McLorinan family burying-ground, Antrim

[jonw65]

Hi
The transcribed letters are on PRONI, there are references to them on the internet, but I haven't seen them anywhere else
https://apps.proni.gov.uk/eCatNI_IE/SearchPage.aspx

I can't find an easy way to search for them by using the reference mentioned, or dates, there probably is one, you'll find it or someone will tell us!
Exact phrase "Bristow Johnson" brings up two letters, one sent to my dear Henry, signed dear Brother
Exact phrase "Jane Johnson" brings up several letters
Match ALL words, looking for Mackey + Johnson, brings up about six letters

[jnomad]

Great, thank you. You gave the PRONI reference for the collection, but I dumbly assumed that to browse in it I would need to visit PRONI, which isn't going to happen.

So it's established that Bristow Johnson is a brother of Henry, a nephew of Alexander Mackey, and a son of Mary born Mackey. And it's plausible that the reason why Bristow Johnson is a witness at the marriage of Mary McLorinan is that he is her cousin; she is a daughter of Mary's sister Martha, who became the mother of the Rev. Thomas McLorinan. And it's plausible, from the Simpson connection, that the spinster Martha McLorinan is another daughter of Martha Mackey, another sister of the Rev. Thomas McLorinan.

I think John McDowell's wife Elizabeth is another daughter, a sister of Mary, Martha, and the Rev. Thomas. That her maiden name is McLorinan is near enough certain. As Shanreagh noted, two of her children have McLorinan as middle name. (Jane is Jane McL. McLorinan on John's gravestone, but what else is that if not McLorinan? Henry is definitely Henry McLorinan McD.) An extra bit of evidence: her son John junior calls his first daughter Elizabeth McLorinan McDowell, surely in honour of his mother. (She is Elizabeth McClernon McD on the civil record of her birth [Larne, June 21 1886], but on his will probate she is Elizabeth McLorinan Napier, married woman, daughter.)

The only problem is the profession of the person who is coming into view as Martha McLorinan's husband Henry McLorinan, the father of these siblings: Rev. Thomas, Mary, Martha, and Elizabeth. The Henry McLorinan who died in the presence of John McDowell in 1875 is a farmer. The father of Martha is a shopkeeper. In between, the father of Mary is a farmer? or perhaps grocer? And we know there is a Henry McLorinan grocer, and sometimes haberdasher, in Antrim at the time. The only suitable Henry McLorinan on the civil records of deaths in Antrim around the right time is the one who died in 1875. So I'm stuck with my question: could he have been both a farmer and a shopkeeper, specifically a grocer/haberdasher?

[jnomad]

Sorry, Jane McL. McDowell. Bad proofreading.

[jonw65]

Hi
Well there seem to be people about described as "farmer and grocer", or the other way round.
Googling " farmer and grocer" and "antrim" brings up some results.
So Henry may have had a farm and a shop. Or he may have been a grocer who at one time had been a farmer.
There isn't too much about him that I can see. In the newspapers it's the Smithfield Henry who has more or less a monopoly.
I think there is enough in all the links we have found to suggest that you have the right people. Bit surprising that Henry didn't leave a will, but we can't have everything!
John

[jnomad]

Great, thank you! That's just what I was hoping for: a FH expert giving his blessing to the idea. But it turns out that I could have reassured myself just by a bit of googling.

Next problem, which may be insurmountable given that most of it predates civil records: confidently identifying a suitable Thomas Parker for Thomas Parker McDowell to be named for, and hopefully to be father of Alexander Mackey Parker. I have a Thomas Parker who died in Rathbeg in 1883, reported by his son Alex, who also figures as executor of his will. But that Alex is a farmer, and I don't know if that can be made to fit Alexander Mackey Parker.

I'm very grateful for your interest.

John (me too)

[Doublebassy]

Following our private messages, I thought it would help to post here, as you suggested.

The marriage of Henry McLorinan and Martha Mackey was reported in the Belfast Magazine in November 1809. If you google ‘Skeffington Bristow Mackey’ you can see the notice.

It’s interesting that these families used Skeffington and Bristow as forenames. The Viscounts Massereene were  Skeffingtons and their agent in the 1750s was Samuel Bristow. Before that it was Roger Bristow, who named one of his sons Skeffington. It seems likely that there is a connection.

[jnomad]

Another mention of a McLorinan family burying-ground: Belfast News-Letter June 7 1880, death of Margaret, relict of the late John M'Lorinan, at Courthouse, Antrim; her remains to be removed for interment in the family burying-ground, Meeting-House Green, that afternoon. (The notice is signed by M. M'Lorinan.) I don't know if this is the same family. But does anyone know where Meeting-House Green is or was?

And any help with connecting the McLorinans of Market Square and the Courthouse with the family of Rev. Thomas (or establishing that there is no connection) would be very welcome.

[Elwyn Soutter]

Antrim Courthouse is still in the town centre, where it has always been, at the bottom of the main street. It was a courthouse right up until about 2000 and today is a theatre and cafe. If you google it, you'll find plenty of references to it. There's no burial ground near it, just commercial premises and part of the walls of Antrim Castle.

Antrim Castle was the Skeffington family home but was burned down in 1922. A small section of the original building still remains as do the outbuildings and formal gardens which are now a public park. There's no family burial plot there. The Skeffingtons were buried in Antrim Church of Ireland graveyard and there are various inscriptions to them in that church.

Meeting House is a term many Presbyterians use to describe their church.  So Meeting House green is likely to be beside one of the Presbyterian churches in the town. Antrim 1st (aka Mill Row) used to be on Mill Row, beside the Sixmilewater.  It moved to Fountain St at some point in the past 50 or 60 years. Not sure when. Don't know of any green near the old church. There is also a long disused Unitarian (Non Subscribing Presbyterian) church pretty well opposite the current Antrim 1st Presbyterian. The Unitarian church has not been a church for 100 years but the building is intact (last used as a boxing club). It does have a graveyard attached. The graveyard is fenced and locked but Antrim Council keep the keys and visitors can borrow them if they wish.

[jnomad]

Thanks, Elwyn.

Courthouse is given, in the News-Letter notice, as the address at which Margaret died. Her late husband John is described as a bridewell keeper on the certificate of her death at irishgenealogy.ie. And there the address is given as Market Square; I assume that's where the Courthouse is, and I assume there was accommodation in the Courthouse for bridewell keepers, court keepers, weighmasters, and such. There's a younger John, weighmaster and bridewell keeper, who died at Market Square in 1882, aged 44. And he had a brother Henry (who put a notice of his death in the BNL), described at his marriage in 1865 as son of John McL, court keeper.

Also at Market Square there were Joseph McL, woollendraper, died 1875, and his widow Margaret, who died 1887. And (I think) several daughters.