My great-grandfather, Lowry McClelland, was born 4th June, 1856, in Ahoghill, Antrim (from his death certificate). His parents were John McClelland (farmer) and Mary McCullach. I know of one sister, Eliza Jane, date of birth unknown, but the 1901 census puts her age as 40, and the 1911 census at 52, so year of birth either 1859 or 1861. At the time of the 1901 census, Eliza and her husband William Boyd lived at House 43 in Gloonan, between Ballymena and Ahoghill. At the time of the 1911 census, Eliza was a widow. The children of Eliza and William in 1904 were: William Lowry (13), John McClelland (11), Edith (
, Norman Howard (5), Elsie McClelland (2), and Walter Hubert (9 months). By 1911, a 7th child, Harold, is listed, aged 7. All were Presbyterian. William's occupation was listed as "linen finisher" - he was aged 43 in 1901. In 1911, elder daughter Edith's occupation is "pupil teacher".
Details of remaining Boyd children: 1. William Lowry arrived in Queensland, Australia, in 1913, where he joined the firm of Cannan and Petersen, solicitors, Longreach, as a law clerk, and married Isabella Harkness in Rockhampton on 12th September, 1913. 7 children were born, and William died in 1969.
2. John McClelland: Was in Longreach, employed by Cannan and Petersen, by the time he enlisted in the Australian Light Horse in 1914. He was twice mentioned in despatches, and was awarded the Military Cross. (article in the Ballymena Observer, Dec 14 1917). He married Marie Graeme Love in 1920 and died in 1925.
4. Norman Howard: Also enlisted in the Australian Imperial Army, Dec 1914, in Longreach. He served in the 3rd reinforcement, 15th battalian, 4th Infantry, then the 5th Light Horse, and finally the 4th Field Ambulance. He married Dorothy May Atkinson in 1923, and died in sometime before 1996 at Wakefield Station, Isisford, Queensland.
5. Elsie: with Edith (3), was living in England towards the end of World War 1 (my grandfather, son-in-law of Lowry, visited them while he was recuperating after being in the trenches in France during WW1.
6. Walter Hubert: Had a distinguished career fallowing his emigration to Australia in 1922, and is in the Australian Dictionary of Biography. He served in the British Army, studied medicine briefly before emigrating and starting a career in law with Cannan and Petersen. He married Thelma Lilia Forrest in 1929, and died in 1970. He and Thelma had three children.
7. Harold (Leslie Stuart) - only details, married Maude Calvert about 1925, and died in 1995.
Lowry emigrated to Australia on board the "Saraca", landing at Maryborough, Queensland, and later travelling north to Rockhampton, where he married Fanny Ferguson, daughter of James and Mary nee Farr, who had emigrated to Queensland with her sister, Maria, on board the "Scottish Hero" in 1878, also landing at Maryborough. Fanny and Lowry were married in 1880. Lowry was a member of the Loyal Orange Lodge in Mt Morgan. He died in 1924. Fanny died in 1912.
It is possible that Eliza also emigrated to Australia, sometime after 1917, when she lived at Waveney Road, Ballymena. However, I have not been able to find any details of her death in the Queensland BDMs.
I am seeking information about John McClelland and Mary McCullach - I am not sure if this is the correct spelling as this information has come from Lowry's death certificate. However, the Boyd sons were all alive at the time, and no doubt would have known the correct spelling. I would also like to find out what happened to Eliza. Although I have visited Ahoghill (2003) I could find no information about this McClelland family. All the information about the Boyds I have found since that time from online records in Australia.
Thank you
Sandra (Lowry Mac)
