Back from Northern Ireland!

Distant Cousins

After years of research I was able to finally able to visit the Irish home of my ancestors. It was a wonderful and worthwhile experience.

On the second day of my arrival in Derry (after the jet lag had subsided) I began my quest to find out more about the James family.

After no luck at the local library I decided to give a call to the Jameses listed in the Derry phone directory. There are only a half dozen Jameses listed.

My first call was to a S. James. After establishing who I was, the kind person on the other end, Sarah James, didn't immediately hang-up (she told me later she was hoping the American Jameses were millionaires and were wanting to share the wealth with their Irish cousins).

After discussing the possibility of a family connection, she invited me to her home for the following day. As I pulled up to her home, I was a little giddy on seeing the James sign on the front of her house and the prospect of meeting a long lost relative.

Sarah greeted me at the door and introduced me to her second cousin, Marie Crowley, who like myself has spent many years researching family genealogy.

The furthest they had been able to trace their James line was to a John James. In the early part of the century John married a Catholic girl and being that his family was most likely Presbyterian he may have been cut-off from his James roots.

Looking at Sarah and Marie's old family pictures we all hoped that I would see some family resemblance, but nothing clicked. While we never did find any tangible family connection, I think that many generations before our James line did connect. They surname James is just not that common in Ireland.

I did have to break the news to cousin Sarah that the majority of the Jameses were not millionaires and were unable to share the wealth at this time.

Marie shared the passion of family research and agreed to assist me in my quest to find out more about our James family.

She picked me up early morning on Monday, November 2nd.

In search for the James Family Farm

We headed a few miles from the city centre to Coshquin Road. A narrow road surrounded on both sides by green farmland. We were looking for the James family ancestral home.

Having spent time on Google Map and Google Earth, I had some vague familiarity with the area. I knew from my research that the property sat on the border of Northern Ireland and Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.

These days there is no longer anything to define the border except the Speed Limit signs changing from miles to kilometers.

Marie suggested we head to the Post Office in Bridge End a community adjacent to Coshquin to ask where the James property might be.

The post mistress suggested we speak to 90 year old Robert Crockett who lived just off of Coshquin Road.

We pulled into the driveway of what we hoped was the home of Mr. Crockett.

I stayed in the car while Marie inquired if we were in the right place. A man much younger then 90 answered the door. As their conversation seemed to become more animated, I took a closer look to the layout of the land and remembering the Google Earth image I came to realization this was the old James farm!

I excitedly got out of the car and was introduced to David Crockett, who was there to visit his father Robbie. He told me that his father had a sleepless night and was still in his bed. He kindly checked with his father and confirmed that this was once property of the James family. David then invited us to check back in with Robbie in a couple of hours.

Old Burt Cemetery

In the meantime we headed off to find the graveyard where we know Ann James was laid to rest in 1870.

After some research I found out this is now referred to as the Old Burt Cemetery.

Traveling up the highway into the Donegal and the Republic of Ireland we could see the beautiful hills, Lough (Lake) Swilly and in the distance the single tower of Burt Castle.

From pictures posted on the internet I was able to spot the cemetery off the side of the road. It was a small area about 20 yards by 20 yards adjacent to farmland.

After entering thorough the ivy covered arch, Marie and I found that only a few headstones were upright. Most were knocked over or in their original horizontal position and covered in vegetation. The headstones that were upright may have been newer or replacements and were easily readable. The inscriptions on the rest of the stones had weathered completely away.

I suspect there were other James relations buried here, but for now that will remain a mystery.

For me there was a great satisfaction of finding this place. The family letter received by the George and Sarah James of Iowa in 1870, announcing the burial of Ann James of Coshquin at the Burt Cemetery, was our main clue regarding the James family of Ireland.

Grianan of Aileach

On the way back, we stopped at the ancient fort Grianan of Aileach. This was an important ceremonial and strategic site for the many kingdoms that dominated this area for the past to 2,000 years. Atop the ramparts you have a wonderful view of the counties of Londonderry, Tyrone, and Donegal. During the summer months the Grianan is crowded with tourist. This time of year there was only three of us to enjoy the view.

