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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Antrim => Topic started by: wyanga on Saturday 30 January 16 21:53 GMT (UK)
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Hi All,
From the 1803 Agricultural census, I have a Hugh Kane, James Kane and a John Kane in Kilcoobin. From the numbering in Bill McAfee's records they are consecutive numbers so very likely adjoining houses/farms , and could be the same family..
In the same records there is a Francis Kane at Ardihannon.
I am trying to determine if these are all brothers with the same father.
The John Kane /Cain at Kilcoobin had a son Francis Kane b 1819.
In the Tithe records for 1826 there is a James Cain and a John Cain at Kilcoobin. No Hugh.
There is no Francis Kane at Ardihannon in 1826 Tithe records.
I think that it is a possibility that these are all brothers but have been unable to determine who their father is.
Just to confuse the issue the OS Memoirs of 1838 mention a John O'Kane and a Francis O'Kane.
Can anyone offer any help in with these name variations or with a possible father, if they are brothers.
Wyanga
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All the variations for Kane appear to be derived from O'Cahan and Cahan. These names were common in early documents for Northern Antrim 1500's and early 1600's .
In searching the records I have what seems to be an interesting phenomenon.
Following the O'Niell rebellion of the 1640's and the subsequent intervention by Oliver Cromwell the members of this family seem to have left Northern Antrim for close to 100 years.
There are no Variations for the name in the 1669 Hearth money Rolls for Billy Parish or Balintoy , nor are there any in the 1740 Protestant Householders, or the 1734 Religious census for Cary, I have both the Billy Parish and the Ballintoy names for that census.
Then in the 1766 census for Balintoy there are several Kanes and with the 1803 Agricultural Census and the 1826 Tithe records there are numerous members of the family back in Northern Antrim.
It would seem that the members of this family must have taken refuge in other parts of Ulster, from the mid 1600's, and then after about 1750 the descendants of these families are returning to what I would regard as their cultural heartland, Northern Antrim.
Wyanga
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Hi,
The O'Cahans were a large clan who inhabited the area between the Rivers Bann and Foyle from the 1100s. They were centered on the Roe Valley at Limavady and Dungiven. They fought with the O'Neill until about 1603 when they surrendered. The name O'Kane is still common in the Dungiven/Limavady area.
Regards
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Kingskerwell
Thank you for that information. I take it that the O'Cahans were fighting against O'Niell in 1603 ?
Did they play any part in the O'Niell rebellion in 1641 ?
Wyanga
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Hi,
Yes. For detail see http://ulsterman3.tripod.com/One_effort_more.htm
Regards
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kingskerwell
I see that my knowledge of Irish history is sadly lacking.
With my reference to the " cultural heartland ' I was referring to the O'Cahan Castle in Ballylough in Billy Parish. Very likely this was their cultural heartland in Antrim, which pales into insignificance when compared to Londonderry. My apologies to Derry.
Wyanga
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Hi wyanga
Our family have a tradition that we are descended from the Kanes of Ardihannon although I have yet to find proof of this.
"Ferdoagh O'Cahne, gentleman" of Ardihannon took a lease from the Earl of Antrim in 1637 and Edward O'Cahan renewed the lease of the townland in 1709. Therefore the Kanes did not in fact disappear from the area for the 100 years post Cromwell but remain tenants of the Earl of Antrim throughout. In 1736 the Earl sold the freehold of Ardihannon to Sir William Dunkin of Bushfoot and it passed by inheritance to his son-in-law Francis McNaghton of Benvardin (later of Dundarave via Calcutta!). The Kanes remained there as tenants as shown in the agricultural census of 1803, with some of the family (including our branch) apparently moving to other McNaghton lands at Glenarm.
Francis Kane born 1819 lived at Ardihannon which leads me to guess he was the grandson of Francis who farmed there in 1803. His family, including parents John and Jane, are buried in Billy Parish Churchyard with a well preserved gravestone. They ran Kane's Royal Hotel where the National Trust's Giant's Causeway Visitors Centre now stands.
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akanex2
You are quite correct regarding Ardihannon.
In the 1734 religious census for Cary, the chief tennent at Ardhihannon is James O'Cahan who was Church ( of Ireland)
I have also missed quite a lot of names contained in Bill McAfee's record as they were under Mc Kane and O'Kane/ O'Cahan.
So no the Kanes have not left northern Antrim in the period after the Cromwellion period.
Thank you for your PM
Wyanga
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With the help from akanex2 and others I have been able to create a family tree for the O'Cahane Kane families showing an unbroken association with Ardihannon to before 1629 with Brian Ballough O'Cahane of Ardihannon who died in that year, right up to the time of the Kanes at the Causeway Royal Hotel.
Unproven of course but certainly in the realm of high probability.
I would like to thank all those who helped me to achieve this outcome.
Wyanga :)
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Several DNA matches (level 2 in family tree dna) indicate my family came from the Dungiven, Ballintoy area. I have hit a brick wall confirming my most distant ancestor's parents and confirming their home town in Northern Ireland. Hugh Carson Kane was born in Western Pennsylvania in 1797. There was both a James Kane and a Hugh Carson living in Allegheny Co who were probably soldiers awarded the land for fighting in the Revolutionary War. I can't confirm this by the 1800 census since, while James Kane did have a son the right age, names of children weren't listed on the census at that time. Assuming both men, James and Hugh Carson(who I suspect was his mother's father since the men in my Kane family often take their mother's maiden name as their middle name), emigrated from Antrim County are there any records from that early time of emigration to America? Eventually I'll look in early Protestant church records around modern day Pittsburgh. For now, I'm thinking about coming to the genealogy conference next August in Coleraine. Thanks for any ideas. Karen
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karenkane2,
Hello Karen,
You mention DNA tests, have you any YDNA tests for one of the Kane men in your family ?
