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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Down => Topic started by: theoalex1203 on Sunday 06 September 15 14:43 BST (UK)
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I have traced my GG/Grandfather back to Augnavallog townland in the Drumballyroney parish. He was Francis Kirk d.o.b. 1819 and his father was William Kirk but I have no more information on him. They were farmers and leased houses. A William and a Francis appeared on the Flax growers list of 1796 and are presumably ancestors but I cannot make the link between the generations. Any information from other Kirks would be appreciated.
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Hello theoalex1203, Welcome to RootsChat.
I just did a little search using RootsChat advanced search and it came up with 13 posts off Kirks in Down... These look to be the most interesting as they are both Kirk topics concerning rathfriland.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=593743.msg5234698#msg5234698
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=198082.msg989312#msg989312
Regards
Sarah
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Hi,
There is some information on what appears to be this family on the Ros Davies surname site. See http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/K/Kirk.htm
Regards
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Hi all, I started by recapping the main records
1796 Irish Flax Growers list http://www.failteromhat.com/flax/down.php
Kirk Francis Drumballyroney Down
Kirk William Drumballyroney Down
also
Kirk Robert Drumgath Down
Robert in Drumgath civil parish is the parish beneath Drumballyroney parish so could be a relative
1827 and 1837 http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/drumballyroney-parish.php#.VgEsS0vU4YU
Kirk, David Townland: Lisnavaghrell Year: 1827
Kirk, David Townland: Lisnavaghrel? Year: 1837
coming from the Banbridge the road passes southwards through the townlands of Lisnavahrog, Aughnavallog and into Rossconnor where lies Rathfriland. That ‘?’ shows the enumerator doesn’t know his townlands so I would take it that it could be Aughnavallog
1863 for Griffiths valuation quick listing http://www.failteromhat.com/post1845.php to which I have added the map references for the homesteads found on the more detailed version http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation which needs exhausting
Kirk David Aughnavallog Drumballyroney Down map ref 17
Kirk Francis Aughnavallog Drumballyroney Down map ref 18
Kirk Marmaduke Aughnavallog Drumballyroney Down map ref 16
Looking up the askaboutIreland website reveals the homestead boundary sites on a map are together spanning the Church Hill Road also findable on google maps at 2-18 Church Hill Newry BT34, UK its just over a mile north of Rathfriland and houses that saddle the road around No 11 look likely buildings. Do exhaust all the info on the buildings maps fields etc on the maps, a secondary building in a plot is often a barn which also if lucky survives today.
Marmaduke if he is the Marmaduke who married in 1881 is the son of a Thomas Kirk see
in http://www.ancestryireland.com The three tenants might be all grandsons within the family tree etc
Your family
William Kirk
Did William have other children? there are children with a William Kirk as father on http://www.ancestryireland.com eg
JANE KIRK 1828 WILLIAM Down
ELIZABETH KIRK 1828 WILLIAM Down
JAMES KIRK 1830 WILLIAM Down
ROBERT KIRK 1830 WILLIAM Down
children
Francis Kirk b 1819 Augnavallog townland in the Drumballyroney parish. Aughnavallog is the townland above Rossconnor in which Rathfriland resides. possible marriages [No he married Nancy Allen see below]
from https://www.emeraldancestors.com/
1853 Francis KIRK married Charlotte XXXX Newtownards Down
1866 Francis KIRK married Isabella XXXXxx Newtownards Down
children
entries in http://www.ancestryireland.com
ANDREW KIRK 1840 FRANCIS Down
WILLIAM KIRK 1842 FRANCIS Down
MARY MORRISON KIRK 1845 FRANCIS Down
they also have a NANCY KIRK 1866 FRANCIS Down, but thats unlikely
from Ros Davies http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/K/Kirk.htm
Francis KIRK . Drumballyroney husband of Nancy Allen; father of Andrew b. 15 Nov & bpt. 15 Dec 1840 & William b. 4 May & bpt. 9 Jun 1841 & Mary Morrison Kirk b. 8 Mar & bpt. 20 Mar 1845at Ballyroney Presbyterian Church PR
Miss Jane KIRK . Drumballyroney wife of Edward Bigham; mother of John McCracken Bigham b. 19 Apr & bpt. 8 May 1841 at Ballyroney Presbyterian Church PR
William KIRK . Drumballyroney his house & 10 acres in Lisnavaghog to be sold by auction 22 May 1813 AG this source very unusual see AG =Armagh Guardian newspaper transcribed by Alison Causton, Kingsville, Ontario, Canada in British newspaper library
William KIRK . Drumballyroney father of Francis bpt. 6 Aug 1819 at Ballyroney Presbyterian Church PR
The family tree is not clear to me this stage. I would next be searching other records iie church and PRONI
but I have run out of time so hoping something is new to you and keep going
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Sarah and Ballyaltikilligan
Thanks for all that information.
