Author Topic: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland  (Read 5202 times)

Offline scotmum

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Re: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland
« Reply #9 on: Monday 09 April 18 08:29 BST (UK) »
GroovyKiwiChick

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Offline GroovyKiwiChick

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Re: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland
« Reply #10 on: Monday 09 April 18 20:43 BST (UK) »
Oh, no I hadn't noticed that. Thank you for pointing it out.

Offline BallyaltikilliganG

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Re: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland
« Reply #11 on: Wednesday 11 April 18 11:13 BST (UK) »
Hi GroovyKiwiChick, I looked up the Donaldsons records in Co Down. I came to the conclusion with many more records on line since the late Tiffany started the query, that perhaps the ArdkeenArdquin/Portaferry area Donaldsons are becoming confused with similar first names appearing in Tullylish parish some fifty miles away.  I add square brackets to info gleaned in others original work
Could your gt gt gt grandfather be Samuel DONALDSON [b~1782]]    Ardquin[?] of Ballywalter [BUT the nearest townland of that name is in Ballywalter parish three parishes further northwards on the Ards peninsula.]   Ardquin ; authority [ie the Bailiff] in Ballywallon 1836; died 31 Jan 1855 aged 73; husband of Margaret; father of Robert; buried Ardquin graveyardV17 p 127 OSM; MIs  (Source RD = the frozen website of ROS DAVIES Co Down Website see archive up to march 2017 which has a mini database of Donaldson
https://web.archive.org/web/20140707175935/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/D/Donaldson
who also has   
Mrs   Eliza   DONALDSON   [b~1806]    Ardkeen   nee Coulter; died 29 Aug 1838 aged 32; mother of Eliza of Portaferry ; buried parish graveyard   MIs
Hugh   DONALDSON   [b~1836]   Ardkeen   of Ardkeen; died 10 May 1911 aged 75; father of William; buried parish graveyard   MIs
Hugh   DONALDSON   .   Ardquin   of Ballywallon; died 14 Jun 1896; buried parish graveyard   MIs
notes RDs Co Down parish maps are not available on frozen site. See another, respect its source please http://www.sinton-family-trees.uk/maps2/down-parishes.php

staying on Ardkeen/Ardquin parishes these are close to Portaferry at the bottom of the Ards peninsula.  Portaferry may well be an administrative district for area

GenesReunited see https://www.GenesReunited.co.uk has many Donaldson in Ireland, a brief selection of interest for you
Samuel   Donaldson   1849   N. Ireland ...   No   Anne   
Samuel   Donaldson   1793   Ireland ...   No   Andrew   
Samuel   Donaldson   1790   Ireland ...   No   Neil

Hugh   Donaldson   1841   Ballyphillip, Co. Do...   No   Val   
Hugh   Donaldson   1840   Ballyphillip, Co. Do...   No   Dianne   
John   Donaldson   1846   Portaferry, Down, Ir...   No   Val   
John   Donaldson   1846   Portaferry, Down, Ir...   No   Val   
John   Donaldson   1846   Portaferry, Down, Ir...   No   Sandra

the use of Portaferry made me further search RD   these are a short selection
I left out several in Balltphillip. The parish on the bottom tip of Ards Peninsula
DONALDSON   Brothers   Ballyphilip   took over the forge in Church St, Portaferry in 1885   JUAHS 1977 p27
Andrew   DONALDSON   .   Ballyphilip   of Royal Irish Rifles; on War memorial for 1st World War in Portaferry Presbyterian Church   
AnneDONALDSON   .   Portaferrymentioned in the diary of Hugh Joseph Dorrian of Portaferry 3 Sep 1881 as plying the piano     
John DONALDSON   .   Ardkeen & Ballyphilip   son of Andrew Donaldson; aged 21 married Mary Jane Watson 2 Oct 1855 in Ardkeen; father of Sarah b. 7 Apr 1869 (regd. Portaferry)   CR
John   DONALDSON   .   Ardquin   of Ballywallon; died 29 Aug 1882 aged 70; buried Ardquin graveyard; bailiff on Echlin's estate; son of Ann   MIs
John George   DONALDSON   .   Ballyphilip   
regd. Portaferry ; husband of Frances Swanzy; father of Letitia Frances b. 5 Apr 1868 & Marion Swanzy Donaldson b. 18 May 1870CR
John   DONALDSON   .   Ballyphilip   regd. Portaferry ; husband of Nancy Smith; father of Eliza b. 10 Dec 1869 CR
John   DONALDSON   .   Ballyphilip   sang at Portaferry dramatic evening 16 Jul 1910   JUAHS 2011 p31 
Robert   DONALDSON   .   Ardquin   died 26 Feb 1869; buried parish graveyard   MIs
Samuel   DONALDSON   .    Ardquin   of Ballywalter; authority in Ballywallon 1836; died 31 Jan 1855 aged 73; husband of Margaret; father of Robert; buried Ardquin graveyard   V17 p 127 OSM; MIs
Samuel   DONALDSON   .   Ballyphilip   regd. Portaferry ; husband of Ellen Matthews; father of William b. 3 Jul 1874CR

 I stop there,  wondering about Samuel possibly born Ballywalter[b~1782]] what do you make of it as I can see you have done your own research. 

