Garshooey

Ancestral location

Miss W. General info , , , ,

 

My answer:

So far, I haven’t found any ancestral castles I could visit. I did visit Samoa when I thought Captain William Smith was my great great grandfather but DNA has disproved this.

Back in 1990, I visited Devon where my Davey ancestors lived. Without knowing it, I actually stayed in the village where they lived.

In 2015, I visited Ireland and the area around Garshooey and Carrigans in Donegal where my Jackson ancestors lived before being transported to Tasmania as convicts.

Since my big trip in 1990, I have found more ancestors from Scotland so maybe I would plan a trip there to find out more about Dad’s ancestors in the South Sutherland area. Mum also has ancestors from North Riding of Yorkshire so could check them out too.

Story 4 – Garshooey townland

Miss W. Jackson, Stories , , ,

An ancestor of mine Anne Jackson (I think this is her married surname) lived in an area called Garshooey. This townland in Donegal, Ireland is just over one and half square kilometres in area. In the 1911 census there were only 64 people living there of which 23 were 16 and younger. Ten years earlier, out of the 86 inhabitants, 40 were 16 years or younger. Even in 2011, there are still only 66 inhabitants in 24 households.

So why were there so few people living in Garshooey townland? Looking at the historical maps of 1840s, there was a Presbyterian Meeting House and National School House west of the little town of Garshooey, a corn kiln to the north in Garshooey Upper and a flax mill to the south in Garshooey Lower.  There were lots of trees to climb, planted along the sides of the lanes in the townland. There was also a couple of mill ponds, maybe a chance for swimming or paddling on hot days. Through the centre of the townland was the main road between Londonderry (now called Derry) and Newtowncunningham.

By the 1850s, less flax and corn was being grown so there would be less cottage industry work for the women of the townland. There would also be less farm work for the men.
This may be a reason why the Jackson family resorted to theft during the 1840s, that finally resulted in transportation.