Regards
Graham Kirk
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Graham you left out ' kingskerswell ' who as you can see is 5 times more experienced than me in seeking information amd feeding it back in his posts. It was his single line re Ros Davies that triggered me to go further and start applying a fuller search, and because i knew a Bill kirk photographer in the 1970s whose art form was not sufficiently recognized in the social media of his day. Perhaps you knew the Ros Dvaies information already in which case you should have mentioned it. So there we go. lets hope your Rathfriland kirks show up on this board
Good luck JimG
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Jim
I.m new to this as you have probably guessed and yes some of the information was known. Apologies for missing " kingskerwell" out.
Graham Kirk
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well said. from Ros Davies website http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/
Ballyroney Presbyterian Church in Ballyroney village
The meeting house of Ballyroney, is situated in the village of Ballyroney, in the townland of Lackan, on the road between Rathfriland and Dromara.
The old church was built in 1708 when the Presbytery of Armagh formed a new congregation outside of Rathfriland. .....,"Rebuilt by subscriptions in the year 1832........The new church was built in 1928 on the same site.
Records are available.
Baptisms, 1819-63; marriages, 1818-29 and 1833-1906; stipend accounts, c.1830-1848 in PRONI MIC 1p/168A/1 & PRONI fiche MIC/1P/168/a-2 & Yahoo Co. Down newsgroup site , graveyard attached; records- try http://www.findmypast.ie
References;V3 p 10, 15 OSM ; GIPR; GIC; ORHB p 41; HCPCI p49-50 ; church anniversary booklet 1958
from http://www.proni.gov.uk/guide_to_church_records.pdf
just to confirm PRONI church records copies held by them include Baptisms, 1819-63; marriages, 1818-29 and 1833-1906; stipend accounts, c.1830-1848. MIC1P/168; CR/3/30
If you get to checking church records for burial 1839-1873, the church of Ireland C.I. Drumballyroney (Dromore diocese) might include a Kirk
PRONI just to get warmed up, under Freeholders alone, there are 5 Kirks listed in just one document for 1769 ref Aughnavallogh Drumballyroney Down ,with other documents with original images
So good luck onwards
BallyaltikilliganG
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I grew up as a neighbour of the KIRK family. We shared a March ditch in Aughnavallog. I only remember Joseph and Mary born in 1887 and 1888 to Marmaduke and Mary Jane Kirk. Francis' family were all gone from that area when I was growing up. I noticed that Ellen, daughter of Francis emigrated to Brooklyn, NY in 1910. It appears that her brother William and sister Mary remained on the land in Aughnavallog but were unmarried.
Obviously I do not know the connection going back to your g-g-grandfather. My g-aunt married John Kirk of Tamery, Clonduff, County Down in 1809 in 2nd Rathfriland Church (her church). His church was noted at 1st Rathfriland Church. You should check their records and you may find your family there. The distance from Aughnavallog (now known as Churchill Road) to Rathfriland is about 2 miles and to Ballyroney is about 4 miles.
My Dad's family went to the school attached to the Drumballyroney Church, now the Bronte Interpretative Centre. Most likely your family went there too as it was a quarter of a mile from their home. The records for the students that attended this school are located in the PRONI in Belfast. It was closed as a school around 1926 and the students then went to Glaskar.
If you want to contact me I will be happy to hear from you. Hopefully others will connect with the names posted. Good luck. It is a long process.
PS: My g-g-g grandfather's land and survey map produced in 1783 shows F. Kirk on the east march of his land.
