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John Graham of Magheramesk Parish

AntrimMagheramesk (Antrim)

Hello!

My great-grandparents John Graham and Mary Ann McKeown originated from the Magheramesk parish. I've been succesful at tracing the McKeowns in Magheramesk back to my 3rd great-grandfather Joseph McKeown (1815-1850), but Ihave been unable to find John Graham's birth record. This is the page I have for him on the Ancestry website:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/75571131/person/3232

Based on what I found so far, I estimate his date of birth in the 1862-1867 range. His marriage recordstates that hisfather was aJohn Graham, labourer. He declared on the 1939 Register that he was born on Feb 2 1967, but this contradicts the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census records, and his marriage record,which have him bornat about1862-1864.

I went through the civil records and the Magheramesk Church of Ireland parish records on irishgenealogy.ie androotsireland.ie, and nothing thereseems to match my findings. Perhaps he belonged to a different church, and the relevant records are not online. And perhaps he was born before 1864, and that's why I can't find his civil record.

I'll be travelling to the area in August, and I'll be spending some time at PRONI, but I'd love to be as prepared as possible before I arrive, as I won't have too much time there. Any help or suggestions would be most welcome. I'm attaching a photo of my great-grandfather!

Thank you!

Kind regards,

Elisa

IrelandXO member

7 replies

Elisa,

The nearest I can find is a male Graham born on 21.2.1867 in the Lisburn registration area to John Graham and Margaret Jane McGuigan. The father was a farmer in Edentrillick. The child hadn’t  been named when the birth was registered, so the forename is blank. So might be John.

There was also a Robert Graham born on 2.2.1867 (the date you have), to William Graham, mother’s maiden name Rachel Thompson. Father was a baker in Smithfield, Lisburn.

People often didn’t know their exact date of birth in the mid 1800s and if officialdom asked for one, they just made one up. So the date you have may well be out by a few years.

What denomination were the family? What was the father's occupation? What townland are they associated with?

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you Elwyn for pointing my attention to those records. I will look at my DNA matches to see if the surname MacGuigan appears.

As far as denomination goes, the McKeowns were definitely Church of Ireland. I have consistently found most of their records for about three generations in the following location

https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/287474?availability=Family%20Hi…

There are some Grahams there too, including a baptismal record 1838 for a John that could possibly be my second great-grandfather, but I found nothing for my great-grandfather. Another viable option would be Presbyterian. My second great-grandfather was a labourer, according to John&Mary Ann's marriage record.

As far as location goes, I have my 3rd great-grandmother Ann McKeown in Trummery in 1862 (Griffiths Valuation). Her husband Joseph was buried in Trummery 1850. There are a William and James Graham in Derrynisk in 1862 GV that could very well be John's uncles. And I have a marriage record 1869 Lurgan between my 3rd great-aunt Eliza McKeown and a James Graham (son of another James, weaver, possibly the above), that has them both resident in Magheramesk. 

Elisa

 

 

 

 

 

IrelandXO member

I see Ann McKeown in Trummery in Griffiths. I followed her through in the Valuation revision records. She was on plot 11d which was a labourer/weaver’s cottage on the Greene farm. Her name remains as tenant for that property till 1902. However she’s not in the 1901 census for the townland so presumably had left or died shortly before that. (Griffiths clerks were often out by a year or two with their dates).  I searched for her death in the Lisburn area around that time but failed to find her. Valuation revision records:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni

Labourers are notoriously difficult to find because they tended to move around to follow available work. And a surname like Graham doesn’t help. In the 1901 census there were 2408 people named Graham in Co Antrim, of which 174 were named John Graham.

The Grahams were mostly originally from the Scottish Borders. They were sent to Ireland in the 1600s because of their rascally behaviour on the borders (stealing cattle and robbing travellers). They are known as Border Reivers (a reiver is a thief) and have their own website. Folk in the Borders today are very proud of being Reivers and there are all sorts of Reiver festivals there.

http://www.borderreivers.co.uk/Border%20Families/BORDER%20SURNAMES%20%202.htm

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Now you have me wondering about Ann McKeown, I have her living/visiting with her daughter Eliza Graham in the Cumberland 1881 census, and she had just become blind, so I doubt that she would return to Antrim in that condition. And there is a death record for an Ann McKeown in 1882, aged 71 , in the Whitehaven district, that could be hers. I did not know about the valuation revision records, I will take a look!

Some of that unruly Graham behaviour has carried down to the current generations, I'm afraid.

I know, John Graham in Antrim is a needle in a haystack!

Elisa

 

IrelandXO member

Elisa,

Yes the Valuation revision records take Griffiths forward from the initial valuation (1860s for Co Antrim) up to 1929. There is also a primary valuation in the 1830s. They are in notebooks kept in PRONI, and are not on-line at present.

I’d definitely check that 1882 death. In which case the lady in Trummery looks to have been someone else.

Glad to hear the Grahams are still up to mischief.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

 

Hi Elwyn,

I just came back from my wonderful week in Northern Ireland. It looks like I have found my great-grandfather John Graham's baptismal record amongst the Moira Church of Ireland records at PRONI. Moira is less than 2 miles from Magheramesk. Date of birth February 2 1862, parents John and Mary Graham. February 2 matches what he had declared on the 1939 Register. The year is different, 1862 insted of 1867. However, I had already a strong feeling that he was born before 1864, since I couldn't find a good match for him amongst the civil records. The name of his father is correct, and Mary was a likely name for his mother. I'm quite confident it's him, hopefully my find will be confirmed by further research!

Elisa

 

 

 

 

IrelandXO member

Glad to hear of your success.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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