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1851c McCourt John 1918

Trying to find John McCourts parents. I have no birth certificate for John nor do I have a wedding certificate. Through other research I have found that Johns Father's name was listed on his wedding certificate as John Occupation Farmer. He married Mary Jane Creighton in 1878 Duneane Antrim - her Father listed as William Occupation RIC. They had 5 children Margaret (Spinster), Maude (Spinster), John Albert (Not Married), William George (Edith Annie Miller) and Norman Leslie (Adelaide Maude Robb). Family Burial Ground Carnmoney. John is my Great Grandfather and William George is my Grandfather. Any information would be appreciated.

Joan Sparks

12 replies

John McCourt’s marriage certificate is not on irishgenealogy but it is on the GRONI website (pay to view). I think you’ll find it was overlooked or mislaid at the time of the marriage (and so is not in the irishgenealogy collection) but was evidently found later. As I say, GRONI have it. John McCourt was serving at Toomebridge RIC station at the time and evidently married a colleague’s daughter, at Duneane Church of Ireland. The police station is long gone but the church is still there and in use.

I notice that in the 1901 census John McCourt gives his place of birth as Co Armagh, whereas in 1911 it’s Antrim. It seems more likely to me to be Co Armagh as the RIC had a policy of not posting police officers to any county where they had family connections. Also I see from the RIC recruitment records on Ancestry that there was a John McCourt aged 19 recruited in Armagh in 1869. So I think you are looking for someone from Armagh born c 1850 who was Church of Ireland. Too early for a birth certificate obviously but you might find him in the church records at PRONI.

There’s about 14 John McCourts in Armagh in Griffiths Valuation (1864). You could try researching them and/or look at the John McCourt deaths in Armagh to see if any might be the farmer you are looking for.

Did John, the former police officer, have any siblings? If so, where did they marry? Might be a clue especially for sisters as the tradition was to marry in the bride's church.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Joan,

To add to Elwyn's information, record from RootsIreland (paid subscription)

Date of Marriage:10-Sep-1878  
Parish / District:ANTRIMCounty:Co. Antrim
HusbandWife
Name:JohnMccourtMary JaneCreighton
Address:
Denomination:Church of IrelandChurch of Ireland
Occupation:
Age:Full Age (Over 21)Full Age (Over 21)
Status:Bachelor (Previously unmarried)Spinster (Previously unmarried)
Husband's FatherWife's Father
Name:
Address:
Denomination:
Occupation:
Husband's MotherWife's Mother
Name:
Address:
Denomination:
Occupation:
Witness 1Witness 2
Name:
Address:
Notes:
Church:  DUNEANE Church of Ireland
BY LICENCE REV J J BROWNE MGR: THIS IS A DUPLICATE ENTRY.

@@@@@@@@@

There was a John born in Dueanne in 1848 but he was Roman Catholic. I found 4 more born in Antrim and Armagh. They also were RC

Name:John McourtDate of Birth:
  Date of Baptism:24-Sep-1848
Address:Parish/District:DUNEANE
Gender:MaleCountyCo. Antrim
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Father:John McourtMother:Charlotte Kennedy
Occupation:
Sponsor 1 /Informant 1:Henry KennedySponsor 2 /Informant 2:Margaret Mcerlain

mtvrdk@gmail.com

Mary,

Thanks for the assistance. Here’s the likely death of Charlotte McCourt, widow of John McCourt, labourer in Duneane.

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1900/05763/4628325.pdf

Here’s John’s own death, again recorded as labourer not farmer:

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1894/05969/4696642.pdf

Family in 1901:

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Cargin/Ballyduggennan/919248/

Joseph's marriage in 1892:

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1893/10584/5855870.pdf

Apart from the fact that John was a labourer, not a farmer, and apparently the wrong denomination, I just can’t see the RIC posting John junior to Toomebridge when he had family living there. That was completely against RIC policy at that time. He really has to be from another county.

I notice that John McCourt was recommended for RIC recruitment by SI (Sub-Inspector) Nunan. (Full name probably Andrew Nunan, a native of Co. Kerry). According to various newspaper reports, SI Nunan was serving in Portadown around 1870, so that’s possibly the general area to search for the McCourt family.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Wow and thank you so much for this information. I will digest all that you have supplied. On first glance is the thinking that my Great Grandfather was born into a Catholic Family and changed to Church of Ireland to join the RIC or possibly to Marry. I am unaware of any siblings that John had but will research that further. Thank you so much for giving me this insight and possible leads to follow. All help is greatfully received. My Mum who past recently at the age of 95 gave me what she could and that is all I had to go on. Many thanks Joan

Joan Sparks

This is the research I have done on My Great Grandfather 

Birth

1851 • County Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

1869 Age18

John McCourt Joined the RIC

3 May 1869 • Dublin

Sponsored by S J Nunan No 35518 Age 19 listed From Armagh 5'8 3/4 " Profession at the time WEAVER Appointed 3rd May 1869 Second No 36651

1878 Age27

Marriage

10 Sep 1878 • Duneane, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Duneane Church - John Constable RIC Mary Dressmaker living Toome Bridge. John's father listed as John a Farmer and Father of Mary was William RIC They were married by Rev JJ Brown Rector of Duneane Vicar of Cranfield Mary Jane Creighton 1850–1928

