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Looking for JANES or JAMES and MACKEN (MACKAN, MCCANN) in Kilcoo area

DownKilcoo (Down)

Hi I am looking for information regarding Frances JANES who married Mary Jane MACKEN or MCCANN.  Francis and Mary Jane left Ireland about 1852 - 1853  and lived on Staten Island in NY City.  Francis was born abt 1822, I suspect in Bellaghbeg, Kilcoo, Ireland.  HIs wife Mary Jane MACKEN was born abt 1825, I don't know where in Ireland.  In Griffith's there are no JANES at all but there is a Francis William JAMES listed as living in Kilcoo, and he is renting from Mary Macken.  More information:  a genealogist in Ireland discovered that he was actually called Francis William Christian Janns and that he was a sub inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) officer based in Newcastle and Castlewellan. And:

Francis William Janns joined the RIC in 1839 at the age of 25 years and his birth place was noted as Devon in England. A search of the Mormon website showed that he was baptised on 16 November 1813 in Brixham, Devon.  His parents were Timothy Richard Janns Lt and Elizabeth.  His siblings were Hannah Elizabeth b1809, James Pouncy b 1812 and Charles Hawkins b1812 who were all baptised in Dorchester, Dorset.  Also noted was another sister, Louisa Janns born in Co Clare 1811 and died in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England in 1886.  This information was given by a member of the church and I am not convinced that this is very accurate.

NOw this of course isn't my Francis Janes because this one never married, and lived entirely in Ireland, but it can't be a coincidence that my Francis married a Mary Jane Macken and this Francis Janns is renting from a Mary Macken. Or can it be a coincidence and I am searching this area in error?  Could they have been cousins????  Any thoughts????

Francis Janes and Mary Jane who settled on Staten Island had 5 children, a daughter Mary Jane born 1852  in Ireland according a  US Federal Census, Richard born 1853, George born 1858, William Henry born 1861, Lilly born 1864,

Thank you in advance for any information!

Fern Wilcox in Minnesota, USA

iamfern

3 replies

Hi

Thank you for your message.

I have forwarded your request to a volunteer who may be able to offer some advice.

Kind regards,

Genealogy support

 

 

IrelandXO member

Hi Fern,

 

Lets start with what we can find now and try to make sense out of it all later.

This looks like Francis's New York arrival record , many traveled over Liverpool in that time

Name: Francis Janes
Arrival Date: 15 Jun 1846
Birth Date: abt 1823
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Peter Hattrick

 

He traveled with  62 year old Mary Janes and 66 year old William Janes also 19 year old John Janes and 4 year old Ann Janes, possibly his parents and siblings. Do any of these names ring a bell ?

Country of origin : WALES  (???)

Question, what is the reason to suspect that Francis was from Bellaghbeg, Kilcoo, Ireland ?

 

Regards,

 

Annemarie

 

Mallow CorkIrelandXO Volunteer

AnneMarie,

First, thank you so much for replying to my message. 

My Francis Janes married Mary Jane Macken, date unknown. Their daughter Mary Jane was born in1852 in  "Ireland" according to the 1900 US federal census.  Francis Janes was born in Ireland according to Federal census as were his parents.

Wife Mary Jane Janes immigrated in 1850 according to 1900 Federal Census.  Of course we need to take dates with a grain of salt until they can be confirmed.  Her obituary and federal censuses reported that she was from Ireland as were her parents.   Francis Janes died before censuses asked for date of immigration or how long in US questions. Mary Jane Macken's father was named John and her mother was Margaret whose surname is unknown.

I searched Griffiths for "Janes" and there were none that showed up.  I searched "francis James" in Griffiths and found a Francis James in Killcoo parish, Townland Bellaghbeg, County Down, Ireland renting from Mary Macken.   His name is really Janns not James, which is similar to Janes.  Since this is the only data I can find in Ireland for a Francis Janes/Janns I was pursuing this line of enquiry since I had no other; my supposition was that my Francis Janes was connected somehow to the Janns and Macken in Kilcoo. 

I hired a genealogist in Ireland a couple of years ago and she found out that Francis James' name was really Francis William Christian JANNS, B abt 1812, worked as a Constable in Ireland and died in Ireland. This is not my Francis JANES but my Francis JANES married Mary Jane MACKEN.

Your information about immigration in 1846, and the people's names is interesting.  No Ann or John in my janes family anywhere. There is a Richard and a William Henry, George, Lily and Mary Jane. Those children that had children, had the names: William, Mary, and lily Amelia, Elizabeth, Anna in their families.

I saw this same listing and since this Francis seemed to be traveling with parents and siblings and no Mary Jane of a similar age I wasn't pursuing this family. Of course it is possible that she came later.  I found the following; Mary Jane JANES, Age 32, Embarkation: Liverpool on ship Manhattan. Occupation: servant, Immigration date: August 19, 1850. Also lists Richard 1 month old child died at sea. Is this my Mary Jane Janes? who knows, if it is, then about a year earlier she got pregnant. Where was her husband? there were no other Janes on that ship.

francis Janes and his wife Mary Jane are buried in a cemetery in a family plot but there are no older Janes there, just their kids. That is only a fact, if Francis' parents came to NY with their children in 1846 it is of course possible that they are in another cemetery. 

Have I confused you?  I hope not.  Thanks for your input.   If you have any suggestions for finding more information I will be eternally grateful.

Again, Thanks,

Fern in Minnesota

iamfern

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