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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Antrim => Topic started by: aaid on Tuesday 04 August 15 11:36 BST (UK)

Title: McDowells of Ballymena/Connor/Kells
Post by: aaid on Tuesday 04 August 15 11:36 BST (UK)
Looking for any information on a Smith McDowell who was born around 1795-1800 probably in or around Ballymena.  He was married to twice, first to a Jane McCartney and then to an Esther Nesbitt.  He appears to have had six children.  Esther b 1819, John b. 1825., William b. 1832., Helen b. 1836 Elizabeth b. 1840 and Smith b 1850.   Esther, William and Helen moved to Glasgow in the 1850s.  He is listed as an Army Pensioner on William's Death Certificate and was apparently wounded at Quatre Bras in the Waterloo campaign.   It's likely that the family lived in Connor or Kells.
Title: Re: McDowells of Ballymena/Connor/Kells
Post by: aghadowey on Tuesday 04 August 15 12:10 BST (UK)
Just to fill in a few gaps-

Easter (Esther) McDowell (born c1819) m.1 Dunseath then McCarrol-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGCQ-13B

John McDowell, widower, son of Smith, m.(1865 Belfast) Isabella Martin-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGD8-7VD

William McDowell (born c1829), son of Smith, m.(1849) Margaret Gray-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGFL-5BB

Son Smith McDowell (born c1849)- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5CS-863

Daughter Helen who moved to Glasgow will more likely be listed as Ellen in Irish records.
Title: Re: McDowells of Ballymena/Connor/Kells
Post by: aghadowey on Tuesday 04 August 15 12:13 BST (UK)
An Elizabeth McDowell, daughter of Smith, m.(1855) Samuel Francey-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGCK-Q62

Smith McDowell m.(1848) Esther Nesbitt-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGND-SJ5
This extract gives his father's name as John-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGD1-LY7
Title: Re: McDowells of Ballymena/Connor/Kells
Post by: aaid on Thursday 06 August 15 15:27 BST (UK)
Thanks but I pretty much had all that ;)

My real interest is in ancestors of Smith McDowell.  I'm getting a lot of DNA matches onto the Ephraim McDowell line in the US and I'm trying to establish the link line from Smith McDowall to that line, possibly 3-4 generations.

Thanks again.
Title: Re: McDowells of Ballymena/Connor/Kells
Post by: aghadowey on Thursday 06 August 15 18:08 BST (UK)
Well, it certainly wan't clear from your original post exactly what you did and didn't have ::)
Title: Re: McDowells of Ballymena/Connor/Kells
Post by: Elwyn Soutter on Thursday 06 August 15 20:11 BST (UK)
Thanks but I pretty much had all that ;)

My real interest is in ancestors of Smith McDowell.  I'm getting a lot of DNA matches onto the Ephraim McDowell line in the US and I'm trying to establish the link line from Smith McDowall to that line, possibly 3-4 generations.

Thanks again.

You said that you were looking for “any information on a Smith McDowell” and then it emerges you “had all that” and are actually looking for his parents and earlier generations. That’s not really very helpful to those trying to assist you. You say: “It’s likely the family lived in Connor or Kells.” The 1848 marriage certificate which Aghadowey mentioned should tell you where they lived. Presumably you have that. So there should be no mystery over where they lived.

You say Smith was an army pensioner. Have you searched for his military records?

You don’t say what Smith’s denomination was. If he was Church of Ireland then there are no records in Connor earlier than 1871 for baptisms and 1845 for marriages. If he was Presbyterian, then Connor baptisms start in 1819, marriages in 1845. Consequently getting back earlier than 1800 for Smith seems unlikely from church records. You may need to rely on other sources, eg any leases, wills or other documents in PRONI, or perhaps his military records.

There are a couple of McDowell gravestones in St Saviours, Kells but you’ll need to decide whether they may relate to your family. Connor New Cemetery in Kells only opened around the late 1800s and prior to that many Presbyterians were buried in St Saviours. But obviously some families may have had other plots elsewhere. There are no rules about where you bury someone. And few burial records too, so it’s difficult.

http://thebraid.com/genealogy.aspx



Title: Re: McDowells of Ballymena/Connor/Kells
Post by: conahy calling on Friday 07 August 15 22:04 BST (UK)
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=351075.msg5650297#msg5650297

From "Armed forces" board.