Mary (McCaughan) Glasgow

Biography
Mary "Molly" McCaughan was born about 1810 or 1811 in County Antrim, Ireland. She married Alexander Glasgow, a farmer associated with Gortereagh and Lisnagaver in the civil parish of Rasharkin, County Antrim.

Her parentage has not been established.

Mary's surname appears in surviving and transcribed records in several forms, including McCaughan, McAughin and McAughern. Her given name appears as both Mary and Molly. These variants appear to refer to the same woman rather than separate wives of Alexander Glasgow. Richard John Torrens, Rasharkin Presbyterian Church Baptisms, 1834–1846 (https://genealogy.torrens.org/BannValley/church/RasharkinP/Baptisms_1834.html), transcription by Barbara Braswell, particularly entries 75, 106 and 203 (accessed 16 July 2026). The page warns that faded or difficult entries may contain transcription errors. Original register: PRONI MIC.1P/292. 
Marriage
Mary married Alexander Glasgow about 1836, probably in County Antrim.

The detailed transcription of the surviving 1851 census records 1836 as the first-marriage year for both Alexander and Mary. 1851 Irish Census Returns: comma-delimited transcription (https://durrushistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1851irishcensusreturnscommadelimitedtextfilejul24_071.pdf), Lisnagaver households 34–37, p. 183 (accessed 16 July 2026). This is a transcription of the same census return, not independent evidence. 

No original marriage entry has yet been identified.

The surviving Rasharkin Presbyterian marriage register begins only in 1845 and is therefore too late to contain their marriage. John Grenham, Church records for Rasharkin (https://www.johngrenham.com/records/church.php?civilparish=Rasharkin&civilparishid=347&search_type=full), Presbyterian entry citing PRONI MIC.1P/292: baptisms from 1834 and marriages from 1845 (accessed 16 July 2026). 

Second Portglenone Presbyterian Church remains a candidate for further research because its surviving marriage register begins in 1822 under PRONI reference MIC.1P/357. John Grenham, Historic Presbyterian church records for County Antrim (https://www.johngrenham.com/records/county_church_full.php?county=Antrim&denomination=Presbyterian&location=Public+Record+Office+of+Northern+Ireland&search_type=full), Second Portglenone entry citing PRONI MIC.1P/357, marriages from 1822 (accessed 2026). 

It should not, however, be described as their known marriage congregation unless an entry is found.
Children
Known and possible children of Alexander Glasgow and Mary McCaughan include:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Children and candidate child of Alexander Glasgow and Mary McCaughan
|-
! Child
! Birth / Age
! Residence
! Evidence and Assessment
|-
| James Glasgow
| Born 17 January 1837
| Gortereagh
| Baptised 9 February 1837. The published transcription names Alex Glascaw and Mary McAughin as his parents. The later reuse of the name James suggests that he died before October 1843, but no burial has been identified and the original register should be checked before treating this as proved.
|-
| Unknown Glasgow
| Entry dated 1838
| Gortereagh
| An incomplete transcription names Alex Glascow and Molly McAughern. The child's personal name and dates were not preserved. The entry should not be assigned to Robert, Ann or another known child without inspection of the original register. 
|-
| Robert Glasgow
| About 1840 or 1841
| County Antrim
| Recorded as Alexander and Mary's ten-year-old son in the 1851 census. His 1866 marriage independently names his father as Alexander Glasgow, farmer. General Register Office of Ireland, civil marriage register, entry 142, marriage of Robert Glasgow and Jane Graham, 5 April 1866, Churchtown, parish of Tamlaght O'Crilly, County Londonderry; digital image (https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1866/11531/8240963.pdf). Proved son.
|-
| Mary Glasgow
| Exact birth year unresolved
| Lisnagaver in 1871
| Married Robert Elder in 1871 and named her father as Alexander Glasgow, farmer. General Register Office of Ireland, civil marriage register, Ballymoney registration district, marriage of Robert Elder and Mary Glasgow, 14 June 1871, Churchtown, parish of Tamlaght O'Crilly, County Londonderry; digital image (https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1871/11341/8162804.pdf). Robert subsequently replaced Alexander as occupier of lot 25 at Lisnagaver. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, valuation revision books for Lisnagaver, Rasharkin parish, PRONI VAL/12/B/4/16B–D, lot 25; valuation revision-book search (https://apps.proni.gov.uk/Val12B/Search.aspx). Alexander remained named through the 1865–1878 volume and was later replaced by Robert Elder. Her identification as a daughter of Mary McCaughan is plausible but her mother is not independently named in the marriage record.
|-
| James Glasgow
| Born 9 October 1843
| Lisnagaver
| Baptised 7 January 1844. The transcription names Alex and Molly McAughern as his parents, and he was Alexander and Mary's seven-year-old son in 1851. 
|-
| Ann Glasgow
| About 1846 or 1847
| County Antrim
| Recorded as Alexander and Mary's four-year-old daughter in the 1851 census. 
|}

The published Rasharkin baptism transcription contains no baptism entries for 1840 or 1841. Robert's missing baptism is therefore more likely to reflect incomplete record coverage or transcription than evidence that he belonged to another family. 
1851 Census
In the surviving 1851 census, Mary was living at Lisnagaver with her husband Alexander and their children Robert, James and Ann.

