shanks family co-down

[miniman27]

looking any on the shanks family co-down
loughadian area or lisnabrague

[aghadowey]

Perhaps if you give us an idea of names and dates we might be able to help.

[miniman27]

sorri i am new to this

james shanks died 23th may 1871 he had 4 children
mary..who we think went to america .....
john  which we dont know anything about ..but we think he died 10-10-1898...
alexander ..again all we have is a death in a family bible ..7-11-1894
samuel....who was my great great grandad we think ....

james was married to margaret   died 28-1-1870

[aghadowey]

PRONI Will Extracts- "The Will of James Shanks late of Lisnabrague County Down Farmer deceased who died 23 May 1871 at same place was proved at Belfast by the oaths of John Shanks of Lisnabrague and Samuel Shanks of Loughadian both in (Poyntzpass) said County Farmers the Executors." Will mentions eldest son John, son Alexander, daughter Mary Gibson, grand-daughters Mary Graham, Sarah Shanks & Sarah Ann Bryson, wife Margaret, grandson James Cunningham, son Samuel. See www.proni.gov.uk

"Probate of the Will of John Shanks (Senior) late of Glenloughan County Down Retired Farmer who died 10 October 1898 granted at Belfast to John Graham of Glenloughan and James Warwick of Lackview County Down Farmers" Will mentions sister in America Mrs. Mary Gibson of 108 Twelfth Ave., Peterson, New Jersey and other relatives.

You can also search the 1901 and 1911 census, etc. Have a look at Introduction to Irish Records.

[miniman27]

thankyou 

[andrew shanks]

My ancestor, Thomas Shanks, was born in Ireland between 1806-1811 and was the son of James Shanks and Martha Arlow or Arlour.  Thomas moved to South West Scotland sometime prior to his marriage there in 1829.

It is likely that he crossed from Donaghadee to either Stranraer or Portpatrick, so I am wondering whether any records of his family might exist in Co. Down?

I would be grateful for any assistance with this.

 

[miniman27]

i will have a look and get back to you

[andrew shanks]

This is a big brick wall in my family tree, so any help would be much appreciated.

 

[mgreer]

Hi -
I have a fair bit of information about the James and Margaret (Guy) Shanks family you are looking for.

James Shanks b.1788, d. 1871-5-23 married Margaret (Peggy) Guy b. 1783, d. 1870-1-28.  They were married on 1809-7-14 and had the following Children:
Eliza Shanks b. 1810 (may have died as a child); Margaret Shanks b. 1812 d. 1856-2-25 or 1857-12-20; John Shanks b. 1814-10-15, d. 1898 (kept a diary that is now in the collect at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)); Samuel Shanks b. 1817, d. 1905 (we have a copy of a letter from him to our Greer ancestor in Ontario, Canada, dated April 1892); Alexander Shanks b. 1820-1-1, d. 1894; Eliza Shanks b. 1822-4, d. 1847-4-6; Sarah (Sally) Shanks b. 1824-6-9, d. 1850-3-28 (buried at Loughbrickland Church); and Mary Shanks b. 1827-2-1. 
James and Margaret Shanks farmed in an area called Loughadian, which is just east of Poyntzpass, which is on the bordare of Co. Armagh and Co. Down.

Margaret Shanks married John Graham and they had the following children:
Margaret Graham b. 1831-9-21, d. 1857-12-20; John Alexander Graham b. 1833-8-5 (had a son, John Shanks Graham b. 1877-4-28); Sarah Ann (Sally) Graham b. 1835-12-30 (married Wm. Bryson on 1859-6-16); Elizabeth Graham b. 1838-4-14 d. 1868-1-22 (married John Wittan on 1863-6-8); Louisa Graham b. 1841-10-14 d. 1865-9-12; Charlotte Graham b. 1844-2-23; Mary Graham b. 1846-5-20; James Graham b. 1848-10-15; Samuel Graham b. 1853-2-23 d. 1855-2-17.

John Shanks appears not to have married, but farmed the family plot at Lisnabrague until 1873 when he sold it to his brother Alexander.  He kept a diary which is available to read at PRONI - T2809 - I read the entire diary last week in Belfast at PRONI.

Samuel Shanks married Mary Jane Bryson on 1847-11-19 and their children were:  Sarah Shanks; Jane Shanks (married James Warwick on 1877-1-25); James Shanks (married Agnes Thomson on 1877-12-27); Margaret Shanks; and Alexander Shanks.

Alexander Shanks (son of James and Margaret Shanks) seems not to have married.  He bought the family farm from his brother John in 1873.

Eliza Shanks married Thomas Cunningham (d. 1844-11-29) of Killysavan (just south of where she grew up), Co. Down on 1841-1-26 and had the following children:  John Cunningham b. 1842-9-18 d. 1854-9-24 and James Cunningham b. ~1844.

Sarah (Sally) Shanks  married John Tuft on 1849-3-20.

Mary Shanks married James Andrew (Andy) McClelland of Tullysane on 1851-4-7.  He died on 1856-5-26.  They had one son, Robert James McClelland, who died 1858-7-14 at the age of 6 and was buried beside his grandparents, James and Margaret Shanks.  Then Mary married Samuel Gibson of Tullymore in October of 1860.  They had the following children:  Margaret Gibson, Robert Gibson, and Samuel Gibson (who left for America on 1880-2-28).  Mary and her three children (no mention of her husband, so he too may have died before this)left for America on 1883-8-4.

James and Margaret (Guy) Shanks were buried at the Four Towns Presbyterian Church on Black Bridge Road, just east of Poyntzpass, Co. Down.  This information is from a descendant currently living in Poyntzpass.  The original head stone for James and Margaret was removed about 35 years ago because it was toppling, but the marker for Robert James McClelland is still there.  The living descendant's parents are now buried next to Robert James McClelland.  When we visited last week, I took I pictures of the grave as it is today.

I hope this helps in your search!

M Greer