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Within the past few months I have been able to connect with McCrea second cousins in the Ballyclare area, sadly, their knowledge of relatives is limited. The problem is that the people with whom I have made contact are descended from my grandfather's brother, James McCrea, who was Presbyterian and married a Catholic and was ostracized by the family. It is sad that this goes on one hundred years later and people don't know their own cousins who live nearby!

James McCrea (1877-1948) had two siblings who remained in County Antrim, John Blair McCrea and wife Maria Cummings and Andrew McCrea and wife Jane Wilson Watt. The children of these couples are all gone, however grandchildren are still in the area.

My question is, how do I find the names of grand and great grandchildren who who were born too recently to be in available registrations? I am finding obituaries limited and containing very little useful information.

Last week I learned that it is common practice to bury more than one person in a grave and there is not always a headstone to identify the deceased. This leave us with burial records, which I am finding are hard to get. Hopefully, I can locate a person who has a family bible, or some other birth and death record.

Suggestions will be appreciated.

Looking for the parents of Annie born in Jan. 1847, father listed as William. She is a strong DNA match and is probably a cousin of my William McCrea, born 1843 in Ballynure and married to Agnes Blair. His father was also a William.

Annie married John Adair, 18 May 1866, in Govan, Lanarkshire. Shortly after the marriage they emigrated to Philadelphia where both lived until their deaths, John in 1894 and Annie in 1940.

John is also listed in census records as being born in Ireland so I do not know why the marriage took place in Scotland.

For some time I have been trying to find a contact person who is affiliated with the Ballyclare and District Historical Society and can be contacted via email. The only name that I have found is Archie Reid who is deceased. Does anyone know how to contact them? Apparently they do not want to be bombarded with requests as there is no contact information on the group's web site. I would like to find a local McCrea researcher who may have knowledge of my ancestors.

Help is need in confirming that William, son of William McCrea & Agnes Blair is the same William who emigrated to Kansas in 1902. William appears in the home of his parents in the census of 1901 and is shown as a painter.

In searching Ellis Island, I find a William McCrea, age 27 years, 6 months, 1 day arriving Feb. 1902 on the ship Germanic and listed as a painter. Also on board was Robert McCrea, also going to Kansas. This Robert is the son of William McCrea & Jane Mackey and I believe related to my William & Agnes Blair as they are on the same street in Ballyclare in 1901. Robert had gone to the US in 1875, married Millie Wyckoff in 1885 then went back to Ballyclare until 1902. It is interesting that Robert's parents, William & Jane Mackey were married in Ballyeaston Presbyterian Church in 1855 and my great grandparents were also married in the same church in 1867.

Recently I contacted a descendant of Robert in Kansas who tell me that the William who was on the same boat in 1902 was Robert's brother and later lived in Joplin, MO where he died in 1936.

The William I am following remained in Wichita, Kansas, was always single and was shown as a painter in each census and city directory up until 1930 where I lost him. Because of his age and occupation, I feel he is my grand uncle and may have been a cousin of Robert. My William does not show up in the census of 1911 and I have found no death record ( he would have been 41 then).

Any help in finding a marriage or death record for William, son of William & Agnes Blair will be appreciated. If none are found, it may help confirm that William did indeed go to Kansas.

I recently learned of Robert McCrea,  my grandfather's brother, who resided at 7491 Bloomfield Ave., Montreal in the 1940's.

A search of the Ireland census of 1911 found Robert (age 42) and wife Jane (age 41) on Green St. in Ballyclare, the same street as his parents, William and Agnes (Blair). Their children were:

William John Blair 19
Samuel Elliott      17
Margaret            14
Andrew              11
Ellen                  4

The date of arrival in Montreal is unknown as is whether or not the children immigrated.