McCULLOUGH/McCULLOCH from Co Down

[SerenitySA]

I am trying to trace my 3rd great-grandparents from Co Down in Ireland.  They were Alexander & Mary McCullough (born Jardine), both born in Ballela Co Down according to their death notices.
I do not have an exact birth date for Alexander, but his death notice states he was 74 when he died on the 31st Dec 1894 (Mid Illovo, South Africa).  His parents are listed as James McCullough & Jane McCloughin.
Mary was 84 when she died on the 10th November 1906 (Mid Illovo, South Africa).
Mary's death notice states that they were married on the 28th March 1849 in Ballela Co Down, Ireland.  Her parents are listed as 'James Jardine & Elizabeth Allan (both dead)'.
On Alexander's death notice their children are listed as:
Jane McCullough born Jan 3rd, 1846
William McCullough born April 6th, 1851
James Alexander McCullough born April 8th, 1853 (my 2nd great-grandfather, who is listed on his death notice as McCulloch - this being my mother's maiden name)
Elizabeth McCullough born Feb 12th, 1857
Joseph McCullough born June 14th, 1859
John Henry McCullough born Feb 9th, 1863
Alexander, Mary, Jane, William, James, Elizabeth, Joseph & Charlotte (being 1yr old when she died at sea) arrived in Durban,South Africa on the "Phantom" in July 1859 (having departed from Portsmouth April 1859), but surname listed as MCCulloch.  The passage was paid for by John Jardine.
Can anyone help me in tracing Alexander & Mary in Ballela, Co Down?
I have searched many sites, but there seems to be no record of them, their children, James & Elizabeth Jardine or James & Jane McCullough.
Alexander had 3 South African Farms listed in his will that were to be shared out amongst his wife & children.  They were Garvaghy, Dromore & Craiglea (all situated in Mid Illovo, South Africa).
Any help would be appreciated.
SerenitySA

[sam cantley]

 Hi,
 Have a look at, http://www.raymondscountydownwebsite.com/html/index2.htm
 There is records for Dromore, and Dromara.
  Cheers,   Sam.

[SerenitySA]

Many thanks, Sam.
I will definitely give it a try.

[BallyaltikilliganG]

You probably know http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/
Ballela/Ballelly  Garvaghy .  a village & residence & farm  etc see under Ballooly Ballooly/Ballully/Ballella  Garvaghy  . a townland of 428 acres; click here to see its location on a townland map; etcetc
Various of your McCulloughs appear in
Griffiths valuation about 1863  has Jane and Josephs at http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index, using Ballooly spelling These homesteads are boundary marked in the map section
1901 census using Ballooley spelling  site

Ros Davies County Down website use google please to findhas many but easily extracted useing Find and Garvaghy   
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
has two James at 16, Joseph and Elizabeth at 15, two Charlottes and two Graham relatives at another. So try the1911 census if you havent already,
Jim

[SerenitySA]

Hi Jim

This was very helpful, thank you.

The spelling of the surname in Griffith's valuation is different, but that might be where I was going wrong.  I have copies of my McCulloughs' wills and it seems all of them were illiterate as they all signed with an "x".  So it's quite possible the spelling changed a few times. I also have a better understanding of how the geographical layout of Co Down works - i have been very confused by this up until now.

As for the census search - I couldn't find anything relative, but then my McCulloughs who remained in Ireland would have been around 100 yrs old by then and the rest of them migrated to South Africa in 1859.

Again, many thanks.

Jessie

[Patsy Beech]

HI Folk,

I hope you don't mind me adding to this topic, but I also have McCullough/McCulloch's from County Down, and trying to sort them out is driving me nuts!!!!!

They did not travel as far as yours Jessie, but some of your names and places have turned up in my research. In 1851 Malcolm McCullough/McCulloch can be found living with John & Jane Thompson (nee McCullough) on HO 107/2393, page 3, West Rainton Township, County Durham as a lodger. It would appear that the Thompson /  McCullough / Ritchie / Minnis /Griffin families (and many more) were moved by Lord Londonderry from Northern Ireland to England to work as miners in his collieries.

By 1861 Malcolm McCulloch was married to Agnes (possibly nee Harper as in 1881 mother-in-law is living with them named Mary Harper), but I can find no marriage in England for them. They were still living in the village of West Rainton in1861 - RG9/3757 Folio 53, page 25, and now had two children Mary Eliza (aged 4) & Malcolm (aged 1). I suppose he may have return to Ireland to marry his childhood sweetheart , and then back to England with new wife and her family.


What would be most helpful would be to find the missing marriage record because if I could establish the name of Malcolm's father then perhaps I could make the link between Jane McCullough who married John Thompson - sibling or cousin? I have found birth records for John Thompson born 28th June 1820 & Jane McCullough born 20th March 1820 both in Dromore, County Down, but I have also discovered that several different family trees have claimed them as their ancestors!!!!! So I am far from sure even though the date is a perfect match for my John & Jane.

If that was not enough confusion I am also trying to connect Hugh Thompson born c1827 in County Down, and he married Agnes/Ann/Nancy McCullock/McColloch/McCullough/McCullich & even McMullough on various records such as census returns. Their marriage was at the United Presbyterian Church, Houghton-le-Spring on 1st May 1851. Their fathers are named as Hugh Thompson, pitman & Richard McCullich, miller.

So to sum up do you think Agnes McCullough born c1818, Jane McCullough born 1820, and Malcolm McCullough born c1829 are siblings?

OR

John Thompson born c1820, Hugh Thompson born c1827 are brothers? They all lived within shouting distance of each other in Fence Houses, West Rainton area. There is also a Joseph Thomson born c1823 Co. Down married to a Margaret Ritchie in there somewhere, but I won't go down that line of thought at the moment!!!!!!

One final spelling alternative I have come across is Maculback!!!!!! They don't make it easy do they?

Malcolm McCulloch who had a son born during the December qtr 1859, Houghton-le-Spring 10a 325, and also named Malcolm McCulloch grew up to be a Head Teacher, and by 1911 can be found aged 51 and married to his second wife, living in Leamside, Fence Houses. By now he spells the name McCullough. So it seems they could not decide on a spelling even in the close family!

If anyone can make any sense out of the above, find any records in Ireland or England for the McCullough's I would love to hear from you.

Best Wishes,
Patsy

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   12 Dec 1852 Malcolm McCullough married Agnes Harper in Saintfield Church of Ireland, Downpatrick, Co. Down.

Regards

PS fathers were Richard McCullough and John Harper.

[Patsy Beech]

Hi Kingskerswell,

Thank you so much, you have made my day with that piece of information, and I danced a little jig. So Malcolm McCullough's father was called Richard, and Ann/Agnes/Nancy McCullough's dad was called Richard so all I need to find now is if Jane McCullough's father was also called Richard and it would be getting nearer to establishing them as brother & sisters. I don't suppose you have wedding details for a John Thompson & Jane McCullough tucked away somewhere? They would have been married around 1840-41 as their first son (named John) was born c1842 in County Down.

Wishing you all the best from one very happy Patsy.

[kingskerswell]

No, unfortunately I cannot find a Thompson/McCullough ( or variations) marriage.

Regards