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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Antrim => Topic started by: faith1 on Monday 23 June 08 16:40 BST (UK)
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My Great Granny was Elizabeth Ross daughter of Robert Ross who aparently had a farm at Portmuck. Elizabeth had a sister Ann and a brother Robert. Elizabeth met William Francis McGiffin and they were to be married but this never happened but they had a daughter ( my Granny ) who was given his name Willhelmina McGiffen. I have a note of my Granny's wedding to my Grandad but I would dearly like to find out more about the Ross's and the McGiffen's. I believe William Francis McGiffin had two sisters and he was a school master on Island Magee.The only dates I have so far are my Granny's year of birth as 1881 and death as 1938. So far I can find nothing on the Ross's or McGiffin's on Island Magee. Is there anyone out there that can help? I would be really gratefull. Faith
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Welcome to Rootschat.
When the PRONI site (www.proni.gov.uk) is working again you could search for the families in the Wills extracts and Ulster Covenant (1912).
In the meantime here's 1910 directory:
http://www.libraryireland.com/UlsterDirectory1910/Contents.php
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Thanks for the prompt reply, I have already located some of the Ross's I think. No sign of the elusive McGiffen's. Faith
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Schoolmasters sometimes moved around a bit when there was a position available. Perhaps the McGiffins themselves weren't from Islandmagee.
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Hi, You have a point. My problem is that I have not managed to find any McGiffin's. I suppose they may have emigrated but you would think that they would have left a trace. Faith
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If you search on LDS sit (www.familysearch.org) for 'McGiffin' and 'Ireland' loads of them in Country Antrim (including Larne & Carrickfergus) come up. Might be worth going through the entries.
P.S. here's some earier directories to try:
http://proni.aetopia.com/scripts/WebObjects.dll/StreetDirectories
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Great memories of the Isle of Magee. Spent a couple of years, 65/67, on the design of Ballylumford Power Station. I was young then - ah! well!
Bill
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thanks for the help so far,much appreciated
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Hi from Canada,
My McCalmont family is from Islandmagee & I have found the following in my research. I hope it is of some use to you.
Andrew Ross of Mullaghbouy, a bachelor labourer, son of John Ross a stone mason, married Jane McCammont (sp) on 6 August 1863 at 1st Presbyterian Church, Islandmagee.
Samuel Ross of Islandmagee, a bachelor labourer, son of Samuel Ross a farmer, married Isabella McCalmont on 28 October 1874 at 2nd Presbyterian Church, Islandmagee.
Andrew Ross also witnessed 1866 marriage at United Church, Islandmagee & was also present at death of John McCalmont age 90 (most likely father of above Jane) in 1876.
John Ross, a widower farmer of Ballycronan, son of Samuel Ross, married Jane McCalmont spinster of Mullaghbouy, Islandmagee, on 18 October 1884 at Ballycarry Presbyterian Church.
A John Ross witnessed 1908 Islandmagee marriage.
James Ross McCalmont born 16 October 1887 moved to Philadelphia, U.S.A.
I have no documentation on this.
Alexander Ross married Mary Anne McCalmont on 15 October 1868 as per Emerald Ancestors.
If you would like scans of the documents I have send me your e-mail address by personal message.
Good hunting.
J.A.M.
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Hi J.A.M, Thanks for the info on the Ross's, I can only assume they must be some relation I now have to try and work that out.The information I have is very limited at present as you will see from my post but we hope to make atrip to Island Magee when we are in Ireland in October so hopefully we may be able to find out more then. Every bit of help I get is appreciated. Faith
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Hi,
I have a lot of information about the McGiffin/ens. I have researched all the Giffin/Giffen families in Ireland and have collected a lot about the 'Mc's but have not yet processed it. Islandmagee seems to be a prolific area for them and there are 9 old headstones for them in Ballycarry (Templecorran old graveyard) with dates of death from the 1840s onwards. There are plenty of Williams and Francis but no-one with both names. There are no Wilhelminas either, even in the birth records so she must have been registered as Ross. I can look into it but I may need more information. On Wilhelmina's wedding certificate does it give her father's name as William Francis McGiffin?
Alistair Giffin McCartney
Belfast, Northern Ireland
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Hi Alistair
Thanks for getting back to me. I am really interested in finding out more about the McGiffen's but unfortunately so far I have very little to go on. I do not have a copy of my Grandparents wedding certificate but do know that their marriage took place in Carrickfergus Methodist Church 27/10/1905 they were Robert Thompson and Wilhelmina McGiffen.
My husband and I have recently returned from a three week ancestry trail of Ireland and spent our first week in Co Antrim as my father came from Larne. I have found researching this side of my family quite difficult.