Alexander was aged 40 and Mary was also aged 40. Both were born in County Antrim, and the detailed census transcription records 1836 as their first-marriage year. National Archives of Ireland, Census of Ireland, 1851, Lisnagaver, Rasharkin, County Antrim, household 35, Alexander Glasgow household; household images (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1851/Antrim/Kilconway/Rasharkin/Lisnagaver/35/) (accessed 16 July 2026). 

Mary's age therefore supports a birth about 1810 or 1811. Earlier estimates placing her birth around 1817 or 1818 are inconsistent with this contemporary census evidence.
Residences
The surviving records place Alexander and Mary within a small area of Rasharkin parish over a period of years:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Residence sequence
|-
! Date
! Place
! Record
|-
| 1837–1838
| Gortereagh
| Residence recorded in the transcribed baptism entries for their children. 
|-
| 1843–1844
| Lisnagaver
| Residence recorded in the birth and baptism entry for James Glasgow. 
|-
| 1851
| Lisnagaver
| Alexander and Mary were recorded in household 35 with Robert, James and Ann. 
|}

Lisnagaver, Gortereagh and Moneyleck are separate adjoining townlands in Rasharkin civil parish, barony of Kilconway, County Antrim. Lisnagaver Townland, County Antrim (https://www.townlands.ie/antrim/kilconway/rasharkin/killoquin/lisnagaver/), administrative divisions and adjoining-townland map (accessed 2026). 

The changing descriptions may reflect residence close to a townland boundary rather than a substantial migration.
The Lisnagaver Glasgow–McCaughan Network
Mary and Alexander were part of a closely associated Glasgow and McCaughan network centred on Lisnagaver and the surrounding townlands.

Several Glasgow households appear together in the surviving 1851 census fragment. 

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Nearby Glasgow households at Lisnagaver in 1851
|-
! Household
! Family Head
! Age
! Occupation
! Notes
|-
| 34
| John Glasgow
| 50
| Farmer
| His unmarried brother Samuel Glasgow, aged 60, was also present.
|-
| 35
| Alexander Glasgow
| 40
| Farmer
| Lived with Mary, Robert, James and Ann.
|-
| 36
| John Watters
| —
| Blacksmith
| Intervening non-Glasgow household.
|-
| 37
| Thomas Glasgow
| 35
| Farmer
| Lived with Mary Ann and their children.
|}

Enumeration order does not prove that the houses stood immediately beside one another. It does establish that John, Samuel, Alexander and Thomas belonged to the same small Lisnagaver residential cluster.

The census explicitly identifies John and Samuel as brothers. It does not identify Alexander or Thomas as their brothers.

Later valuation evidence provides a separate land-based connection. John, Alexander and Thomas occupied consecutive principal holdings at Lisnagaver under the same immediate lessor, Robert Harvey.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Glasgow holdings at Lisnagaver
|-
! Map lot
! Occupier
! Immediate lessor
! Description
! Area
|-
| 24
| John Glasgow
| Robert Harvey
| House, offices and land
| 21 acres, 2 roods, 25 perches
|-
| 25
| Alexander Glasgow
| Robert Harvey
| House, offices and land
| 8 acres, 2 roods, 10 perches
|-
| 26a
| Thomas Glasgow
| Robert Harvey
| House, offices and land
| 32 acres, 3 roods, 15 perches
|-
| 26b
| John M‘Cochrane
| Thomas Glasgow
| House
| No land recorded
|}

The consecutive lot numbers strongly suggest that the holdings were physically close. The valuation map should still be consulted before stating that every plot directly adjoined or shared a boundary.

The combined census, church and land evidence supports a close Glasgow family-and-neighbour network at Lisnagaver while leaving the precise relationships unresolved.
Alexander and Thomas Glasgow
There is substantial circumstantial evidence that Thomas Glasgow was a close relative, and possibly a brother, of Mary's husband Alexander Glasgow.

Alexander and Thomas were:

* born in County Antrim about five years apart;
* farmers;
* able to read and write;
* associated with the same Presbyterian congregation;
* recorded within the same Lisnagaver–Gortereagh–Moneyleck micro-area;
* heads of closely grouped Lisnagaver households in 1851;
* and later occupiers of consecutive valuation lots under the same lessor.

The contemporary Rasharkin Presbyterian baptism register provides a particularly strong FAN connection.

Alexander and Mary or Molly used the congregation while associated with Gortereagh and Lisnagaver. Thomas and Mary Ann McCracken used the same congregation while associated with Moneyleck and Lisnagaver. 

Most notably:

* Alexander and Mary's son James was born at Lisnagaver on 9 October 1843;
* Thomas and Mary Ann's daughter Eliza was born there on 17 October 1843.

The children were born only eight days apart in the same small townland and appear in the same Presbyterian register. 

This is substantial FAN evidence for a close relationship.

No surviving record presently calls Alexander and Thomas brothers. Thomas should therefore be treated as Alexander's probable close relative and possible brother, not as a proved sibling.
Thomas and Daniel Glasgow
A reported will record for Daniel Glasgow of Kilrea identifies Thomas Glasgow as his "late brother" and Daniel Neely Glasgow as a nephew. Will of Daniel Glasgow of Kilrea, proved 1871, reported in accumulated family research as identifying Thomas Glasgow as his "late brother". The original probate copy and complete archival citation are still required. 

