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Andrew Muirhead, maybe from Creevery

AntrimAntrim (Antrim)

Hello:

I am looking for birth records for my great grandfather, Andrew Muirhead, born in 1879. (Married in Canada to Elizabeth Mary Martin of Ballynacaird - managed to meet somehow, in Saskatchewan).

There were relatives in the '80s in Ballymena, who my grandmother visited but the rest of us have not managed to keep in touch, unfortunately.

According to information posted online by other relatives, Andrew was born in "Cravery" (which does not exist, as far as I can tell), and my guess is it must be Creevery. Apparently some siblings were born in Ballynacaird and Kilnacolpagh, so with Creevery in the general vicinity, I assume this may be correct. His parents were Sam Moorhead and Jane Muirhead. There were quite a few siblings, some of which apparently took (or were given) the mother's version of the surname, and some the father's, according to some information posted online by relatives.

Can anyone inform me whether there was a Presbyterian church in Creevery in 1879 or if I should look in a nearby town?

Thank you very much!

audaciouspigle…

2 replies

This looks to be Andrew Moorhead’s birth on 6.6.1879 in Kilnacolpagh:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1879/02922/2070483.pdf

His parents married in Ballymena Register Office in 1864:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1864/11596/8267660.pdf

You ask about a Presbyterian church in Creevery. Creevery is about 20 miles away from both Kilnacolpagh & Ballynacaird. It’s near Toome. The nearest Presbyterian church to Kilnacolpagh is Buckna but Presbyterians didn't always attend the nearest church to where they lived. Many folk around Ballynacaird attend either Broughshane 1st or Broughshane 2nd.  All 3 are possible churches.

Having said that I note that Samuel & Jane married in Ballymena Register office. You would wonder why. Were they Brethren at one time perhaps?

This looks to be Sam & Jane in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Slemish/Ballyna…

This was the only Moorhead family in Kilnacolpagh in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Slemish/Kilnacolpagh/939588/

The nephew Thomas in that census looks to be one of Samuel & Jane’s children. This may be his birth:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1870/03363/2233189.pdf

People didn’t bother much about spelling in Ireland in the 1800s and it varied all the time. Moorhead and Muirhead would be interchangeable. Using one or the other was not an indication that the family had changed the spelling. Just that they were indifferent to how it was spelled. Often it was at the whim of the person recording the information.

There are about 6 or 7 Moorhead gravestones in Buckna Presbyterian churchyard. 3 have no inscriptions, just the surname.  This one mentions Muirhead of Ballynacaird:

Erected by Andrew Muirhead, Ballynacaird In memory of his father William Muirhead who died 11th November 1886 aged 66 years Also his mother Elizabeth Muirhead died 6th February 1892 aged 68 years Also his brother Thomas Muirhead died 7th February 1927 aged 71 years Also the above named Andrew Muirhead who died 20th November 1940 aged 88 years

I noticed this stone in Racavan graveyard which mentions Thomas Moorhead of Ballynacaird:

Erected In Memory of Sarah Morrow Wife to John Moorhead of Teenis, she departed this life 18th of March 1824 aged 72 years. Also their son Thomas Morrhead Who departed this life 14th December 1830 Aged 32 years Also Thomas Moorhead. Ballynachaird Died 9th March 1903, Aged 83 years His wife Mary Moorhead, Died 1st April 1903 Aged 79 Years. and Jane Moorehead, Spinster Died 21st July 1917, aged 62 years Also Elizabeth Davison, Died 8th Jan 1928

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

I would guess that Andrew emigrated first, to get a job and somewhere to live and Elizabeth Mary Martin then went to join him.

You are from a very big family!!!

Andrew's grandparents were:

  • ELIZABETH (Eliza) DAVISON (1824 – 06/02/1892) was born in Shilnavogie.  She died in Ballinacaird of a Stroke/paralysis for 1 year, age 68.
    About 1842 she married William Moorhead (c1820 – 11/11/1886), born at Hillhead, Ballinacaird.  William was the son of John (Old Jack) Moorhead (c1795) and his wife, Jennie Mills (1798) (born at Hillhead), and inherited their farm called ``Hillhead'' in the townland of Ballynacaird, where he and Eliza lived.  William died at the age of 66 (Brain Disease). Both William and Eliza are buried at Buckna Presbyterian Church Old Graveyard, with name spelled Muirhead).

Eliza and William had 14 Children:

Andrew's parents were:

Jane (Big Jenny) Moorhead (01/10/1842 – 31/05/1913), was born at ``Hillhead''.  Jane died age 70 from Thyroid Cancer, at ``Causeyend'' .
Married in Ballymena Registrar’s Office on 25 February 1864 to Samuel (Sam the Butcher) Moorhead (1845 – 02/01/1934) age 88, born at Cravery near Kells, Co Antrim, a farmer and travelling butcher.  Samuel's parents were James Moorhead (c1820) and Esther Jane McNeill (c1820).  Samuel and Jane lived in Cravery near Kells for many years.  Much later they moved back to the farm of their son, Thomas, at "Causeyend" in the townland of Kilnacolpagh.  The present address for ``Causeyend'' is 21 Kilnacolpagh Road, Aughafatten, Ballymena.  Samuel also died at ``Causeyend''.  They are buried in Racavan Burying-Ground, spelling Muirhead.
They had 13 children, 10 of whom emigrated to Canada.

Presbyterians generally did attend the nearest church to where they lived but sometimes did not get married there.  If the girl was pregnant then they would get married quietly in a different church.  Janes son James was born 4 months after her wedding.

There is a lot of information on these Moorheads/Muirheads on Wikitree.

hamiltonh1@vir…

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