I know that on the LDS site my Granny's birth name is recorded as Wilhelmina Ross however on my Dad's wedding certificate she is down as Wilhelmina Thompson/ McGiffen.
It was information gathered from a late Aunt ( my Dad's sister ) that told me about how Elizabeth Ross ( my G Granny from Island Magee ) and William Francis McGiffen were to be married but there had been a dissagreement with his sisters? and it did not go ahead but it was agreed that the baby they were expecting ( my Granny ) would take his name. I also know that she is on the 1911 Larne Town Census as Wilhelmina Thompson? McGiffen.
I have it from two sources that he was a schoolmaster. I wonder if he did not come from Island Magee but just taught there and met my G Granny there. There again he may have come from there but after this happened felt the need to move away. I am in the process of trying to see if the church records would give the parents names. I would be delighted to get any information on the McGiffen's that may be relevant. Between the Ross's and the McGiffen's I am still a long way from cracking this side of my family. Thanks again Alistair for getting back and I look forward to hearing from you. Faith Butler/Thompson
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Marriage certificates list the fathers' names and occupations but don't list mothers of bride or groom.
An illegitimate child would have almost always been registered with the mother's surname (her surname at the time of the child's birth) although baptism records often record the name of the child's father. Other sources, like school registers, often use whichever name the child was known by in the community.
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Faith
There are these marriage records on Emerald Ancestors, maybe someone can fill in more details
1905 robert THOMPSON wilhelmina Antrim
1905 robert wilhelmina MCGIFFIN Antrim
http://www.emeraldancestors.com/
Helena
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Faith
I don’t know if this will mean anything to you, there are a few McGiffen Gravestones in Templecorran from the book Gravestone inscriptions Co. Antrim Vol. 2
One of them is as follows:
mounted same plinth as Rev. Alexander McGiffen. In memory of Francis McGiffen d. 21/02/1878 aged 36 and his brother William McGiffin d. 16/07/1929 aged 84.
The next gravestone on the page also mentions a Francis John MacGiffen.
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Faith,
I think I have found him in the GRO deaths:
William McGiffin
died 16 July 1929
Carnbrock R.D. Ballycarry
bachelor 84 years
School Master (Retired)
Apoplexy certified
reg by Annie E Johnston, Niece, present at death, Carnbrock
This will be him and 2 brothers mentioned in the gravestones in Ballycarry:
[pair sandstone on plinth - south of south transept of old church]
Erected
to
the memory of
FRANCIS McGIFFIN
who died 21st February 1878
aged 36 years
and his Brother
WILLIAM McGIFFIN
who died 16th July 1929
aged 84 years
Erected
By his Brothers in memory of the
Rev. Alexander McGiffin, Minister
of the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian
Congregation of Ballymena
who died on the 24th October 1867,
only a few weeks after his Ordination
aged 30 years
If you want to contact me on
Moderator Comment: email address removed to prevent spam and other abuses. Please use the secure PM system to share email addresses and other personal information. Thank You.
I can send you some photos I took of these headstones earlier this year.
He seems to be one of the last McGiffins in Ballycarry and his sister may be Margaret McGiffin d.16 Mar 1925 at Ballycarry, spinster, 79 years, daughter of a farmer, senile decay certified, reg by A J McConnell, cousin, present at death, Ballycarry. I can tell you my ideas about how these all fit into the other McG families.
Alistair McCartney
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Hi
There is also this will abstract on the PRONI site
Full Abstract:
Probate of the Will of Margaret Downey late of Carnbrock Templecorran Ballycarry County Antrim Widow who died 10 March 1913 granted at Belfast to William McGiffen Schoolmaster (Retired)
Helena
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If you search on LDS sit (www.familysearch.org) for 'McGiffin' and 'Ireland' loads of them in Country Antrim (including Larne & Carrickfergus) come up. Might be worth going through the entries.
P.S. here's some earier directories to try:
http://proni.aetopia.com/scripts/WebObjects.dll/StreetDirectories
The PRONI street directory link is no longer available for public viewing
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I have transcribed the 1911 Census for Islandmagee, County Antrim. There are very many mistakes Transcribing the National Archives Dublin, although it was good to have what was done.
I have corrected most of the mistakes, although there were a few which I just could not make out what they were. The detail is on an EXCEL worksheet and takes about a minute or so to load. There is a link to download a viewer for those who do not have EXCEL installed on their computer. The link to my website :-
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/derek.hawthorne/
Good luck
Derek
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Hi Derek, Thanks for letting me access your site and the 1911 census. I will go over it with a fine tooth comb to see if I can find any of my relatives. What an amount of work you have done. Thanks again Faith