Thank you for such making known these resources. Lloyd
CSCUNC(a)aol.com wrote:
Hello,
This past June I travelled to Londonderry and Belfast accompanied by my
research parter, John Giacoletti, former Curator of Rare Books at the
University of North Carolina, and we experienced three action packed weeks
in various libraries and research facilities and pubs. This was my 20th trip
to Ireland, but the first for genealogical research. We are both skilled
researchers and we were prepared. We were also LUCKY. If you would like to
read about our genealogical findings just go to the main
rootsweb.com page
and look for the link to "threaded archives" Type in COWAN and search June
and July 2002 and see what you think.
It took me almost seven years of intense research to prove what I set out to
prove and along the way I stumbled across a few research tools that I have
shared with people before and will do again now. They are rare, out of print
books and manuscripts which I doubt most people have ever seen. One of the
items is found in only six Universities in America and a couple of them are
not found here at all. They are as follows:
The Laggan and its Presbyterianism and In the Days of the Laggan Presbytery,
1905,1908, by the Rev. Alexander Lecky, B.A., member of the Royal Sociey of
Antiquaries of Ireland, Belfast, Davidson & McCormack, 54 Kings St. 211
pages
On our recent trip to Donegal we met J.B. Shannon, age 90, who assisted in
the 1975 reprinting of this book. He is the last living person who had
anything to do with these books and he says they are still the BEST source
for Ulster Presbyterian research. From Lecky I quote, "The lists of names of
former generations of Lagganeers, and their places of abode, that are given
in the Appendixes, and which NEVER before appeared in print, whilst they may
of necessity prove dull reading to those who have no acquaintance with the
locality, will not, I hope, be altogether uninteresting to those who bear the
same name, or live in the same places..."
Fighters of Derry, Their Deeds and Descendants, being a Chronicle of Events
in Ireland during the Revolutionary period 1688-1691, by William Young, Eyre
and Spottiswoode, London, 350 pages.
One of the most difficult sources to locate, in fact almost impossible.
Months worth of reading and packed with great genealogy. Contains the
following biographical sketches:
1. The leaders of the County Associations who, with their levies, took part
in the preliminary operations and contributed much of the man power for the
Defence.
2. The Apprentice Boys and those responsible for shutting the gates on the
8th Dec. 1688.
3. The actual Defenders during the 105 day siege (over 1200 genealogical
sketches)
4. Those engaged in the relief of the city
A History of the Siege of Londonderry and Defense of Enniskillen in 1688 and
1689, with Historical Poetry and Biographical notes, by the Rev. John Graham,
M.A. Rector of Magilligan in the Diocese of Derry. Includes the Battles of
the Boyne, Athlone, and Aughrim and the siege and Capitulation of Limmerick
by Lord McCaulay, Toronto, 1869
The historical poems are family genealogies about those who were at Derry and
where they came from. Along with "Fighters of Derry" these two sources
contain more actual genealogical information than any others I have seen.
Three Hundred Years in Innishowen, Being More Particularly an Account of the
Family of Young of Culdaff with Short Accounts of Many Other Families
Connected with Them, by Amy Young, 1929, The Linenhall Press, Belfast, 311
pages.
Some of the names included are Young, Hart, Harvey, Cary, Vaughan,
McLaughlin, Skipton, Richardson, Knox, Ussher, Smith, Nesbitt, Chichester,
Ball, Lawrence, Crofton, Boyd, Stuart and many others.
The Laggan and its People, by S.M. Campbell, privately printed.
A look at the history of the Laggan (Presbyterian Derry/Donegal) through the
eyes of a local historian. Draws on local lore, Abercorn papers, records from
PRONI.
The Tinkling Spring: Headwater of Freedom, A Study of the Church and Her
People, 1732-1952, by Howard McKnight Wilson, 1954, Fisherville, Virginia 542
pages
The best source of information on the Scotch-Irish of Augusta/Rockbridge
Counties in Virginia. Includes the Baptismal Records of the Rev. Craig.
In-depth study of the early families of the Shenandoah Valley.
Castle's Woods: Frontier Virginia Settlement, 1769-1799, a thesis presented
to the Faculty of the Department of History, East Tennessee State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of master of Arts,
by James W. Hagy, 1966, 150 pages.
The most popular of the documents offered, this covers the families who
settled in Russell county, Virginia when it was considered the frontier. If
your ancestors came through southwestern Virginia, this document is the
history of your family. Contains information on specific families as well as
the farmers, speculators, artisans, and preachers who resided there. Lots on
the Indian battles that were a daily feature of life on the frontier. Names
like Russell, Walker, Porter, Cowan, Houston, Boone, Montgomery, Fraley,
Thompson, Anderson, Kilgore, and 50 or so other "Scotch-Irish" families make
this an invaluable resource for your family history.
The Reverend Samuel Houston, V.D.M., by George West Diehl, 1970, McClure
Publishing Co. 125 pages
History of the early Virginia Presbyterians through the life of the Rev.
Samuel Houston, kin to Sam Houston of Texas fame.
Well there you have it. The best documents I have found. If you are
interested in purchasing any of the above items (I would like to make copies
for free but I can't)
contact me at cscunc(a)aol.com for details.
Regards,
Robert Cowan
525 Harrogate Rd.
Matthews, North Carolina 28105
==============================
To join
Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to:
http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237