When I was unable to sleep (because of the heat?), I got to thinking about how to present all the research I have been doing over the past year/2 decades/since the late 1990s. I have uncovered so many McCrystals (and the derivations of spelling) that I become mind-boggled just keeping the different people straight in my head as well as in the database. I took on of the smaller quantity of a name – Francis. In the various databases I found 8 deaths, 11 births, 12 marriages over the roughly 140 years.
I thought trying to delineate them (with the variations of spelling) here might help me sort them out. So here goes: 11 Births
9/16/1902 – Francis MCCRYSTAL of Clogher; mother – Rose Ann TURBIT; Father – Patrick McCrystal; #455 in my DB;
1/8/1885 – Francis MCCRYSTAL of Anagher, Dungannon; mother – Mary QUINN; Father – Hugh McCrystal, school master; #362;
3/30/1883 – Francis MCCRYSTAL of Dungannon; mother – Catherine EARLY; Father – Francis, Hackler (related to Flax production); #876;
2/8/1893 – Francis MCCRYSTAL of Clogher; mother – Jane MCELROY; Father – Michael, school teacher; #285;
11/23/1865 – Francis of Millford, Co. Donegal; mother – Ann FRIEL; father – Dennis, Labourer; Not in FH7;
5/30/1867 – Francis MCCRYSTAL of Gortin; mother – Mary MCCAY; Father – Francis, occupation unknown at this time; #1376;
4/21/1865 – Francis MCCRYSTAL of Magherafelt; mother – Ellen MAGUIRE; Father – John of Glenone, farmer; #1421;
1/11/1864 – Francis MCCRYSTAL of Dungannon; mother- Mary Ann WALSH; father – John, flax dresser; # (uncertain at this time)
5/23/1887 – Francis Joseph MCCHRYSTAL of Limavady; mother-Mary Jane OBRIEN; father – John, labourer; #1427;
6/17/1886 – Francis MCCRYSTALL of Gillygooly, Omagh; mother – Maggie MCCANNEY; father – John, labourer; #877;
11/23/1893 – Francis MCCRYSTALL of Omagh; mother – Jane Nevius; father – Owen MCCRYSTALL of Drumduff, farmer; # Unknown at this time;
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NEXT UP: 8 Deaths (some more heart-breaking than others)
6/24/1915 – Francis Michael MCCRYSTAL of Omagh, 8 months, Cause of Death (COD) – Debility from Birth with no medical attendant; son of a farmer from Devoran; mother – Mary MCCRYSTAL;
3/26/1909 – Francis Joseph MCCRYSTAL of Eastgill, Malltmena; 1/2 hour; COD – Congenital Debility, certified (meaning medical in attendance); son of John MCCRYSTAL;
1864 – Francis MCCRYSTAL of Armagh; age 62; No Image available, so no detail;
4/9/1913 – Francis MCCRISTAL of Mullaslin, Omagh; age 65; COD – Chronic Bronchitis; Patrick NUGENT – present at death;
12/5/1896 – Francis MCCHRYSTAL of Co. Londonderry; age 33; died at the Derry Asylum; COD – mania epilepsy & exhaustion over 3 days;
2/11/1886 – Francis MCCRYSTALL of Mullaugh, Omagh; age 51; farmer, married, entry not completed; cancelled;
3/13/1905 – Francis Joseph MCCHRYSTAL of Linenhall Street, Limavady; age 18; COD – Tetanus, 8 days, certified; John MCCHRYSTAL, father, present at death;
4/16/1908 – Frank MCCHRYSTAL of Limavady; living in Limavady Workhouse; age 89; labourer; COD – Heart Failure suddenly – Psoreaiis 15 years – certified; reported by another occupant of workhouse;
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Next Up: 12 Marriages
1/12/1920 – Francis MCCRYSTAL married Maggie DONNELLY;
1/27/1921 – Francis MCCRYSTAL married Annie CONROY;
2/22/1866 – Francis MCCRYSTAL married Catharine MCALEER;
10/11/1874 – Francis MCCRYSTAL married Catherine MCALEER;
4/4/1880 – Francis MCCRYSTAL married Catherine EARLY;
2/19/1884 – Francis MCCRYSTAL married Ann KEENAN;
11/12/1890 – Francis MCCRYSTAL married Mary Ann MCALEER;
8/21/1888 – Francis MCCHRYSTAL married Margaret HALPENNY;
Plus 4 Female MCCRYSTALs married Francis of other last names:
11/17/1909 – Annie MCCRYSTAL married Francis MCKENNA;
4/23/1916 – Mary MCCRYSTAL married Francis LENAGHAN;
7/1/1905 – Mary MCCRYSTALL married Francis MAGUIRE;
9/8/1881 – Ann MCCRYSTAL married Francis MCGIRR;
Marriage detail will be forthcoming as it develops.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- The Francis born 1893 to Owen/Drumduff is worth a note precisely because it shows how dense the McCrystal presence was in that one townland — multiple families, multiple generations, all using the same names.
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Three separate Francis McCrystal marriages to women named McAleer (1866, 1874, 1890) — and a fourth Francis marrying Catherine Early (1880) who is almost certainly the mother of Francis born 3/30/1883 to Catherine Early. That’s a birth record connecting directly to a marriage record in the list.
The Francis/Catherine Early loop:
- Francis McCrystal married Catherine Early 4/4/1880
- Francis McCrystal born 3/30/1883 — father Francis, mother Catherine Early ✓
- Son Francis named after father, Francis — the Irish naming convention at work.
If you have been researching any of these names, please, leave a comment below with as much detail as you have so we can all work together to develop the people – our ancestors and their stories so that others can both appreciate and enjoy learning about days past.