GORDON/SIMPSON/WILSON/REID NORTH ANTRIM

[Sandel1]

Am trying to trace my grandfather's ancestry.  He  (John Gordon) was born 20 June 1894 to Catherine (nee Simpson) and John Gordon.  The Simpson line is relatively straightforward - I assume her father Alexander Simpson married twice to Catherine and Ellen both McKinley as her youngest sister has a different mother's name - family from Newtowncrommelin Ballymena.  Anyone researching this family welcome to comment.

Real puzzle is on the Gordon side before 1890s - there is a shortage of Gordon surname north Antrim on most ancestry sites, but I find a John Gordon on the birth record for mother Hanna Wilson 20 March 1864 Topp (my recently deceased ancestors are from the Topp) whose mother may have been Jane Reid as she was child's grandmother and who I suspect is the Jane Reid died 1918.  No father listed  Some ancestry sites list child as John Gordon, some John Gordon Wilson. Hanna seems to have had a child with a father named Sweeny some years later and another in Ballymena without listing father in 1876. Any help appreciated.

[Sinann]

John in 1901 and 1911 is consistent with his age, 37 and 47.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Benvarden/Ballybogy/945155/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Stranocum/Topp__Lower/126890/
so born 1863 or early 1864.
The 1864 birth gives the child as John Gordon in the first name column
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1864/03619/2335733.pdf
unusually the names on this register have first and surname in that column, it's usually only first name.
It's a very puzzling record having no father listed if Gordon is in fact his surname and not a second Christian name.

I can't make sense of it but thought I'd post the records so hopefully someone else can.

The marriage if it helps
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1893/10584/5856032.pdf

[scottyNL]

Hi,

I am researching my Scottish Reid family tree and did a search on Reid on RootsChat and found your topic. I am curious about your Jane Reid and the Topp family. I have a Jane Reid in my tree living in and around Huntly who had a daughter who never married but changed her name to Topp just before she died in 1989 in Huntly.

Coincidence or could there be a connection?

[Sandel1]

Scotty NL - My Jane Reid lived at a townland called the Topp outside Ballymoney, and would have died over a century ago as far as I am aware.  Have you reason to believe there were Co Antrim connections, I should warn you that Reid is one of our more popular names here.

[scottyNL]

Hi,
My mistake, you wrote about the place "the Topp" and not the family Topp. I can trace my paternal Reid family in Scotland back to the beginning of the 18th century. My maternal McGuire family came over from Ireland somewhere around the beginning of the 20th century from Fermanagh/Tyrone and are very difficult to trace in Ireland. Perhaps you could clear up one thing, One branch of the family stated they were married in Castlegarig (at least that was written on the transcription). I cannot work out where that is. Maybe Gaelic pronunciation but written phonetically?
Allan

[aghadowey]

Perhaps you could clear up one thing, One branch of the family stated they were married in Castlegarig (at least that was written on the transcription). I cannot work out where that is. Maybe Gaelic pronunciation but written phonetically?

Can't see anything similar in Co. Fermanagh but Tyrone has a Castlecraig and a Castlederg.
https://thecore.com/seanruad/

If you are looking just at a transcription then you need to check the actual record yourself.