shanks family co-down

[mgreer]

Here is a link to some information about James Shanks from a website on Co. Down:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/S/Sha.htm

Note James Shanks of Aghaderg (but he was NOT buried in the Donaghmore Presbyterian graveyard - we looked for him there before we found a local living descendant).  Also, see Alexander Shanks of Aghaderg on the same page.

M. Greer

[mgreer]

And here is one more link - look for the gravestone inscription for James Shanks in the sixth paragraph:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~donaghmore1/donaghmore/donbfourtownscem.html

[soapy1]

Hi Folks

My 3rd great grandmother was Elizabeth Shanks ( b abt 1798) from , I think from Co Down. Her parents were Robert Shanks (farmer) and Elizabeth Bolton. She came to Scotland with her husband Thomas Pew and their children and settled in Airdrie, Lanarkshire . I've tried to find out about the Shanks family but its not easy at all - do these names mean anything to anyone - I thought farmers would have been easier to find

[mgreer]

Our James Shanks, who was married to Margaret Guy, had cousins James and Eliza (two common names in the family).  I only know this from the diary of John Shanks (James and Margaret's eldest son), a copy of which is available at PRONI.  This is the only potential link for an Elizabeth Shanks, born in the same era As our James Shanks.  Good luck!

[Flissie]

I too have ancestors - Shanks From Poyntzpass, Co Down, N Ireland.
Samuel and Margaret Shanks (or Cruikshanks) from Poyntzpass according to their daughter's wedding and death certificates.  Samuel was a farmer.
6 sisters Eliza (b1829), Mary (b1831), Martha (b1833), Agnes (b 1835), Sarah (b1843) and Rebecca (b1850)came out to Australia on different ships between 1853 and 1869, where they all married.
One sister Margaret (b1848) married in Lisnabrague and then migrated to USA with her first husband David B Irwin in 1868. He died shortly after and she then married James Craig in Hanover, Jo Daviess Co. Illinois.
A brother George (b 1836) married Eliza Allen on 10 Jun 1868 in Ballymore, Armagh.  I think they lived in Ireland but he died in Pennsylvania USA.
There may have been another son Samuel
I visited Poyntzpass and the surrounding areas in 2015 and met with Kathryn Stewart (nee Shanks) at her mother's home (Mrs Shanks) at Lisnabrague, just out of Poyntzpass. Her father was deceased at this time. Unfortunately, we were unable to make the connection between our Shanks families.   
I took photos of graves at Fourtowns Church and the Poyntzpass Presbyterian Church.  The latter had a grave inscription to "Samuel Shanks died 04 July 1873 age 87 and wife Margaret Shanks died 10 Aug 1883 age 77 and grandsons George died 17 Apr age 2 and Samuel James died 09 Aug age 35".  I cannot verify they are mine, as yet.
Does this match any of your information ?  I would love to sort all of the families out for once and for all  Please let me know what you think?  Isabel
 

[mgreer]

Hi Isabel -  This is what I have on Samuel Shanks(es).  James Shanks (1787-1871) and Margaret Guy Shanks (from our Guy/Greer line) (1783-1870) had a son, Samuel (1818 -1905), who married Mary Jane Bryson in 1847.  They had sons Alexander, James, George, and Samuel (Sammy) (1834-1843) (as well as daughters Jane, Sarah, and Margaret).  George married Elizabeth Allen June 10, 1868 and they had sons Samuel (April 19, 1969), John (April 28, 1871), and George (1873).  Hope this helps!

[mgreer]

OOPS
 - note there is an error in one of the birth dates I gave, Samuel was born April 19, 1869 (not 1989).  Kathryn is a descendant of the James Shanks and Margaret Guy Shanks line.

[Flissie]

Thank you so much for your fast response. I am still unsure that they are the same family as my children born to Samuel and Margaret started in 1829, which would make your Samuel only 11 yo. ALso my girls all have Samuel and Margaret stated as parents.  What do you think?
Isabel

[mgreer]

Hi Isabel - You are right - Samuel Shanks, son of James and Margaret (Guy) Shanks, born in 1818 and married to Mary Jane Bryson (confirmed by records and the John Shanks diary) could not be your Samuel Shanks who married to a Margaret and had children starting in 1829.  The only thing I can think is that James Shanks had a brother or cousin by the name of Samuel who was likely born about 1800 or so.  I don't have my notes with me right now, which I took from the John Shanks diary in PRONI last fall, so I can't check if there was any mention of such an individual.  After Easter I can look into it.  I do remember that John mentioned a lot of people going to 'America', but I don't remember him mentioning any going to Australia.  It is very tricky trying to track family members when they used the same first names over and over again in each generation and at one time there were so many people with the same last (and first) name living in close proximity - we are having the same problem sorting our Moses Greers born about 1800 all living in or near Corlust!!!