This supports Daniel and Thomas as brothers.

It does not establish Alexander's relationship to either man.
McCaughan Marriage Connection
The relationship between the Glasgow and McCaughan families was not limited to Mary's marriage to Alexander.

Thomas Glasgow's daughter Nancy Glasgow married Robert McCaughen.

This provides another direct marriage connection between the Glasgow and McCaughen families within the same local network.

It does not, by itself, establish Robert McCaughen's relationship to Mary.
The 1875 Mary Anne M‘Caughern Witness
On 18 February 1875, at Finvoy Parish Church, Ann (Glasgow) Bellingham married Francis Bellingham.

Ann was the daughter of John Glasgow, farmer.

The witnesses were:

* Thomas Bellingham;
* Mary Anne M‘Caughern.

 General Register Office of Ireland, civil marriage register, marriage of Francis Bellingham and Ann Glasgow, 18 February 1875, Finvoy Parish Church; digital image (https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1875/11190/8100682.pdf), entry 40. 

The witness is relevant because of the established Glasgow–McCaughan network in and around Lisnagaver.

She should not presently be identified as Mary "Molly" McCaughan, wife of Alexander Glasgow.

Reasons for caution include:

* the witness was recorded as Mary Anne, rather than Mary or Molly;
* the surname was recorded as M‘Caughern;
* no reliable evidence currently establishes that Alexander's wife was still living in 1875;
* other McCaughan or McAughern households existed within the wider local network.

The witness should therefore remain an unidentified associate pending further evidence.
Research NotesBirth Date
Mary's age of 40 in the 1851 census supports birth about 1810 or 1811.

Earlier estimates of about 1817 or 1818 are inconsistent with the surviving census evidence and should not be used without an independent source.
Parentage
Mary's parents are presently unknown.

No surviving baptism, marriage entry, will, gravestone, death record or other contemporary source located for this profile explicitly names either parent.

The Rasharkin baptism entries establish Mary's maiden surname in variants such as McAughin and McAughern, but they do not identify her father or mother. 
Possible John McCaughen Connection
A John McCaughen of Mount Pleasant Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, made a will dated 22 February 1815 in which he referred to:

:my onley daughter which I left in Ireland when I came to America.

The daughter was named Mary McCaughen, and John reportedly left half of his estate to her. Irish Presbyterians and the Shaping of Western Pennsylvania, 1770–1830 (https://dokumen.pub/irish-presbyterians-and-the-shaping-of-western-pennsylvania-17701830-hardcovernbsped-0822945436-9780822945437.html), discussion of John McCaughen's 1815 will. 

This is potentially relevant because:

* the daughter's name was Mary McCaughen;
* she remained in Ireland when her father emigrated;
* Mary's revised birth estimate of about 1810 or 1811 means she was alive by 1815.

However, no evidence currently connects the Pennsylvania testator to:

* County Antrim;
* Rasharkin;
* Lisnagaver or Gortereagh;
* Alexander Glasgow;
* or the known local McCaughan/McAughern network.

The identification should therefore be treated only as a research hypothesis, not as Mary's established parentage.
Distinction from Mary McCaughan, wife of John McAulay
This Mary should not be confused with another Mary McCaughan who married John McAulay.

That woman was reportedly born about 1817 in Dublin, married John McAulay in 1840, emigrated to New York in 1859 and later appeared in the 1861 census of Ontario, Canada.

Records identify that Mary as a daughter of Hugh McCaughan. "New York Passenger Lists, 1820–1891", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27T9-VWQ), Mary McCaughan, 1859. "Canada, Ontario Census, 1861", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQWD-6ZH), Mary McCaughan, 1861. 

She was therefore a different woman from Mary "Molly" McCaughan, wife of Alexander Glasgow of Lisnagaver.
Death
Mary was alive when the 1851 census was taken. 

No reliable death or burial record has yet been identified.

A previously suggested death year of 1866 is unsupported and should not be treated as established.

No Scottish, Australian or other overseas death should be attached without evidence connecting the deceased to Mary McCaughan, Alexander Glasgow, Lisnagaver or the known children.
Robert Glasgow's Scottish Death
Robert Glasgow's reported death on 27 November 1902 in Glasgow, Scotland, remains potentially important.

A Scottish death registration would normally have space to record both parents, including the mother's maiden surname, if known to the informant.

The original registration should be obtained before relying on parent details copied from online family trees.
Local McCaughan / McAughern Network
The Rasharkin Presbyterian baptism transcription records McAughern households in or near the same local area.

This does not prove a relationship to Mary, but it makes reconstruction of the local McCaughan/McAughern population a priority.