Davy Crockett's Father
When we arrived back at Robbie Crockett's, the 90 year old widower invited us into his neat and tidy house.

I have never met anyone, of any age as sharp as this man. In between regaling us in stories of Derry and family history he would break into poems based on whatever subject we were talking about at the time. I'm not talking about limericks but poems with multiple stanzas. He would recite these without missing a beat.

New Clues

On entering his sitting room we were handed us a stack of old lease and loan notes. Some these documents showed that yes indeed the James family once leased this land, with rent being paid to a Lord Templemore.
One document in particular proved to be very enlightening. It was created after the death of Robert James, the father of George and Robert James. On this document the land at Coshquin was transferred to the oldest son, Rankin James. It also listed the children of Robert:
Rankin
Margaret
Robert
George
William
Anne

Rankin as the oldest son obtained the land, probably just one of the reasons Robert and George went America. According to Robbie, Rankin was a large man who could carry a plow on his shoulders.

In all my research this was the first clue on who Robert and George's sibling were.

We know that Rankin was a bachelor farmer and stayed in Ireland. The sister Anne apparently passed away a few years before this document was issued.

As far as William and Margaret the search is on.

We also know that another Ann James, the one buried at the Old Burt Cemetery, lived with Rankin. This Ann was either the grandmother or the mother of Rankin and his siblings.

In many families the first son may receive the maiden name of his mother or grandmother as his proper name. As there were and are numerous Rankins living in this area this would make sense.

In Conclusion

I have been hoping to take this trip for many years and it delivered beyond my expectations. A lot of that is due in a large part to Marie and the adventure we had that Monday. I uncovered new clues and was finally able to connect with our Irish legacy.

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Roaming

I had a wonderful journey to Derry. It surpassed what I hoped to experience.

The city of Derry, is a magical place, filled with a history of strife and promise. This is where our ancestors left over a 150 years ago to pursue a better life in America. It must of been hard to leave family and to leave the beauty of the hills of Donegal.

Yet the James ancestors have been migrating for 1000's of years, a constant search for a better life.

Possibly from the shores of Denmark. Then in the 1st century migrating with the Viking leader Rollo to the shores of Normandy, France.

In the 2nd century it was off to England after the Norman Conquest.

Then generations later it was on to the Lowlands of Scotland where they lived for hundreds of years.

The 1600's may have been the time when our James ancestors went to the north of Ireland to farm.

In the middle 1800's around the time of the Irish famine, Robert and George James knew to live a better life it was time to migrate to America.

Now their descendants are spread throughout the far reaches of the U.S., in Florida, Texas, California, Colorado, Hawaii and Alaska.

So if you have a insistent urge to move, know it is probably has something to do with your genetic memory.

Of course my ancient family history is a hypothesis based on historical possibility. Due to poor record keeping of my Viking ancestors this hypothesis may remain just that.

There is hope to prove where we came from, through modern science. As more people submit DNA for genealogical research we may get to see if we are indeed of Viking blood.

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I've been researching the James Family on and off for the last 35 years.

In November of this year I will be visiting the Ancestral Home of the James Family in Northern Ireland.

I have started contacting descendants of George James to assist me with my research and to create a connection with my relatives far and wide.

My Aunt Winnifred has always been to my go-to person for information and without her and my late Grandma Regina I would not have gotten far
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Recently my second cousin Pam King, of the Florida James', has been a great help gathering and posting photos.

Gigi James of the Texas James' has been supportive as well.

I recently was able to contact more relatives in Washington who were excited about the prospect of finding out more about the family.

Please sign-up, tell us a little about yourself. I will be glad to assist you in sorting out on how you fit in the tree.

There has even been talk of a giant family reunion in the near future.

Your cousin,
Mike James

No matter how many years, generations or miles separate us, we are of the same blood.