Hi Pete, we await for your reply. Whoever ordered that coach /carriage to transport James Rae himself with his must be known already reputation, design and workmanship, his tools, possibly slabs, or blocks of special granites or marbles. to whichever Castle at Antrim or Glenarm has intrigued me.
As you know James Rae & Sons started in 1883 with James about 25 years old [see census]. Regretfully from our point of view, your current catalogue with bases now at Annan Dumfries and Galloway, has to do with just the present and future, rather than a record of the past work. James Rae himself appears to have be born in Lochmaben Dumfriesshire and among his children two at least born in Dumfriesshire, and two at least in Wetheral, Cumberland where his wife Jane came from. Eaglesfield where he died is a village in south east Dumfriesshire, Scotland. It is not far from the English Border with Cumbria ie Carlisle
So we are looking for examples of his work or directed work presumably for the Castle owners produced between 1883 and 1921 [ the year he died]. Coach and carriage would have ceased by WW1 so I would reduce the search to say 1883- 1913. a 30 year span.
Turning towards Ireland and the two contenders during this period, we have Viscount Massereene [ the Skeffington family] at Antrim town, and the Earl of Antrim [the McDonnell] family. The name of the castle used is Antrim Castle at Antrim town, but the Peerage records also name Antrim Castle is at Glenarm . I realize your and my own confusion, anyway that’s for others to explain..
What sort of work was James Rae commissioned to do is unknown to me. It could be tombstone work, or coats of arms for stone plagues above doorways , or complete works of art coming under the heading Sculpture. I did not find James Rae recognized as a bronze sculpture in Scottish records. Your suggestion that it was repeat business made me think he was specializing in Tombstone work, perhaps in a church or church vault, or more likely in a graveyard. As far as I can find there was no inside chapel in either Castle .
So I turned to death records for the two contending families during 1883-1913 and was surprised at the scarcity of deaths in both families, with questions unanswered for those dying in England etc, were their bodies brought back to the their childhood home.
Taking notes from the peerage records
http://www.thepeerage.com/,
turning first to the Skeffinton family at Antrim Castle, Antrim town the possible Skeffingtons buried in the C of I graveyard or elsewhere could include any of these 3.
Oriel John Clotworthy Whyte Melville Skeffington died ? Probate 30 Apr 1905
Hon. Florence Cecilia Skeffington was the daughter of John Skeffington, 10th Viscount Massereene and Olivia Deane Grady.1 She died on 4 January 1906, unmarried.
Hon. Winifred Kathleen Rachel Skeffington was born on 3 September 1878.1 She was the daughter of Clotworthy John Eyre Skeffington, 11th Viscount Massereene and Florence Elizabeth Whyte-Melville.1 She died on 10 October 1909 at age 31, unmarried.
Hon. Olivia Margaretta Mary Skeffington was the daughter of John Skeffington, 10th Viscount Massereene and Olivia Deane Grady.1 She died on 13 October 1914, unmarried.
Church records exist for Antrim Town and most are listed on
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Guide_to_church_records.pdf I reduced the records to only those who have burials or death records in existence
ANTRIM, CO. ANTRIM
C.I. Antrim (Connor diocese) burials, 1700-54 and 1786-1054; 16.
P. 1st Antrim (Millrow)
deaths, 1820-35; family records for the late 18th and 19th centuries;
turning secondly to the McDonnell family at Antrim Castle, Glenarm village. again the possible could include
William Randal McDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim b 1851 d 19 July 1918 at Antrim Castle, County Antrim, Ireland. His son might also have been involved ie
Randal Mark Kerr McDonnell, 7th Earl of Antrim b 1878, d. 1932
Hon. Mark Henry Horace McDonnell b 1852 the son of Captain Mark McDonnell, 5th Earl of Antrim d 1909. but in Steyning Sussex so that makes it very unlikely he was buried in Glenarm.
Church records exist for Glenarm and most are listed on
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Guide_to_church_records.pdf I reduced the records to only those who have burials or death records in existence
TICKMACREVAN, CO. ANTRIM
C.I. Tickmacrevan or Glenarm (Connor diocese)
burials, 1824-1961; indexes to burials,1846-1941;
R.C. Glenarm or Tickmacrevan (Down and Connor diocese) [Part of Tickmacrevan parish is in the Roman Catholic parish of Carnlough – see also under ARDCLINIS]
deaths, 1831-8.
So far I have not located a grave for any of the above in Ireland. I give up in the meantime but remain interested as to his business adventures. Wishing you find many evidences of your families past endeavours inc those in Co Antrim.