Particular attention should be paid to:

* Robert McCaughen, husband of Nancy Glasgow;
* the unidentified Mary Anne M‘Caughern who witnessed the 1875 Bellingham–Glasgow marriage;
* McCaughan, McAughin and McAughern entries associated with Lisnagaver, Gortereagh and Moneyleck;
* witnesses to Glasgow and McCaughan marriages and baptisms;
* valuation and estate records involving the same surnames.
Identity and Record Cautions
* Mary's age of 40 in 1851 supports birth about 1810 or 1811, not 1817 or 1818.
* Molly is a familiar form of Mary and does not indicate a second wife.
* The spellings McCaughan, McAughin, McAughern and M‘Caughern should not automatically be treated as different families.
* The baptism transcription is derivative evidence and the original PRONI MIC.1P/292 register should be inspected.
* No parent should be attached to Mary solely from surname similarity.
* The Pennsylvania John McCaughen theory remains unproved.
* Mary Anne M‘Caughern, witness in 1875, should not currently be merged with Mary.
* No unsupported 1866 death should be used for Mary.
* No Scottish or Australian death should be attached without evidence connecting it to the Lisnagaver family.
Priority ResearchPriority 1 — Find Alexander and Mary's Marriage
* Search Second Portglenone Presbyterian marriages under PRONI MIC.1P/357 from about 1834 through 1838.
* Search surname variants including Glasgow, Glascow, Glascaw, McCaughan, McAughin, McAughern and similar forms.
* Record residences, witnesses and minister even if no parents are named.
* Do not assume Second Portglenone was the congregation unless an entry is found.
Priority 1 — Inspect the Original Rasharkin Register
* Inspect the original Rasharkin Presbyterian baptism entries under PRONI MIC.1P/292.
* Check the entries for James in 1837, the unnamed child in 1838 and James in 1843–1844.
* Record the exact original spelling of Mary's surname.
* Examine adjacent entries, marginal notes and witnesses or sponsors.
* Collect every McCaughan/McAughern entry rather than only those already associated with Alexander.
Priority 1 — Reconstruct the McCaughan Network
* Investigate Robert McCaughen, husband of Nancy Glasgow.
* Identify Robert's father, mother, siblings, residence and landholding.
* Search for links between Robert and Mary through witnesses, naming patterns, church records, leases, probate or valuation records.
* Reconstruct McCaughan/McAughern households in Lisnagaver, Gortereagh, Moneyleck and adjoining townlands.
* Treat repeated surnames and proximity as FAN evidence only until a direct relationship is found.
Priority 1 — Obtain Robert Glasgow's Death Record
* Confirm the reported death of Robert Glasgow in Scotland on 27 November 1902.
* Obtain the original Scottish statutory death registration.
* Record the names of both parents exactly as given.
* Record the mother's maiden surname and the identity of the informant.
* Assess the reliability of the parent information according to the informant's relationship to Robert.
Priority 2 — Identify Mary Anne M‘Caughern
* Trace the Mary Anne M‘Caughern who witnessed the 1875 marriage of Ann Glasgow and Francis Bellingham.
* Search Finvoy, Rasharkin and Ballymoney-area civil and Presbyterian records.
* Compare age, residence, marital status and family connections.
* Do not attach her to this profile without evidence establishing identity.
Priority 2 — Investigate the Pennsylvania Hypothesis
* Obtain the original or full abstract of John McCaughen's 1815 Washington County, Pennsylvania will.
* Establish when John emigrated from Ireland.
* Identify his place of origin in Ireland if possible.
* Determine Mary's age or circumstances from probate, guardianship, land or correspondence records.
* Search for associates linking John to County Antrim or the Bann Valley.
* Do not attach John as Mary's father unless a documentary bridge is found.
Priority 2 — Land and Estate Records
* Trace Glasgow and McCaughan/McAughern occupiers through the Lisnagaver valuation-revision books.
* Examine Harvey estate rentals, leases, assignments, arrears ledgers, tenant correspondence and surrender records.
* Pay particular attention to lots 24, 25 and 26 and nearby holdings.
* Look for explicit relationships such as daughter, son-in-law, brother, widow or representatives.
* Follow parcel numbers and tenancy succession rather than surnames alone.
Sources

== Biography ==

'''Mary "Molly" McCaughan''' was born about 1810 or 1811 in County Antrim, Ireland. She married [[Glasgow-951|Alexander Glasgow]], a farmer associated with Gortereagh and Lisnagaver in the civil parish of Rasharkin, County Antrim.

Her parentage has not been established.

Mary's surname appears in surviving and transcribed records in several forms, including '''McCaughan''', '''McAughin''' and '''McAughern'''. Her given name appears as both '''Mary''' and '''Molly'''. These variants appear to refer to the same woman rather than separate wives of Alexander Glasgow.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms">Richard John Torrens, [https://genealogy.torrens.org/BannValley/church/RasharkinP/Baptisms_1834.html Rasharkin Presbyterian Church Baptisms, 1834–1846], transcription by Barbara Braswell, particularly entries 75, 106 and 203 (accessed 16 July 2026). The page warns that faded or difficult entries may contain transcription errors. Original register: PRONI MIC.1P/292.</ref>

=== Marriage ===

Mary married [[Glasgow-951|Alexander Glasgow]] about '''1836''', probably in County Antrim.

The detailed transcription of the surviving 1851 census records 1836 as the first-marriage year for both Alexander and Mary.<ref name="CensusTranscript">[https://durrushistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1851irishcensusreturnscommadelimitedtextfilejul24_071.pdf ''1851 Irish Census Returns: comma-delimited transcription''], Lisnagaver households 34–37, p. 183 (accessed 16 July 2026). This is a transcription of the same census return, not independent evidence.</ref>

No original marriage entry has yet been identified.

