top of page

Miscellaneous Records

 

Here are records relating to those of the Ó Dochartaigh name from various sources.

 

1660 Poll Tax

The Poll-Money Ordinance of 1660 was a poll tax collected on every person over the age of 15 years (excluded some students, ministers, wives or unmarried children, hospitalmen, and those living on alms). It was "An ordinance for the speedy raising of Moneys towards the Supply of the Army. and for defraying of other publick charges." Unfortunately the 1660-1661 Poll-Tax list, which would've been an incredible genealogical resource, was destroyed in the 1922 fire of the Public Records Office in Dublin. (Read and learn more at irishmanuscripts.ie. There does exist some papers regarding the ordinance, however. Amongst these are a list of commissioners appointed for the execution of this ordinance [i.e., tax collectors]):

 

"For the County of Limerich, …Cornet James Dogherty, …" (Cornet is a military title; a commissioned officer rank)

 

Dissenting voices: rediscovering the

Irish progressive Presbyterian tradition

Roger Courtney. Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation, 2013 (pp. 258-9).

Located by Stephen McCracken 24 Nov 2018.

James Dougherty 1844-1934

James L. Brown Dougherty was born in Garvagh, County Down in 1844 and educated at Queen's College and Assembly's College Belfast. He obtained an MA from the Queen's University of Ireland in 1865. He was licensed to preach by Coleraine presbytery in 1867 and was ordained in St. Andrew's in Nottingham. In Nottingham he met and married Mary Donaldson who died in 1887. In 1889 he married Eliza Todd from DubIin. He was Professor of Logic, Belle Lettre and Rhetoric at Magee Presbyterian College in Derry from 1874-1895. He a supporter of non-denominational National Education and became a member of the Educational Endowments (Ireland) Commission in 1885 and Commissioner for National Education in 1890, until 1895. In the 1892 general election, Prof. Dougherty stood as a Liberal in North Tyrone and was defeated by a member of Lord Abercorn's family, standing as a Conservative. On the teeth of substantial Unionist opposition, Dougherty supported Gladstone's Home Rule Bill in 1893, along with Rev. J.B. Armour, at the Presbyterian Assembly of April 1893. He and the Rev. J.D.C. Houston published Are Protestants afraid of Home Rule? They were satisfied that the Bill included sufficient safeguards for minority rights under an Irish parliament. However, the General Assembly voted to oppose Home Rule. By 1908 the ne temere decree of the Roman Catholic church, which was held responsible for a Belfast Roman Catholic's abandonment of his Presbyterian wife, aroused strong feelings in Ulster and reinforced opposition to Home Rule. To the horror of unionists, Dougherty was appointed Under-Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant by John Morley in 1895. He was knighted in 1902 and became a privy councillor in 1910. Following his resignation as Under-Secretary he was elected Liberal Member of Parliament for Londonderry in 1914, until 1918. Dougherty died in London in 1934.

Sources Campbell 1991; Holmes 1985; Newman 1993.

 

24 O 39/JOD/ 323 (18.5cm, 2p.)

25 February 1856 Holograph letter from John Edward Pigot, to John O’Donovan. Pigot wishes to introduce Mr. Meehan of the North West Bar who is anxious to discuss 'the rights of the O'Dohertys, under the Irish Law' to the fishing rights of Lough Foyle.

 

 

 

William Daugherty & Ellen McKeever: Love across the Causeway

 

Story regarding William Daugherty 1766-1817 and his wife Ellen McKeever (1764-1827), American Immigrants from Ireland.

 

"M. A. Daugherty' family story: William was born within sight of the Giant's Causeway. Eleanor lived across the Irish Sea in Scotland. They communicated by sending signals with flags and lanterns. When they immigrated to The United States, william bought a farm in Western New York 12 miles east of Rochester. In 1835 they moved to Coldwater, MI." (from Cecil Banner, a descendant, 2010, on ancestry.com)

 

"The story is true. The story is almost correct. Except when she would signal to him he would row across the channel to visit. I have been to the Giants Causeway and its a bit of a distance to row." (Owen1Amanda, a descendant, 2018, message on ancestry.com)

Cahell O'Dogherty (1655)

REPOSITORY: The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Belfast, Northern Ireland.

SOURCE: Documents located and images provided by Stephen McCracken. Stephen, a genealogist by trade, often finds his work takes him to PRONI. He has been so kind to share with us snapshots of documents that relate to Ó Dochartaighs, as he comes across them during the course of his work. Right click the photographs to open the best resolution image in another tab to view further. If you have any questions about these documents, feel free to reach out to Stephen, as he is quite knowledgeable about both the records as well as the historical and sociological context in which they were made.

CONTEXT: Cahell O'Dogherty (1655) appears to be a notary for a number of deeds during the 1600s in Aghanloo and Dungiven. These documents were in a box noted "Miscellaneous" and were opened for the first time in 50 years and organized by Stephen McCracken on 23 Nov 2018. Mr. McCracken said "Cahell would be either a Presbyterian or Church of Ireland elder or even preacher. There are not many names in the Lord Kirkcudbright plantation documents but this Cahell did come up a few times. Sir Robert McClelland (Lord Kirkcudbright) originally was given part of Donegal but after a year or so sold it. Kirkcudbright was given the Haberdashers' estate outside Limavady. Exorna is in Articlave (north County Londonderry)." (three images below).

Hester Dougherty / William Docherty 1732/3

REPOSITORY: The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Belfast, Northern Ireland.

SOURCE: Documents located and images provided by Stephen McCracken. Stephen, a genealogist by trade, often finds his work takes him to PRONI. He has been so kind to share with us snapshots of documents that relate to Ó Dochartaighs, as he comes across them during the course of his work. Right click the photographs to open the best resolution image in another tab to view further. If you have any questions about these documents, feel free to reach out to Stephen, as he is quite knowledgeable about both the records as well as the historical and sociological context in which they were made.

CONTEXT: Hester Dougherty / William Docherty (09 Feb 1732/3). "1733 funeral bill owed to Hester Dougherty of Magilligan at Magilligan. The photo comes from the funeral of the landlord John Gage." (one image below).

The O'Doherty Heritage website is designed to be your place for all things Ó Dochartaigh. Whether your name or ancestry is from a Doherty, Dougherty, Daugherty, Docherty, Dogherty, if your family used another spelling of our name, or if you're from one of our related County Donegal families, such as the McDevitt/McDaid, McBride, McConlogue, or others–we welcome you to the O'Doherty Heritage website!

Visit our other O'Dochartaigh websites, Association of O'Dochartaighs and Dan Doherty's odochartaigh.org for more.

This site is curated by Will Dougherty III in coordination with the The Ó Dochartaigh Clann Association. ©2025 O'Doherty Heritage. Site Policies. Email hello [at] odohertyheritage [dot] org.

bottom of page