... I find a few Walkingshaw families around Margherafelt.
More often than not for this era, records just don't exist or don't contain enough detail in order to make conclusive progress in researching individuals. But they can point you in a direction, and I would choose the Maghera to Clady area over Magherafelt, in the first instance.
Walkingshaws (including spelling variants) weren't very common in County Londonderry back in the day, according to the Tithe Applotment Books 1823-37 and the 1831 Ireland Census Extract. In the Tithe Applotment Books, the only Walkingshaws I could see were a John and James in the townland of Mullagh in Termoneeny Civil Parish and an unnamed Walkingshaw in the townland of Eden in Tamlaght O'Crilly Civil Parish.
The 1831 Ireland Census Extract largely corroborates that information, showing the only Walkingshaws in County Londonderry as:
- James in Mullagh, Termoneeny, heading a household of 3 males and 2 females (overall);
- 'J' in Mullagh, Termoneeny, heading a household of 5 males, 2 females and a female servant; and
- Hugh in Eden, Tamlaght O'Crilly, heading a household of 3 males and 1 female.
Walkingshaws in Co. Londonderry (1831 Ireland Census Extract):
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sg8/Here's Mullagh:
https://www.townlands.ie/londonderry/loughinsholin/termoneeny/maghera/mullagh/Here's Eden:
https://www.townlands.ie/londonderry/loughinsholin/tamlaght-ocrilly/clady/eden/I don't know if Samuel Scott was head of his own household by the time of the 1831 Ireland Census or instead if he ended up as unnamed in someone else's household return in the subsequent Extract that was taken to produce a survey of religious denomination. For the record, a summary of all Samuel Scott head of households in the 1831 Ireland Census Extract shows most of them up to the north and northwest of the county, but there was one in the townland of Inishrush in Tamlaght O'Crilly civil parish.
'Samuel Scott head of households' in Co. Londonderry (1831 Ireland Census Extract):
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sg9/Here's Inishrush, which happens to border Eden:
https://www.townlands.ie/londonderry/loughinsholin/tamlaght-ocrilly/clady/inishrush/That Samuel was heading a household of 4 males and 4 females, but the composition is otherwise unknown, it could have been man with wife and 6 children, or a widower with aged parents and siblings. It's tempting to be taken in by that Samuel, being so near to the Hugh Walkingshaw household, but the reality is that Scotts were much thicker on the ground and that this one could be another Samuel Scott. As I said, we don't know that your Samuel Scott was named as a householder in the Extract in the first place. And we don't even know if the Hugh Walkingshaw household was directly related to Mary Walkingshaw. But I thought I'd mention it all anyway. Maybe fresh eyes will find something for you.