The surviving Rasharkin Presbyterian marriage register begins only in 1845 and is therefore too late to contain their marriage.<ref name="ChurchCoverage">John Grenham, [https://www.johngrenham.com/records/church.php?civilparish=Rasharkin&civilparishid=347&search_type=full Church records for Rasharkin], Presbyterian entry citing PRONI MIC.1P/292: baptisms from 1834 and marriages from 1845 (accessed 16 July 2026).</ref>

Second Portglenone Presbyterian Church remains a candidate for further research because its surviving marriage register begins in 1822 under PRONI reference MIC.1P/357.<ref name="SecondPortglenone">John Grenham, [https://www.johngrenham.com/records/county_church_full.php?county=Antrim&denomination=Presbyterian&location=Public+Record+Office+of+Northern+Ireland&search_type=full Historic Presbyterian church records for County Antrim], Second Portglenone entry citing PRONI MIC.1P/357, marriages from 1822 (accessed 2026).</ref>

It should not, however, be described as their known marriage congregation unless an entry is found.

=== Children ===

Known and possible children of Alexander Glasgow and Mary McCaughan include:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ '''Children and candidate child of Alexander Glasgow and Mary McCaughan'''
|-
! Child
! Birth / Age
! Residence
! Evidence and Assessment
|-
| '''[[Glasgow-3939|James Glasgow]]'''
| Born 17 January 1837
| Gortereagh
| Baptised 9 February 1837. The published transcription names '''Alex Glascaw''' and '''Mary McAughin''' as his parents.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms" /> The later reuse of the name James suggests that he died before October 1843, but no burial has been identified and the original register should be checked before treating this as proved.
|-
| '''[[Glasgow-3940|Unknown Glasgow]]'''
| Entry dated 1838
| Gortereagh
| An incomplete transcription names '''Alex Glascow''' and '''Molly McAughern'''. The child's personal name and dates were not preserved. The entry should not be assigned to Robert, Ann or another known child without inspection of the original register.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms" />
|-
| '''[[Glasgow-938|Robert Glasgow]]'''
| About 1840 or 1841
| County Antrim
| Recorded as Alexander and Mary's ten-year-old son in the 1851 census.<ref name="CensusHousehold" /> His 1866 marriage independently names his father as Alexander Glasgow, farmer.<ref name="RobertMarriage1866">General Register Office of Ireland, civil marriage register, entry 142, marriage of [[Glasgow-938|Robert Glasgow]] and [[Graham-21720|Jane Graham]], 5 April 1866, Churchtown, parish of Tamlaght O'Crilly, County Londonderry; [https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1866/11531/8240963.pdf digital image].</ref> '''Proved son.'''
|-
| '''Mary Glasgow'''
| Exact birth year unresolved
| Lisnagaver in 1871
| Married [[Elder-7251|Robert Elder]] in 1871 and named her father as Alexander Glasgow, farmer.<ref name="ElderGlasgow1871">General Register Office of Ireland, civil marriage register, Ballymoney registration district, marriage of [[Elder-7251|Robert Elder]] and Mary Glasgow, 14 June 1871, Churchtown, parish of Tamlaght O'Crilly, County Londonderry; [https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1871/11341/8162804.pdf digital image].</ref> Robert subsequently replaced Alexander as occupier of lot 25 at Lisnagaver.<ref name="LisnagaverRevision25">Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, valuation revision books for Lisnagaver, Rasharkin parish, PRONI VAL/12/B/4/16B–D, lot 25; [https://apps.proni.gov.uk/Val12B/Search.aspx valuation revision-book search]. Alexander remained named through the 1865–1878 volume and was later replaced by Robert Elder.</ref> Her identification as a daughter of Mary McCaughan is plausible but her mother is not independently named in the marriage record.
|-
| '''[[Glasgow-973|James Glasgow]]'''
| Born 9 October 1843
| Lisnagaver
| Baptised 7 January 1844. The transcription names '''Alex''' and '''Molly McAughern''' as his parents, and he was Alexander and Mary's seven-year-old son in 1851.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms" /><ref name="CensusHousehold" />
|-
| '''[[Glasgow-438|Ann Glasgow]]'''
| About 1846 or 1847
| County Antrim
| Recorded as Alexander and Mary's four-year-old daughter in the 1851 census.<ref name="CensusHousehold" />
|}

The published Rasharkin baptism transcription contains no baptism entries for 1840 or 1841. Robert's missing baptism is therefore more likely to reflect incomplete record coverage or transcription than evidence that he belonged to another family.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms" />

=== 1851 Census ===

In the surviving 1851 census, Mary was living at Lisnagaver with her husband Alexander and their children Robert, James and Ann.

Alexander was aged 40 and Mary was also aged '''40'''. Both were born in County Antrim, and the detailed census transcription records 1836 as their first-marriage year.<ref name="CensusHousehold">National Archives of Ireland, ''Census of Ireland, 1851'', Lisnagaver, Rasharkin, County Antrim, household 35, Alexander Glasgow household; [http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1851/Antrim/Kilconway/Rasharkin/Lisnagaver/35/ household images] (accessed 16 July 2026).</ref><ref name="CensusTranscript" />

Mary's age therefore supports a birth about '''1810 or 1811'''. Earlier estimates placing her birth around 1817 or 1818 are inconsistent with this contemporary census evidence.

