St. Patricks Parish Churchyard

After my first book on Ballymoney Old Church Graveyard, it seemed obvious that my next volume would explore the history and headstones of St. Patrick’s Parish Church. These graveyards are now separated by a busy road. However, once they were a single burial ground with graves that can be traced back to the 17th century.

It is often assumed that burials in this graveyard were restricted to members of St. Patrick’s Parish Church. This has only been the case since April 1877 and, prior to this date, plots could be purchased by members of other congregations. It is interesting to note that in one corner of the graveyard most of the deceased (the families of Pinkerton, Hamill, Erskine, Hacket, Williamson and Darragh) were members of the Unitarian Church of Ballymoney.

This second book on St. Patricks Parish Churchyard was published in September 2010.

Most of my research has focused on church records. I have avoided the temptation to use speculation or assumption where the information is not fully reported in contemporary archives. I welcome any corrections or additions to my work and I apologise in advance for any errors in transcription that may have occurred in documents that were difficult to read.

Unlike in my first book, I have omitted information concerning living people. This is to protect the confidentiality of the families associated with the graveyard and to respect their personal privacy. Any readers who would like further information on particular families are invited to contact me through my website.

I have devised a map which divides the churchyard into sections and added a reference for each headstone. In addition, there is a list of the names of families found in some of the unmarked graves.

This is the second in a series of books that I plan to write on the graveyards of North Antrim. All costs for research and publishing are met entirely at my own expense and I thank you for buying this copy and supporting my work.

This new book will be available for sale from this site priced £15 plus p&p.

Responses

  1. hello Dorothy,

    I’d like to buy your second book please. How best to do it?

  2. Dorothy, I would like to buy your second book. Is it possible to do so by PayPal?

    Colleen

  3. Hello –

    Please send me the details in order that I might purchase this book.

    Thank you, Marian

  4. Hello Dorothy –

    I am trying to buy your book off the site, but all it says is “out of stock”. Help!

    Marian

  5. Hi Marian,
    The book is definitely out of stock. Try again and if the problem persists I will get my web co ordinator to try and find out what is happening.
    Dorothy

  6. Sorry I meant to say definitely IN STOCK

  7. I am grandson of Jennie pinkerton who had relatives in Ireland. I have recently started to trace my ancestors, and just found this site. I am very interested in finding more about those that came to America, and from where in Ireland, and maybe Scotland

  8. I have done a lot of research on Pinkerton families in the N. Antrim area. If you purchase my book/books there are many family trees going back to the 1700s. Also on purchase of a book/books – I will send you more research which I have in more detail.
    Dorothy

  9. HI Dorothy,
    I am interested in your books as well. I have relatives both McBrides and Fergusons that lived close to ballymoney. Some of them where married in Ballymoney.
    My great grandfather was William McBride from Dervock.
    Please let me know how to go about purchasing your book, I live in Canada so there would be some shipping.

    Thanks

  10. Hi Lynnette, You can buy my books directly through my website. Go into the books tab and follow instructions – any problems – please let me know. Once people have purchased my book/s I am happy to send them my research. Let me know as much as you can and I will try and help you.
    Dorothy

  11. Hi Dorothy
    Sounds great! I will look into getting it done this weekend!

  12. Hello Dorothy,
    I’m very interested in your books! My ancestor, William McFadden, was said to have been born in County Antrim in 1747. He immigrated to what is now Chester County, South Carolina (USA) prior to 1769; he died in Chester County in 1790. My problem is that I (as have no other McFadden researchers) no info on who his parents were or exactly where he lived in County Antrim. It has been documented that he was friends with and a neighbor in Chester County to James Blair, who was a Covenanter and also immigrated from County Antrim. Which of your three books would have the most info on McFaddens there in the early to mid-1700s? Thanks! Linda

  13. Dorothy,

    I am interested in the Rennies and McGraths from the Dervock area, and live in the USA. Is access to the index available prior to committing to a purchase of your new book or not? Also, can you estimate shipping charges to the states?

    Good to come across someone who puts so much time and energy into gathering and presenting valuable information!

    Thanks.

    Jim

  14. would give anything to find where my James McCausland came from ….arrived Boston late summer of 1718, and then settled in Casco Bay, Maine in the fall of 1718.

    We are planning on trip to NI in the spring of 2013 and would love to find McCausland family connection.

    Please advise what information and research you might be able to provide. thank you in advance. Dave@helpprint.com

    Dave McCausland
    Mt. Vernon, Maine, USA

  15. The family which I have most knowledge of is of a McCausland family who lived near Ballymoney but I can only get back to the early 1800s.
    However there was a gentry family of McCauslands who lived in Co. Londonderry and are quite well chronicled.
    Dorothy

  16. Thank you Dorothy…. I will try in County Londonderry, altho am not giving up hope of Ballymoney. I know records in the early 1700’s are difficult. The 1718 emigration of families (5 ships) were mostly families (and parishes) in the Bann Valley… followers of several ministers.
    Again, Thank-you.
    Dave

  17. Hello again Dorothy. I am also looking for my wife’s family – one Patrick Joseph MaGee (or McGee) the we believe came into Philadelphia in the late 1740- 1760’s. (he marries in Phili in 1765). His birthday is commonly shown as July 1, 1741… but only shows as Northern Ireland.

    I have found on the protestant list of 1741 a Patrick, Charles, Richard and Sara McGee- all in Ballymoney. Any possibility you have records of that family?

    I also see a James and John McGee in Ballintoy – also a possibility, has our Patrick Joseph McGee ancestor had sons named John and James ( along with Nancy, Mary, George, Nicholai and Adam).

    As you can see from both families – McCausland and McGee – both have possibilities of emigrating from Ballymoney – thus my total hopes of finding the connection that both my wife’s family and mine were from the same town almost 300 years ago.

    Again, Thank-you in advance for any info or research.
    Dave

  18. James McGee of Ballintoy, born ca 1750, was my ancestor. Earl McGee

  19. I’m looking for a grave of Sydney Hughes, also Mary Hamilton Hughes and Frederick Hughes. Sydney died in 1939, Frederick in 1926 and Mary 1964 or 1965. What do you recommend me to purchase, I believe they are in St Patrick’s old church.

  20. I am on holiday at the moment and will get back to you on my return. I do have some information.
    You can email me at dorothy@ballymoneygraveyard.com
    Dorothy

  21. Did you get my last post? Email me if you want more information. Dorothy


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