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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Antrim => Topic started by: m. on Friday 05 August 11 22:28 BST (UK)

Title: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Friday 05 August 11 22:28 BST (UK)
I'm trying to find John,father of William.

William was married to Emily doris in Greencastle Church in 1875.
I cant find Williams birth certificate, on his marriage lines it says he is 23, but nothing matches that date.

John is a beetler,William a bleacher I take it that has something to do with the mill.

I would like to know who John was married to, and if possible, where did he come from.
I have been looking at the 1851 census and think he could be living in Aghadavy in Ballinderry, father Charles mother Rose. How can i make that jump from Aghadavy to Greencastle?

Any help most welcomed
Thanks in anticipation.

Marion
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 05 August 11 22:44 BST (UK)
If William was born before 1864 there will be no birth certificate.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: kingskerswell on Friday 05 August 11 22:53 BST (UK)
Hi,
    As William married in a Roman Catholic Church in Greencastle there is a good chance that his father, John, was Roman Catholic so there will be no marriage certificate as Civil registrations of Catholic marriages also started in 1864. You will have to depend on church records where these exist.

Regards
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Friday 05 August 11 23:00 BST (UK)
If William was born before 1864 there will be no birth certificate.

Thank you for that aghadowey,but there must be some "record" some where.

m.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Friday 05 August 11 23:03 BST (UK)
Hi,
    As William married in a Roman Catholic Church in Greencastle there is a good chance that his father, John, was Roman Catholic so there will be no marriage certificate as Civil registrations of Catholic marriages also started in 1864. You will have to depend on church records where these exist.

Regards

Thank you kingskerswell. Any tips on what I can do next while waiting to go to PRONI?

m.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: aghadowey on Friday 05 August 11 23:25 BST (UK)
Have a look at Introduction to Irish Records (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,442233.0.html) and My Ancestor came from Ireland - where do I start? (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,498742.0.html).
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: Elwyn Soutter on Saturday 06 August 11 08:41 BST (UK)
Marion,

You seem unsure what a beetler and a bleacher did. Linen manufacture was a very big employer in and around Belfast in the 1800s. Beetling was part of the finishing process. A beetling machine hit the linen with wooden hammers. This gave it extra strength and the nice sheen that people liked. Bleaching was part of the process that turned linen white. The material was laid out on greens and the sun bleached it white.

Elwyn
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Saturday 06 August 11 12:16 BST (UK)
Have a look at Introduction to Irish Records (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,442233.0.html) and My Ancestor came from Ireland - where do I start? (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,498742.0.html).

Thank you for that aghadowey.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Saturday 06 August 11 12:22 BST (UK)
Marion,

You seem unsure what a beetler and a bleacher did. Linen manufacture was a very big employer in and around Belfast in the 1800s. Beetling was part of the finishing process. A beetling machine hit the linen with wooden hammers. This gave it extra strength and the nice sheen that people liked. Bleaching was part of the process that turned linen white. The material was laid out on greens and the sun bleached it white.

Elwyn



Thank you Elwyn, your right I didn't know what they did.
In Greencastle at that time was the mill and a bleach green.
I live round the corner from where that bleach green was, so the McKernons haven't left the area in 100 odd years.

Thank you,

Marion
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: rathmore on Saturday 06 August 11 12:27 BST (UK)
William and Emly living at 26 Whitewell, Carnmoney, Antrim in 1901 census.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: Elwyn Soutter on Saturday 06 August 11 12:30 BST (UK)
The last working beetling mill in Ireland is owned by the National Trust. It’s at Wellbrook just outside Cookstown. Well worth a visit if you are interested in seeing exactly what your ancestors did.

https://discovernorthernireland.com/Wellbrook-Beetling-Mill-Cookstown-P3223
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: rathmore on Saturday 06 August 11 12:36 BST (UK)
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie
mention laundry as job, plus scholars, and labours. lots of people at this address 26 Whitewell, Antrim
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Saturday 06 August 11 12:58 BST (UK)
Thank you rathmore,
yes I found the whole big family on the census.
I didn't know until I seen it that William and Emily had so many children.
I have signed up to Emerald and the pay as you go sites, but I cant find any thing about William or his father John before the marriage of William.
Thank you for your reply.

