Stories From The Past

A Memory of Claudy.

My maternal grandfather - Hugh Duddy - was born in a farming community in the county. My mother would tell me stories of visiting relatives in two farms, Mulderg and Coulnaculp (spelling is probably very wrong). Her memories were full of colourful characters and wonderful summer days. At that time she would sail from "The Broomielaw" in Glasgow to Londonderry where she was met by a horse-drawn cart or she'd catch a bus to Claudy and wait at the post office to be met. A distant cousin was post mistress at that time.
My grandfather came to Glasgow around the turn of the century where he met and married a young woman from Montrose. They had six children, of whom my mother was the oldest, born in 1904. He used money from his parents to buy a licenced premises in Glasgow which he owned until the beginning of the Second World War.
He would give my mother bottles of Scotch whisky to give to uncles which she found very embarassing if she was stopped and searched at check-points.
I'd love to hear from anyone with information about the Duddys or the farms.
My ambition is to visit Claudy myself.

---

---