=== Residences ===

The surviving records place Alexander and Mary within a small area of Rasharkin parish over a period of years:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ '''Residence sequence'''
|-
! Date
! Place
! Record
|-
| '''1837–1838'''
| Gortereagh
| Residence recorded in the transcribed baptism entries for their children.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms" />
|-
| '''1843–1844'''
| Lisnagaver
| Residence recorded in the birth and baptism entry for James Glasgow.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms" />
|-
| '''1851'''
| Lisnagaver
| Alexander and Mary were recorded in household 35 with Robert, James and Ann.<ref name="CensusHousehold" />
|}

Lisnagaver, Gortereagh and Moneyleck are separate adjoining townlands in Rasharkin civil parish, barony of Kilconway, County Antrim.<ref name="Townlands">[https://www.townlands.ie/antrim/kilconway/rasharkin/killoquin/lisnagaver/ Lisnagaver Townland, County Antrim], administrative divisions and adjoining-townland map (accessed 2026).</ref>

The changing descriptions may reflect residence close to a townland boundary rather than a substantial migration.

=== The Lisnagaver Glasgow–McCaughan Network ===

Mary and Alexander were part of a closely associated Glasgow and McCaughan network centred on Lisnagaver and the surrounding townlands.

Several Glasgow households appear together in the surviving 1851 census fragment.<ref name="CensusTranscript" />

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ '''Nearby Glasgow households at Lisnagaver in 1851'''
|-
! Household
! Family Head
! Age
! Occupation
! Notes
|-
| 34
| [[Glasgow-867|John Glasgow]]
| 50
| Farmer
| His unmarried brother [[Glasgow-2908|Samuel Glasgow]], aged 60, was also present.
|-
| 35
| [[Glasgow-951|Alexander Glasgow]]
| 40
| Farmer
| Lived with Mary, Robert, James and Ann.
|-
| 36
| John Watters
| —
| Blacksmith
| Intervening non-Glasgow household.
|-
| 37
| [[Glasgow-987|Thomas Glasgow]]
| 35
| Farmer
| Lived with Mary Ann and their children.
|}

Enumeration order does not prove that the houses stood immediately beside one another. It does establish that John, Samuel, Alexander and Thomas belonged to the same small Lisnagaver residential cluster.

The census explicitly identifies '''John and Samuel as brothers'''. It does not identify Alexander or Thomas as their brothers.

Later valuation evidence provides a separate land-based connection. John, Alexander and Thomas occupied consecutive principal holdings at Lisnagaver under the same immediate lessor, Robert Harvey.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ '''Glasgow holdings at Lisnagaver'''
|-
! Map lot
! Occupier
! Immediate lessor
! Description
! Area
|-
| 24
| [[Glasgow-867|John Glasgow]]
| Robert Harvey
| House, offices and land
| 21 acres, 2 roods, 25 perches
|-
| 25
| [[Glasgow-951|Alexander Glasgow]]
| Robert Harvey
| House, offices and land
| 8 acres, 2 roods, 10 perches
|-
| 26a
| [[Glasgow-987|Thomas Glasgow]]
| Robert Harvey
| House, offices and land
| 32 acres, 3 roods, 15 perches
|-
| 26b
| John M‘Cochrane
| Thomas Glasgow
| House
| No land recorded
|}

The consecutive lot numbers strongly suggest that the holdings were physically close. The valuation map should still be consulted before stating that every plot directly adjoined or shared a boundary.

The combined census, church and land evidence supports a close Glasgow family-and-neighbour network at Lisnagaver while leaving the precise relationships unresolved.

==== Alexander and Thomas Glasgow ====

There is substantial circumstantial evidence that [[Glasgow-987|Thomas Glasgow]] was a close relative, and possibly a brother, of Mary's husband [[Glasgow-951|Alexander Glasgow]].

Alexander and Thomas were:

* born in County Antrim about five years apart;
* farmers;
* able to read and write;
* associated with the same Presbyterian congregation;
* recorded within the same Lisnagaver–Gortereagh–Moneyleck micro-area;
* heads of closely grouped Lisnagaver households in 1851;
* and later occupiers of consecutive valuation lots under the same lessor.

The contemporary Rasharkin Presbyterian baptism register provides a particularly strong FAN connection.

Alexander and Mary or Molly used the congregation while associated with Gortereagh and Lisnagaver. Thomas and [[McCracken-5681|Mary Ann McCracken]] used the same congregation while associated with Moneyleck and Lisnagaver.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms" />

Most notably:

* Alexander and Mary's son James was born at Lisnagaver on '''9 October 1843''';
* Thomas and Mary Ann's daughter Eliza was born there on '''17 October 1843'''.

The children were born only eight days apart in the same small townland and appear in the same Presbyterian register.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms" />

This is substantial FAN evidence for a close relationship.

No surviving record presently calls Alexander and Thomas brothers. Thomas should therefore be treated as Alexander's '''probable close relative and possible brother''', not as a proved sibling.