If Ballywalter connection the current descent of the Mulholland linen family is Lord Dunleath 
A  Mulholland might have dispatched him to be Bailiff in Ballywallon before 1836  the landlords of portaferry district are listed in each parish see Griffiths.  his area of responsibility might have been larger and other Ards parishes included

anyway good luck onwards in your quest
I have more on Tullylish Donaldsons if wanted
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Offline gaffy

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Re: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland
« Reply #12 on: Wednesday 11 April 18 13:14 BST (UK) »
The relevant section of the frozen archive of Ros Davies' Co. Down website has only 3 references to Millpark / Mill Park, co-incidentally in Tullylish and Ardquin parishes:

Ardquin parish
- Mill Park: farmhouse; near Strangford Lough; home of McKeating family in 1851;

Tullylish parish
- Millpark: early bleach green here on River Bann owned by Uprichard family in 1846 [looks like the same one as shown in the map link posted at Reply #7 above, that map predates this reference to the Uprichards];
- Millpark House: in Laurencetown; residence of John Christy, linen manufacturer in 1846 & Joseph Irwin Esq. in 1857.

https://web.archive.org/web/20161211040724/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com:80/~rosdavies/PLACENAMES/M.htm



Offline BallyaltikilliganG

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Re: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland
« Reply #13 on: Wednesday 11 April 18 18:54 BST (UK) »
gaffy thank you  for that clear map showing  Mill park Tullylish, and the buildings of  someone in the linen business, surrounded by linen greens and mills

your turn up of the farmhouse in Ardquin made me recheck the surname McKeating as i had found an earlier reference

"The parish seats were very numerous in 1837, and include that of W. McCreight, Esq.; Mill Park, now unoccupied;"
 see Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) by Samuel Lewis 
 i dont think the two McKeating and McCreight names could be mixed up by misspelling etc, but i checked just in case
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Offline GroovyKiwiChick

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Re: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland
« Reply #14 on: Wednesday 11 April 18 19:57 BST (UK) »
Wowee, thank you so much for all the information! I have recently had my DNA testing done so was given the Donaldson info from a distant relative. Up until a week ago I only went so far back as John Donaldson being born in 1867 in Mill Park marrying Nancy (Agnes) Smythe (born 1846 in Ballyghela?) marrying 4.6.1868 in Downpatrick. Then they had my great grand mother Eliza Coulter (a second one)  in 1869 in Portaferry. I see one of the lists mentions a John Donaldson married to Nancy Smith having a baby Eliza, so that's gotta be them. I've figured the spelling of Ballyghela was wrong and saw on Google maps that there's a Ballygelagh road in the tiny area of Ardkeen. I'm guessing that must be it. As I'm new to this gathering family info malarkey I'm not sure how much educated guesses should be recorded as fact. Oh and yes, that Samuel Donaldson born 1782 has got to be my man as I have been given info that he had a second marriage to Margaret (son Robert) and I have that the son Robert is buried in Ardquin. Thank you again for all the info, I'll dive into it a bit more later. I so look forward to visiting this area in a few years when I go a-hunting where my ancestors came from. Cheers.

Offline BallyaltikilliganG

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Re: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland
« Reply #15 on: Sunday 15 April 18 10:24 BST (UK) »
hi, GroovyKiwiChick,  you don’t need to wait for a few years to see close up what the area is like.  if you become familiar with area it will give you time for other things.  Have you looked up your own home in New Zealand on google satellite and street scene? its fun.  If you haven’t then still at the risk of sounding patronising you which I don’t won’t to do, then some of the following is the detail you might find useful.
You are looking for an unmarked lane travelling southwards from just 1000 ft down the east side of the top loop of  Abbacy Road in Ardkeen.  If you ask google for directions from Portaferry to Abbacy Road, the result is 7 minutes by car some 3.7 miles to that unmarked road..  The important thing is where google places the circle belonging to the title Abbacy road. its exactly where the unmarked lane to Mill Park. Another way is to enter into google maps  route for Portaferry  to destination22 ABBACY ROAD BT22 1HH you will find the circle on the west side of the top loop of Abbacy road knowing you have to go around the top and turn downwards going SE if you travel~700 yards from your start you are at the unmarked lane. 
The unmarked lane runs due south with two twists until you arrive at the old site of Mill Park, nowdays, if you switch to satellite view it’s a collection of building some could be old. buthe only way unless you are in a tractor is go back the way you came. However the road has not been photographed it may be considered more a driveway or is private.
before you leave google switch to Satellite view,  magnify up the road ,then if you click in the road Abbacy nearest your place, it should show a small window view of the street /road level, click on it, it fills your window, if it doesn’t move along thd click again, you are on a road on the Strangford side, on one side of the road the land rises creating a running rise that blocks the view must be geological made could be a series of drumlins etc  surrouding the view inland so expect to see inlets of water from part of the Strangford loughside.  There are buttons available, learn to juggle ‘the compass looking one’, jump along the road just by clicking further up or down the road, turn the compass and you get a 360 panorama in hiccups, explore more. it’s a lovely remote place with aspiring arts and crafs because of the views etc.  look for house numbers or name, magnify up with the+ plus sign from the west side of the loop there are some road signsso near the lane on the opposite side of the road, is house signs eg Bishops Mill, Millview livery and Millview house and Bed and Breakfasts. the houses near the lane don’t appear to have road numbers visible.  All this which reminds me of my childhood addiction to a full ulster fry.   You are in an area teaming with ancient, medieval and hopefully the best of modern history. Many other visitor attractions particularly at Portaferry.
on the same modern map go back to Deer Park Road and travel northwards less than a mile and turn into a short road Loughdoo road, this leads to a 3 mile stretch of the Ballygelagh road  which runs NEE towards and ends at Kirkistown.. Later on using Griffiths you should identify the ‘in laws’ address from Griffiths valuation if you haven’t already.

