Can someone help me with a parish name please
My Great Grandfather, Joseph McKnight was born in Kates Bridge County Down in 1864 -1866, I haven't been able to find the Parish name or the Townland.
Helen in Australia
5 replies
Hello Helen,
There is a reference that Katesbridge is a small hamlet within Shannaghan Townland, Co. Down.
Shannaghan is in the Electoral Division of Balloolymore, in Civil Parish of Drumgooland, in the Barony of Iveagh Upper, Lower Half, in the County of Down.
Brian
BriBoy
Hi Helen,
I use the swilson.info site to convert the Civil Parish to the Catholic Parish.
In this case, it came up with two suggestions.
BriBoy
Helen,
Statutory birth registration began in Ireland in 1864. I searched the records 1864 – 1870 but did not see Joseph’s birth. However in Ireland in the 1800s most folk didn’t celebrate birthdays and ages were often just guessed. So it’s possible that Joseph was born a year or two earlier, in which case you need to search church baptism records. To do that you need to know which denomination the family was.
I see a John McKnight in Shanagahan in Griffiths Valuation (1863). He had a labourer’s cottage – plot 29(i) in Katesbridge.
I also noticed this death for a John McKnight, and the informant was his brother Alexander. The deceased was born c 1845, give or take a year or two, and so probably isn’t the person in Griffiths, but they might all be from the same family.
Marriage here for John McKnight, son of John McKnight in 1877 to Elizabeth Watt:
Alexander married Isabella Craig in 1878:
Widowed Elizabeth McKnight in 1901:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Balloolymore/Shannaghan/1201737/
Daughter Mary’s birth in 1878. John’s occupation then was a scutcher (a trade in linen preparation).
Death of a Sally McKnight in 1876, a widow, informant John:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…
The 1901 census tells you the family was Presbyterian. Nearest church is Katesbridge Presbyterian. Their records start in 1866 which is not very helpful. Also in the same area are Drumgooland (records start 1836), Drumlee (records from1826) and Leitrim (records from 1839). Those records are probably not on-line anywhere, but copies are held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast so you would need to go there yourself or get a researcher to do that for you. If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer
Thank you very much Elwyn, I will check all this.
Helen in Australia
Thank You Brian, I really appreciate the help.
Helen
Helen in Australia