Details on McKinney's stud book

[frankie-d]

I've seen McKinney's stud book mentioned a number of times and had been under the impression that it only included details on the residents of Carnmoney. Recently I've heard that McKinney also included pedigrees from nearby parishes.

I live in Norfolk so the easiest way for me to access the stud book would be by ordering it for my nearest LDS Centre which is about 50 miles away. I'm interested in finding more info on my Ballynure ancestors, so am keen to know if anyone could confirm one way or another whether there are any Ballynure records included.

On a broader note if anyone has info on which other parishes are included maybe they could post it here with dates if possible, thereby creating a kind of mini index for anyone else who's interested in the contents.

[Gilby]

Hi,

I looked up McKinney’s stuff a few weeks ago at PRONI but was a bit disappointed – I think I probably had the wrong reference number.

The one I got out was D4255/1 which contained a dozen or so pages covering pretty much what the PRONI blurb describes:

Plastic-slip folder entitled 'William Fee McKinney: Family Trees and Notes'. Documents include amongst others: one photocopy of the passenger log of William McKinney, 1888; one photocopy of a passenger list of the S.S. Arawa, which was sailing from Lyttelton, New Zealand to London, 1887; genealogy of the Bigger family of Belfast; letter from William Fee McKinney to his son, Hugh Giffen McKinney, at Mornington, Western Australia, about family history and the Ulster Dialect, 1909; plan of a homestead at Yanko Station, New South Wales, Australia, the property of Messrs Wilson Brothers, c.1900; photocopy of the will of Joseph McGaw of Ballyvesey, Carnmoney, 1835; genealogical material relating to the McMordie family of Belfast; genealogical material relating to the Wilson family of Ballyvesey, Carnmoney; Belfast Telegraph obituary of engineer, Hugh Giffen McKinney; genealogical notes of the McKinney family of Carnmoney; auction account book of Martha Harvey of Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, 1892; and a letter to Jane Creigh of Whitehouse, Co. Antrim, from her son, Thomas Creigh, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA, 1788.

I also tried his diaries (T3234) but they weren’t very helpful either.

I’ve also heard talk about this stud book packed with information so I’m still quite keen to get a look when I’m next at PRONI if someone knows the correct reference...?

By the way, what names in the Ballynure area are you researching?

[frankie-d]

Thanks for the reply.

The blurb you included is just the kind of thing I'm looking for, even though none of the names mentioned are relevant to me. Did you get this info when you were at PRONI? I can't find anything like it on the PRONI website, only the briefest details in the catalogue.

My main interest is my g-granddad William John Boyd, born Bruslee in 1845. His parents John Boyd and Jane Johnston were married 1835, their parents shown as John & Mary Boyd and James & Esther Johnston. This all came from Ballynure Presbyterian records, which I got when I visited PRONI a few years ago. I presume anything older would have been in the CoI records which were lost.

[aghadowey]

My main interest is my g-granddad William John Boyd, born Bruslee in 1845. His parents John Boyd and Jane Johnston were married 1835, their parents shown as John & Mary Boyd and James & Esther Johnston. This all came from Ballynure Presbyterian records, which I got when I visited PRONI a few years ago. I presume anything older would have been in the CoI records which were lost.

Ballynure Presbyterian Church started before 1750s.

[frankie-d]

Hi aghadowey, the church may have been open earlier but the baptisms and marriages held at PRONI start in 1819.

One area where I think my memory failed me was with the CoI records, which are available at PRONI and go back to 1803 for marriages and 1812 for baptisms. Didn't find any more on my ancestors in there. Maybe they came from another area.

[aghadowey]

You haven't said what religion the family were. Were they Church of Ireland?

[frankie-d]

As far back as I can trace they were Presbyterian. I also checked the Church of Ireland records because I've seen that as the Established church the CoI often included records for other denominations.

[aghadowey]

If they were Presbyterian then it's much more likely that baptisms and marriages would have been in Presbyterian records. Many Presbyterians were buried in parish ground (Church of Ireland) which is why you might find records of them in a burial register (although not all rectors included those not belonging to his own congregation).

[Gilby]

Frankie – yea, I thought the blurb looked promising too.  But when I had a flick through I couldn’t see much other than McKinney, Bigger and McMordie family information.  I’ve heard he took notes on many more local families than that.  It is possible I missed something, as I’m always in a bit of a rush when at PRONI – there’s only so many days in the year one can take off work to visit public records offices.

Bruslee is in the area I’m interested in (basically the Six Mile Water valley), though I don’t have anything on any Boyds of Bruslee.  Do you know if they were associated with any other townlands.  Have you come across any connections to the Dundee family?  Where did your William John Boyd end up?