2. After the Siege 1700-1800

I had some difficulties at first finding records relating to the 18th Century but there are some church records almost exclusively for St Columbs Cathedral in Londonderry, although I have not seen the full transcription for these records I have both Bride and Groom, the earliest date from 1717 and can be viewed in the Record section under Weddings, I also have an Adam McCorkle baptised in the Cathedral in 1715, father listed as Andrew McCorkle. I have also found 20+ birth records for the 1700's taken from family histories through LDS archives.

The Session book of Burt which runs from 1675 - 1715 also ends, the timing of this may offer some clues, the first great migration of Ulster Scots to the Americas took place in 1718, as stated in the link the first group left from the Bann valley area of County Londonderry but were closely followed by a large group from the Laggan area of Donegal where Burt Presbyterian church is situated. This group is said to have settled in Massachusetts. There are 2 completing theories as to how Irish these settlers were,some historians state that they were living in Ireland from the early years of the Plantation 1607-, whereas others state that many would have arrived as late as 1685 -1688 [1]

18th Century Wills, Diocese of Raphoe 1707

An Andrew McCorkell executed a will in the Barony of Raphoe in 1707(no other details known)first time I have seen this spelling of the surname. I am unsure if this will survives (probably not). Again it could conceivably be the same Andrew encountered in the 17th century.[4]

A Margaret McCorkle produced a Will in 1761 at Drummochill; 1761, can find no reference to a Drummochill but a Drumoghill exsists in the Parish of Raymochy this is probably the townland the Will relates to.

Baptism St Columbs Cathedral 1715

Adam McCorkle Fathers name Andrew mothers name Mary no maiden name given - 14th December 1715

1740 Protestant Census

Protestant Householders in Parishes of Cloncaha, Clonmeny, Caldaff, Desertegney, donagh, Fawne, Moville, and Templemore, head of household was named,

Parish and sometimes Townland included, these are the only surviving parishes from Donegal, luckily these the Parishes that survived include Parishes where I would expect to find McCorkells given future distribution patterns. The last 2 names are from the Parish of Cumber in County Londonderry.

1746 &1760

James McCorkle Butcher Street - Cess Payers Tax Londonderry City

1749

Margot McCorkell buried at St Columb's graveyard

Freeholders

1761 -1768

1761 William McCorkle - Altaghaderry- Donegal

1761 David McCorkle - Altaghaderry- Donegal

1768 Joshua* McCorkle - Altaghaderry -Donegal

Altaghaderry is in the Parish of Killea it sits on the border between Counties Donegal and Londonderry, within 5 miles of the city of Londonderry. Maybe the same Joseph seen above in the 1740 Protestant census for Templemore. McCorkell's still living at Altaghaderry up until the early 1900's where Thomas McCorkell and family were recorded in the 1901 census.

1763

Londonderry Journal 1772 - 1775

Records for this time period were indexed in the late 1980's, several references to McCorkell seeking original articles to expand this archive.

1772 William McKorkell Inn - Keeper of the Bogg - Side

1773 William McCorkell Inn Keeper, Will McCorkel Bogside, McCorkill Widow Bogside

Some other references from the Londonderry Journal from [7]

1779 David McCorkle (Issue 722) Lived near Linen Hall Londonderry

1781 Mrs Ann McCorkell (Issue 907) Lived Bogside, Londonderry

1784 William McCorkell (Issue 1076) In possession of Tenement in Bogside, Londonderry

Interestingly William McCorkell (1728 -1795) father of William McCorkell founder of the shipping line is recorded in his death notice in the Belfast Newsletter as being from the Bog-Side. "Died - in the Bog side in the 74th year of his age, Mr. William McCorkell"

Belfast Newsletter, 2nd to 6th February 1795.

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Moville Parish Tithe records 1774, 1792

1774, Robert McCorkill , Ballymacarthur, £0 7.5 s

1792, William McCorkill, Curraghegary* £3 11s (Name fo the lower part of Ballyrattan townland)

1792, Archibald McCorkill, Ballylane (Ballylawn) £0 11s

These records appear in the Vestry minute book for the Parish but do not appear on the microfilm for the Parish held at PRONI

Dissenters Petition 1775

Original Documents :

The original documents referred to in this index DO NOT exist. No further information, other than that recorded above, has survived.

