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Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 2001-08 > 0997536576


From: <>
Subject: Re: [Scotch-Irish] Ballymena - Rainman - BOYDs!!
Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 06:29:36 -0700


Hi Jonathan,
>Do I really need to mention that if anyone has any information on Boyd's in
>Limavady that they could feel free to reply? I didn't think so.:o)

Not at the moment, sorry! But Limavady is not far from Coleraine
and of course northwestern Antrim. I'd read as much as I could on
Limavady's history and the history of the general area, as well
as the history of every congregation I could
find unless you know they were die-hards of one persuation or
another. "Presbyterian" is not enough unless you are young and have
lots of time left. Were they main stream? Seceders? Covenantors?
The Mullins publish a lot on the general area too -- read all the
local history they or anyone else wrote. Many of these books are not
indexed, so you must read them. If they weren't terribly religious
that's a good clue too.

The FHL catalog would contain info at both the county level
(Londonderry or Derry -- I'd check both), and Limavady itself. Read
it all. Check www.bookshop.co.uk for books on Limavady. Note the
publishers of local history and look in www.bookshop.co.uk for other
books they've published. Do the same with the authors. Get to know
the history well. They may have moved there from Coleraine, so
search wide. Know where there are pods of Boyds that could have moved
into your area. like my NORRISs in Swatragh, L'Derry. Not there
early on. Mine left in 1820. However north of there there was a
place (I forget its name) with huge numbers of NORRISs that the
Mullins said in one of their books, overflowed into other parishes
in the 1700's. Use the same first names as mine. Hey....it's a great
lead. I know there are not any to speak of in Antrim either.

Learning about the local history really reconnects you with the
place where your ancestors lived. These places are so beautiful --
along the north coast and also mid Antrim, and very different from
other parts of Ireland that you may have seen. They must have missed
it SO much when they'd left. When I first visited, I grieved for
their loss.

Limavady always reminds me of "Danny Boy".

Best of luck,

Linda Merle

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