Our Northern Ireland adventure is over, the answers found and it is time to
move on; to Stirling in Scotland with the prospect of new "finds"and more
adventures. For almost six years I have researched the Presbyterian
Ulsterman and in doing so found four obscure out of print publications that
should be included in every library. Before my focus changes to Scottish
research I am offering to interested researchers ONE last time the
opportunity to purchase (cost of copies and postage) the following items.
All items have either expired copyrite provisions or in the case of the Hagy
thesis I have the authors permission to reproduce the document. They are:
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 Society of
Antiquaries of Ireland, Belfast, Davidson & McCormack, 54 King St. 211
pages.
On our trip we met JB Shannon age 90, who assisted in the 1975 reprinting and
he was a window to the past. He is the last living person who had anything
to do with these books and 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...." If I send this post to your list
it means your surname is listed in the appendix. Cost: $25.00
Fighters of Derry, Their Deeds and Descendants, being a Chronicle of Events
in Ireland during the Revolutionary period 1688-1691, by William R. Young,
1932, Eyre and Spottiswoode, London 350 pages. Contains the following
biographical sketches: (1500)
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.
One of the most difficult sources to locate, in fact almost impossible.
Months worth of reading and packed with great genealogy. Cost: $25.00
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 Dicese of Derry. Includes the Battles of the
Boyne, Athlone, and Aughrim and the siege and Capitulation of Limmerick by
Lord Macaulay, 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 that I have
seen. 311 pages Cost: $25.00
Castle's Woods: Frontier Virginia Settlement, 1769-1799, A thesis presented
to the Faculty of the Department of History, East Tennessee St. 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 it covers the families who settled
in Russell county, Virginia when it was considered the frontier. If your
ancestors came through southwest Virginia this document is the history of
your family. Contains information of 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 resourch for your family history. Cost: $25.00
I only post these offerings to a tiny fraction of the lists and only to those
lists where your surnames are mentioned. After I make the offering I
insubscribe because my e-mail box will fill up in about ten minutes. I am
always on the Cowan and Wigton-Walker lists and you can e-mail me at
cscunc(a)aol.com and ask any question you like. I will always attempt to
answer your questions although it is unlikey I hold the key to who your great
grandma was. If you are interested in the results of our trip to Donegal and
Belfast please check the COWAN-L archives and you will see the posts we made
during the last week or so. Thanks for your interest and I hope making this
information available has helped some of you. I always enjoy getting e-mails
from fellow researches. Also a big thanks to those of you who sent family
information to us before our trip. It was appreciated and a special thanks
to Alex Latta from Canada who turned us on to James Fleming. The trip would
not have been the same without that piece of the puzzle.
Regards,
Robert Cowan
525 Harrogate Rd.
Matthews, North Carolina 28105
(704)847-4081