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The story is told that James Hamilton  became a schoolteacher in Glasgow. In about 1587 he left Scotland by ship and due to storms unexpectedly arrived in Dublin, Ireland. He decided to stay and took up the position of master at the Free School in Ship Street. On the side, he was an informer for King James VI of Scotland  and in that process was able to gain some property and eventually a title.

According to Wikipedia, Hamilton recruited tenants from the Scottish Lowlands to migrate to Ulster to farm his newly acquired lands for low rents. He persuaded members of his extended family to come and, in May 1606, the first group of farmers, artisans, merchants and chaplains arrived to form the Ulster Scots settlement.  By 1611, a new town of eighty houses had been established at Bangor, where Hamilton lived. His brother John acquired lands in County Armagh and founded Markethill, Hamiltonsbawn and Newtownhamilton.

Some Stevensons were among the Scots that James Hamilton transplanted. In 1617, William, John and Thomas Stevenson  settled on land that they bought from the Hamilton family. William Stevenson (born about 1595 somewhere in Scotland probably Lanarkshire) settled in  Bangor, County Down; John Stevenson settled in Armagh; and Thomas settled in Tyrone.

William is said to have had five sons who married and farmed in Ireland. In 1850, a couple of his descendants, David Alexander Stevenson (b. 1829) and his brother John Stevenson emigrated to the US. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has figured out the generational connections between David (b 1829) and William (b. abt 1595)
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 William Stevenson’s property was inherited by his son John Stevenson born about 1620 who married into the Hamiltons – Rachel Hamilton. Their daughter Eleanor was born in 1677 and sons included Hans “John” and James.

Another of William's sons is said to be  William Stevenson d. 1627, who bought land in the parish just south of Bangor called Donaghadee on  townland named Ballyraer. His son (appear to be missing a generation or two here!) William married Isabelle Orr (1744-1818) from Drumfad in the same parish. (Isabelle Orr BIRTH: ABT 1744, of Kilmood, Killinchy, Down, N Ireland married : William Stevenson 1730-1786) and his wife Isabella Orr are buried at St. Andrews Church of Ireland - Balligan Down Ireland
Their son  William STEVENSON ABT 1788, Of Ballyraer , Down, Ireland; married Jane M'KEE on  24 Jul 1813, Killinchy, Down, N Ireland)

A third son of William Stevenson who emigrated to Ireland in 1617 was  Alexander Stevenson who  moved to Killyeagh by 1641, married Elizabeth Rainey from the same parish.(editorial comment - looks like a few generations are missing here.) They lived in Ballywalter in Inishargee. (Elizabeth Rainey, d/o Robert Rainey b. abt. 1775, b. abt. 1801 Kirkcubbin, Down, d. 1831, m. Alexander Stevenson on Feb 11, 1818, Kirkcubbin, Down.) Their son David Alexander (b. 1829) came to the US in 1850 with his brother John. John Settled in Ohio and David came further west and his descendants settled in the Nevada and Utah areas. (some websites showing Alexander’s dates as 1773-1847) Mytrees.com is showing Alexander’s parents as William and Isabella Stevenson married 1761.

Elizabeth Rainey b.1791 married Alexander Stevenson 11 Feb 1818 at Kircubbin Presbyterian Church, County Down, Ireland; She was the wife of Alexander Stevenson of Ballymullan/Ballywater; died 20 Oct 1831 aged 40; & buried Whitechurch graveyard, County Down, Ireland. Possible Children include:

vii. David Alexander Stevenson born 1 Nov 1829 Ireland and died 17 Nov 1905 Sunnyside, Carbon County, Utah, USA. He married three times . His wives names were Ann Stevenson, Sarah Carroll and Catherine Justet (1858 - 1893)  . Children:  David John Stevenson (1877 - 1948) and Heber Moroni Stevenson (1886 - 1956). He was buried in Orangeville City Cemetery, Orangeville, Emery County, Utah, USA

vi.Kilmood, County Down, Ireland- John Stevenson b. 1831 was the  son of Alexander Stevenson; aged 20 married Jane Moorhead 6 Aug 1852
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It is very possible that my ancestor in County Cavan, Isabella Stevenson (born about 1824), is descended from one of the three Stevensons that emigrated to Ireland in 1617 from Scotland. She and her husband  William English attended the Glasleck Presbyterian Church. Isabella seems to have died before the 1901 census . Isabella Stevenson is one of my brick walls and I am looking for any information on Stevensons in County Cavan.

A man that was perhaps her brother, was alive for the 1901 census. John Stevenson ,age 75, farmer, Presbyterian, lived in Horath, Newtown, Meath, next to James and Margaret Brady . Birthplace  is given as Scotland . In the same house is Mary Stevenson, his wife, age 74, birthplace Scotland and Margaret Blackwood, stepdaughter 35 - Presbyterian born County Wicklow. Does anyone know this family?

I am interested in hearing from anyone who is working on the Stevenson family tree in County Down, Meath, Cavan. Other names for the farming area I am interested in include Lisagoan, Taghart, Tahart, Parish of Enniskeen, Sheognegleagh.

I am searching for John Turnbull's birth or baptism date, the names of his parents and his death date. Based on the naming order of his children, his father was probably John Turnbull. This is what I know.

John was born in Roxburghshire, Scotland.

The banns were said for John Turnbull and his future wife Helen Laidlaw on 22 Dec 1833 in Hobkirk, Roxburghshire, Scotland.

John Turnbull and Helen Laidlaw appear in the 1841 census in Hawick, Roxburghshire with their three children - John 6, William 2 and Helen 1. The ages for John and Helen are given as 30. I am told that census takers in that census were instructed to round ages to nearest 5 or 0...which would mean that John's age was somewhere between 28 and 32...and his birth year 1808- 1813. ( Helen was born 21 Jun 1808 in Bonchester Bridge, Roxburgh to William Laidlaw and Helen Douglas. At the time of the census, Helen  would have been 32 or 33.) John's occupation was listed as a "joiner" (carpenter).

John and Helen (Ellen) Turnbull immigrated to Canada about 1842. (1842 was the year that her sister Christian Laidlaw Gowanlock  and her family emigrated to Canada.)

In the 1850's, the southern tier of Waterloo County was "Little Scotland". The area was
a significant location for Scottish immigrants.

Helen/Ellen is listed as a widow in the 1851/2 Canadian Census with four children. They were living in Galt, Ontario. Their fourth child (Thomas) was listed as being born in Upper Canada and being 7 years of age...born 1844.

Their oldest son John Turnbull married Jessie Burnett on 30 May 1861 at W Dumfries, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Jessie was the daughter of Alexander Burnett.

Their daughter Helen first married James William Fraser on 24 Jun 1863 in Galt, Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada. Helen married secondly John Charles McKeggie on 24 Oct 1878, Wellington County, Ontario Canada.

Helen died on December 28, 1898 and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario with her daughter Helen  and son-in-law J.C. McKeggie.

Adam Bell was baptized 29 May 1785 in Bedrule, Roxburghshire. His parents  were Thomas and Margaret Bell. I am hoping that someone has more information on them - their dates; their parents.

Adam Bell emigrated to Canada and married Isabella Oliver (baptized 21 Jan 1795 in Westerkirk, Dumfries, Scotland) on 1 Jun 1820 in York, Upper Canada. I suspect that Adam and Isabella had a large family in Canada...However, I only have a few names - so if anyone knows names of other children, I would appreciate them. The children that I have include: Thomas 1821; Francis 1828;Adam 1830;Elizabeth 1832: Robert 1838.

Adam died 24 Apr 1844 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.