Ulster Genealogy and Local History Blog

As I have mentioned before the key to researching ancestors in Ireland is location - townland, parish, county. For those with farming ancestors who held leases it is important to know the history of the townland, who was the landlord and what estate did it belong to? Take for example Isaac Watson whom we find in the townland of Glenkeen in the parish of Glendermott (or Clondermott) in county Derry. Griffiths valuation of tenements reveals a lot about Isaac Watson.   Isaac Watson number 10 in Glenkeen held a farm of some 23 acres from his landlord Henry Stacy Skipton (rateable value of £12-10sh). In addition he himself was a landlord renting 3 houses to John Bradley, Robert Thompson and Edward Jervis. His landlord, Henry Stacy Skipton, was from a prominent county Derry family and his ancestor was Alexander Skipton who had purchased the townland of Glenkeen in the early 17th century, however, he was murdered in 1624 by an O'Cahan over a disputed lease. The Rev Alexander Skipton (c1...

FOUR LIMAVADY BROTHERS - FOUR POSTMEN 130 YEARS ACCUMULATED YEARS OF  POSTAL SERVICE OVER 600,000 ACCUMULATED MILES Below is a photograph of my great, great grandgather George Forrest who was born in 1839 (the Year of the Big Wind) in the parish of Balteagh a rural hinterland of Limavady. His family moved into the town shortly after the Great Famine, where he resided until his death in 1912.  George had five sons and five daughers by his wife Ann Jane Mullan. Four of his sons became postmen in Limavady.  I was able to track down their service records for the Post Office in the Public Records Office, Belfast (reference GPO/5). THE FOUR POSTMEN BROTHERS -  1. George Forrest junior (1874-1895) died in 1895, aged 21 of TB and his death certificate gave his occupation as post-boy. His death was also recorded in the Coleraine Chronicle. Coleraine Chronicle 20 July 1895 2. John Forrest (1869-1953)  John Forrest was a rural auxiliary based in Limavady and he served Gla...