Ireland XO
Back to Message Board

Looking for info on Marks & Graham Families in Antrim, Possibly Ballyscullion, Taylorstown, early 1800s.

AntrimBallyscullion Grange (Antrim)

I am trying find the parents or siblings of the following couple:

John Graham b: 31 October 1801 in Grange, County Antrim, Ireland and his wife

Ann Marks b: 1800 (I believe possibly lived in Taylorstown).  They were married at Randalstown 20 May 1822 I believe.

I am also looking for parents or siblings of the following couple:

George Turner b: 1823 Antrim

Agnes Marks b: 1826 Antrim

I believe that the Ann Marks and Agnes Marks above may have been related somehow because Ann Mark's grandson married Agnes Mark's daughter and I know cousin marriages were more common back then.  I would love to find the parents or siblings of either of the above couples.  I know records are scarce for early 1800s and before.  I believe Ann Marks at least may have lived in the Taylorstown area. I received the following story about John Graham from a distant relative here in Michigan and some of his history that may be helpful in solving the puzzle. As best as I can tell from literary clues, this story was written by one of the great grandchildren of John Graham. I received this story from a distant Turner cousin who had this story passed down to them.)   I do not know if the cousins listed in the story were cousins to John who was killed in Ireland, or cousins to his children who migrated to America:

 

The Graham Family John Graham, our great grandfather, was born at the Grange, a region in N. Ireland, pledged as United for Catholics and Protestants in 1797. In 1822, he married Ann Mark at Randalstown, N. Ireland. Two sons were born--James, March 13, 1823 and Samuel, Nov. 19, 1825. In 1826, a gang of Roman Catholic youths entered his blacksmith, demanding permission to light their torches at his forge to set fire to Protestant buildings. His refusal led to his being knocked down, trod upon, covered by an inverted bench, upon which they jumped until he died. Ann went to live with an aunt, Mrs. Mark, and worked to support her children, until in their early teens, they were able to earn some. In 1838, Ann re-married. Her husband was abusive to the boys. By 1841, James had saved the cost of a boat fare and planned to accompany a young Graham cousin to Canada. Ann and Samuel accompanied James to the ship, but the boy’s farewell persisted as the brothers clung to each other. The ship was delayed, the captain came to them, suggesting that Ann take the ticket of James and boy boys go along. James was given work as a sweeper, Samuel as a dishwasher to earn their fares. For two years, they stayed with Graham cousins on their land two miles west of Streetsville, then all moved up to undeveloped land south of Erin. Settlers escaping from the U.S. Revolutionary War were moving in there, with just what they could carry on horseback. Our grandmother, Mary Jane Shingler, had crossed the Niagara River at three years of age, lashed to a swimming horse. Their farm lands adjoined the Grahams’. James and Samuel Graham and mother settled further west on a farm in Garafraxa between Hillsburg and Belwood, going north in 1855 to East Luther, clearing land in what is now Grand Valley, where my father, John, was the first male white child born in Grand Valley in 1856 on the corner of 2nd. Conc., Amaranth and Emma Streets. Later survey corrected the plot number. Move was made S.W. bordering on Grand Valley Station, with a tributary stream flowing east into the Grand River. Northern boundary of their farm was Con. 2, East Luther. While in E. Garafraxa, the farm of John McPherson, Lot 13, Con. 12 lay east of the Graham farm. His son, John McPherson, Apr. 1, 1853-Nov. 18, 1892, boarded at Samuel Graham’s with his aunt, Mary Jane McPherson (Sam’s wife) in E. Luther many years while founding and editing the Dufferin-Star paper, now the Star and Vidette, in Grand Valley. His sister, Isabella McPherson, Dec. 1864-May 6, 1895 was Howard Hillborn’s mother. Abigail Scott was the daughter of a rich, young lawyer who came from Ireland in 1820 and was very successful in his practice in and around Toronto. He married Janet McCausland of Erin who died in 1837 when Abigail was 6 years old, having two brothers. Before long Isaac Scott remarried, but his second wife rejected his children. Abigail was farmed out to a poor family where she had to work hard as she grew up. James Graham married her on Jan. 28, 1850. They settled near the Black Bridge on the Grand River, north of Grand Valley, where he hired loggers and developed a lumber factory until the 1860’s when the family moved to Hemlock, Michigan. They had nine children. The youngest rode, packed in an ox-cart with food and clothing, older ones walked to Sarnia, the crossing point, and followed the trail north along Lake Huron in the U.S. to Hemlock, Michigan. Abigail lived to 1901, never having seen her father after his second marriage from which seventeen Scotts grew up near Erin. The lumber yard continued under the control of Samuel Graham’s son, James and his cousin, John from Erin. THE GRAHAM COUSINS-Erin, Acton ROBERT GRAHAM-born, The Grange, Antrim Co., N. Ireland-1830-1908 married Sara M. Valkenburg, B. 1830, D. 1902 FAMILY 1. John Graham, b. 1848, d. Feb. 26, 1895, went from Erin to Grand Valley. Married Mary Jane Graham, b. Sept. 14, 1862, d. Dec. 16, 1885. Daughter—Mary Jane Graham, b. Dec. 16, 1885, d. June 7, 1971 2. James, went to U.S. early in life 3. Samuel, went to U.S. early in life—Brockville, Ont. 4. Will, went to Detroit—Jane Ann McCartin—1843-July 15, 1886 5. Joseph, went to Coppercliff 6. Mary Jane (Mrs. Jas. McIntosh)—sons Roy & Frank—McIntosh Funeral Home, Oshawa—Son, Grant 7. Sara Eliza 8. Annie 9. Margaret—died in early teens of scarlet fever 10. Elizabeth (nicknamed Babe Martha, 1853 Nicholas, 1863—died at birth 1. John Graham married a cousin, Mary Jane Graham, youngest daughter of Samuel Graham, lived at Lot 31, Con. 6, E. Luther (later Stan Newson’s farm). He worked in Uncle James Graham’s lumber mills by Black Bridge, Grand Valley until 1865 when James went to Hemlock, Mich. Then John assisted Samuel’s son James of Grand Valley to carry on. John’s wife, Mary Jane died at birth of daughter, Mary Jane Graham, Dec. 16, 1885. In 1886 John married Catharine Struthers, Belwood, b. 1867, d. Jan. 11, 1914. CHILDREN: 1. Samuel Mandural, Brockville, b. Nov. 23, 1889, d. Nov 29, 1966 2. Jessie May (Mrs. John Currie, Wiarton) b. Jan 2, 1892 3. William Henry, Guolph, b. Apr. 21, 1894, d. Sept 26, 1971 Robert Graham and family moved to Acton from Erin, 1892. A relative offered work in a store. A factory was hiring workers. Mary Jane (Stricker) 7 yrs, went along with John’s family to school.

