Ballyeaston Presbyterian- Gardner, McAllister, Elliott

[KiwiRose]

Hello,

For years I had accepted that I would never get BMD church records for my Anne Gardner and Robert Allister's parents, siblings or the actual birth dates of their children as the events were pre-civil registration.  However, I may have made a breakthrough but I need confirmation that I have the correct couple and children.

On IGI Family Search I have found a 1828 marriage in Ballyeaston of an Anne Gardner and Robert McAllister. Both appear to have been born/christened in Headwood.  I wonder where the contributor obtained this information and how accurate is it. I hope the link below works.

"International Genealogical Index (IGI)," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:MSXG-CT8

There are also two children named born to this couple.

Mary McAllister christened 20 January 1832 and Thomas McAllister christened 28 October 1829 in Ballyeaston.

The basic details of names, years, religion and location fit with what is already known about my Anne and Robert McAllister and children.

Robert died young sometime probably in the 1830’s. After the death of her first husband the widow Anne married David Elliott of Headwood and there they raised a family. Finding a record of this marriage is a key piece in my tree.

If anyone has any pre-civil registration information regarding the above Gardner, McAllister and Elliott family I would be most grateful for any assistance they could provide.

Regards
KiwiRose.

[TheWhuttle]

Hi KiwiRose,

The contributor to the LDS archive was Ron Coleman.
[He is still with us (just), and likes to respond to all enquiries.
 I'll PM you with his latest EMail address.]

Reckon that the source will be the McKINNEY "stud books".
Available on microfilm at PRONI (ref: T1013/1-3) and from LDS (ref: British Film 0258610).

Such were created by a late-Victorian-era amateur family historian, William Fee McKINNEY (WFMcK).
He lived at Sentry Hill farm, in Ballyvesey, Carnmoney.
[Now a tourist attraction.]

He was secretary of Carnmoney Pb church for 60 years, and got interested in the local population.
[Apparently, his maternal uncle William GIFFEN (after whom he was named) knew the origins of all the Scots families in the region ... unfortunately he didn't write such information down!]

Anyway, WFMcK persuaded the incumbents of many of the other local churches to lend him their records.  From these, together with confirmatory conversations with living individuals,  he constructed the family groups.  Firmly grounded data, like dates of baptisms and marriages as copied from the records are listed there, but also other looser or "estimated" information (like years of birth for parents) and family events and connections (marriages elsewhere, or emigrations, etc.).
[Unfortunately, the source of such information is not noted so it is difficult to gauge its worth.]

The LDS indication of baptisms for Anne GARDNER in 1807 & Robert McALLISTER in 1803 as being at Headwood are unlikely (such normally happening at a church).
Suspect that this may be a false artefact of the melding of the data in to the LDS system.
The family table in WFMcK's book would have been headed McALLISTER (or ELLIOTT), Headwood.

However, Ron Coleman also built in additional information that he received over the years from correspondents. So the dates may be accurate, or may be guesstimates based on e.g. gravestone inscriptions.

The records from Ballyeaston 1st Pb commence M:1813 & B:1814.
This church sits in the CoI joint parish of Ballycor & Rashee.
Unfortunately, the early CoI registers, which would have contained the details of all parishioners (i.e. including dissenters), lie amongst the legions of the lost.
They only commence from M:1845 & B:1866.

Sadly, the nearby CoI Kilwaughter & Carncastle records also enhanced the deepness of sunsets in 1922.
[Large atmospheric particles, MEI scattering, dim sunlight strongly in directions lying close to its source.]

Some of these pre-civil records are starting to appear online ...
https://www.emeraldancestors.com/news/Ballyeaston_First_Presbyterian_Church%2C_County_Antrim._Baptisms_1820_-_1865/46/
[Mentions there of ELLIOTT, GARDNER, McALLISTER surnames as well as Headwood townland in Kilwaughter parish.]

The 1901 Census has ELLIOTTs in house numbered 11 in Headwood.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Kilwaughter/Headwood/995095/

Capt Jock

[KiwiRose]

Wow! Capt Jock, you have made my day. Thank you for your enlightening and detailed response to my query as to the source of the contributor’s IGI information and its accuracy.

The probability that Robert and Anne McAllister and their children are mine has now become highly likely, assuming that there are no other families in the district with the same names and approximate wedding or birth/ christening dates.  Thank you also for the PM. I will get in touch with R Coleman.

Kind regards

KiwiRose

[TheWhuttle]

Hi again KiwiRose,

Glad that you found that helpful.

I'm expecting you to find success within the Ballyeaston records with Ron's help.
[WFMcK certainly had them amongst his sources.]

Looking at the OS map, I see that Headwood is at the head of glen, amongst the woods, on the Southern slopes of Shane's Hill.

