Ireland and Scotland

Cover Picture Source: https://discovernorthernireland.com

Ireland

The earliest known McCormack in my line was Edward McCormick. As you can see, his last name was spelled "mick" instead of "mack". The change occurred later after the family immigrated to the United States.

Edward was born about 1750 in, most likely, County Antrim of Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland, often referred to as Ulster, was home to many McCormicks. According to the "The Surnames of Ireland: 6th Edition", many of the McCormick families of Ulster were of Scottish origin being a branch of the clan Buchanan-MacCormick of MacLaine.

Tale of MacLaines and McCormicks

In 1538, the MacLaine of Lochbuie Chieftain was evicted by his cousin McLean of Duart from Moy Castle on the Scottish Isle of Mull. MacLaine of Lochbuie is said to have retreated to County Antrim, Ireland and sought the help from the Earl of Antrim to recover his loss. The Earl assembled twelve of his men at arms - all surnamed McCormick - and furnished a boat. In 1540, with this force, MacLaine of Lochbuie was able to regain Moy Castle. To commemorate the help, "Biadh is deoch do MhacGormai" was carved into the stone lintel over the doorway entering Moy Castle. This loosely translates to "food and drink for McCormick" - meaning "McCormick is welcome here".

Sources: https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/mc-cormick/about/background; https://www.maclaine.org/moy-castle

Edward was listed in the 1790 County of Antrim Electoral Register as a Forty Shilling Freeholder living in Monkstown. Freeholders were men who either owned their land outright or who held it in a lease for the duration of their life, or the lives of other people named in the lease. From 1727 to 1793 only Protestants with a freehold of at least 40 shillings a year could vote.

Edward was married to Sarah Boyd, who was born about 1757. Edward and Sarah had the following children:

Thomas b. 19 Oct 1775
Jane b. 20 Oct 1778
Elizabeth b. 10 Aug 1780
Charles b. 20 Jul 1782
**Alexander b. 02 Nov 1784
Edward b. 30 Nov 1786
Ann b. 01 Oct 1788
Mary b. 12 Jan 1791
David b. 12 Feb 1795

Note: The names and dates of birth are from other sources (not personally verified). I am hoping to one day obtain and read a copy of the book "The oldest register of the parish of Derriaghy : County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 1696-1772"

Sarah died on 10 May 1826 at the age of 69 and Edward died on 06 Feb 1832 at the age of 81. Edward's death announcement was printed in the 14 February 1832 issue of the Belfast Newsletter. It lists Edward as a "respectable inhabitant" of Lower Malone.

Source: The Belfast Newsletter 14 February 1832

Christ Church, Derriaghy Ireland

A memorial to Edward and Sarah is located in the Christ Church graveyard, Derriaghy, Antrim, Ireland. A picture of the memorial can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/andyairriess/766200060/.

Scotland

Based on information from the 1841 Scotland Census, Alexander was living in Scotland by 1826. It is not known why Alexander immigrated but most likely due to the booming industry in Scotland, especially textiles.

Irish Immigration to Scotland

Irish immigration to Scotland was part of a well-established feature of early 19th century life in Ireland. Since Scotland was Ireland's closest neighbor, it was an obvious choice for those that lived in the north. In the 1820s, up to 8,000 economic migrants crossed back and forth across the Irish Sea every year, bound for seasonal agricultural work or other temporary contractual work in northern England, Wales and Scotland. Permanent settlement usually required a greater skill base than agricultural labor. Most of the non-harvest migrants came with highly valued textiles and jute knowledge to support the industrial boom in Scotland.

Source: https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Irish-immigration-to-Scotland.html

Alexander married Isabella Rodger around 1825. Isabella was born about 1807 in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland. She was probably the daughter of John Rodger and Janet Lindsay, both from Lanarkshire Scotland.

