Dromore to Drumore - a path to presidency

Research by a local solicitor has uncovered a remarkable link between Dromore, its Pennsylvanian twin Drumore, and the Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of a recent American president.
Dromore twinned with DrumoreDromore twinned with Drumore
Dromore twinned with Drumore

Drew Nelson of Nelson-Singleton Solicitors has been carrying out searches for the past 20 years, but only recently discovered that David Mitchell, born in 1681 in Dromore and Jean McClellan, born 1706 in Dromore, both emigrated to Drumore, Pennsylvania ,where they married.

This is the first evidence uncovered of emigrants from Dromore to Drumore.

This discovery is fascinating in itself, but as chance would have it they are also the ancestors of President George W Bush.

It was Drew’s research which first revealed Drumore was named after Dromore, and out of this discovery the town twinning scheme was established in 1996.

Drumore was originally spelt Dromore, but for reasons unknown, was changed around 100 years ago.

Drew searched through copies of maps of the original settlers, and found David Mitchell holding land under an Order dated April 2, 1742. He also found an extract from Original Land Grants in Drumore Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania which show that David Mitchell received an additional Land Grant on the February 14, 1749. David Mitchell and his wife both died in Drumore, David on November 7, 1757 and Jean in 1746.

Drumore Township is on the southern border of both Lancaster County and the state of Pennsylvania.

The area was disputed between the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania and it is believed that the Pennsylvania authorities directed Scots-Irish settlers into that area as they felt they would robustly defend the border with Maryland.

The vast majority of the original settlers’ names are local to County Down including Reed, Simpson, McIntyre, Smith, Crawford, Porter, Fleck, Boyd, Knox, Alexander, White, McGlaughlan, Saunders, Liggit, McElroy, Clark, Richey, Long, King, Scott, Martin, Robinson, McClellan, Penney, Neel, McDowell, Bradley, Caldwell, McNiel, Moore, McCullough, Mitchell, Steel, Thom, Maxwell, Irwin, Neal, Morrison, Brown, Graham, Huey, Buchanon, McKleheny, Rowland, Hughes, Nelson and Barkley.

Some of the original farm names are Dungannon, Downpatrick, Lurgan, Lisburn, King’s Choice and Drumore.

The original settlers on the farm named Drumore were Samuel Morrison followed by James and Hugh Martin.

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