No 4 IRELAND - COUNTY TYRONE and More Family History
From the north of Ireland we headed to County Tyrone where the Kemptons came from (Bryan's mum's father). The day before we left Darwin, while waiting at Gapuwiyak airstrip Bryan met a new Mission Aviation Fellowship couple who had just arrived in Arnhem Land, Jason and Ally. It turned out that Jason grew up in the Cookstown in County Tyrone. He arranged for us to meet with his parents. We enjoyed a great evening with Archie and Ruby.
Bryan's research of Irish record via the internet had not been very successful in 'digging up' useful information on the Irish Kemptons. The Cookstown Information Centre connected us with Vincent of Tyrone Roots. He has been very helpful.
Mum's father's birth certificate listed his father's name as Isaac Kempton and his birth place as Dunmore, Cookstown, County Tyrone. Dunmore is a short drive northern west of Cookstown towards the Sperrin Mountains.
Below is the lane that leads to Kempton country - or Campton, as it is mostly spelt here.
It is common to have some spelling variations in names when researching ancestry and this is the case with the Kemptons. We have discovered that even within the same record the spelling can change from Kempton to Campton. Below is an old stone dwelling where Isaac's grandfather lived.
Below - looking in the opposite direction to the photo above shows one of the small fields where the Kemptons made a living.
Isaac's father, Robert Kempton and his mother, Eliza Jane Kempton were married in this church at Claggan Presbyterian. Robert and Eliza lived over the road from each other. They may have been cousins however we are still working on proving that.
There are still Camptons living on some of the property that has been in the family for many years. We met Derek Campton (Kempton) and his wife Lorna. They were very warm and hospitably.
Our first taste of some cold weather on this trip requiring some serious defrosting before we could go anywhere.
As we farewelled our B&B hosts some light snow started falling.
Cooktown has been a market town for many years. The Kemptons probably came into these markets and bought and sold here. Cookstown boasts the longest, straightest main street in Ireland. This was the view last Saturday morning looking north towards the snow covered Sperrin Mountains. Dunmore lies in the foothills of these mountains.
Turning around towards the south this photo was taken at 12 midday. Yes, that is correct. That is how high the sun is at midday in late November in Ireland.
In Ireland and the UK it is common to see tractors on the roads, including main roads! They even go shopping in their tractors. Nancy's sister Heather will be get a good laugh out of the photo below.
Nancy has been very good so far and only visited one antique shop in two weeks - however she could not resist this market in Cookstown. Here she is checking out the stall of our B&B host.
Our time in Ireland has now come to an end - all to soon. We will be flying to the London - Luton early tomorrow morning (Sunday).
Catch you all next blog from the UK. Cheers Bryan and Nancy
Comments
Do you have a record of a Robert James Kempton being born about 1838?