Lorna
Information on birth dates from National Archives of Ireland Census 1901/1911
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Dalzell
Thanks for this reply which is really interesting to me and gives me lots to work on.
Regards
theoalex1203 ( Graham )
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Graham: If you wish I can forward you a copy of the land survey map.
Let me know if this is of interest.
Lorna
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Lorna
Apologies for the formality in my previous reply. The map would be interesting if you don't mind forwarding it.
Thanks
Graham
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Ha! No worries about brief replies - that is much more efficient anyway.
If you give me an e-mail address I can forward it to you. I am not sure how much you know about the area or where you are located, but obviously in the UK. I am in Canada but go back to the homeland every year. I know the area very well as I lived there until I was 18 and have gone back every few years. If there is any other information I can help you with I will be happy to try to help you out.
You can contact me by private message.
Best of luck. Lorna
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Hi Lorna
My e-mail address is [removed]. It is interesting that you mention William Kirk ( my great uncle ) because he emigrated to Victoria on Vancouver Island. My grandfather, Andrew ,settled in Rathfriland where he lived in Dromore street running a provisions store and then became an emigration agent. My gg/grandfather Francis was born in 1819 so the F.Kirk you mention who appears on the map is presumably his father. The Marmaduke you mention is my gg/uncle.
Any recollections you have about Joseph and Mary or any other info would also be interesting.
By the way what is a March ditch?
Regards
Graham
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Andrew Kirk (son of Francis Kirk and Nancy Allen) is my 2nd great-grandfather, and the father of John Charles Kirk b 1886. Very interesting is the ages as it appears that Andrew was 46 when John was born.
John was baptized in the 3rd Rathfriland Presbyterian Church in 1887, emigrated to USA and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1958. He married Jane Crothers Lawson - her parents came from Rathfriland as well. John had 2 daughters, Jean and Mary (my mother).
I don't have information on his uncles, brothers or sisters. I've always been told that 3 brothers emigrated to Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Nor do i have information further back than Francis Kirk and Nancy Allen. How long have the Kirk's been in Ireland?
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Welcome to Rootschat :)
I only remember Joseph and Mary born in 1887 and 1888 to Marmaduke and Mary Jane Kirk.
William born 1886 at Aughnavallog.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1886/02584/1955026.pdf
Jane 1888
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1888/02530/1937199.pdf
John Alexander 1884
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1884/02705/1995975.pdf
Andrew 1891
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1891/02371/1885171.pdf
In 1901 census
Residents of a house 23 in Aughnavallog (Ballybrick, Down)
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Ballybrick/Aughnavallog/1207454/
William maybe now called Joseph. No birth records for a Joseph Kirk.
Aughnavallog townland
https://www.townlands.ie/down/iveagh-upper-lower-half/drumballyroney/aughnavallog/
1911 census
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Ballybrick/Aughnavallog/208903/
Five children born, four still living
Death of first Jane Kirk in 1883
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1883/06378/4830546.pdf
Her birth in 1882
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1882/02763/2014662.pdf
KG
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My gg/grandfather Francis was born in 1819 so the F.Kirk you mention who appears on the map is presumably his father. The Marmaduke you mention is my gg/uncle.
Death of Francis Kirk in 1907
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1907/05541/4553946.pdf
1901 census
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Ballybrick/Aughnavallog/1207451/
Death of Marmaduke Kirk in 1917
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1917/05210/4440481.pdf
KG
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Death of Marmaduke Kirk in 1917
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1917/05210/4440481.pdf
Death of his wife Mary Jane Kirk in 1919 at Aughnavallog. Her son Joseph Kirk was the informant.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1919/05139/4415735.pdf
KG
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Thank you! The links are most appreciated and provide some additional information for me. I recently found a number of pictures from the 1920's and 1930's. One of which may be Alexander Kirk - brother of John Charles Kirk.
Have you made contact with other descendants of Andrew/Mary Jane or Francis/Nancy?
KS
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Hello, my 3rd Great Grandfather was Francis J Kirk born 1809 County Down. He emigrated to United States arriving May of 1834 in Pennsylvania. He eventually moved to Missouri and held several local positions in Kimmswick,Missouri and passed away October 1889. I know he had a son William born 1839. Could this be one of the Kirks on this thread?