Rev James.McAskie

Rev James McAskie Philadelphia & Ireland

Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania flag

James McAskie (1823-1897) was the son of John McAskie and Betty Gordon, who farmed at Whitehouse, Ardstraw. They were my great grandparents

Licensed as a minister at Strabane Presbytery in 1851, he emigrated to USA & became the pastor of a Philadelphia church - South Western Church where he was ordained in 1854. He was Minister there from 1854-63.

Two of his 2 sermons there are available at Presbyterian Historical Society.

Eternal Life : preached 29th May, 1859, in the South Western Presbyterian Church,

The Withered Leaf : a discourse on Isaiah LXIV:4, delivered in the South Western Presbyterian Church in 1855

In 1858 he married Mary Jane Gordon in Philadelphia. Their son John Gordon was born in 1859.

Rev James returned to Ireland in 1863 presumably because of his wife's illness. She died 3 January 1864, aged 29 and was buried at Scarvagherin graveyard near Whitehouse, Ardstraw - the home of Rev James' parents. Could she have been his cousin? His mother was Gordon. Maybe she had emigrated to USA with her family. Her son remained in US - see below.

Headstone for Rev James' first wife Mary Jane Gordon

Click Image to open
Gravestone (face downwards) for Mary Jane Gordon McAskie,
wife of Rev James - she died 3 January 1864

Rev James was installed at II Clontibret Castleshane Co Monaghan on 28 December 1864

Rev James then married Eliza Ann Moorhead of Smithborough, Co Monaghan Ireland in 1866 and they had 3 children viz Jane Eliza b 01 Jun 1868, Thomas Moorhead b 09 Dec 1869, Edward Moorhead b 25/06/1872 and Amelia b 30 Sep 1874. Rev James died on 26th June 1897

Jane Eliza born 1868 in Castleshane Monaghan married Richard Atkinson Crawford , physician, born 1867, of Forthill Clontibret, son of Richard & Sarah Jane Crawford - he was a farmer and mill owner

They had 4 children Eileen Mary, b 1895 Jean, Kathleen & Edward Sidney Atkinson b 1900

Jean married Canon Tyler.

Rev James' widow Eliza moved to the seaside at Bangor Co Down with her son Edward and daughter Amelia and lived at 37 Princetown Road.

Edward died 08 Jul 1898 and Eliza died 25 September 1922

Edward and his mother are both buried at Bangor Abbey. The move to Bangor may have been for Edward's health?

Bangor Abbey

He died 26 June 1897

His very extensive obituary appeared in The Witness
in July 1897

available from Presbyterian Historical Society

From the History of Presbyterian Congregations p 313

Rev James had obviously made many friends whilst in Philadelphia - could it be that his "cousins" were still there when he returned?

His will:-

Will of Rev. James McAskie, Presbyterian minister of Corrinshigo [Clontibret, Co. Monaghan] who died 24/6/1897 was probated at Armagh District Probate Registry 12/10/1897 by James Moorhead of 6 Dunelin, Malone Road, Belfast, surgeon, Lieutenant-Colonel and Thomas Moorhead of Killykeenagh, Co. Monaghan, gentlemen, the executors. Effects Ł812.5s.7d

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