heidiograham

6 replies

Heidiograham,

You are correct about the general lack of records in the Grange/Randalstown area for the early 1800s. None of the churches in the area has any records before 1823. Grange Presbyterian has baptisms from 1824, so Samuel Graham might just be recorded if he was baptised there. Randalstown Church of Ireland has records from 1823. There’s a copy of these 2 sets of records in PRONI in Belfast. If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

The name Graham is common in the area. There are 4 Graham gravestones in Grange Presbyterian graveyard:

Erected By Joseph Graham, In Memory Of His Son Francis Graham, Died 26th Aug. 1886, Aged 25 Years. Also His Wife Jane Graham, Died 29th Aug. 1892, Aged 58 Years. And His Son James, Died 27th Jan. 1894, Aged 25 Years, Also The Above-named Joseph Graham, Died 3rd Aug. 1921, Aged 83 Years.

GRAHAM In Loving Memory of William Graham, Died 25th June 1880. His Wife Elizabeth, Died 29th March 1922. His Daughter Isabella Blair, Died 8th Oct. 1932 His Daughter Ann Graham, Died 29th Aug. 1944. Also Matilda Graham, Died 22nd January 1968. "God Is Love" Erected By Their Daughter Ann Graham.

Erected In Memory Of John Graham Who Departed This Life, 18th April 1840, Aged 18 Years.

1888: Erected By Samuel Graham Taylorstown In memory of his sister Isabella Died 15th July 188 aged 49 years

Marks is another reasonably common surname in the area. No Marks gravestones in Grange but there is one in Ballyscullion Church of Ireland which is just a mile or so away:

Undated. The family burying ground of Thomas Marks

At least 3 Graham families in Taylorstown in the 1901 census. 23 folk in total. All Presbyterian:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Ballyscullion/Taylorstown/

No Turners or Marks in the Ballyscullion area in 1901.

The Ordnance Survey memoirs for Taylorstown (parish of Grange of Ballyscullion) record a James Graham aged 20 who had emigrated to New York in 1835 or 1836. Religious denomination: Baptist.