==== Thomas and Daniel Glasgow ====

A reported will record for [[Glasgow-3896|Daniel Glasgow]] of Kilrea identifies [[Glasgow-987|Thomas Glasgow]] as his "late brother" and [[Glasgow-2413|Daniel Neely Glasgow]] as a nephew.<ref name="DanielWill">Will of Daniel Glasgow of Kilrea, proved 1871, reported in accumulated family research as identifying Thomas Glasgow as his "late brother". The original probate copy and complete archival citation are still required.</ref>

This supports Daniel and Thomas as brothers.

It does not establish Alexander's relationship to either man.

==== McCaughan Marriage Connection ====

The relationship between the Glasgow and McCaughan families was not limited to Mary's marriage to Alexander.

[[Glasgow-987|Thomas Glasgow]]'s daughter [[Glasgow-1362|Nancy Glasgow]] married [[McCaughen-4|Robert McCaughen]].

This provides another direct marriage connection between the Glasgow and McCaughen families within the same local network.

It does not, by itself, establish Robert McCaughen's relationship to Mary.

=== The 1875 Mary Anne M‘Caughern Witness ===

On 18 February 1875, at Finvoy Parish Church, [[Glasgow-1371|Ann (Glasgow) Bellingham]] married Francis Bellingham.

Ann was the daughter of [[Glasgow-867|John Glasgow]], farmer.

The witnesses were:

* Thomas Bellingham;
* '''Mary Anne M‘Caughern'''.

<ref name="BellinghamGlasgow1875">General Register Office of Ireland, civil marriage register, marriage of Francis Bellingham and [[Glasgow-1371|Ann Glasgow]], 18 February 1875, Finvoy Parish Church; [https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1875/11190/8100682.pdf digital image], entry 40.</ref>

The witness is relevant because of the established Glasgow–McCaughan network in and around Lisnagaver.

She should '''not''' presently be identified as [[McCaughan-222|Mary "Molly" McCaughan]], wife of Alexander Glasgow.

Reasons for caution include:

* the witness was recorded as '''Mary Anne''', rather than Mary or Molly;
* the surname was recorded as '''M‘Caughern''';
* no reliable evidence currently establishes that Alexander's wife was still living in 1875;
* other McCaughan or McAughern households existed within the wider local network.

The witness should therefore remain an unidentified associate pending further evidence.

== Research Notes ==

=== Birth Date ===

Mary's age of 40 in the 1851 census supports birth about '''1810 or 1811'''.

Earlier estimates of about 1817 or 1818 are inconsistent with the surviving census evidence and should not be used without an independent source.

=== Parentage ===

Mary's parents are presently '''unknown'''.

No surviving baptism, marriage entry, will, gravestone, death record or other contemporary source located for this profile explicitly names either parent.

The Rasharkin baptism entries establish Mary's maiden surname in variants such as '''McAughin''' and '''McAughern''', but they do not identify her father or mother.<ref name="RasharkinBaptisms" />

=== Possible John McCaughen Connection ===

A John McCaughen of Mount Pleasant Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, made a will dated 22 February 1815 in which he referred to:

:''my onley daughter which I left in Ireland when I came to America.''

The daughter was named Mary McCaughen, and John reportedly left half of his estate to her.<ref name="PennsylvaniaMcCaughen">[https://dokumen.pub/irish-presbyterians-and-the-shaping-of-western-pennsylvania-17701830-hardcovernbsped-0822945436-9780822945437.html ''Irish Presbyterians and the Shaping of Western Pennsylvania, 1770–1830''], discussion of John McCaughen's 1815 will.</ref>

This is potentially relevant because:

* the daughter's name was Mary McCaughen;
* she remained in Ireland when her father emigrated;
* Mary's revised birth estimate of about 1810 or 1811 means she was alive by 1815.

However, no evidence currently connects the Pennsylvania testator to:

* County Antrim;
* Rasharkin;
* Lisnagaver or Gortereagh;
* Alexander Glasgow;
* or the known local McCaughan/McAughern network.

The identification should therefore be treated only as a '''research hypothesis''', not as Mary's established parentage.

=== Distinction from Mary McCaughan, wife of John McAulay ===

This Mary should not be confused with another Mary McCaughan who married John McAulay.

That woman was reportedly born about 1817 in Dublin, married John McAulay in 1840, emigrated to New York in 1859 and later appeared in the 1861 census of Ontario, Canada.

Records identify that Mary as a daughter of Hugh McCaughan.<ref>[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27T9-VWQ "New York Passenger Lists, 1820–1891", FamilySearch], Mary McCaughan, 1859.</ref><ref>[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQWD-6ZH "Canada, Ontario Census, 1861", FamilySearch], Mary McCaughan, 1861.</ref>

She was therefore a different woman from [[McCaughan-222|Mary "Molly" McCaughan]], wife of Alexander Glasgow of Lisnagaver.

=== Death ===

Mary was alive when the 1851 census was taken.<ref name="CensusHousehold" />

No reliable death or burial record has yet been identified.

A previously suggested death year of '''1866''' is unsupported and should not be treated as established.

