Thank you, Annie, for this very interesting email. Now I’m wishing my trip to Ireland had included a visit to the 2nd Presbyterian Church of Omagh!
Annie has shared her extensive genealogy knowledge with a small group of us Caldwell descendants. And yes, I completely agree that Jim’s site is a wonderful resource, especially with the contributions of Len, Annie, and others. Happy hunting, everyone. Pat > On Aug 24, 2025, at 9:46 AM, Annie Crenshaw via CoTyroneList > <[email protected]> wrote: > > As Dave in South Africa describes his own experience, while I was in Ireland > I also made an appointment to see the minister of the church I was interested > in. I visited Ballygawley's Presbyterian manse in 2006, where Rev. Ian > McClean let me look at the original books, including "Ballygawley Session > Book, 1856-1938," a hardback ledger with a brown marbleized cover. That book > has NOT been microfilmed by PRONI, whose church records guide and eCatalogue > only have baptisms and marriages for Ballygawley Presbyterian Church, and > nothing for session books. > > Besides the "Roll of Communicants" list, the Ballygawley Sessions book > included 18-20 pages of an unusual list for a Presbyterian congregation -- a > deaths and burials list. It was titled "Register of Deaths in the > Congregation of Ballygawley since May 1872." The beginning of this list is > well within the civil registration time period (1864+), but various death > entries have different data than found in civil records, and some deaths have > no matching entries in civil records. The burial places included "Here" > (meaning Ballygawley Presbyterian graveyard) - "Aughnacloy" (Aughnacloy > Presbyterian graveyard) - "Aghaloo" (the ancient burial grounds at Aghaloo > that preceded Aughnacloy and Ballygawley as a local burial site for all > denominations) - "Ballynasaggart" (St. Matthew's Church of Ireland graveyard > in Errigal Keerogue parish) - "Clenaneese" (Upper Clonaneese Presbyterian > graveyard). Deceased individuals were being interred in both Presbyterian and > Church of Ireland graveyards, even when they were members of Ballygawley > Presbyterian Church, which has an adjacent graveyard. These persons were > obviously being interred in generations-old family burial places, details of > which are often confirmed by finding their parents/grandparents/other > relatives buried in those places before them. > > Web sites like this one -- thanks especially to Jim McKane, Len Swindley and > others -- are more important than ever in our continuing efforts to identify > our ancestors and learn more about their lives and families, their > residences, places of worship, cultural traditions, and other aspects of > daily existence. And, on web sites like CoTyroneIreland, we can share those > findings with others, and help each other as we all learn more. I'm learning > all the time, and I'm always glad to share what I've learned. > > Annie C. > > ================================= > Send a Message to the List - [email protected] > List Archive - > https://list.cotyroneireland.com/empathy/list/cotyronelist.list.cotyroneireland.com > Join the list by sending an email to - > [email protected] > To receive the Digest version, send an email to - [email protected] > Unsubscribe by sending an email to - > [email protected] > =================================
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