Patrick McQuilkin

Patrick McQuilkin was born c.1796 (calculated from his age at death). His parents are unknown there being few records of ancestors from Rathlin Ireland. A 1734 Religious Census of Parishes in the Barony of Cary, County Antrim, Ireland, appears to show no McQuilkin names of any spelling in the entire Culfeightrin parish. By 1803, in the Agricultural Census for some Parishes of North Antrim, there are three McQuilkin males in Culfeightrin Parish, two with McQuilkins with farms at Torr - Patrick and Rodger. This suggests that Patrick was born on Rathlin Island and moved with this parents to East Torr as a young boy. It is possible that his father (Patrick?) was a farmer and that his son, Patrick took over the lease when his father died. Patrick married Margaret Hamilton born c 1804 and they lived in a small farm cottage at East Torr. The ruins of that cottage are still there beside the road between Ballyvoy and Torr Head. They had five children (that we know of). They were Mary, b.c1897 a spinster who lived with her brother, James (b.c 1845 - d.?), on an adjacent farm and died at age 60 on 03 December 1897 at Torr. James was present at her death. Alexander was born in 1841 and died at age 6 months in 1842 as his father, Patrick, had inscribed on his headstone at St Patrick’s Church Ballyvoy. There may have been another son, born later, also named Alexander, who died after 1897. The eldest born son was John, b.03 August 1835 at Torr and Baptised 22 November 1835.

John (at age 30 yrs) married Mary Sweeney (age 20 years)from Torr head where her father was a member of the Coast Guard, in Craiga Chapel Cushendall 18 June 1867. John went to the gold fields of New Zealnd to raise money to  prepare a home in Hokitika, West Coast, NZ, for his wife. It is uncertain whether he returned to Ireland or Mary emigrated on ther own. Also uncertain is whether Mary was still at home or had left for NZ when her father, Daniel (age 47yrs)  was drowoned in a tragic Coast Guard accident in 1868.

John was became a senior roadsman for the Westland Regional Council and his name is to be found in many issues of the West Coast Times. There is a Creek in the mountains at the head of the Taupo and Arahura  Rivers called McQuilkin Creek. Mary and John had eight children, two of whom (Alice and Annie) became religious Sisters in the first NZ Religious Order founded by Suzanne Aubert (Mother Joseph) from France. Patrick, the eldest worked as did most men in those pioneer days, on various jobs building the infrastructure of the counrty and never married. James was a soldier during WWI and also did not marry. Hugh married as did John, my grandfather. 

John (age 87 yrs) died 08 June 1915  on the small farm on which the family was raised. He left the farm to his second eldest son, John. Mary (age 81 yrs) died in the Home of Compassion, Wellington cared for by her daughter, Alice, 12 November 1927.