All Things DOWNING/DOWNEY in County Derry

[dukewm]

Hello to all who may have interest in the DOWNING and DOWNEY surnames of County Londonderry,

I started this topic as a "catch all" forum for anyone who may have DOWNING/DOWNEY family history to share and hopefully, answers to your questions.

Please feel free to post away.  Together, maybe we can solve some of our lingering mysteries.

[aghadowey]

Links to your previous Downing topics-
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=806951.msg6659370#msg6659370
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=770735.msg6234505#msg6234505
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=770734.msg6234497#msg6234497
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=769001.msg6213907#msg6213907
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=443356.msg3063464#msg3063464

[M_ONeill]

Great idea for a thread, Dukewm! I've noticed there seem to be a lot of good researchers working in this area, so it'd be great to collaborate.

As people might have seen in threads like this one my particular area of interest is in families that I think of as the 'Stafford' offshoots. These are families found throughout a number of townlands in Loughinsholin (Dreenan, Ballymacpeake, Rocktown, Innishrush, etc) that are marked out by the distinctive usage of 'Stafford' as a first or middle name.

My research suggests that it's highly likely that most if not all of these families are at some point offshoots of the so-called Dreenan branch of the Downings, as identified by Dukewm in the threads linked above.

I'll post the various families I've identified below (in rough order of appearance in the records) in case other researchers run across this thread and find a potential Downing connection they've never thought of before:

Catholic

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McCann

One of the earliest 'Stafford' families seen in the catholic records. An 1838 baptismal record exists in Termoneeny parish for a Patrick McCann, son of a Stafford McCann and a Mary McTammeny. Witnesses Patrick O'Neill and Rose McTammeny.

The same couple baptises a child Peter McCann in 1839 with the witnesses Michael Dinnen and Rose McNicholl. Michael Dinnen was the husband of Elizabeth Downing, daughter of Stafford Downing of Dreenan and Rose Mulholland, and progenitor of another 'Stafford' offshoot.

Following the McTammeny link leads back to an 1837 marriage of a Michael McTammeny of Dreenan and a Mary O'Neill. The witnesses were a Stafford O'Neill and an Arthur O'Neill. This suggests that the O'Neill offshoot was also fairly early.

Dukewm's excellent research has shown that the link between the McCanns and the Downings may go back very far indeed. The original 1734 'Dreenan lease' that granted one of the Stafford Downings farming rights to 450 acres in Dreenan to an earlier Stafford Downing was guaranteed by three lives: a Stafford Downing, a Bernard Mulholland and a Bryan McCann.

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O'Neill

My initial area of interest as this is the branch I believe myself to descend from. As shown above, this is another family that appears very early in the local records.

There are two distinct groupings of Stafford O'Neills in the records, the first is in Rocktown and includes my 3x great grandmother Ellen Carmichael (née O'Neill) and her presumed sibling Stafford O'Neill. Their exact birth dates are not known but Ellen has a birth range of between 1820-1827. Stafford seems to be born sometime c1830.

Ellen married a John Carmichael (they had a son named Francis Stafford Carmichael). Stafford married a Sarah McErlane.

The other grouping is found in Ballymacpeake, in the families of John O'Neill (b. c1820, married first to Bridget Mulholland, his third cousin and then secondly to an Alice O'Neill, also a cousin) and a Stafford O'Neill (b. c1825, possibly James Stafford - married Cecily O'Neill, a cousin). These two families had many children, many of which emigrated to Dunedin, New Zealand. They are notably intermarried with the Mulhollands of Eden, as well as the McErlanes.

For the Ballymacpeake Stafford O'Neills, I recommend this site. It is run by one of the descendants of the New Zealand branch and is very well researched and referenced.

One likely origin point for the Stafford O'Neills is the marriage of a James O'Neill and Esther Downing. Local oral tradition gathered by Dukewm suggests that Esther was another daughter of Stafford Downing and sister to Elizabeth Dinnen (née Downing). She was baptised on the 4th April 1789 at St Lurach's, Maghera by a Rev. Alexander Clotworthy Downing who I believe was of the 'Rowesgift/Bellaghy' Downings, apparently a cousin branch of the Dreenan Downings.

This is the central puzzle piece of my own tree, trying to prove out a link between James and Esther and the Stafford-O'Neills. If Stafford of Ballymacpeake is actually James Stafford, then it opens up the possibility of John, James Stafford, Ellen and Stafford being siblings. If not, then they would more likely be cousins, which complicates matters (especially the timeline) even further!

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Dinnen

As mentioned previously, this branch originates in the marriage of Michael Dinnen to Elizabeth Downing. We've identified at least three of their children, two of which were a John Dinnen and a Stafford Dinnen. According to an inquest, Michael Dinnen died in 1841 after falling into a ditch while drunk and either drowning or suffocating.

