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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Antrim => Topic started by: Antaares on Monday 16 April 18 08:10 BST (UK)
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Hello all,
I have a very confusing Northern Irish line concerning my father's McElhone relations. We have Non-Catholic/Catholic marriage issues and name spelling changes. I suppose we could even be McIlwaines, McIlhons, and any other variation! Anyway, here is a timeline:
- Abt 1842 (Tyrone) - My gt gt grandfather John McIlhone was born.
- Abt 1844 (Down) - My gt gt grandmother Jane Rea was born.
- 1865 (Down) John McIlhone (Catholic) married a Jane Rea (Presbyterian). He was then estranged from his Tyrone people, and I can't find out who he was. His father was also a John.
- 1901 (Belfast) Now spelling it McElhone, John (engine driver) and Jane are on the Shore Road.
- 1901 (Belfast) Their son (Wm) James McElhone (marine engineer) married Margaret Wallace from Ballymena, and now his family are at Marvue Street. My grandmother Ellen is born to them in 1900.
- 1911 (Down) John and Jane are retired and live in Church Street, Down.
- 1911 (Belfast) (Wm) James is at Orchard Street, Belfast.
- They are now the ONLY Non-Catholic McElhone/McIlhone family in the entire 1911 Census. (I find this bizarre!)
John and Jane had seven children, four lived. Their son Samuel Rea McIlhone became just Samuel Rea, and it seemed that for awhile all the family dropped McIlhone. Samuel's daughter Eliza married a Catholic chap and her family finished with her. Samuel Rea (McIlhone) had five sons all called Rea, but who were really McIlhones (John/George/Samuel/James/David).
I'm totally stuck. We don't know where in Tyrone John McIlhone originally came from, his father was John, his mother is unknown to us.
My grandmother Ellen (daughter of (Wm) James) had two sisters (Jane, Mary), and then five brothers; John, James, Alexander, Samuel, Thomas. We know Samuel died in Algeria, but have no info on the other four McElhone men.
Does anyone have any Catholic McElhone/McIlhone branches which have gaps which may be my family? We have been looking from Australia for 15 years, and even after my father (Ellen McElhone's son) had an Ancestry DNA test, we have no new leads.
I hope someone can help!
Thank you,
Laura.
Looking for Young, McElhone/McIlhone, Wallace, Wilson, Cowan, and Rea in County Antrim.
Ancestry: https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/pt/pedigree.aspx?tid=26926659 (https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/pt/pedigree.aspx?tid=26926659)
WikiTree: http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mcelhone-2 (http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mcelhone-2)
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C Reg Birth, Marriage and Death results for Mc*lhone
Displaying results 1 - 100 of 890. http://www.rootschat.com/links/01lwu/
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https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/civil-records/help/what-civil-records-are-on-line
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Thank you, hallmark! Much appreciated. :)
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1865 (Down) John McIlhone (Catholic) married a Jane Rea (Presbyterian).... what address did he give??
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No specific addresses for either of them in 1865, just 'Ballymacarrett' for them both.
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Hello Antaares,
Several years ago I came across this entry from The Census of the Parish of Kildress 1766, in County Tyrone. I saved it because of one of the other families in the list. It has a John McIlhone, Catholic, potentially the father of your John, and two other Catholic McIlhones. Also in the same townland there is a Miles McElhone, Catholic, and potentially of the same family.
Census of the Parish of Kildress 1766 in Co. Tyrone
Transcribed by Teena
LDS FILM 1279330
1766 RELIGIOUS CENSUS OF IRELAND
P = Protestant; C= Catholic; D = Dissenter
Townland - Beaghmore
George CAMPBELL C
Mick CAMPBELL C
Edward LYNCH C
Miles McELHONE C
John McILHONE C
Neal McILHONE C
Hugh McGERAGHTY C
PatrickMcILHONE C
Owen O'DONELLY C
Gilly O'LOCHRAN C
James O'LOCHRAN C
Lawrence O'LOCHRAN C
Cork O'MACKILL C
Arthur O'QUEEN C
Mathew O'QUEEN C
Mick O'QUEEN C
More recently I did a search for a friend for McElwains in Kildress Parish and found only one, a William McElwain, in the Tithe Applotment Book in Kildress Parish for 1826. He was Protestant and lived in Drumnaglough Townland about only 4 miles to the south-east of Beaghmore Townland.
My sense is that the variable spellings of apparently the same surname hasn't much to do with the family's English spelling preferences, but with the census takers choices. He interviews the people in Irish, their spoken tongue, and then reports the information in English, rendering the Irish name he was given phonetically into English. So manifold spellings of the same name.
Hope this is helpful,
Willim
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Spelling, until fairly recent times, was fairly fluid amongst all people. Variations in the same family or on the same document are not unusual so it's really nothing to do with Irish vs. English.
