MAWHINNEY/MONTGOMERY Families

[kiwi32]

Hi all
I am looking for info on my 3 x great grandparents from Antrim, Ireland.

Oliver MAWHINNEY/MCWHINNEY/MCWHINNIE etc married Mary PIRIE and had a son Thomas MAWHINNEY about 1851 in Ballymena, Antrim. Thomas married Esther MONTGOMERY (daug. of William MONTGOMERY and Helen WYLIE) on 2 October 1871, Randalstown, Antrim. Esther was born about 1856 in Ballygawn, Antrim.

I only have Thomas and Esther's parents names, nothing else. Thomas and Esther had 8 children: Jane Wylie, Mary, William, Thomas, Agnes, James Montgomery, Elizabeth, Helen and emigrated to Glasgow, Scotland where they died.

Their daughters Elizabeth, Agnes (Annie) and Helen emigrated to New Zealand after 1900.

Any info much appreciated.
Cheers
Janine

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Janine, I had a look at some of my favourites irish sites, one such www.emeraldancestors.com didn’t give the desired emphasis on your surnames. Eg Pirie dissappears among the spelling variants eg Perry etc. I know of a manuscript family trees for PIRRIE in volumes 18p25 and 47T. But this almost definitely a County Down line.[Source Blackwood FH collection, Linen Hall Library, Belfast]

Ballygawn and Ballycoos Townland, Carncastle County Antrim is fortunate in having some surviving fragments of the 1851 census see
www.searchforancestors.com/locality/ireland/census1851/carncastle.html, but I didn’t any Montgomery.

From www.familysearch.com the only Ballymena entry I could find
James McWhinnie 
Birth:  About 1842   Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland
Death:  14 SEP 1918  [That death notice should be findable. Try the local history section of Ballymena Library Headquarters.]   
Parents:
  Father:  Alexander McWhinney  Family
  Mother:  Jane McMillan

I switched to Ulster Historical Foundation
So my best guess would be Births MAWHINNEY JAMES 1839  Antrim for the About 1842 above item.

Other entries
Births MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1818    Antrim
Births MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1824    Antrim
Births MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1857    Antrim
Births MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1880    Antrim
Births MAWHINNEY THOMAS BOYD 1907    Antrim
Births MONTGOMERY ESTHER 1871    Antrim
Births MONTGOMERY ESTHER 1872    Antrim 
Births MONTGOMERY ESTHER AUDRINA 1899    Antrim
Births MONTGOMERY ESTHER 1903    Antrim
Births MONTGOMERY ESTHER MARY AGNES 1914    Antrim
Marriages MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1802    Antrim 
Civil Marriages MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1853    Antrim 
Civil Marriages MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1861    Antrim
Civil Marriages MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1871    Antrim
Civil Marriages MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1871    Antrim
Civil Marriages MONTGOMERY ESTHER 1855    Antrim
Civil Marriages MONTGOMERY ESTHER 1865    Antrim
Civil Marriages MONTGOMERY ESTHER 1871    Antrim
Civil Marriages MONTGOMERY ESTHER 1882    Antrim
Civil Marriages MONTGOMERY ESTHER JANE 1883    Antrim
Death Record MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1920     Belfast City, Co. Antrim
Death Record MAWHINNEY THOMAS 1954     Belfast City, Co. Antrim
While on this website One researcher is listed
7335 MAWHINNEY, Wm., (c.1780-?), B’nure, Co. Ant. m. Ann
Semple, issue: Arth. (q.v.).
7335 MAWHINNEY, Arth., (1823-1905), B’bracken,
B’nure/Kilbride, Co. Ant. son of Wm. & Ann [Semple]
(both q.v.).
The member 7335 will have their address published at that time. I might be able to find details if you think relevant.

From www.proni.gov.uk/ulstercovenantsearch/results.asp
There are 45 McWhinneys signatories of whom only 2 reside in County Antrim.
There are 390 Mawhinney signatories of whom many reside in Co Antrim, examples
Mawhinney William J Albert Place Ballymena Antrim: Mid. Ballymena
Mawhinney John Ballymena  Antrim: Mid. Ballymena
Mawhinney James Augholl  Antrim: Mid. Ballymena
Mawhinney Thomas 12 Green Square Whiteabbey Antrim: Mid. Ballymena

Then still hoping to get a church record in Ballymena or Randalstown, I tried History from Tombstones
Donegore 2nd Pres Donegore Dunamuggy MAWHINNEY   
Ahoghill 1st Pres Ahoghill Ahoghill MAWHINNEY   
Ahoghill 1st Pres Ahoghill Ahoghill MAWHINNEY   
Grange PR Ballyscullion, Grange of Taylorstown MAWHINNEY   
Grange PR Ballyscullion, Grange of Taylorstown MAWHINNEY   
Milltown Shankill Belfast MAWHINNEY   
Clifton Street Shankill Belfast MAWHINNEY   
Ballynure Old Ballynure Toberdowney MAWHINNEY, SEMPLE, BLAIR   
Ballynure Old Ballynure Toberdowney MAWHINNEY
I don’t know the geography, but at this stage my guess would be your ancestors are buried in one of these. There are Montgomerys buried in Ahoghill. Is there any oral history of which denomination they may have been in.

Drummaul, a civil parish containing Randalstown.
Kirkinriola, the Catholic parish of Ballymena

Last thought try Mary Lennon Belfast Street Directory 1880 for Randalstown, ballymena entries etc.

So I haven’t got anywhere, sorry,but I hope many join in. Jim

[kiwi32]

Hi Jim

Thank you for all the work you have obviously done looking into my request.  Some of the sites I had visited but I have found Irish research to be rather expensive or records non existance which makes it very frustrating.

I will look into some of your ideas more fully for sure.
Cheers
Janine

[Blackadder]

Google for

Ballymena 1914-1918

Fair few Mawhinneys and Wylies.
At least one Mawhinney on the 'virtual memorial' is from an area very close to Randalstown.
You may link up something.

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Blackadder, on looking up your reference Ballymena 1914-1918 via Google
the result overwhelmed me.  Its not enough to say well done to you and your fab Foy. Its people like my Dad who would have clutched you both hard close by your shoulders unable to speak, knowing you had remembered them. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
For the Mawhinney relatives, I am sure Janine will be proud to see some many of that surname are so well covered. I spotted a Mewhinney for yet more research.
Thanks again, Jim