The family that I was working with from Ardihannin in Billy Parish have tested and i think that they are included in the Cain Kane project at ftdna.
Records prior to 1800 are extremely difficult to find in Northern Ireland, there are very few Church records prior to 1800 and the same goes for shipping records. billmacafee.com has a collection of most of the surviving records for Northern and mid Antrim but again one has to treat these with caution as they do not cover all areas. I suggest that the Protestant Householder Report of 1740 is a good starting point. Also remember that the Kane name was taking several forms about this time , O'kane , Cahan , Cain and O'cahane .
I have a similar problem, I have a Dna match with a Taylor in Pennsylvania who died in 1800 and must have travelled to the US about 1745-55 but I have failed to find his origin in Nth Antrim dispite sustained research.
I attended the Ulster Historical Society Research conference in Belfast in june and found it very helpfull, one has access to the records at PRONI from this conference. Just meeting with the researchers in northern Ireland is very usefull. I don't know what form the conference in Coleraine takes but you might find it helpfull too.
One of the best books on the subject is Dr William Roulston's "Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors" It is available from uhf.org.uk
Good luck in your search
Wyanga
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karenkane2
These are the names in a 1734 religious census for Ballintoy
130 O'Kane O Cahan Chas. Chief Tenant Ballinlea Ballinlea O Cahan
131 O'Kane O Cahan Wm. Terr Tenant 1 Ballinlea Ballinlea O Cahan
135 O'Kane O Cahan Michael Terr Tenant 1 Ballinlea Ballinlea O Cahan
188 O'Kane O Cahan James Terr Tenant 1 Islandmacallan Illandmakallan
189 O'Kane O Cahan Roger Terr Tenant 1 Islandmacallan Illandmakallan
299 O'Kane O Cahan Robt. Terr Tenant 1 Ballynastraid Ballynastraidmore
These are the names in an 1766 religious census for Ballintoy
168 Kane o'Cahan Charles Ballinlea Protestant
169 Kane o'Cahan Danl Ballinlea Protestant
170 Kane o'Cahan Chas, younger Ballinlea Protestant
228 Kane o'Cahan Francis Islandmacallan Protestant
342 Kane o'Cahan Jams Ballynastraid [Ballinstraid] Protestant
379 Kane o'Kane Jn Currysheskin [Coulrashiskan] Papist
See if there are any names that ring any bells for you
Wyanga
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karenkane2
Hi karen, try and identify just where you ancestors came from in Northern ireland. I have given you names for Ballintoy Parish in Co Antrim.
Dungiven is in Co Derry (Londonderry)
The small market town of Dungiven (meaning Given's Fort) lies nine miles south of Limavady near the foot of Benbradagh mountain. Originally the seat of the O'Cahan Clan, Dungiven Priory, overlooking a 200ft precipice on the River Roe, was founded in 1100AD and contains the tomb of Cooey-na-Gall, an ancient Chieftan of the O'Cahan clan.
No doubt you may have had ancestors from here, but it would have been a very long time ago,
When researching in Nth Ireland the essennsial information is County, Parish, Townland. Then if possible the birthdate and place of your earliest known ancestor.
This is the other Family History conference that I mentioned run by Ulster historical Foundation.
Running from 14-21 June 2017 and 06-13 September 2017, our conferences offer a new programme which combines a varied and exciting mix of tours which will take in the spectacular scenery and historical sites of Ireland and research opportunities in the archives (including PRONI, the National Library and National Archives in Dublin) and talks from acknowledged experts.
Wyanga
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Causeway Coast & Glens Family History Society Conference is being held 25 to 29th September, 2017
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Hi Wyanga
Thanks so much for all the helpful information. I've tried to read a little about the history of the area and the waves of migration hoping to deepen my understanding of why people left and the politics around why they would drop the O from their name. I think there was a famine in 1740 that drove many abroad. I used my brother, Robert Daniel Kane, for the Family Tree dna test kit 415679. On FTdna I have joined several projects including the Cain and the McCain project which was recommended by Barry McCain as well as the McHenry and Carson projects. In the McCain project we fell into the O'Cahane group. Sadly, my closest match Level 1 seems to have become inactive , his ancestor Alexander Cain was born in 1824 in Northern Ireland. On level 2, I have a John McHenry from Dungiven and a William Kane born 1828 in Ballintoy. It has been hard looking on "both sides of the pond" to trace and document an ancestor who came before 1800. For a long time I thought we must be McCain's from Scotland but finding out we were from the O'Cahanes around Ulster was quite exciting. My mother's side (Huguenot), my father's mother side (English), and my father's grandmother's side (Scottish) I've traced back to colonial America in the 1600s but they were from families with great genealogical research. I joined the North of Ireland Family History Society recently which has opened up new avenues. Again, thanks so much. I really appreciate learning of your work. Karen
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Hi Karen
Very interested to hear of your interest in Kanes from Ballintoy. Hope you make it over to the conference in Coleraine in September as I will be there! My Kane family traces back to Robert born around 1795 and have a dna match to the Ardihannon Kanes.
AKane
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Still thinking about going to the conference and wondering if I know enough yet. What dna test group did you join?
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Just came across this discussion. I'm looking for information on Roderick/Roger Kane born 1838 ans died Sep 1888 in Limavady. His wife was Agnes Hemphill/Hampsey. Records seem to stop at him and I think knowing who his parents or siblings were would unlock a lot on my tree. His daughter was Agnes (1852-1919) she married Robert Gray (1850-1924) from Coleraine and his parents were Robert and Matilda but the trail goes cold after them too. Any ideas on how to find more? I know lots of records were lost due to a fire so hoping someone looking for Kanes may have got further