Donnan family - Ballywalter / Balligan

[DPSmith]

Hi,

I'm desperately trying to trace a family that I know came from the Ballywalter area of Co. Down. The details I have are:

William Donnan married Jane McMaster (c. 1826 ?) and had the following children:

Jane (born c.1827)
Hannah (born c.1829)
Mary (born c.1831)
Francis (born c.1832)
William (born c.1837)

William also had a brother John Donnan who had at least two children (in Balligan I believe):

James (born c.1827)
Francis (born c.1831)

If anyone can find any records of these births or marriages it would be helpful and much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Dan

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   Have you tried the Ros Davies site? See http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/D/DonDoo.htm

Regards

[DPSmith]

Hi,

Thanks for the link. I hadn't come across that site before. I can't seem to find the family I'm looking for on there but I have found little more info on John Donnan elsewhere. I know he married three times (although I haven't found any record of where the marriages took place):

1 Hannah McWhirr (or McWhirk) around the mid 1820s
2 Rachel Cleland between 1834 - 1852
3 Ellen ... between 1852 - 1875

Two of his sons travelled to Australia and on the passenger lists put their religion as "Church of Ireland" and native place as "Balligan". So I know I'm in the right area, just haven't managed to track down any baptisms or marriages yet.

Thanks,

Dan

[aghadowey]

There's this marriage in 1853 for John Donnan (son of Francis) and Ellen Mathews-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGXK-216 (Newtownards registration district)

[DPSmith]

Thanks aghadowey. That marriage looks promising. It was in Inishargy, which fits in with John living in Balligan. I'm guessing the age of 21 for bride and groom just means they were of full age and not that they were actually 21.

The name Francis would fit for the father as both John and William had children called Francis and several further generations of William had children called Francis too.

It might also mean that they were related to Francis Donnan from Inishargy mentioned several times in kingskerswell's link above. He appears to have had several children around the 1820s, so could be a brother of John and William.

I feel the answers are so close! Thanks for the help so far. Anymore pointers are greatly welcomed!!!

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   The Donnan/Mathews marriage took place in Kircubbin Presbyterian Church.

Regards

[BallyaltikilliganG]

Please would tell us where you got the information about William and his brother John Donnan. 
I started by looking at at Ros Davies website first for her list of Donnan, Donnin, and Donnon and then to educate myself about the areas mentioned so far. Ros Davies tells us “Balliggan Balliggin in the civil parish of Inishargy 21; 62/65 4km SW of Ballywalteretc etc
Ros Davies has the map showing the civil parish of Inishargie  and its townlands.
Ballygarvan Townland
Ballyobegan Townland
Fish Quarter Townland
Glastry Townland
Gransha Townland
Horse Island Townland
INISHARGY Parish and Townland
KIRCUBBIN Village and Townland
Mid island ? may be included
Nunsquarter Townland
Roddans Townland  This  is sometimes included under Ballyhalbert parish
Rowreagh Townland
Scady Rocks Townland information is scarce
Sheelahs Island Townland
South Sheelahs Island Townland  [part of Sheelagh above]

An overview notes, the other adjoining northern parish of  Greyabbey  and the southern adjoining parishes of Ardkeen and Ballyhalbert., with the importance of the civil parish in finding further records, but also the key towns of Kircubbin in Inishargy and to the north Newtownards & Donaghadee ,and Portaferry to the south

Donnan, Donnin, and Donnon  Family history
There is a  Donnan family tree, in the Blackwood Family History manuscript trees Collection in the LinenHall library, Belfast.   But which line is it,, will it include yours?  Write to make prior contact with the Library . A minimum charge of £2 will normally be made in respect of overseas enquiries. A4 photocopies b&w are 20p.  The Library may be able to assist those with more extensive research requirements on terms subject to negotiation with the Librarian. Contact the Library  on info@linenhall.com or Telephone 028 9032 1707. Their address is The Linen Hall Library,17 Donegall Square North, Belfast BT15GB, Northern Ireland, see their website for contact details or use Email:info@linenhall.com.    The volume reference for DONNAN is Vol 91

Ros Davies ‘Donnan’ entries can be expanded  for example on
www.familysearch.org I confined myself to see what was available for the surname in their  Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881 and narrowed that down to  PRESBYTERIAN Church records ,KIRCUBBIN,DOWN,IRELAND and found three males of the same first  name having children
HUGH DONNAN [there could be more than one Hugh]
children
William Donnan christening:   1 September 1811   father:   Hugh Donnan
Robert Donnan christening:   5 October 1814   father:   Hugh Donnan
John Donnan christening:   29 September 1816   father:   Hugh Donnan
James Donnan christening:   20 December 1820   father:   Hugh Donnan
Rachael Donnan christening:   14 March 1823   father:   Hugh Donnan
JAMES DONNAN [there could be more than one James]
Children
Jane Donnan christening:   28 May 1807   father:   James Donnan
Margaret Donnan christening:   1 March 1810    father:   James Donnan
William Donnan christening:   15 March 1810   father:   James Donnan
Mary Donnan christening:   12 June 1812   father:   James Donnan
James Donnan christening:   14 February 1815   father:   James Donnan
Sarah Donnan christening:   19 December 1817   father:   James Donnan
James Donnan christening:   14 February 1815   father:   James Donnan
WILLIAM DONNAN
Children
William Donnan christening:   4 March 1807  father:   William Donnan

