Launch of Irish Graveyards

Thanks to a post at Irish Genealogy News alerting us to the launch of IrishGraveyards. The website is the result of GPS and eye mapping by a surveying company. The company then creates a digital map of the graveyard and erects a sign showing the names and locations of those buried in the graveyard.

The website allows you to search the graveyards to locate specific graves or to browse through a graveyard. The website contains a map showing graveyards which have been surveyed. The majority are in the north and west. There are photographs of each of the headstones.

I searched the site for 4 of my Northern Ireland surnames - Agnew, Birt, Lagan and McElwee. I drew a blank with Agnew and Birt. However, the were a large number of both Lagans and McElwees. The McElwees on this particular site do not come from near my McElwee family. However, my search for Lagan has proved more fruitful.

My gggg grandparents Andrew and Rosanna Lagan (neeMcElwee) are buried at Swatragh, Derry. That graveyard is not yet part of Irish Graveyards. However, both the new and the old graveyard at Maghera have been surveyed. There are 77 Lagans buried in Maghera which is less than 10 km from Swatragh. Although the majority of the burials occurred in the 1900s, there are several for the 1800s. Making a connection with some of them could prove a challenge, but at least I know a possible place to look!

Erected by Patrick Lagan in memory of his father Andrew Lagan who died 21st May 1853, aged 95 years. Also his mother Rosie Lagan, alias McElwee who died 8th October, 1830 aged 52 years.

Also his brother Dominick died 3rd April 1855, aged ?? and also his brother John? who died 18?

Caroline Chisholm

I am currently in England visiting my daughter who is working in London. Naturally I decided I would have to spend some time on genealogical pursuits. The problem was where would I choose for a few day's retreat from London? In the end I decided to go to Northampton to visit the grave of Caroline Chisholm. Caroline is known as the immigrant's friend. She was a well known social reformer of her day. Why is Caroline significant to me and my family? You may recall that Caroline Chisholm was on the original $5 note in Australia. As well as her image there was a picture of a ship. That ship was the Waverley . Caroline agitated at the Home Office to reunite the wives and families of convicts with their husbands and fathers. On 22 June 1847 she wrote that she ‘had just left the Home Office and had obtained a passage per Waverley for forty-nine souls.’ SMH 9 August 1847, extract from letter 30 March 1847. My great great grandmother Matilda Agnew, her older siblings James, Joh

My WW1 soldiers (2) - Ernest Lee Dawson

Ernest Lee Dawson (500) (1885 - 1968) This is the second post in a series of posts over the next few years to remember all the men in my extended family who enlisted in World War 1. So far I have identified 26 soldiers who enlisted between 20 August 1914 and 2 November 1918 and I feel sure I have missed some. Of the twenty six, five were killed overseas or died here in Australia. My aim is to publish these posts on the 100th anniversary of their enlistment. Ernest Lee Dawson (my great uncle) was the eldest child of William Henry Dawson and his wife Bridget Mylan. He was born in the Cooma district of NSW in 1885. On 25th August 1914, less than three weeks after the outbreak of the First World War Ernie, a farmer who lived at Old Bonalbo enlisted in the 2nd Light Horse Regiment in Lismore. Ernie had previous military experience. In 1906, he answered an advertisement to join the Shanghai Municipal Council Police Force, as a recruit. He was appointed on 10th Ja

The Tree of Me

Search This Blog