up any more than the already confusing, but super-interesting posts that you all have contributed.
