Fergaine, this is very exciting for me--you and I are some species of cousin!!
My grandmother, Christina Ballantyne, emigrated from Greenock in 1929. Her father was John Ballantyne, who worked as a sugarhouse stoker (probably in the Tate & Lyle refinery on Drumfrochar Road). Census returns from 1881 and 1891 give his birth year as 1855. His death registration lists his parents as Duncan Ballantyne, farmer, and Helen, nee Morgan.
After that things get a little interesting: in the 1881 census return, John is living as a lodger whose status is given as unmarried (I am confident I have the right one--he is identified as Irish, and sharing lodgings with another Irishman having the same surname as his wife); in the 1891 census, he is a married man (his wife is Eliza/Elizabeth/Eliza J./Eliza Jane!, nee Hopkin/Hopkins) and he has nine children!! the three eldest of whom are born before 1881! Was Eliza married previously? Perhaps--but on his children's birth certificates he reports that he and Eliza were married in 1875, 1877, and 1880 (on three different months, in three different seasons). Twice he gives the place of marriage as Ballycastle, and once as Lagavara (which looks like not much more than a crossroads, just to the west of Ballycastle).
On the 1881 census, he reports that while all the younger children were born in Greenock, the three eldest children were born in Duns, Berwickshire; I cannot find birth records for the three eldest anywhere in Scotland.
He was apparently illiterate (he made his mark on each birth registration), so I could understand some vagueness about his anniversary--though five years rather exceeds what I'd accept!
His illiteracy has also complicated searching--his name is spelled Ballantyne, Ballentine, etc., and his wife's is also variable. This is the first time I've encountered Bonnatine!
I have a couple of marriage certificates from John's children, and they were married "after publication according to the forms of the Church of Scotland."
I haven't been able to pin down anything in Antrim either. I'd love to hear more from you!
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