This post will ramble a bit but is full of great stuff. While John was doing the hard research viewing the Derry council minute books from the late 1600's I wandered up the street from the Harbor Museum to St. Columb's to find Aubrey Fielding, Bell-ringer and genealogist who just so happened to have in his possession a 1910, first (only) edition of the following: Register of the Derry Cathedral William Pollard & Co. ed. by Rev. Hays, 1910 If you know where a copy of this book is located here in the US, I would love to know. It contains the earliest records of the church and unlike the second and third volumes has never been reprinted. There is a copy at Queens University and one at PRONI but I could not sweet-talk anyone into making me a copy. The best I could do was to bribe the gal at PRONI into making me a copy of the index. Aubrey sat with me in his office for an hour while I scribbled furiously to get as many of the early records as I could. Here are some: James Glin/Elizabeth Cowan married, pub. Aug. 25th, 1661 John Guy/ Jennett Cowan married Nov. 24th 1662 ROBERT COWAN/Ellin Hogge married Jan 12th 1663 ((this is Alderman John Cowan's father) David, son of Alexander Warke, bap. 23rd May 1663, HUGH COWAN, John Greg, Marrian Rowen, gossips (Aubrey told me gossips were what we call God parents) Other information I thought interesting but no genealogical ties intended. Humphrey Price/Ann Walker married Sept. 26th 1661 Patrick Porter/Xian McClunton married Dec. 5th 1661 Mayre, daughter of Paterick Porter, Capt. Bridges soldier, baptised May 31, 1678 James, son of William Killgore/Jane bap. June 7th, 1702 Heres a record I thought interesting since it was one of the earliest recorded at St. Columb's: The banes of matrimony between Richard Willis and Elizabeth Crawfford, both of this city published. The marriage of Richard Willis and Elizabeth Crawfford was solemnized (before John Hannfford, esq. Mayor of London Derry) James Morgan, William Mason, with diverse others being present at London Derry this last of July 1656. The marriage of Andrew Porter and Affricke ny Connall was solemized before the hon. Ralph King, esq. Mayor of London Derry in the presence of Alexander McConnall and John Porter at London Derry this 21st Feb. 1653. John Walker/Jannett Graham married Aug. 13th 1663 William Walker/Margaret Morrison Aug 27tth 1663 Many references to the Porter's being from Burt, just to the north of Derry city. Aubrey told me the story of the morning he came to ring the bells for easter communion and discovered the Rev. George Walker had been blown off his statue and was resting in a pile of rubble. The funny thing was the IRA did a fantastic job of blowing him up but he landed perfectly and was found sitting upright with the loss of only one hand. He now sits in a locked alcove a block or so away from his original perch on the Derry wallls and looks a bit forelorn. It just so happened that the day I visited Mr. Fielding a group of ten bell-ringers from all over Northern Ireland were conducting a quarter peel (a full peel is 5000 notes) and I had the opportunity to climb to the top of the church and observe these musicians tugging on long ropes which rang the bells. The bells of St. Columb's predate the cathedral which was built in the 1640's. The records also indicate Rrobert Cowan was buried Oct. 14th 1715 and Alderman John Cowan was buried April 20th, 1733. One of the important discoveries in these records is the existance of a Hugh Cowan in Derry in 1660's which was previously unknown. We will tie these early Cowans together in a later post. It was now time to move on to Belfast but we suffered a set-back of a couple of days by not anticipating the Queen's Jubilee which closed all public buildings for TWO days. Monday and Tuesday were spent motoring around the Antrim coast road, Giant's causeway, and in pub's. We managed to watch the England/Argentina match at the "Egg" which is a favorite watering hole of Queen's University students and England upset the favored team from South America and Belfast was a happy town. (Protestant Belfast) Regards, Robert Cowan Guinnessman