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I am Great Grandaughter of John Rea son of Samuel Rea
I wasn't clear until I read your family tree in wickitree, but I know in our past there was a name change from Mclhone to Rea. And the story goes: There were 2 brothers Mclhone and no sons to pass down a family name Rea from 2 spinsters, One brother took up the name. This must have been Samuel. There was some monetary influence of passing down land or something. I believe this went awry. There was a rift in the family. I have only the story. But it seams as though it was his mothers maiden name Jane based on your family tree. A couple of her children also bear the name - Rea. maybe they were born b4 McElhone and got the bastard end? Who knows? Need to do more research. We couldnt figure out where or when the name changed occurred and because of your work I couldn't find relations past Samuel. I knew he was killed in an accident on the dry docks. As a Steam crane driver. Because of his brothers presence I dont believe they were estranged maybe this was from the next generation his son John and family.? We know he was able to get an apprenticeship on the docks from his father before his untimely death. It is our understanding that they helped to build the Titanic. I will still be looking for proof from H&W and records and such. I went to the opening of the museum of Titanic and a tour guide said I was the fist descendant he had come across and gave me a piece of the floor from the design offices of H&W. So anyways after his Father passed he was the only provider of all his brothers and sisters whom all married Catholic and couldn't get work during the troubles. His mother Elizabeth would shell out the groceries to all her daughters families out the back door soon as they came in the front. John Married an Eliza Wilson, she died young, they had many babies who died of illness and 4 survived including one Son John (Jack) Rea My Granddad. So this is our legacy his only surviving son John (Jack) Rea to pass down the Rea name to his only son my Father Sean Rea to pass the name on to his only surviving son Patrick. Always the same problem in this family. Plenty of Daughters not enough men to pass on the legacy. I recall My Great Aunt Rita being so proud of the name Rea she gave it to her Daughter. Loved reading your information and its an immense help for us to fill in our tree. I must go back and see how we are related <3 - Kelley Rea Harvey - Born and raised in Los Angeles and now living back in Ireland from my Rea roots.
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Hi Kelley,
I am the great niece of Samuel Rea McIlhone (b.1866), my great grandfather was his brother William James McIlhone (b.1873). Their parents were John McIlhone from Tyrone, and Jane Rea from Down, they married in 1865. All their six children were born in wedlock and many had Rea as a middle name.
The Rea name is very confusing. We know nothing of Jane Rea’s family and why their name was so important to them.
Interestingly, Samuel’s death at the Graving drydock was registered as Samuel Rea McElhone. It’s strange that all his children could retain Rea when it wasn’t really their name! It’s something that makes research difficult as McElhone is such a rare name in comparison to Rea. If only Samuel hasn’t changed his name! Samuel’s death entry: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1917/05216/4443233.pdf
We had not heard anything about money being the reason for the name change, but I suppose it is possible. Through the information we have via his brother William, we felt that the Catholic aspect seemed to be the problem. We don’t know why Samuel dropped the McIlhone/McElhone name, but for awhile his father John dropped it also.
The Wikitree is somewhat out of date. I have lots more dates. I will upload a new GED file next week with added data, and look at merges. My Ancestry.com tree is more current, do you have an ancestry account? If so let me know and I will add you.
Is your John Rea born 19 Feb 1894 and marrying Maggie Wilson in 28 Nov 1917? That is the info I have.
Cheers,
Laura
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A few corrections to various details posted on this thread-
1) According to 1911 census John McElhone & Jane Rea had 7 children (4 living) not 6-
http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Ballynahinch/Church_Street/233944/
2) In 1901 Samuel Rea was in Ruth St. and 1911 in Kilronan St., in 1915 (when Samuel registered father John's death) he was living at 8 Churchill St. but when he died in 1917 the family were living at 81 Upper Mervue St.
http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Duncairn_Ward/Ruth_Street/938787/ (engine driver steam vessel)
A few extracts from newspapers-
Belfast Newsletter, 8 Apr.1898: … Briens, publican, 156, North Queen Street, summoned Samuel Rea, 2, Mervue Street, for disorderly conduct on his licensed premises on the 1th ult. Mr. M’Erlean represented the complainant…
Northern Whig, 14 May 1917: … shocking fatality occurred at the new Thomson Graving Dock when Samuel Rea, aged 50, of 81, Upper Mervue Street, lost his life. It appears that the deceased was the driver of electric crane, and in the course of working something went wrong, and it toppled …
Belfast Newsletter, 15 May 1917: … yesterday relative to the death of Samuel Rea M’Elhone. of 81, Upper Mervue Street, which occurred at the Thompson Graving Dock on Saturday evening. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased was driving electric crane which was moving tank floors when …
Northern Whig, 15 May 1917: AT THE DOCKS The City Coroner (Dr. James Graham) and jury held an inquest yesterday, touching the death of a craneman named Samuel Rea, who was killed at the Thompson Dock, Queen’s Road, Saturday evening. ...
Irish Independent [Dublin], 15 May 1917: A shocking accident occurred at the new Thomson Graving Dock, Belfast, resulting in the death of Samuel Rea, aged 50. It appears that an electric crane which deceased was driving toppled over into the dry dock, a distance of 50 feet, carrying the unfortunate …
Thompson Graving Dock- https://www.titanicmemorials.co.uk/post/memorial/thompson+graving+dock+belfast/
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Rea-278
http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Duncairn/Kilronan_Street/141042/
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Thank you! I have found birth entries for six McIlhone children, but can’t find that seventh child - yet. (At one stage I found two Elizabeth’s which seemed to correctly belong, but it seemed odd to use the same name twice?)
Many thanks for the newspaper article - where did you find that? It’s a missing piece for me! :)
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It wasn't uncommon to name a new baby for a deceased sibling- especially if the name was that of a close relative (grandparent, parent, etc.)
Find My Past will have the complete articles of the extracts I posted.