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Kearney, Moreland, Killen inquirey

DownKillyleagh (Down)

I am researching the family of William Kearney born about 1815, married to Cecelia, babout 1820. We are descended from their son John Jack Kearney b. about 1839. He married Mary Anne Moreland, whose parents were John and Charlotte Killen Moreland. We have looked in Tithe Applotment and Griffiths. We see that men with all three surnames live in Killyleagh itself on Irish Street and Shore Street in 1863. There were a number of families in the township of Drumlee in 1828 and either a few others or the same men leasing additional land in adjacent townships of Derryneal and Gargarry. Are there any Kearney descendants left in the area who would know the history of this family? Since there are not too many Kearneys there total, I was wondering if you knew if they all descended from the same original family group? And does anyone have any idea whether they are from the Northern Kearneys who were associated with the O'Neills, or from the Louth Kearneys. (We have no male to male descendant to confirm this through dna unfortunately). We would really appreciate any information that you could share with us. Thank you. Jude Curtis Levine

jbke13ancest

5 replies

Jude,

The name Kearney isn’t that rare in Ireland. In the 1901 census there were 5807 people of the name across Ireland. 307 in Co Down. 2 households in Killyleagh:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Killyleagh/Shrigley_Village/1231108/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Killyleagh/Sea_View_Street/1230958/

I looked in the current local phone book. There are 14 people of the name in the general area (postcode BT30) but none lives in Killyleagh itself. But then agricultural labourers and spinning factory workers like the 2 households in the census, moved around all the time, so it would almost be surprising if they were still there today.

What denomination were your Kearneys? Do you know?

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn:  Sorry I was off so long.  We are all Roman Catholics.  I'm not sure the Kearneys were quite as "devotional" as other of my lines since they were possibly rubbing shoulders with and perhaps even making marriages with neighbor Protestants, but descendants in general carried on RC faith.  I don't suspect they would have joined another church.  I think even James Moreland, brother of Mary Anne, was a Catholic when he emigrated later in life and settled in Rhode Island with his sister's extended family.  Do you belong to Mike Collins Green Room?  Their genealogist tried to research us a little further but didn't find anything beyond our previous records except to make definitive that the John in Killyleagh could not be our John "Jack" since that other J resided there long after our JJ was in Belfast, then England briefly, then U.S.  However, William as father is still potentially our family. Thanks for any other ideas you may have.  J

jbke13ancest

Jude,

I am not in Mike Collins Green Room. Indeed I have never heard of it.

Killyleagh is in the RC parish of Kilmore. Their records only start in 1837. There’s a copy of their baptisms on the Ulster Historical Foundation site (pay to view). If John Jack Kearney was born there c 1839 you might find him. I had a look and there are about 6 born around that time in Co Down. None with a father named William. One had no father’s name. You need to pay to view the full details.

Regarding the tithe applotment records, they only listed people with land, so mainly farmers. Weavers, labourers, servants etc wouldn’t be listed. Do you know what occupation your family had in Ireland, as that may tell you whether to expect to find them there.

Griffiths is a bit more comprehensive and labourers cottages usually are listed though the very poor ones (hovels  as they were called) were not. And only the head of household is shown, so servants, people lodging with someone else etc weren’t listed.

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn: on passenger record for John jack's family in early 1870's, he listed farmer as his occupation. Maybe because they needed in US so easier to get in?  But assume his forebearers had been for sure. . Once in Rhode Island he worked exclusively in mills at various jobs as did many of his children did immediately and later in life (except my G G Grandfather who apparently stole off to Brooklyn New York after a few years in mill. . My father referred to him as an old song and dance man from Pawtucket. Never did anything professional but apparently enamored  always of theatricality. He apparently invested unsuccessfully in early movies and his son loved vaudeville.  Once discovered Kearney cousins saw that at least one  played in military band. So music may have been strong in family. We did find a possible overlap with his brother-in-law James Moreland, who worked as blacksmith in Rhode Island and is assumed to have been son of the Moreland in Kilyleagh who had blacksmith shop on lower road I think in tithe applotment. It was gone by Griffith I think and street renamed. Coincidentally rename was a female family name, Catherine.  That strengthened our suspicions that it was his father's trade as well. j

jbke13ancest

The case that our Morelands come from the Blacksmith listed in Griffiths is getting stronger.  I just realized that our John Moreland also came to U.S. and settled near family, his daughter Mary Anne Moreland Kearney, and his son James and Elizabeth Moreland.  The son worked as a Blacksmith here for another 20 years as well. 

jbke13ancest

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