1886 Age35

John McCourt Acting Sergeant RIC

1 May 1886 • Belfast

1888 Age37

John McCourt Sergeant RIC

1 Dec 1888

1894Age43

Pensioned from the RIC

16 Sep 1894 • Antrim

Current No 126 Discharged Reg No 35518 Service 25.4 yrs Pay 80.12 pounds Pension 48.7.2 pounds Where Paid Belfast Rank Sergeant Country Antrim 44 yrs Record No 6027

1897 Age46

Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland

1897

1901 Age50

Residence

31 Mar 1901 • Castleton Street, Duncairn Ward, Antrim, Ireland

John Married Head: (Inspector Ulster Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Maggie (Confectionary) Maude (Scholar) William George (Clerk Com) John Albert (Engine Fitter) Norman (Scholar) 15 Castleton Street

1911 Age60

Census

2 APR 1911 • Castleton Gardens, Duncairn, Antrim, Ireland

John 61 (Inspector MSPCW) Maggie 31 (Cook) - Maude 29 (Teacher HS) - John Albert 27 (Locomotive Engineer) Norman 19 (Clerk Linen Trade)

Residence

2 Apr 1911 • 15 Castleton Gardens Belfast

Relation to Head of House: Head; Occupation: Inspector M. S. P. C. W; Religion: Irish Church; Marital Status: Married

1918 Age67

Death

9 FEB 1918 • Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Died Aged 67 Inspector MSPCA Died of Carcinoma of the tongue - Son William George McCourt in attendance at 15 Castleton Gardens

Burial

Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Military

Antrim, Ireland

Occupation

Inspector M. S. P. C. W Aged 61 yrs

Occupation

Inspector U.S.P.C.A

Religion

Irish Church

Joan Sparks

To follow up on the above suggestions for Charlotte Kennedy and John McCourt - I have investigated these and do not feel they could be attributed to my Grandfather as his birth was Armagh and he was posted to Toome (near Duneane) where he met Mary and married. He and the rest of my family were all Church of Ireland.  I agree with the point that they were not allowed to be posted to where they had family.  I am having trouble getting onto Groni but have sent a message to reset my account so will follow up on that lead as soon as possible.  To give some context to my enquiry - I was born in Belfast NI in 1956 to James Orr Haire and Mary McCourt and moved to Australia in 1960 where I now reside.I have recently found out by DNA the my Fathers father is not his biological father so these enquires about Mums side of the family have now gained greater weight. I recently visited Belfast and said hi to my rellies in various Grave Yards in Belfast and surrounds. I visited the Church in Duneane but was unable to talk to anyone and could not find any graves of my family following an exhaustive search. Any further suggestions would be greatly received.

Joan Sparks

Joan,

I think that the person who recommended John for the RIC was SI Nunan (rather than SJ). SI standing for Sub-Inspector. There was an SI Nunan serving in Co Armagh in 1869/70 and my searches of the Newspaper Archives place him at a notable riot in Portadown in 1870. I think he was probably stationed there or somewhere nearby. In which case that’s probably where John’s family lived too. You could search the Church of Ireland baptism records for Shankill, Drumcree & Seagoe in PRONI to see if you can find his baptism. Given that you are in Australia, you may need to hire a researcher to do that. For professional researchers in Ulster, you could try the Society of Genealogists:

http://sgni.net/

Regarding access to the Church of Ireland at Duneane, it is still used, normally every other Sunday. It is grouped together now with 2 other parishes - Ballyscullion & Drummaul (Randalstown). The one Vicar covers all 3. He/she does a weekly service in Randalstown and then a second, alternately either at Duneane or Ballyscullion. The Vicarage is in Randalstown but the post appears to be vacant at present so not sure of the actual arrangements.

https://www.churchofireland.org/find-a-church/parish/13220/drummaul-st-brigid-randalstown

The Duneane graveyard has been in use for at least 1000 years. It’s a very old religious site. There are reports of St Patrick having visited the site, but there is no shortage of places he supposedly went. Roddy MacCorley is buried there. (Hanged on the bridge at Toome, opposite the police station, in 1800. Part of the Archer gang and basically a highwayman, but now an Irish hero. Originally buried on the bridge itself (so people would walk over him), his body was later moved to Duneane graveyard. Look up the song Roddy MacCorley on Youtube. There are stirring versions by the Dubliners and by Tommy Makem).

Duneane’s early church records were all lost in the 1922 fire in Dublin. There are baptism, marriage and burial records from 1879 onwards which are held by the Vicar in Randalstown. (He/she has the only copies). Something went wrong with the record keeping around the time John married in 1878 and the original marriage records were not copied to the GRO as they should have been. So the marriage isn’t on the irishgenealogy site as far as I can determine, but somehow the record was retrieved by the time GRONI was set up in 1922. They have it. The certificate is annotated that it is in a “Lost and late” duplicate register.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks again - I finally sorted out my Groni Account and have attached a photo of the marriage certificate. Very interested in the Duneane Church Updates - will follow those up. I will also follow up on your recent suggestions. I have changed my Ancestry Details about SI Nunan-thanks Regards Joan

Joan Sparks

William Creighton’s death in Toome in 1889:

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1889/06127/4749784.pdf

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you - Ellen (listed here as Helen) Lappin was his wife. Lizzie Moore Creighton seen on William Death Entry was Mary Jane Creighton only sibling.Off to bed for me - its 1.18am here in Australia - loving all your help - thanks again.

Joan Sparks

A bonnet maker - how cool.

Joan Sparks

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