Dempster Family Immigrates to America

The Dempster family immigrated from Ireland to America in the early 1880s for a handful of reasons, including the poor crops in the County Antrim and the political unrest between the Roman Catholics and Presbyterians. 

In addition, family stories say that Hannah Dempster was so fearful of their home being attacked that she would sit up at night and keep watch at the window with a candle.  One night Hannah fell asleep and the candle set the curtains afire.  It is said that George decided then that it was time to leave for America.  Another family story tells of young male relative that did not return home one night and was found the next morning strung up by his thumbs in a nearby cave.

Two of George and Hannah Dempster's older daughters immigrated to America in May 1882.  Hannah Dempster (b. 1864) and Matilda (Dempster) McGarry (b. 1858), son-in-law Laurence McGarry, and 1 year old grandson Laurence McGarry Jr. boarded the ship Dominioin in Belfast, Ireland.  They arrived in Quebec, Canada in June 1882.  They stayed in Canada until that winter and then left for Brookings County, Dakota Territory.

From Dempster

From Dempster

George and Hannah immigrated with the rest of the family in the summer of 1883.  The family boarded the steamship Devonia in Moville, Ireland in July.  The Devonia arrived at the Port of New York, likely Castle Garden, on the 7th of August 1883.  Their son Thomas died shortly after they arrived and is buried in the eastern United States.  They came directly to Brookings County, Dakota Territory and likely stayed with  Hannah's brother Charles Gray, who had a farm near the town of White.

From Dempster

From Dempster

Ship list images are snippets taken from the ship lists on Ancestry.com's "Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935" and "New York Passenger Lists 1820-1957".


Some family information taken from Jo Kalleymn and Shari Adair's journal from their trip to Ireland in April and May 2006.  Thanks Jo and Shari!

Those Places Thursday: Moville, Ireland

George and Hannah Dempster and their family left Ireland from the port at Moville in 1883.  This is a view of Moville, Ireland that was taken by Jo Kallemeyn and Shari Adair from a ferry in 2006, about 123 years after the George and Hannah Dempter family left Ireland. 

So take one last look at our homeland and remember it well:

From Dempster

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: George and Hannah Dempster

In honor of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, I share a photo of my Irish ancestors.  This is a photo of George and Hannah (Gray) Dempster. 

The little girl was originally thought to be one of their daughters, either Matilda or Maggie.  However, in recent years, some cousins have thought that it could be their granddaughter Mary Boyd, who was born in 1883 in Scotland. 

We also believe the photo was taken in the mid-1880s.

My Irish Genes - Dempsters

'Tis the week of St. Patrick's Day, so I figure I should share some about my Irish roots.  With that said, I only have one Irish family that I know of - the Dempsters.

My fourth great-grandfather, George Dempster was born in Rasharkin, Antrim, Ireland on January 17, 1829 to William and Elizabeth (Wilson) Dempster. His wife and my fourth great-grandmother, Hannah Gray was born in Moyarget, Antrim, Ireland on September 2, 1830 to John and Elizabeth (McConaughy) Gray.

 

They were married on October 31, 1850 in Antrim, Ireland. They had 9 children, all born in either Cape Castle or Ballycastle in the county Antrim, Ireland:

• Elizabeth Hannah "Betty", 1854-1925
• Mary Jane "Jane", 1856-1892
• Matilda, 1858-1937
• William John, 1860-1932
• Margaret Ann, 1863-?
• Hannah, 1864-1939
• Maria Campbell, 1867-1953
• George C, 1869-1942
• Thomas, 1872-1883

The family immigrated to America in 1882 and 1883. (Watch for more on their immigration in another post this week!)  They made their home in Brookings County, Dakota Territory - later South Dakota.

 

George passed away on November 27, 1906 and Hannah on November 22, 1914, both in Brookings, South Dakota.

Mappy Monday: The Journey of My Irish Ancestors

In honor of my Irish ancestors, here is the emigration of the family of George and Hannah (Gray) Dempster.

View Dempster family emigration in a larger map

Locations pinpointed on this map include:

• Rasharking, Antrim, Ireland
• Moyarget, Antrim, Ireland
• Cape Castle, Antrim, Ireland
• Ballycastle, Antrim, Ireland
• Moville, Ireland
• New York, USA
• White, South Dakota, USA
• Brookings, South Dakota, USA
• Aurora, South Dakota, USA

Watch for more about George, Hannah, and the Dempster family this week!