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

hello Dorothy,

I’d like to buy your second book please. How best to do it?
By: Linde Lunney on October 21, 2010
at 3:39 pm
Dorothy, I would like to buy your second book. Is it possible to do so by PayPal?

Colleen
By: Colleen Morrison Robinson on November 15, 2010
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Hello –

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

Thank you, Marian
By: Marian Aelick on December 16, 2010
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Hello Dorothy –

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

Marian
By: Marian Aelick on December 31, 2010
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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
By: Dorothy on December 31, 2010
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Sorry I meant to say definitely IN STOCK
By: Dorothy on January 1, 2011
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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
By: Charles Stewart on January 16, 2011
at 3:27 pm
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
By: Dorothy Arthur on January 16, 2011
at 3:45 pm
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
By: Lynnette Beaudin on March 29, 2011
at 2:56 am
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
By: Dorothy Arthur on March 29, 2011
at 9:25 am
Hi Dorothy
Sounds great! I will look into getting it done this weekend!
By: Lynnette Beaudin on March 31, 2011
at 3:44 am
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
By: Linda McFadden Draper on March 19, 2012
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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
By: Jim Scott on September 4, 2012
at 9:26 pm
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
By: Dave McCausland on November 4, 2012
at 12:29 am
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
By: Dorothy Arthur on November 4, 2012
at 2:11 pm
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
By: Dave McCausland on November 4, 2012
at 2:17 pm
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
By: Dave McCausland on November 4, 2012
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James McGee of Ballintoy, born ca 1750, was my ancestor. Earl McGee
By: Earl McGee on August 4, 2013
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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.
By: Edith Esposito on September 7, 2018
at 10:56 pm
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
By: akismet-3e06ff9e4b825f8971eeefac806f5061 on September 11, 2018
at 2:57 pm
Did you get my last post? Email me if you want more information. Dorothy
By: Dorothy AA on December 2, 2018
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