Was it McGuire, Maguire, Meguire or M'guire?

William W. Meguire

While cleaning out my garage 16 years ago, I found this treasured pencil drawing portrait that is15x19 inches (circa 1860s).  Meguire, of course, is Irish.  William's father (Thomas M'Guire) immigrated to America around 1750 from Enniskillen, Ireland (where the Maguire Castle is found).


Thomas married in Philadelphia and settled in East Caln, Chester County, Pennsylvania.  William was one of his youngest sons and was well educated.  He became a school teacher because of an injured leg which kept him from farming. He heard the Prophet Joseph Smith speak in Philadelphia and became interested the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.


After his parents died, William and his wife moved to Nauvoo and from there they moved to Utah.  How do I know all of this, he was my only ancestor whose journals survived.   


My quest was to find how he spelled his name for I found all of the above spellings in Utah books, from cousins family groups sheets and my family group records. I had been corresponding via email with another McGuire who lived close to Philly and he asked me if I knew this lady in Provo, Utah.  I told him no and he said I should look her up because we were cousins.


I did indeed get in touch with her. She had the second handwritten journal/diary that was written by William Meguire while he was living in Plain City, Utah.  On this diary he wrote his name which gave me proof positive how he spelled his name.