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Looking for McGrady and Bell (Co. Antrim)

Antrim

Hi!

I have a John McGrady (born abt. 1843 ) who married to Jane Bell (born abt. 1842 ). They marriagetook place on the19th April 1863 atGlenavy and Killead. I've found the original doc and their sponsors wereJames Bell (Jane's dad/uncle/brother?) and Jane M McGarry. They had Eleanor ( b. 1864) and Daniel ( b. 1866 ) while they lived at Deer Park, Derryola. I got their baptism records. Then, the family moved to England. John appears to be working as seaman in every census.

I'm trying to trace them back. There's a John McGrady b. 1843 living at Ballynadrentag, Killed, on the Irish 1851 Census. I'm not sure if it's him, but the parents are called Daniel and Eliza, and some of the kids Sarah, Anna, Elizabeth,... same names as our John McGrady's children. They worked as flowerers (embroidery). I haven't been able to find any other John McGrady born circa 1843 around there, so I assume it's him...

Is there any other older records to look for the marriage of Daniel and Eliza, or any other information? Also, I'm having no luck locating Jane Bell's family, since she has such a common surname. There's a Jane Bell also born abt. 1842 living in Gortany. It seems it's not far from Deer Park, Derryola. They work in linen industry.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

IrelandXO member

4 replies

A problem with the 1851 census for Killead is that it is largely incomplete. Only townlands beginning with the letters A, B & part of C have survived. The rest was lost. So though you have only found 1 John McGrady in the parish, there could well have been others.

I note from Daniel’s birth that John McGrady was a labourer then. They can be difficult to trace since they often moved around a lot to follow the work. You should also bear in mind that Deer Park in in the civil parish of Glenavy and the 1851 census for that area has not survived.

Griffiths Valuation for 1862 and the Valuation revision records for 1867 – 1879 but did not see a McGrady house listed. So possibly it was of too low a value to be listed or they were lodging with someone. There was a Thomas Bell in the townland in Griffiths. He had plot 14d which was a house and yard. (A labourer’s cottage). That was on Wm Beatty’s farm. The Revision records show Thomas deleted as tenant in 1869, so perhaps he had died or moved around that time. Possibly John & Jane had been staying with him. Perhaps he was Jane’s father? You could search the death records for a death that fits. A death in Deer Parks would be registered in Lurgan.

Griffiths Valuation also lists a McGarry family in Deer Parks. I note that a McGarry was a witness to her wedding. So I do suspect that she came from Deer Park.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you.  I'll try to find if there's any death records for Thomas around that time.

The family moved to Liverpool after the second son was born in 1866, since their third and so on were born there.  They also appear in the English Census records.  However, the dad was always away and she's down as 'seaman's wife'. There's a McGrady's grave (can't remember if there is two or three buried) at St Joseph's Church, in Glenavy.  But when I checked at PRONI and other historical maps, it seems there were another two other churches very closed to Deer Park that no longer exists.  I checked on Google maps and there're some ruins left. 

There was another McGrady family in Liverpool around that time.  Their kids had almost the same names and in the same order.  I think I'm going to create a tree with them and see if I can connect them.  Also there was a McGrady family in Scotland who seemed to come also from that area of Co. Antrim. 

Do you know where I could get more info about flowerers in Co. Antrim around that time?  I like to learn more about it.  Thank you!

IrelandXO member

Re flowerers, a book I have seen highly recommended is Elizabeth Boyle’s: The Irish Flowerers: A history of the Irish embroidery and lace industries. 1971, pub by The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra, & Queen's University (Institute of Irish Studies) Belfast.

It wasn’t unique to Ireland, I have seen flowerers in England & Scotland. Presumably anywhere that had linen or cotton mills nearby.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

I have been researching the Bells of Glenavy and Kilead for many years, as my late wife was a descendant of this particular clan. Margaret Bell from Glenavy ( 1784 ) married a William Nicholls from Kilead and the Union produced a son Arthur Nicholls Bell who later married Charlotte Bronte. Would any member know who were Margarets parents. I was told her fathers name was Robert Bell and he came from Midlothian. Also her mother's name was Alice Mary Venables, no further details about her. I am hesitant to put down this information as the.dates don't appear to fit. Would anyone have knowledge of Margaret Bell please?

maolla321

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