Ireland XO
Back to Message Board

Island Magee - Agness Hill (b. 9 Aug 1804 d. 18 Aug 1884) wife of Captain John Long - b. 1800 d. 2 May 1844

AntrimIsland Magee (Antrim)

I'm looking for information about my 3rd great grandmother Agness Hill who married Captain John Long. I have information about her birth through second hand information that she was born on Island Magee on August 9th, 2804. They had eight children who were born in Ireland and most in Island Magee:

  • Robert August
  • James
  • John
  • William Henry
  • Thomas Alexander
  • Margaret
  • Ann Jan
  • Matilida E.

I have record of Captain John's death in a ship capsize on Lake Ontario (North America). From Thomas's obit:

His father was a sea captain by calling, following that business as long as he lived in the Old Country. He had four brothers and five sons, who were also sea-faring men. In 1844 the father sailed for Quebec, locating at Coburg, Canada. As he was not acquainted with the Lakes. It was unsafe for him to take charge of a vessel, hence he sailed before the mast. While enroute from Oswego to Toledo, the vessel on which he sailed "The Aurora Borealis," was struck by a squall and capsized. Mr. Long, not being able to swim, sank to rise no more. This disaster occurred in May, 1844, he having reached the age of forty-four years.

My assumption is the moved to Canada in about 1843.

I am interested in any information about this family and their life in Ireland. Or any information on where to research.

Thank you,

gazmmz

6 replies

I see some Long families in Islandmagee in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Islandmagee/Ballystrudder/989904/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Islandmagee/Gransha/990087/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Islandmagee/Mullaghdoo/990216/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Islandmagee/Mullaghboy/990176/

  They were all Presbyterian so I would say those are the church records you need to focus on. Islandmagee 1st Presbyterian chruch’s reocrds start in 1829. There’s a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. A personal visit is required to view them.

 

There were 4 Long farms in Islandmagee in 1834:

 

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/antrim/tithe-applotments/island-magee-parish.php#.Vr4kO1J2ug0

 

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Dear gazmmz

 

Thank you for a most interesting post with lots of exact detail.  This is just an initial response for now.

 

Your Long and Hill family belonged to 1st Islandmagee Presbyterian congregation.  This body had a new minister from 14 April 1829, Rev. William Campbell, who seems to have been an excellent record keeper.  His first baptism was on 29 April of that year, and we have records of his register from that date.

 

It would appear that the first three children of John and Agnes Long on your list were from the period before Mr. Campbell took over.  However, the following children are born to John Long and Agnes Hill after that date.  The numbers refer to Mr. Campbell's register:

 

119. William, born 23 February 1833, baptised 6 March.Resident at Mullaghboy.

 

184. Thomas, born 21 November 1834, baptised 27 November.  Resident at Mullaghboy.

 

268. Margaret, born 13 January 1837, baptised 17 March.  Resident at Mullaghboy.

 

416. Ann Jane, born 11 May 1840, baptised 5 July.  Resident at Mullaghboy.

 

546. Matilda, born 1 February 1843, baptised 30 April.  Resident at Dundressan.

 

Mullaghboy and Dundressin are both townlands in Islandmagee.  From this it can be seen fairly accurately when the family moved to Canada.

 

I have a record of a John Long aged 36 in approximately 1835/36 giving a number of his voyages from the half-year ending December 1835 to December 1839.  This may well be your man.

 

I would be very interested in any further information you might have both on John's brothers and sons who went to sea and the incident resulting in his death.  I presume the sons went to Canada and sailed from there?

   

With respect to the Hill family, I did note a book written by a New Zealand researcher named Stafford Cull at the link below:

https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Hill_Family_from_Islandmagee.html?id=IKlnMgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

 

I should be able to find some information on headstones for the Long and Hill families that might help you.

 

L G Biglow.

 

dankane@talktalk.net

Thank you for all this interesting information. John and Agnes are my third great-grandparents. My great-great grandfather is their son, William Henry. I didn't know they ever lived in Canada -- all my information about William has him living in Ohio and then Wisconsin, until his death in 1902 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I'll be happy to share any information about William and his family.

ddahl

Thank you all for this information. I missed them as you entered them and have now just gotten back to looking at Ireland XO.

L G Biglow - I would love to understand where you found the information for:

I have a record of a John Long aged 36 in approximately 1835/36 giving a number of his voyages from the half-year ending December 1835 to December 1839.  This may well be your man.

I do not have any information about John Long's brothers or parents. 

L G Biglow and ddahl - I have attached a file of my research in the John Long family. 

gazmmz

Again - thank you for your help in my research.

gazmmz

I believe Captain John Long was my 4th great grandfather. Would be interested to find out more! I have my tree in ancestry.com if you are on there?

cgettelman

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.