Conkey of Killyleagh area, Saintfields; McVeigh, Middleton, 1800s & earlier

[JulieInNornIron]

I went to high school in saintfield & knew quite a few kids from Raffrey.
It's between Saintfield & Killyleagh.
It's tiny!

~julie

Moderator's Comment: image removed due to copyright restrictions (Crown Copyright 2007 at bottom of map is a big clue).

[sherlockmh]

re:  portions of your entry related to a "McIlveen" name and Raffrey.

See my other recent posting of Raffrey/Raffery, where portion of my family tree definitel resided in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

In your posting, you mention an Isabella McIlveen, married in 1838 at Killinchy Parish.


"The marriage record gives Samuel's residence as Raffrey (which I do not see on Google Maps, but may be in County Down), and his father as

Gen 3
Alexander Conkey, Laborer
b. 1814 Ireland (family record)
d. 1889 Ireland (family record)
Laborer, servant
Here they do not have a wife.

I have found an IGI record, no sources given, that he was born 1817, died 1900 and married Isabella McIlveen in 1838, Killinchy Parish, B Macreely, Down, Ireland. (Where is B Macreely?)"

a) 

Since the place name matches (Raffery), it is possible that my McIlveens were related to Isabella McIlveen mentioned above.

From my family history:

Robert McIlveen, b. 1827, d. 1/5/1907, m. Jane Hewitt 8/8/1859? (Jane was born in 1839 in Raffery, County Down, d. 4/18/1909.  (see marriage certificate copy and scan, from 1st Pres. Church at Killinchy).  Jane’s parents were William Hewitt and Veronica Geddis.

They lived on a farm called Raffery, which was originally owned by Jane Hewitt’s parents (?).

Gravestone at Church of Ireland, Killinchy, says

“ Erected in memory of Wm. Hewitt of Raffery who departed this life March 11, 1840 age 50 years, also his wife Veronica Hewitt alias Geddis who died Sept. 17th 1884 age 100 years, also Robert McIlveen of Comber who died January 5th, 1907, age 80 years also his wife Jane Hewitt McIlveen who died April 17,  1909 age 70 years also their son Robert McIlveen of Raffery who died April 29, 1927 age 76 years also his three sons who died in infancy.

At other end of plot is small headstone reading “In memory of Robert McIlveen of Raffery died 29 April 1927 age 76 years and Charlotte McIlveen died 27th Nov. 1937 age 84 years.”


b)  Raffrey

I have a "paper" map of County Down that shows Raffrey as a place name, not far from Killinchy.  I think it came from family history pages my uncle Mel McIlveen sent me about 1995 - he had visited Raffrey and Northern Ireland at some point in the years before that time.

You can also find a map on this link, showing Raffrey in between Saintfield and Shrigley, on/not far off Manse Road, several miles northwest of Killyleigh on Strangford Lough:
http://www.yourlocalweb.co.uk/county-down/raffrey/map/

[miles_hagen_bown]

@sherlockmh

Thank you for posting!

It would seem very likely that your Robert McIlveen (m. Jane Hewitt) and Isabella McIlveen were related. His estimated year of birth then is 1827. I would estimate Isabella's y.o.b. about 1818ish if she were married 1838. That is a 9 year gap, could be same family even if Robert (namesake) younger. Most certainly related.

And thank you for posting the information on Raffrey.

This is interesting and very helpful.

[miles_hagen_bown]

I have a silly question which, after a good night's sleep I might be able to figure out..

Is there a way to search for Raffrey/Raffery? Or do I look at post titles through this thread?

[twitter]

Hi Miles_Hagan_Brown
Afraid I can't help you on the ancestor trail re your posts but it is your middle handle that caught my attention immediately. I have a g-grandmother from Carrickfergus, Antrim who was an Elizabeth Hagan and married James Giffen in 1854 in Carrick. Any connections in your family tree.
Thanks
Twitter

[miles_hagen_bown]

Uh oh, just noticed the typo! I cannot believe I did that. Hagen. Oh brother, forever a typo in my handle! How embarrassing.
The Hagen connect is Quaker from Friedrichstadt, Germany, probably Dutch, who went to London. SORRY for the red herring there.

[cdelaplace]

Seeking information about the McVeighs of County Down IRELAND, my grandmother emigrated to USA from the Newcastle area her family were fishermen. They are mentioned in Sailing SHips of Mourne hoping to connect with living descendents... cdelaplace in PA.

[miles_hagen_bown]

McVeigh:

I do not have much.

My connection with McVeigh, (my husband's family) is through a Conkey line. My husband's line was through Alexander Conkey and Isabella McIlveen who had 7 children, the oldest son, Samuel, is our line. His sister, Martha, the youngest child, married a James McVeigh sometime after 1872 (we have a family note that Martha Conkey was present at the death of her sister, Eliza, in 1872). Other than that, I do not have any dates, but she would have been born in the 1850s likely, County Down.

Comes from my mother in law’s notes:

From my mother-in-law's notes she left, made at the time of their trip to Scotland and Ireland, Martha married James McVeigh. In the 1960s, a McVeigh still lived in the Killinchy-Killyleagh-Ballymacashen area, they corresponded, visited, and he provided some Conkey information. My parents had gone to to Alexander Conkey's house which was still standing and the family knew the McVeigh's and relationship to Alexander Conkey. She received a list of children for Martha and James McVeigh:
Isabella
James
Jane
Alex
Hugh
Samuel
Martha

Is this your family? Where did they come to in the US? Three Conkey daughters, cousins I presume, (nieces of Martha Conkey McVeigh) came to New York State near Rochester, but I think one went into Pennsylvania after marriage .

[sherlockmh]

perhaps we can trade notes.  See my other post on Raffrey/Raffery at the link below - looking for more info on my McIlveen/Geddis/Findley/Hewitt and other relations in N. Ireland:


http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=482812.0