I stopped at this convenient point realizing one needs to exhaust the records which Ros Davies lists as  Kircubbin Presbyterian Records available are baptisms 1778- 1826, marriages 1781-1845; North of Ireland FHS (www.nifhs.org) has baptisms 1778-1921 & marriages 1781 -1920; www.familysearch.org have baptisms 1778-1826 on batch #C700361; graveyard attached, gravestones UHF Vol 12 ; oldest stone 1800; email me Ros Davies for a gravestone look-up.  Of course there are many more records on familysearch.org, but I am trying to cut corners at this stage so I moved to

Ulster Historical Foundation { also operates a membership association called the Ulster Historical and Genealogical Guild}  website is http://www.ancestryireland.com   Some of their indexes are free.   I deduced from their Donnan entries
Anthony Donnan b bef~1773
Children
Jane1793
Margaret1794
Eliza1795
William 1799
John 1800
Anthony 1801
James  1803
Jane 1804
William1805
William 1809
Alexander 1810
Robert Donnan b bef~1793
Children
James McCormick 1813
Francis 1817
Francis Donnan b bef~1783
Children
Mary 1803
So that’s as far as I can go.
Good luck JimG

[DPSmith]

Wow, thanks for all the hard work and info, it's really appreciated.

William and Jane Donnan are my 3 x great grandparents and the info I have so far came about as follows:

William and Jane moved to Sunderland, England around 1837-1840. In 1840 they had a son Samuel in Sunderland whose birth certificate gives Jane's maiden name as McMaster. UK Census records show they had at least 5 children in Ireland: Jane (born c.1827), Hannah (born c.1829), Mary (born c.1831), Francis (born c.1832), William (born c.1837). One of Hannah's census records states Co. Down as her place of birth.

In 1857 William's daughter Mary (now wife of Robert Atcheson) emigrated to Australia and the Passenger List gives her parents as "William and Jane Donnan living in Sunderland", her native place as "Ballywalter" and her relations in Australia as "cousins James and Francis Donnan".

Passenger Lists for James and Francis Donnan give their parents were "John and Hannah, mother deceased and father from Balligan" and native place as "Balligan". Their ages on the Passenger Lists indicate James was born c.1827 and Francis c.1831.

There is a headstone inscription in Ballyhalbert cemetery which was erected by John Donnan for two of his wives, Hana Donnan alias McWhirr (d. 6/10/1834) and Rachel Donnan alias Cleland (d. 1/7/1852).

I'm not too sure whether John had a third wife. In 1875 an Ellen Donnan died in Belfast and a newspaper article says she was a widow of John Donnan of Balligan. The death index indicates she was born around 1827 (much younger than the John Donnan above) so could be a different person. However I do know the John Donnan I'm looking for had at least two wives, Hana and Rachel.

A letter from my great aunt written long ago says: "My father used to tell me that one of his forbears had to leave Ireland in a hurry because he was caught brewing whisky in the hills, that the name had been O'Donnell (O'Donnain?) and they came from County Down".

I've spent a lot of time searching online for the baptisms and marriages but can't seem to track any of them down.

[BallyaltikilliganG]

You have done well.   You mention a headstone inscription in Ballyhalbert cemetery . Which cemetery, there are two I think, a village one and the Cof I one?

PRONI says the church records for Ballyhalbert are findable under ST ANDREW’S or BALLYHALBERT, CO. DOWN
C.I. Ballyhalbert (St Andrew’s) (Down diocese)
Baptisms, 1846-76; burials, 1855-1922.
MIC583/15
M. Glastry
Baptisms, 1870-c.1878; circuit schedule book, 1870-78.
Baptisms, 1879-; marriages, 1864-.
D2687
In local custody
N.S.P. Moneyreagh
Marriage notices, 1989-91. MIC1B/13
P. Glastry
Baptisms, 1728-1966; marriages, 1750-1914;
communicants’ roll, 1860-63 and 1871. MIC1P/111
R.C. [see under ARDKEEN

Ros Davies shows Inishargy
21:63/63   Presbyterian   
in Glastry townland ;originally known as Ballyhalbert Presbyterian; click here for a photo and more information

with hindsight The Presbyterian chhrch in Glastry townland seems possible and has records
I cant help more Keep going
JimG