Hi Connie, there is a lot of information. The basics are listed in Ryan's book "Irish Records". This book lists all-Ireland sources and then resources by county, chronologically arranged. You can also go to www.familysearch.org and view the catalog. It doesn't have 'everything' but it has a LOT of stuff. You can also find stuff on line. Use google. The definitive work on Irish genealogy is Falley "Irish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research". Only ESP would tell if those books and papers contain the name of your ancestor unless one actually checked the indexes. You can hire a researcher to check what's in PRONI for you. I've done this kind of research -- once you narrow down townlands, then additional records, some published, some not, become of interest. Sorry that I cannot type into the computer all the pages from Ryan "Irish Records". If you do a couple googles you'll find webpages that list what he lists -- I think the fianna sites -- a lot faster than I can break copyright laws to type in all the stuff in Ryan's chapter, so give that a try too. But find those books in a library. You will not succeed unless you spend a fair amount of time learning how to do Irish genealogy. It -- ie the records that exist -- are very different from either 19th century America or colonial America. Best of luck! Linda Merle ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "Connie Shotts" <cshotts@carolina.rr.com> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 15:52:00 -0500 >I am interested in knowing more about the area of Coleraine in County >Londonderry. Family history (from a 1914 book) has it that my >Brewster/Bruster ancestor - James (born about 1727) was born in Coleraine >and went with his family to America as a teen -- probably settling in what >became Augusta County VA. I believe his father may have been Henry >Brewster/Bruster. The Brewsters were for many generations entwined with the >Dunns and the Alexanders (my ggg-grandfather William Alexander married James >Brewster's daughter Agnes). The story goes that James Brewster and James >Dunn were born within a half mile of each other in Ireland (Coleraine), >lived within a half mile of each other in Virginia (Augusta County), moved >to Jessamine County KY within a half mile of each other, and were buried on >their farms within a half mile of each other. > >I would very much appreciate recommendations for background reading on the >Coleraine area during the 1600s and 1700s and for any hints about whether >any records might exist for these Brewsters and Dunns. > >Thanks, >Connie > >Connie Shotts >Charlotte, NC > >-----Original Message----- >From: Boyd Gray [mailto:boydgray26@utvinternet.com] >Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 6:48 AM >To: Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [Sc-Ir] Re: Gray Family > >Hi Janet, > >Five years ago, I would have been dancing up and down and throwing my hat in >the air when I read your message to Linda about the Grays and the Boyds. My >interest in genealogy began as a quest to find the origin of my unusual >Christian name and I would have thought that you had given me the answer. I >knew quite a lot about my Grays right from the start. They came from >Macosquin Parish, near Coleraine in County Londonderry and certainly had >connections with Scotland. I had a great aunt called Sarah Matilda Galloway >Gray! There were also lots of Boyds living in the parish and the >neighbouring parish of Aghadowey but I had not been able to connect any of >the Boyd ladies to my Grays - who were all called either James or William! > >And then a few months ago, a good friend in Texas discovered the link in the >Old Age Pensions Applications held by her FHC. Briefly, this is how it >happened that the two names became linked and Boyd became a family name >within the Grays. James Gray, my great great grandfather, married Eliza >Jane Brown in 1853 and had a son called William. Robert Brewster, my great >great grandfather, married Mary Boyd in 1836 and had a daughter, Annie >Brewster. Annie Brewster married William Gray in 1882 and called a daughter >Mary Alice Boyd Gray and she was the lady who asked my mother to put Boyd in >my name. Problem solved after almost five years! > >So, as you can see, although so many of the names are the same, my ancestors >are not your James Gray and Mary Boyd. Very spooky but just one of the many >genealogical coincidences I have come across over the years. However, it >may be of interest to you to know that there were lots of Grays and Boyds >intermarrying in this part of Ulster, and all with close connections to >Scotland. > >Regards, > >Boyd > >----- Original Message ----- >From: <JustJanet223@aol.com> >To: <Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Monday, January 02, 2006 4:31 PM >Subject: Gray Family > > >> Hello Linda, >> >> Hope you are enjoying your new life in Pa. Saw on the latest E-mail that >> you have GRAYS in your family, so I am taking a long shot to see if there >is >> any connection with mine. >> >> The 1841 census showed that JAMES GRAY & wife, MARY BOYD were born in >> IRELAND (don't know just where) They showed up in Glasgow in 1841 >census. Most >> of children were born in Ireland except two youngest ones, MATILDA born >in >> RFW & JAMES born in GLASGOW. JAMES was a shoemaker (as were some of the >> daughters' husbands). >> >> I understand from family that some of the Grays & Boyds migrated to >Canada, >> but so far have not been able to put my finger on which ones. >> >> Could there be any connection with yours? >> >> Wishing you a happy, healthy & prosperous 2006. >> >> Janet >> New England USA >> >> >> >> ______________________________ > > > ________________________________________________________________ Sent via the WebMail system at mail.fea.net