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The IRELAND Surname in counties Armagh, Down, and Antrim

Hello....having searched the area around Armagh city, since 2017, for IRELANDs, my focus has shifted to the area near Portadown. Closely related IRELANDs (as verified by DNA results) trace their ancestry back to counties Antrim, Down, and the area near Portadown in county Armgh.

And so, I am now looking for any record of a John (sr.) IRELAND and wife Hester Hawthorn (possibly Hanthorn), who would have had a son, David IRELAND, born about 1835, in county Down, David may have had an older brother naned John (jr.) IRELAND, born about 1828, in Portadown. These 2 brothers emigrated to southern Ontario, about 1840. The parents John and Hester, would possibly be born around 1800. In the Ontario census records, the families of the 2 brothers are reported to be,  one Presbyterian, the other Church of England.

The father here, John (sr) IRELAND may have had siblings who also emigrated to Ontario, They would be Elizabeth IRELAND, born county Down about 1806, married a John Lyons (b.1802 possibly county Tyrone). They  had 3 chidren in counties Down and Antrim, before emigrating about 1834, are Methodist in the census. The other sibling would be William IRELAND, born about 1800, who emigrated about 1826, listed as Presbyterian in the census. He was my ggg grandfather.

Any information would be appreciated

Thank you

Robert M. Ireland

pmulder@oricom.ca

2 replies

Probably worth searching the Church of Ireland records for Seagoe and Drumcree to see if you can locate the families there. Drumcree’s start in 1788 and Seagoe in 1672. None of the Presbyterian records in the area go back far enough, so far as I can see. 1st Portadown Presbyterian start in 1839 which is probably too late for you.

Methodism took a long time to get going as a separate denomination in Ireland (many Methodists wanted to remain part of the Church of Ireland). You won’t find any Methodist marriages before about 1835. The earliest baptisms date from about 1815 but many Methodists continued to use the Church of Ireland for both baptisms and marriages until the 1870s. So where there are no Methodist records you should check the local Church of Ireland records instead.  Where they exist, very few Methodist records are on-line and in general you need to go to PRONI to look them up.

There’s some coverage of Seagoe’s records on rootsireland but the Drumcree records don’t appear to be on-line, so you would need to get someone to look them up in PRONI.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Elwyn. I hope to have "boots on the ground" rearch capabiliies, some time this year during a visit to the area,...if the Lord is willing, and the creeks don't rise.

Rob Ireland

pmulder@oricom.ca

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