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McKenna family

DownKilclief (Down)

Hello,

I am trying to track down records for my gg grandfather - Charles McKenna, born around 1816. Charles was convicted of stealing in Coventry, England in 1845 and shipped out to Hobart in Australia where he started a new family once we was freed.

Charles convict records show he was born in Co Down,that he was a soldier in the 64th Regiment of Foot and protestant. I know he initially married an Ann Smith in Coventry and the marriage record shows his father as one Peter McKenna, a baker.

I have tracked down some of his army records and one of those show that he enlisted in Glasgow, buthis birthplace as "Killeith, Co Down" but that town does not appear to exist. I understand that Kilclieth is prononuced very similarly to the way Killeith is spelt so it is possible that a clerk recorded the name incorrectly and in fact he may have come from this parish.

Just wondering if anyone can help? Any McKennas in this area?

Thanks for any help

Peter McKenna (the younger!)

pmmacca54@gmail.com

8 replies

Peter,

Protestant includes several denominations. Church of Ireland and Presbyterian being the 2 main ones for Co Down in the early 1800s. Co Down was heavily settled by Scots in the 1600s and Presbyterian is the most common denomination there. Unfortunately the Church of Ireland for Kilclief has no baptism records earlier than 1846 (the l earlier records were destroyed by fire). The nearest Presbyterian churches are probably Ardglass and Downpatrick. There are 2 Presbyterian churches in Downpatrick but again unfortunately neither has records before 1825. I can’t immediately see what records Ardglass has. You might need to contact the Minister to find out.

I looked in the 1911 census for the Strangford area (which includes Kilclief). There were no McKennas listed there then. I looked in Griffiths Valuation for Kilclief in 1863. There were no McKennas listed there then.

Death registration only started in Ireland in 1864, so if Peter McKenna died before that you may struggle to find a record of it. However I searched the ecords post 1864 for the Downpatrick civil registration area (which includes Kilclief). I found just one Peter Mckenna death.  He died 22.5.1871 aged 71. That makes him a bit young to be Charles father. However ages on death certificates then were notoriously unreliable as few people really knew their age. It could be out by 10 years either way. You might want to look at that certificate in case he was a baker. You can view the original certificate on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate. 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks very much Elwin,

I will give GRONI a go and see if I can contact the Minister you mentioned.

Regards,

Peter McKenna

pmmacca54@gmail.com

Thanks again Elwyn,

Will do

pmmacca54@gmail.com

Hi again Elwyn,

I have sent a note off to Rev Patterson and will let you know what sort of response I might get.

However, in meantime I thought I might mention that I tracked down that death record for Peter McKenna in 1871. It shows he died in Ballylough (at least I think that is what it says, Reg Sub District of Clough and District of Downpatrick). It shows him as a farmer, 71 years of age and looks like the informant was one Henry McKenna, who was present at his death.

At this stage I have saved the record but am assuming that it is probably not my "Peter"

Anyway, thanks again for the help

Peter

pmmacca54@gmail.com

Peter,

Yes, Ballylough is near Castlewellan, about 20 miles from Kilcleif. And obviously it’s the wrong occupation too. So your Peter McKenna probably died before the start of civil death registration in 1864.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi again Elwyn,

No response from Rev Patterson yet, but will give him a few more days, before sending a follow up e mail

Regards,

Peter

pmmacca54@gmail.com

Hi Elwyn,

I just received a response from the Downpatrick Pres Church (from a Barry Redhead) and he said the church was not established until 1826, so it is unlikely that the records I am chasing would eb there. He did suggest that C of I and Non Subscribing Presbytarian Church (both established earlier) might be worth a go but I think you told me that the C of I records of that era were destroyed by fire. I gather there is a NS Pres church in Downpatrick - do you think that is worth pursuing?

Regards,

Peter

pmmacca54@gmail.com

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