Stafford Dinnen's first wife is unknown, but he remarried in 1872 at the age of 60 to the 42 year old Bridget O'Neill, a cousin. This Bridget was the daughter of a Bernard O'Neill and a Martha Cassidy. James O'Neill, a grocer of Dreenan and his wife Hannah (Née Brannon) were the witnesses.

James and Hannah were also the witnesses at Stafford McCann's 1866 wedding to Sarah Cushley/Costello, indicating some kind of link to the Stafford families. According to his will, James O'Neill's father was likely named Henry.

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Continued below.

[M_ONeill]

Catholic Cont.

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McNally

I don't know much about this branch - there is an 1861 marriage record in Termoneeny for a Stafford McNally (McNulla) who marries an Ellen McGuire. Witnesses were a Thomas Downey and a Nancy McCann.

There is a marriage three years latter in 1864 between a Nancy McCann and a James Costello. One of the witnesses was a Stafford McCann, so it's possible the Nancy that witnessed Stafford McNally's wedding was of the Stafford McCann branch.

James Costello (or Cushley)'s father was a Thomas Costello. This is possibly the father of Sarah Costello who married Stafford McCann, son of a Patrick McCann and likely grandson of Stafford McCann and Mary McTammeny. It seems clear that there are very strong ties between these different 'Stafford' families.

There is also an 1871 baptismal record for a Francis McNally, son of a John McNally and a Bridget Henry of Dreenan. The witnesses were James Stafford Dinnen and Elizabeth Dinnen, likely the grandchildren or great-grandchildren of Michael Dinnen and Elizabeth Downing.

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McLoughlin

Another branch about which I know little. there is an 1865 baptismal record for a Stafford James McLoughlin (twin of a Patrick McLoughlin). The parents were a Henry McLoughlin and his wife, a McErlane whose first name is variously written as Mavina, Marina, Madge, Mary, etc. They seem to be settled in Innishrush, just north of Ballymacpeake, near Clady.

As yet, nothing more known about this family. I can't even be sure which line the Stafford name comes down through. If I were the betting sort, I'd say the McErlane's may be the more likely, given their marriage links to other Stafford families, such as the O'Neills - but sadly there is no strong evidence for that.

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Protestant

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Kane

This offshoot originates in the 1866 marriage in Maghera of Thomas Kane (sometimes Kean) a schoolmaster of Curran and Elizabeth Downing of Dreenan.
Elizabeth's father is given as Stafford Downing - clearly a later man than the husband of Rose Mulholland. Elizabeth's age is given as 21 on her wedding record, placing her birth year c1845.

Witnesses to the wedding were a George Downing and a William McGall. The couple seem to have moved around a bit, settling for a time in Glenmaquill where they had a son Stafford Kane in 1872.

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McQuillan

Another family I don't know too much about. They seem to be based in and around Ballymacombs, north of Bellaghy, as well as Bellaghy itself.

An 1871 death record for a Stafford McQuillan of Bellaghy (aged 84, rough birth year 1787) suggests that this may be a very old offshoot of the Downings indeed, presuming that that is actually the origin of the name.

There is an 1864 civil birth record for a Stafford McQuillan in Ballymacombs, son of a James and Nancy McQuillan (same maiden name).

There is also an 1874 civil birth record for a Stafford McQuillan in Bellaghy, son of a Stafford McQuillan, weaver, and a Margaret Tipping.

A 1910 death record from Mullaghboy near Magherafelt shows a Stafford McQuillan dying at the age of 92 (estimated birth year 1818), the informant his son Stafford McQuillan. I don't know whether these Staffords are linked to the above.

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Henry

I can't say much about this branch as I've only seen second hand information, most of which is American and beyond my area of knowledge. I include it here because it appears to link back to Derry, and the family appears to use the Stafford naming convention - however, we should probably consider the link tenuous until more evidence comes to light.

This branch seems to descend from an Elizabeth Sharon Downing ('Betty' Downing) supposedly born c1798. She is said to have married a Robert Hugh Henry c.1820 in county Derry before emigrating to the united states. They had 13 children born at various locations along the way to Texas where they finally settled. One of the Children was a Stafford Charron (sometimes mistranscribed as 'Oharrow') Henry.

Again, not 100% confident in the inclusion of this branch, but adding it here for completeness.

[M_ONeill]

Apologies for the perhaps overly-long posts, but I thought this thread was a great opportunity to share some local families with apparent links to the Downings.

Hopefully other local researchers might hit some inspiration with the above information!

[dukewm]

Many thanks to Mike for posting a list of some of the collateral surnames that are linked to the DOWNING branch.  It's always good to raise a large "tent" and see who shows up.  Perhaps someone from the "perimeter" has good data that proves a connection.

[M_ONeill]

Even aside from my own family research interest, the region is a fascinating area of study. It's a place that seems to show a large degree of interplay between the major protestant landowners (such as the Downings) and what might be considered remnants of the pre-plantation gaelic order (families such as the Mulhollands, in particular).