I searched the OS memoirs (compiled in the 1830s) for any mention of a blacksmiths premises in Grange but none was mentioned. There was 1 blacksmith in Randalstown. It is mentioned in the OS memoirs for 1838. It is still there today, though it’s now a café (The Old Forge Café) in the car park beside the children’s play area. It has a preservation order and looks to be several hundred years old so may be where the Grahams worked in the 1820s. (Can take a photo if you are interested).

I looked to see if I could find any mention of John Graham’s death c 1826 in old newspapers or the OS memoirs but did not find any references to it.

Many of the Marks in the Randalstown/Grange area look to have been Church of Ireland.  Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church. Ballyscullion Church of Ireland lost it’s early records in the 1922 fire in Dublin but Drummaul (Randalstown) retained its records. They start in 1823. There’s a copy in PRONI.  Might contain the Marks – Turner marriage. (It looks to have been pre April 1845 which is when statutory registration started).

Griffiths Valuation for 1862 lists 1 Marks household in Taylorstown. It was occupied by John Marks. Plot 49, a 19 acre farm. He is deleted from the Valuation records in 1867 (replaced by George Rogers). There is a possible death for him on 22.7.1868 aged 78. You can view the original certificate on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option. You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

I looked for other Marks marriages in the general area 1845 – 1865 but did not see any. There were some for a farming family in Portglenone but none around Taylorstown and Randalstown.

Randalstown in the 1820s was all owned by the Shane’s Castle estate.  They have tenants records for 1829 in PRONI (T1024/1). Also 1831  T1024/2.  Might be worth searching to see if the blacksmiths forge is listed and who the tenant was. (These records are not on-line. Personal visit required to view them).

PRONI has a number of wills for Grahams of Taylorstown. The abstracts can be viewed on the PRONI wills site, as can some of the wills. For the others you need to go into PRONI (or pay them to copy them). Here’s an example:

The Will of Thomas Graham late of Taylorstown County Antrim Farmer deceased who died 6 November 1880 at same place was proved at Belfast by Samuel Graham of Taylorstown Farmer the sole Executor.

The above will is on-line and mentions his children in Ireland and also children James, Thomas & Margaret “all of whom are now resident in America” (will dated 1872).

To summarise, there are plenty of Grahams and some Marks in the Taylorstown & Randalstown area. Whether they are related to your families is difficult to say, and as mentioned already most churches in the area don’t have records for the years you really need. However you might find Samuel’s baptism in 1825 in Grange Presbyterian’s records, also the Turner-Marks marriage in Randalstown Church of Ireland, probably in the early 1840s.

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project in conjunction with FTDNA and can offer testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you so much for the time you spent to send me all that information, I so appreciate it!  I actually found a picture of the Forge Cafe online.  How cool to know that was a possible location of where John Graham worked, thank you so much for taking the time to point that out to me.  I looked up the cafe website online and they mentioned a few generations of the same family worked there in the 1800s but didn't list names until the 1900s.  I will take some time to look through all the resources you sent.  Again, I appreciate your help so much!

heidiograham

Griffiths Valuation (1862) for Randalstown only lists 1 forge in the town (plot 80 Main St). The tenant at that time was George McLoughlin.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for that info.  Based on the story I was given, John Graham was killed right in his blacksmith shop in 1826 when he refused to let Catholic youths use his forge to light their torches and burn down Protestant buildings.  His sons were very young when he was killed and they later went to America with their mother, so I imagine the blacksmith trade was never passed down to his sons at that point and a new blacksmith took tenancy.  If the forge at Randalstown was in fact where he worked, I suppose that adds a whole new chapter of the history to The Forge Cafe.  Do you know if the location on the 1862 valuation is where the current Forge Cafe stands?

heidiograham

I think it must be the same building. It’s listed as just a forge (as opposed to say: “house, offices & forge”, or similar). The Café is a stand alone building, so that matches Griffiths description perfectly. There’s only the 1 forge in the town in Griffiths, so I feel fairly sure it must be the same building.  It’s in what is now a car park. I see it has a postal address of John St, but there was no John St in the 1860s, but it’s not far from Main St, so I guess that’s it.

The forge never had any accommodation so the blacksmith had to live elsewhere. This looks to be the likely smith in the 1901 census, when he lived on Main St.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Randalstown/Main_Street/919933/

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Very cool, I definitely feel like this must have been where John Graham worked as a blacksmith in 1826 when he was killed.  Thank you so much for helping me track down info about the forge!

heidiograham

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.