i will take a breather
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Offline BallyaltikilliganG

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Re: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland
« Reply #16 on: Sunday 15 April 18 10:26 BST (UK) »
to finish Before going to Griffiths Valuation, another useful source numbering the properties in Ballwallon has made me question some facts known eg a John Donaldson might not be living in the MillPark but in one of the buildings at Bishops Mill!  That source is https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/search-proni-historical-maps-viewer  you open it, and magnify up the area of Abbacy Road until the unmarked road appears continue the magnification and the detail on the map changes to show property numbers.  so starting at Bishops Mills are Nos 9 and 11 on the southern side of the road, continue to the next properties on the southern side  off Abbacy Rd and you arrive at the unnamed road. going southwards approx. 1/3rd of the way down is 11b, another third 15a, and then the clump at the end marked Mill Park, are 15b, 15 and 17. the area is not Ardkeen but ARDQUIN so I think google references for Ardkeen need to be checked  The property numbes agree with Griffiths valuation or in its continuation books see PRONIthis website needs copright clearance if you use their
at last go to Griffiths valuation website 1860’s Griffiths Valuation of Ireland using the quick so useful index of http://www.failteromhat.com/post1845.php then for further information and possible map references use http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/              
I suggest youtake a wider view of Donaldson homesteads than these few
Donaldson   Anne      Ardkeen   Ardkeen   Down
1863 and has map ref 8 in the townland of Ardkeen has a house forge and garden so she must be a widow or daughter of a smith
Donaldson   Samuel   Ballyridley   Ardquin   Down
1863 map ref 7 another Samuel to check house valued ten shillings pa
Donaldson   Andrew   Ballywallon   Ardquin   Down
1863 map ref 1e  house small garden valued seventeen shillings pa
Donaldson   John      Ballywallon   Ardquin   Down
1863 map ref 11 AAa  your john? or his father  house £1 pa
Donaldson   Margaret   Ballywallon   Ardquin   Down
1863 map ref 11Ab    house valued ten shillings pa  could be Samuels widow
the map used on the griffithsvaluation is the 1st revision of the ist edition dated about 1860 and should show where no 1e is.
The landlord  during the 1860s was the Rev J R Echlin.  John Donaldson is bailiff to him. curious is that the Rev JR Echlin is not listed in Griffiths Valuation so I might presume he is an absentee  landlord possibly living in Flintshire or Surrey.  The Echlins owned land in co down themselves living on Rubane formerly Echlinville townland which is Inishargie townland and hallway between Portaferry and Ballywalter. Howeverthe Echlins were known as ‘of Ardquin’ in landed gentry parlance. Ros Davies gives
Echlinville Ballyhalbert a townland 2km SE of Kircubbin town; it's old name was Rowbane & Rowreagh townland but renamed after Echlin family; 481 acres; click here to see its location on a townland map; ancient graveyard near main gates of demesne;in 1659 there were 10 English/ Scots & 20 Catholic families here school built 1834 by John Echlin Esq. ; {was}part of the Manor of Ballywalter in King Charles 1st's reign; proprietor in 1836 was John Echlin; town & lands to be sold 11 Sep 1847;   V7 p6, 18 OSM; DR;SP; O'L V1 p 425, 426; PNNI V2 p 107
Echlinville House   Ballyhalbert   .   built in 1740 & rebuilt c. 1850 ; later known as Rubane House   PE
 good luck and may your holiday home be the great one
Gracey Gracie Gracy Grassy Greacy
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Offline GroovyKiwiChick

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Re: Donaldson/Coulter of Mill Park Co. Down Ireland
« Reply #17 on: Sunday 15 April 18 21:42 BST (UK) »
What an amazing font of knowledge you are! I have had a wee spy on Google satellite but didn't see much. Now with your clear instructions I'll have a bit more of a play. Thank you so much!