hello everyone, i am trying to find out more on my branch of the McGavern family, who reportedly came to Canada from Ireland in the 1860s. Several in the family have been attempting to verify family lore without much luck. Does any of the following information ring a bell for anyone? William Magavern/McGavern was born in 1836 in Portobello Scotland to William and Mary/Frances McLaren McGavern. Will Sr. was born somewhere in Ireland, specifics unknown. Will Sr. was reportedly in the military at the time of Will Jr's birth. Will Jr. became a primitive methodist minister, served in ireland, perhaps Clones or Meath, before emigrating to Canada in 1865 and then later to the USA. In the meantime Will Sr. and Mary/Frances returned home to Ireland where they settled on a family farm and lived out their years. Don't know when either died. It has been suggested that McGavern is a variation of McGovern, and that there is a high concentration of McGoverns in Cavan and Fermaugh Counties. I have tried searching Griffiths, but found too many M'Gaverns M'Governs Magaurans, etc to try and requisition each record. Military researchers have been unable to find our elder William. No success in finding Methodist records of Will Jr. the minister either. All the McGaverns in the US social security death index descend from these William McGaverns or another single McGavern (George). I would dearly love to find out more on these two men. thanks, heidi ford fordheidih@aol.com Researching: McGavern/Magavern/Magauran in Cavan, Fermaugh, Monaghan LEIGHTON in Longford, Sligo FLAVIN in Waterford, Cork O'BRIEN in Waterford, Cork