Author Topic: John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo  (Read 12602 times)

Offline Stiubhard

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John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo
« on: Monday 19 March 12 15:57 GMT (UK) »
My great great grandfather John McKenna married Margaret Wilson in Minterburn Presbyterian Church on Christmas Day in either 1851 or 1852 (I am attempting to clarify the date, which differs between the record on Family Search and Emerald Ancestors).  The groom's father was Robert McKenna and the bride's father John Wilson.  Margaret was 27 at the time of the wedding.  It seems that there is a strong connection between Minterburn church and the Wilson family.  John and Margaret spent some time in America, as my great great Aunt Jane McKenna is shown on the 1901 and 1911 Belfast census as being born in the USA.  She would have been born around 1860/1861.  Her sister, Margaret McKenna, was born in Tyrone (Aughnacloy) in 1866.  Ideally I would like to know where in the US John and Margaret were living when Jane was born, but I haven' t been able to find them on any records. or even on a shipping/passenger list.  Any information gratefully appreciated. Presbyterian McKennas are unusual.  In the 1901 census for Tyrone there is one single Presbyterian by that name, and he is a 4 year old boy.  There are a handful of Church of Ireland families.  As Aghaloo parish is right on the Monaghan border where the McKenna clan originate, there is a possibility that John was a Monaghan man and married in his wife's church.  Any information gratefully appreciated, particularly help with the American mystery.

Offline aghadowey

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Re: John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo
« Reply #1 on: Monday 19 March 12 17:08 GMT (UK) »
When you found Jane McKenna (perhaps under married name?) did you look at the orighinal image as well as the transcription? sometimes the transcription leaves out details written on the original so it's worth checking if you haven't done so already.

If the family were back in Ireland by 1866 when Margaret was born you could try searching for the parents in 1860 U.S. census (with or without baby Jane). U.S. research is difficult whithout knowing the state as many records were kept on a state level and even then, 1860s is early for registration of births on a state basis.

You'll need to be careful because there seem to be another couple named John McKenna/Margaet Wilson having children in Belfast in the 1860s also.
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Offline Stiubhard

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Re: John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo
« Reply #2 on: Monday 19 March 12 17:50 GMT (UK) »
Many Thanks.  I have looked at the original census return and there are no additional clues.  The Belfast couple are the same family, they moved to Belfast after the birth of Margaret, to the Shankill Road, where my great grandmother Elizabeth McKenna was born.  Neither Jane or Margaret married and they continued to live on the Shankill with their bachelor brother James until all three passed away.  Another brother, Robert, died in his teens, and the only other sibling, Mary Ann (Annie) married a Robert Troughton and emigrated, first to Canada and then to the USA in the 1920s.  Jane was the eldest and the only one born outside Ireland.  As she was born around the time of the outbreak of the Civil War I was intrigued in case my great great grandfather had been involved in the conflict.  There are several soldiers named John McKenna from Ireland listed in both armies.

Offline aghadowey

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Re: John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo
« Reply #3 on: Monday 19 March 12 18:32 GMT (UK) »
I had discounted the 'Belfast' couple due to the following births-
Mary Ann born 25 July 1864 Belfast (page 270 in civil register)
Robert born 28 June 1866 Belfast (page 353 in civil register)
Elizabeth born 12 Oct.1868 Belfast No 5, Co.Antrim (page 326 in civil register)
James born 19 Aug 1871 Belfast No 5, Co.Antrim (page 345 in civil register)
Your original post said a daughter Margaret was born in Aghnacloy in 1866 (the above Robert born in June that year in Belfast and children born before and after that date in Belfast).

If the parents were married in 1851 (as in LDS database) then it's quite possible they had quite a few other children born, either in Ireland or U.S., before 1864.

This looks like the McKenna family in 1901-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Woodvale_Ward/Wigton_Street/1008105
and in 1911-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Wood_Vale_Ward/Northumberland_Street/164679
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Offline Stiubhard

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Re: John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo
« Reply #4 on: Monday 19 March 12 18:53 GMT (UK) »
That is indeed the family.  The only other clue to their American travels is on the 1901 census form original where the entry for Jane under "Where Born" has been over-written.  I can make out that the enumerator has written "America", but cannot make out what the original entry was.

Offline aghadowey

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Re: John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo
« Reply #5 on: Monday 19 March 12 19:05 GMT (UK) »
Looks to me like America and U.S.A. written one over the other so not much help there.

Had a wee look at 1860 census and there are lots of John McKennas born in Ireland around the right period but only a few with wife Margaret-
- John McKenna (30) in Lowell, Middlesex, Mass. (but no young children)
- John (30) in N.Y., N.Y. (no children)
- John (34) in Buffalo, Erie, N.Y. (2 young children b.N.Y. but think they stayed in U.S.)
- John (25) in N.Y., N.Y.
Of course, McKenna could be mis-transcribed or have a completely different spelling...
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Offline Stiubhard

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Re: John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo
« Reply #6 on: Friday 23 March 12 18:55 GMT (UK) »
I now have the transcript of the marriage certificate for John McKenna and Margaret Wilson in Minterburn Presbyterian church on Christmas Day 1852.  John McKenna was a farmer from Drummond townland, and Margaret Wilson was from Glendavagh townland.  Griffiths valuation for Aghaloo parish shows a John Wilson, farmer, leasing 36 acres in Glendavagh, which was one of the bigger farms in the townland. 

Offline David6

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Re: John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 23 February 13 05:28 GMT (UK) »
My gg grandfather James WILSON of Mulnahorn m. Mary HAMILTON of Drummond at Aughnacloy Presbyterian in 1838.  James' father was Robert WILSON who I believe also had a holding in Drummond.  I have collected various other WILSONs from this area over the years and wonder if they fit in with your WILSONs.  I also wonder whether a male WILSON from your line has been DNA tested?
Are the Minterburn parish records online or did you have them searched in Ireland?

Offline Stiubhard

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Re: John McKenna/Margaret Wilson, Aghaloo
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 05 March 13 08:42 GMT (UK) »
Hi David

I have little or no idea about the Wilson's.  I only managed to find my great great grandparents marriage details last year on familysearch.org , and then got a hard copy through Emerald Ancestors.  I have been to Minterburn and there are still Wilsons being buried in the graveyard there...there was a service just last month.  The records aren't available online but can be searched at the Northern Ireland Public Records Office (PRONI).  None of my family have been DNA tested (although I suspect one or two have been fingerpinted  :P )  Out of interest, did you find a Susan Wilson who married a George Bell?  As I posted previously George Bell was a witness at my gg Grandparent's wedding and I'm trying to link him to a George Bell in Savannah, Georgia. Long shot.

Stuart