Also near the head waters of the  Six Mile Water.
[Named thus, 'cos the ford at Ballyclare was reckoned by the Norman soldiers to be six miles march from the garrison at Carrickfergus, on the route to Antrim town.  ]

Can recommend the following book to you, which includes many old photographs - including some of the narrow gauge railway that linked Ballyclare (thru' Headwood) to Larne.   It also has two pages on Ballyeaston village:

WHERE THE SIX MILE WATER FLOWS
Jack McKinney
Friars Bush Press
ISBN 0 946872 44 9   ppb 92pp

----
New, more local to Headwood, Pb congregations were formed in the 1840s, building churches just West of Glenoe village, either side of Cross Hill.
[No doubt to counter the effect of the pioneering outreach in to the hinterland at Glenoe from the CoI at Larne, inspired by the efforts of The Reverend John WHITTLE, one of the Glenavy family that I help research.]

There is a possibility that the family might have moved their allegiance to one of those Pb congregations later, for convenience.

Raloo Pb ------> B:1842 M:1841
Raloo Pb(NS) --> B:1859 M:1846
Raloo CoI early records went up in smoke in Dublin in 1922.

http://www.proni.gov.uk/guide_to_church_records.pdf  P.297

----
Had a quick look at the Tithe Applotment Books (TABs) from the 1830s.
This lists the land-holders who were liable to pay the controversial religious Tithe tax to maintain the CoI clergy.
[Anathema to all dissenters.]

Searched the parish of Kilwaughter, and also the parish of Ballylinny as well.
[A comprehensive search would need to include other adjacent parishes.
 N.B. The absence of a surname does not necessarily mean that a family of that name were not there, just that they were not a principle land-holder.]

KILWAUGHTER
http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/antrim/tithe-applotments/kilwaughter-parish.php

ELLIOTT & vars
Elliot, Davd. Townland: Moore Dyke Year: 1834

GARDNER & vars
<none>

McALLISTER & vars
McCallester, Janette Townland: Headwood Year: 1834
McCallester, Robt. Townland: Headwood Year: 1834

BALLYLINNY
http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/antrim/tithe-applotments/ballylinny-parish.php

ELLIOTT & vars
<none>

GARDNER & vars
Gardiner, Robert Townland: Bruslie Year: 1835
Gardiner, Samuel Townland: Bruslie Year: 1835
Gardiner, William Townland: Bruslie Year: 1835

Gardner, Robert Townland: Ballygallough Year: 1835
Gardner, Robert Townland: Bruslie Year: 1835
Gardner, Robert Townland: Carntall Year: 1835
Gardner, Robert Townland: Little Straidahana Year: 1835
Gardner, Willm. Townland: Lisnalinchy Year: 1835

[N.B. The modern spelling is "Bruslee".]

McALLISTER & vars
<none>

----
So, who might Janette McALLISTER be?
[Robert's (widowed?) mother?]

The road goes ever onward ... come icy blast from the South or foul fiend crawling out of a burrow!

Capt. Jock

[KiwiRose]

Thank you again, Capt Jock, for all the additional information and background knowledge.
The book sounds really interesting so I will have to see if I can get hold of a copy.

I have contacted Ron today so I have my fingers crossed that he will consider my request for information and that he is willing and able to put  time and effort into helping me.

Kind regards
KiwiRose.

[jwaugh]

Hi

If you contact me though First Ballyeaston Presbyterian Church website (Google it) I can help you with the records.

The early dates are probably from the 1813 church census as I can see a Anne Gardner age 7 in 1813.

John Waugh

[KiwiRose]

Thank you John for your reply.
I will contact you via the Ballyeaston Presbyterian Church. I can hardly believe that there is actually a record of Anne Gardner aged 7 in 1813 after years of thinking that I would never know anything of Anne's early life, parents and siblings or exact area that she grew up in.

Kind regards
KiwiRose.

[Peggy13]

Hi KiwiRose,
Do you have a George Gardner married in Margaret McCullough in your records? George is of an age to be a sibling to Anne, as he married probably about 1837, having a daughter Margaret born in 1838 in Barn Mills, Carrickfergus.
Excuse my lack of knowledge of the different placenames in Ireland.
Peggy

[TheWhuttle]

Hi again KiwiRose,
Hope that all is going well for you and your research.

Yes, the "Six Mile Water" book is a great read, with copious photographs of the people & area.
[P.65 shows Andrew GARDINER's "Spirit Merchants" premises at the Five Corners, just North of Ballyclare town, in 1911.
 Now a pub/night_club venue next to the golf course, offering B&B.
 Great place to stay on a visit.
 Warning: Do NOT order the "special grill" - you will be there for days trying to eat it!]

If you can persuade your ancestors to have been attached to 1st Larne Pb (later N.S.P. Larne & Kilwaughter) then you might get back even further (B:1720; M:1721 - though with big gaps).
http://www.proni.gov.uk/guide_to_church_records.pdf  P.259

Have some interesting information for you on the origins of the ELLIOTT & McALLISTER families.

Capt Jock