No Scottish, Australian or other overseas death should be attached without evidence connecting the deceased to Mary McCaughan, Alexander Glasgow, Lisnagaver or the known children.

=== Robert Glasgow's Scottish Death ===

[[Glasgow-938|Robert Glasgow]]'s reported death on 27 November 1902 in Glasgow, Scotland, remains potentially important.

A Scottish death registration would normally have space to record both parents, including the mother's maiden surname, if known to the informant.

The original registration should be obtained before relying on parent details copied from online family trees.

=== Local McCaughan / McAughern Network ===

The Rasharkin Presbyterian baptism transcription records McAughern households in or near the same local area.

This does not prove a relationship to Mary, but it makes reconstruction of the local McCaughan/McAughern population a priority.

Particular attention should be paid to:

* [[McCaughen-4|Robert McCaughen]], husband of [[Glasgow-1362|Nancy Glasgow]];
* the unidentified Mary Anne M‘Caughern who witnessed the 1875 Bellingham–Glasgow marriage;
* McCaughan, McAughin and McAughern entries associated with Lisnagaver, Gortereagh and Moneyleck;
* witnesses to Glasgow and McCaughan marriages and baptisms;
* valuation and estate records involving the same surnames.

=== Identity and Record Cautions ===

* Mary's age of 40 in 1851 supports birth about 1810 or 1811, not 1817 or 1818.
* ''Molly'' is a familiar form of Mary and does not indicate a second wife.
* The spellings McCaughan, McAughin, McAughern and M‘Caughern should not automatically be treated as different families.
* The baptism transcription is derivative evidence and the original PRONI MIC.1P/292 register should be inspected.
* No parent should be attached to Mary solely from surname similarity.
* The Pennsylvania John McCaughen theory remains unproved.
* Mary Anne M‘Caughern, witness in 1875, should not currently be merged with Mary.
* No unsupported 1866 death should be used for Mary.
* No Scottish or Australian death should be attached without evidence connecting it to the Lisnagaver family.

=== Priority Research ===

==== Priority 1 — Find Alexander and Mary's Marriage ====

* Search Second Portglenone Presbyterian marriages under '''PRONI MIC.1P/357''' from about 1834 through 1838.
* Search surname variants including Glasgow, Glascow, Glascaw, McCaughan, McAughin, McAughern and similar forms.
* Record residences, witnesses and minister even if no parents are named.
* Do not assume Second Portglenone was the congregation unless an entry is found.

==== Priority 1 — Inspect the Original Rasharkin Register ====

* Inspect the original Rasharkin Presbyterian baptism entries under '''PRONI MIC.1P/292'''.
* Check the entries for James in 1837, the unnamed child in 1838 and James in 1843–1844.
* Record the exact original spelling of Mary's surname.
* Examine adjacent entries, marginal notes and witnesses or sponsors.
* Collect every McCaughan/McAughern entry rather than only those already associated with Alexander.

==== Priority 1 — Reconstruct the McCaughan Network ====

* Investigate [[McCaughen-4|Robert McCaughen]], husband of [[Glasgow-1362|Nancy Glasgow]].
* Identify Robert's father, mother, siblings, residence and landholding.
* Search for links between Robert and Mary through witnesses, naming patterns, church records, leases, probate or valuation records.
* Reconstruct McCaughan/McAughern households in Lisnagaver, Gortereagh, Moneyleck and adjoining townlands.
* Treat repeated surnames and proximity as FAN evidence only until a direct relationship is found.

==== Priority 1 — Obtain Robert Glasgow's Death Record ====

* Confirm the reported death of [[Glasgow-938|Robert Glasgow]] in Scotland on 27 November 1902.
* Obtain the original Scottish statutory death registration.
* Record the names of both parents exactly as given.
* Record the mother's maiden surname and the identity of the informant.
* Assess the reliability of the parent information according to the informant's relationship to Robert.

==== Priority 2 — Identify Mary Anne M‘Caughern ====

* Trace the Mary Anne M‘Caughern who witnessed the 1875 marriage of [[Glasgow-1371|Ann Glasgow]] and Francis Bellingham.
* Search Finvoy, Rasharkin and Ballymoney-area civil and Presbyterian records.
* Compare age, residence, marital status and family connections.
* Do not attach her to this profile without evidence establishing identity.

==== Priority 2 — Investigate the Pennsylvania Hypothesis ====

* Obtain the original or full abstract of John McCaughen's 1815 Washington County, Pennsylvania will.
* Establish when John emigrated from Ireland.
* Identify his place of origin in Ireland if possible.
* Determine Mary's age or circumstances from probate, guardianship, land or correspondence records.
* Search for associates linking John to County Antrim or the Bann Valley.
* Do not attach John as Mary's father unless a documentary bridge is found.

==== Priority 2 — Land and Estate Records ====

* Trace Glasgow and McCaughan/McAughern occupiers through the Lisnagaver valuation-revision books.
* Examine Harvey estate rentals, leases, assignments, arrears ledgers, tenant correspondence and surrender records.
* Pay particular attention to lots 24, 25 and 26 and nearby holdings.
* Look for explicit relationships such as daughter, son-in-law, brother, widow or representatives.
* Follow parcel numbers and tenancy succession rather than surnames alone.

== Sources ==

<references />