Marion
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Saturday 06 August 11 13:01 BST (UK)
The last working beetling mill in Ireland is owned by the National Trust. It’s at Wellbrook just outside Cookstown. Well worth a visit if you are interested in seeing exactly what your ancestors did.

https://discovernorthernireland.com/Wellbrook-Beetling-Mill-Cookstown-P3223



Thank you Elwyn I didn't know that was there. Yes I will definitely be paying a visit.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Saturday 06 August 11 13:08 BST (UK)
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie
mention laundry as job, plus scholars, and labours. lots of people at this address 26 Whitewell, Antrim

Whitewell laundry must have been a big employer (along with the mills) in the area. Hessy, Williams daughter, worked there.It was knocked down when the M2 was built in the late 60's.
I don't know what this laundry looked like, if any one has a photo I would love to see it.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: joemc on Saturday 06 August 11 13:46 BST (UK)
Don't see it mentioned in this thread but this maybe John McKernon in the Griffith Valuation in 1861, the John McKernan in Glenavy

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&Submit.x=36&Submit.y=12&Submit=Submit&familyname=mckernan&firstname=John&baronyname=&countyname=ANTRIM&unionname=&parishname=

Regards
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Saturday 06 August 11 14:32 BST (UK)
Thank you joemc, I had found that, and kept a copy of it, but again I can't connect the two.
Thanks for giving it a go.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: rathmore on Monday 08 August 11 12:02 BST (UK)
have a look at sites:-
http://www.downmemorylane.me.uk (mention beetling mills (Beatling) at Moylena Antrim, three mill were owned by The York Street Flax Spinning Co.Ltd, they might be able to help you.

www.antrimtown.co.uk

Its possible that William's dad John worked at the mill before his son.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Monday 08 August 11 15:02 BST (UK)
Thank you rathmore for your reply.

Yes I checked them out and sent a couple of emails, hope something comes of it.
Two brilliant wee sites.
Barbours mill was in this area and that must be where John and William worked.
If they came from Aghadavy, Ballinderry to Greencastle for work what was going on in the mills at Lisburn?
Any more ideas most welcomed.

Marion
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: rathmore on Tuesday 09 August 11 13:26 BST (UK)
On the micro fich in my Library found a John McKernon and a Hessy Greer 1.7.1865 at Carnmoney, Antrim
we only have a few records on ireland in my Library, so the McKernon registered in Ireland.
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: aghadowey on Tuesday 09 August 11 13:37 BST (UK)
Children of John McKernon & Hessy Greer (from LDS database)-
1. female born 1 July 1865 Carnmoney, Co.Antrim (page 391 in civil register)
2. male born 30 June 1867 Shankill, Co.Antrim (page 413 in civil register)
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Wednesday 10 August 11 03:09 BST (UK)
Thank you Rathmore and Aghadowey.

Yes I have come across Hessy Greer married to John McKernon

Williams ( John's son ) child was also called Hessy. I was thinking that they named their daughter after Williams own mother.

I cant find John and Hessy marriage on the LDS, but I did find the two births, one in 1865 and one in 1867, since I know William was married in 1875, the male child born to John and Hessy in 1867 could not be him.

Thank you both for your input. Any more suggestions welcomed.

Marion



Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: m. on Thursday 18 August 11 01:42 BST (UK)
Before William's marriage where they out of the country?


Emily's family came from Larne. Can anyone find William or his father there?
Title: Re: John McKernon, where did he come from?
Post by: rosewood on Friday 16 September 11 02:51 BST (UK)
The name McKernon/McKernan/McKiernan appears in many places in Co. Antrim.  The name Doris/Dorris appeared in Ramoan RC parish in the early 1900s. Romoan RC parish borders Culfeightin RC parish, near Ballycastle.  My father's sister, a McKiernan married a Dorris in Ramoan RC parish.

Please be open to the various spellings of the name McKernon in your research.  Personally, I have found at least three other spellings of this name in my research, and I have two independent lines of this name, with such spellings as McKeirnon, McKerney, McKeirnan, and McKirnan.  I was able to connect with them because I had other info which they also had.  So please, keep you options open.

Good luck.