You've probably read this before, Dukewm, but for the benefit of others interested in the history of the local area, I'd highly recommend reading the following genealogical study. It's primarily about the Tohill family, but contains a lot of very useful local historical context as well as information about the local Downing families, including some of their land leases.

[dukewm]

I'm going to lay out a story that leads to a theory on the origins of two distinct branches of the DOWNING family and how they may be connected, based on circumstantial evidence gathered over the past several years, but first I must set up some background information.

The two distinct branches I'm referring to are the DREENAN branch and the DRUMARD branch.
They are named as such because the earliest known members of the DOWNING family were residents of those two adjacent Townlands in the Civil Parish of Maghera.
Using the following website for ready reference, any Townland in the Barony of Loughinsholin can be found by clicking the links embedded within the site:
https://www.townlands.ie/londonderry/loughinsholin/

The point I'm emphasizing here is that this general area is a rather small place and the populations are NOT comparable to places like Shanghai or Mexico City.
For example:
 - the land area of County Londonderry is about 801 Sq Mi
by comparison, the area of the state of Rhode Island is 1,214 Sq Mi and the area of Chester County, PA, where I live, is 759 Sq Mi
 - the land area of the Barony of Loughinsholin is about 270 Sq Mi
 - the land area of the Townland of Dreenan is 1,426 Acres
 - the land area of the Townland of Drumard is 982 Acres (adjacent to and south of Dreenan)
 - the land area of the Townland of Rocktown is 759 Acres (adjacent to and south of Drumard)
 - the population of Gulladuff (a nearby village and surrounding area) was 2,723 in the 2011 census
 - the population of Knockloghrim (west of Drumard & Rocktown) was 2,704 in 2011
 - the population of Maghera was 2,852 in 2011
 - the population of Bellaghy was 2,685 in 2011
 - the population of Castledawson was 3,293 in 2011
All the above population figures are assumed to include surrounding areas of the named places.

Just for some perspective, when William Conoly granted farming rights to Stafford DOWNING of Dreenan for 435 acres in 1734, that area represented over 30% of the entire Townland.
Incidently, that 'Stafford' was the first known DOWNING to occupy DREENAN and he is thereby designated as Stafford the Elder (or Stafford I), head of the DREENAN branch.
Two days earlier, Conoly granted a Lease to John DOWNING of Drumard for 545 acres that represented nearly 56% of the entire Townland.  John was a grandson of Nicholas DOWNING who first occupied DRUMARD and is considered the head of that branch.  (more on that in the story)

I have toured the area with my own "boots on the ground" and can attest that when we are speaking of any specific individual from one of these locations, of a certain era, there are NOT very many alternate possibilities.  Sure, there was no shortage of 'John' DOWNINGs, but in general, when we are researching 'Stafford' DOWNING, virtually ALL of the results will be related.

Of course, the 800 pound gorilla in the room when we are researching Irish ancestors is the unfortunate fire in 1922 at the Four Courts Building in Dublin that destroyed about 60% of the Church of Ireland Birth, Marriage, Burial Registers, leaving us with limited resources.  The good news is, SOME records were kept in local custody and survived.

My little story follows - - -

[M_ONeill]

Making a quick post here to share a bit of information that may complicate the timeline of when exactly the Stafford-O'Neills branched off from the Downings.

I had thought that Ellen O'Neill and Stafford O'Neill (Rocktown) may have been children of James and Esther Downing, but a review of the Tithe Appointment Books for Maghera parish show a Staford [sic] O'Neill as head-of-household in Dreenan in 1828.

Even allowing for some elasticity in reported birth years, this man would seem to be too old to be either of the two Stafford O'Neills in Rocktown or Ballymacpeake. He is likely the man who witnessed the wedding of Michael McTammeny and Mary O'Neill in 1837.

Figuring out the age of this Stafford O'Neill is largely guesswork as there appears to be no available birth or death record for him.  But if he was old enough to be a head of household in 1828, he may fit the timeline as a possible child of James and Esther (my guestimate for their marriage would be sometime in the early 1810s based on Esther's baptismal date), though it would still likely be something of a squeeze.

Of course this raises the question of how this earlier Stafford fits in with the Stafford O'Neills in Rocktown and  Ballymacpeake. If there is another generation in between these particular families and their Downing origins, it makes it more likely that they could be cousin-branches rather than siblings.

It's interesting to me that Stafford O'Neill (who might be labelled the elder or 'I' based on Dukewm's convention) seemed to be settled in Dreenan. It might offer an explanation for how the parcels of land John Carmichael was renting out to both the Stafford McCanns and Stafford Dinnens came into his possession. Perhaps from Stafford(I) to John Carmichael via his wife Ellen O'Neill?