In 1778 William McCorkhill turns up in estate records for the Abercorn Estate in the Laggan area of Donegal The Laggan area shown on the map above was a fertile low laying region in eastern donegal where several McCorkells have already appeared in the 17th Century.The records appear in the PDF book "The Laggan and its People" available for free download,

which traces the history of the area. below ar

e the 2 entries:[5]

The Laggan and its People 1778, Abercorn Estate Papers

Update July 2010 More quotes are now available from PRONI relating to William McCorkill of Cloughfin

27th March, 1778.

Cloughfinn people wanted lime in Mr. Carey's farm where they always had it. McCorkill said there was lime on his farm but it lay deep.

29th March 1778

He sends papers concerning the dispute between William McCorkill and Mr Carey.

llth May, 1783.

William McCorkill of Cloughfin county of Donegal whose new rent is £11 came here with James Pinkerton whose rent in same town is £11 10s. and said that McCorkhill had agreed to sell his farm to Pinkerton; McCorkhill said that the price was £15 yet I can not believe but it is more; Pinkerton is a very substantial tenant, and I know no other objection to it, but that he lives in St Johnstown; he certainly manages the farm he has already there much better than the former tenant did; I asked him if he got McCorkhill's whether he would go and live there; he said he could not promise but he thought it was very likely that he would; he carried on the distilling business in St Johnstown.There are some young men from this town taking out linen and other articles to America, and some tradesmen going to settle there, and some few I hear of going from different parts; I can hardly think that McCorkill will go, as he is an elderly man; I asked what he purposed doing; he said he had not quite resolved.

(Cloughfinn now known as Castlefinn)

So 2 entries presumably the same person William McCorkhill, the estate records may hold more references not published in the book, Estate records are not comprehensive for Donegal and few survive for areas of interest.

25th May 1783

'James Pinkerton who has a holding in Cloughfinn, and who has bargained with William McCorkill for his holding there

Interesting to note the reference to America and the hint that McCorkill may have been going to America although the author of the piece reckoned he was too old.

Flax Growers Bounty

The Flax Growers Bounty list at the end of the century gives a good idea of the spread of McCorkells at this time, almost all the tenant farmers in Ireland would have appeared in these lists the following McCorkell's appear for Donegal, unfortunately the names were listed by Parish only. What the list does show is the spread of the name over the hundred year period.

M'Corkil Andrew Templemore Donegal

M'Corkil Manus Kilbarron Donegal

M'Corkil Patrick Clonleigh Donegal

M'Corkill Mary Templemore Donegal

M'Corkle James Tullyaughnish Donegal

M'Corkle John Conwal Donegal

M'Corkle Robert Rye Donegal

M'Corkell James Fahan Upper Donegal

M'Corkle William Fahan Upper Donegal

M'Corkle William Moville Upper Donegal

So at the end of the 18th Century we have 10 families of McCorkells farming the land in Donegal, a further 4 located in County Londonderry, although the Parish of Templemore could have been either side of the county border

M'Corkle Alexander Tamlaght Finlagan Derry

M'Corkle Andrew Templemore Derry

M'Corkle Thomas Templemore Derry

M'Corkle William Tamlaght Finlagan Derry [3]

Above shown on map is the Parish of Tamlaght Finlaggan near the town of Limavady o. Londonderry.

Co Tyrone Flax Growers Bounty List

Single entry for County Tyrone

Peter M'Corkill Dromore, County Tyrone

Londonderry Journal, and Donegal and Tyrone Advertiser. Derry : 1772. Folio.(Established in June of that year, by Geo. Douglas(" Derriana"), who edited it until 1796, when it was taken over by John Buchanan and Wm, McCorkell. In progress.)6

Free Men Records Derry City Council 1797

William McCorkle appears on the list of Freemen of the city of Londonderry, the list dates back to 1676, William was the

first McCorkell to appear on the list,this appears to be William McCorkell(1772-1836)of the shipping line

Donegal Supporters of the Act of Union 1800

(List of names of supporters of the Act of Union 1800 which appeared in the Belfast Newsletter Dec 31st 1799)

Geo. McCorkle Crosconnel Clonmany

1 James G. Leyburn, The Scotch Irish: A Social History (Chapel Hill, 1962), p. 238.

2 Copied from transcript held by PRONI

3 Ulster Ancestry Flax Growers Bounty lists

4 Donegal Genealogical Resource

5 Laggan and its People

6http://www.archive.org/stream/ulsterjournalofa10ulstiala/ulsterjournalofa10ulstiala_djvu.txt

7 Irish Genealogical Abstracts From the Londonderry Journal, 1772-1784, Donald M. Schlegel 2001