For approximately three weeks in May and June John Giacoletti and I made a research trip to Northern Ireland to gather information on some of the Defenders of Derry. I said I would post our findings to the various lists that had been contacted prior to our departure. To view all of our posts please go to the rootsweb.com main page and find the link to "threaded archives" Type in COWAN and search June and July 2002 and you will find some really interesting posts describing our research adventures. If you have any comments or questions please feel free to contact me at cscunc@aol.com. Prior to the trip I offered four obscure, out-of-print publications that should be included in every Ulster Presbyterian's genealogical library. They all have either expired copyright provisions or, in the case of the Hagy thesis, I have the author's permission to reproduce the document. The publications 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 211 pages We met JB Shannon, age 90, who assisted in the 1975 reprint and he said these books are still the BEST source for Ulster Presbyterian research. Books contain lists of former generations of Lagganeers, and their places of abode, which have never before appeared in print. "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. One of the most difficult sources to locate, in fact almost impossible. Contains biographical sketches (1200+) of the Defenders of Derry "A History of the Siege of Londonderry and Defence 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 Macaulay, Toronto, 1869 311 pages. Full of genealogical information about the families who were at Derry. "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 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. And a new addition: "The Tinkling Spring, Headwater of Freedom" A Study of the Church and Her People, Howard McKnight Wilson, Fisherville, 1954 This book contains more genealogy of the early settlers of Augusta/Rockbridge Counties Virginia than any other. Baptismal records of the Rev. Craig and detailed analysis of many of the early families from the 1740's on. Please contact me privately at cscunc@aol.com for details on how to acquire these materials. It is very slow and cumbersome to contact each list individually so in the future I will be putting these and other items I deem valuable on abebooks.com Once again, I will be happy to answer any questions that have to do with the migration of Scots-Irish people from Ulster to Pa, Virginia and Tennessee. But remember, I probably don't know who your mamma is, I had a hard enough time figuring out who mine was. Regards, Robert Cowan 525 Harrogate Rd. Matthews, North Carolina 28105