By 1841, the couple had the following children:

Sarah b. abt 1827
Edward b. abt 1829
Janet b. abt 1831
John b. 15 Apr 1833
Margaret b. abt 1835
**Alexander (Alex) b. Mar 1840

They were living in Wishawtown in Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire. Alexander's occupation is listed as a H L W (Hand Loom Weaver).

19th Century Hand Loom WeaversSource: https://tour-scotland-photographs.blogspot.com/2015/10/old-photograph-women-hand-loom-weaving.html

The 1851 census lists the couple living in Wishaw with the address of Mid Wishaw. Alexander was still employed as a HLW. Alexander and Isabella had three more children:

James b. 22 May 1842
Elizabeth b. abt 1844
David b. abt 1851

In the 1851 Scotland Census, 12-year old Alex was listed as a coal miner. By the 1850s, the textile industry was declining. The workforce was largely female, and the handloom weaving industry had become an occupation of last resort. Most men were likely to work as coal or ironstone miners. Lanarkshire was Scotland’s premier coal producer, and more information can be found at "Lanarkshire as the King of Coal: Boom and Bust".

On 29 June 1860, Alex married Jean Thomson at Larkhall in the Parish of Dalserf. Jean was born March 1838 in Dalserf, Scotland and was the daughter of John Thomson and Mary Scott. On their marriage certificate, Alex is listed as a bachelor collier (aka coal miner) and Jean is listed as a spinster laborer.

In 1861, Alexander and Isabella were residing in Dalziel, Lanarkshire, Scotland with the address of Knowetop, Watsons Row. Alexander's occupation was listed as a cotton weaver. The couple had one more child:

Thomas b. 19 Jun 1854

Also in the 1861 Census, Alex and Jean were living in Dalziel, Lanarkshire, Scotland at the address of Craigneuk. Alex was still employed as a coal miner. They had one child:

Mary b. 2 Jul 1860

Source: https://maps.nls.uk/index.html

Lanarkshire Friendly Societies

Lanarkshire’s miners were among the first to organize collectively. Coal masters could wield a great deal of power over the workforce and their families – they paid the wages and owned the houses. Friendly societies and miner’s associations began to grow as an early form of social security, and in some cases developed into prototype trade unions.

In 1861, the Larkhall Thistle Lodge of Free Gardeners was established and registered at the Crossgates Tavern in Larkhall, Lanarkshire. The Order of Free Gardeners was founded in Scotland in the middle of the 17th century. Like numerous other friendly societies of the time, it admitted non-gardeners as members and created a charitable society to benefit the widows, orphans, and poor of the lodge.

Source: https://maps.nls.uk/index.html

Alex McCormick was a member of the Larkhall Thistle Lodge, and the family still has his short apron (pictured).

The A-N-S-O represents:

Adam the "First Gardener"

Noah the "Second Gardener"

Soloman the "Third Gardener, and

Olive Tree.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Free_Gardeners

Alexander died 19 December 1866 at the age of 82 as a result of a fractured leg. At the time of his death, he was listed as a cotton weaver residing at Windmillhill in Dalziel Parrish. Alexander was buried in Cambusnethan Old Churchyard on 21 Dec 1866.

Source: https://maps.nls.uk/index.html

By the time of his father's death, Alex had three more children with Jean:

Alexander b. 29 Mar 1862
**John Thomson b. 17 May 1864
Isbel b. 09 Dec 1866 (died bef 1868)

Less than two years after Alexander's death, the family immigrated to the United States.

Immigration To The United States

In the late 1800s, people in many parts of the world decided to leave their homes and immigrate to the United States. Fleeing crop failure, land and job shortages, rising taxes, and famine, many came because the U.S. was perceived as the land of economic opportunity. Immigrants entered the United States through several ports, and those from Europe generally came through East Coast facilities. More than 70 percent of all immigrants entered through New York City, which came to be known as the "Golden Door." Throughout the late 1800s, most immigrants arriving in New York entered at the Castle Garden depot near the tip of Manhattan.

Source: https://www.loc.gov/resource/stereo.1s06523/

Next Chapter II. Maryland Coal Miners

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