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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Antrim => Topic started by: Unitedirishmen on Saturday 11 May 19 11:48 BST (UK)
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I am interested in any close relatives known of Israel Milliken of Peters hill Belfast. On his death the only property mentioned in his Will was left to his wife , a cousin and a friend.
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Welcome to Rootschat :)
Your query is likely to get lost in this thread about a completely unrelated query so I'll ask if a Moderator could split your post into a new topic for best results.
I am interested in any close relatives known of Israel Milliken of Peters hill Belfast. On his death the only property mentioned in his Will was left to his wife , a cousin and a friend.
Perhaps you haven't read the Will correctly? It mentioned bequests to wife Elizabeth (Kirkwood), a nephew Israel Burrows, an Israel Kirkwood of Edinburgh (no relationship stated but possibly a nephew of Elizabeth's) and a James Mullan.
The Will of Israel Milliken late of Peter's Hill Belfast in the County of Antrim Bath Owner deceased who died 10 January 1857 at Belfast aforesaid was proved at Belfast by the oaths of Israel Burrows of King-street Brass Founder and James Mullan of M'Tier street Gentleman both in Belfast the Executors.
You can read all four pages of the Will on PRONI's site-
https://apps.proni.gov.uk/WillsCalendar_IE/WillsSearch.aspx
Israel Milliken was at Peter's Hill by 1821-
Belfast Commercial Chronicle, 26 Mar.1921: MARCH 24. Bernard Hamill and Patrick M'Teer, indicted for burglary and felony, in the house Israel Milliken, at … on the February last. Israel Milliken—Lives in Belfast; his house in Peters’-hill was broken on the morning of the _ February, in the …
Belfast Mercury, 10 Jan.1857: Israel Milliken We regret to announce the death of our venerable townsman, Israel Milliken, who, as announced in our obituary, died yesterday, at his residence, Shankhill-road …
Belfast Mercury, 10 Jan.1857: January 9, at his residence, 88, Peter's-hill, Mr. Israel Milliken, in the 86th year of his age. His remains will be removed from his late residence, for interment in Shankhill Burying-ground, on Monday morning, at half-past Eight o’clock.
Dublin Weekly Nation, 31 Jan.1857: Death Israel Milliken. —With heartfelt sorrow, have, this to … death of Mr Israel Milliken, of this town, who died yesterday, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. It ...
Larne Times, 20 Oct.1906: ... that convenient little watch bouse is erected in Shankill Graveyard Mr. William and Israel Milliken, for the use of which they get donation from most useful charities, and from the known kindness of these gentlemen are …
Belfast Telegraph, 20 Oct.1932: Oldest Graveyard in City. ... Another interment is that of the father of Israel Milliken, proprietor of the "warm, cold and shower baths" in Peter's Hill, opened in 1820, where for 2s one could have a bath and ...
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Belfast Morning News, 5 Sept.1861: September 3, Elizabeth, relict the late Mr. Israel Milliken. Her remains will be removed from No. 61, Peter's Hill, for interment in Shankhill Burying-ground, this day at five o'clock ...
Israel Milliken's father was a Thomas Milliken. see later post which gives father as possibly James
Israel Milliken Burrows married (1864) Hester Bell Good.
Israel Burrows (1868) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPHQ-F31
Robert James Burrows (1870) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPY1-JZH
William Denholm Burrows (1872) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPY1-G22
Daughter (1874) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPBP-W5T
Daughter (1876) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGXT-R53
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I think Unitedirishmen was hoping GaryOB from the other thread would respond.
Hi Sossle
Below I have copied a story from the Belfast Newsletter paper with regard to a number of persons who were arrested on suspicion of being United Irishmen in 1797. My ancestor Israel Milliken was definitely involved and a couple of the others were hanged as a result. It would be cool if this was your Thomas Storey, he was a printer of the Northern Star which was the United Irish newspaper!!
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Yes, but if GaryOB has notifications turned on he should be notified other thread was split. It looks like he's posted more Milliken details on another forum- haven't found any children (or at least surviving children) for Israel Milliken so not sure who GaryOB is descended from there.
http://www.belfastforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=7523.15
I think it might have been on that topic that Israel's nephew John Milliken was mentioned as inheriting his property but this doesn't seem to fit with Israel's Will that I mentioned earlier.
This seems to indicate Israel's father was James not Thomas- other sources say mother was a Jne Sayers-
Milliken Erected by James Milliken, slater, in memory of his wife Jane Sayers who departed this life on the 17 Jun 1798 aged 66 years.
https://www.irishgenealogy.net/forum/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?t=2323
P.S. have sent GaryOB a message with link to this thread
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Wonder if Israel Milliken Burrows is great-nephew of Israel Milliken (and IMB's father Israel Milliken was Israel Milliken's nephew)?
Israel Burrows (c1800-9 Nov.1882) m.(1832) Mary Ann Woods
1843- Burrows, Israel, Brass Founder, 93 Peter's Hill. http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/alphanames1843a2d.htm
1852- Burrows, Israel, brass founder, 8 and 89 Peter's Hill http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/1852names.htm
1877- Burrows, Israel, brass founder, 43 Carlisle Street http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/alphanames1877ab.htm (also 1880)
14th August 1832
I married Israel Burrows son of William Burrows in America to
Mary Ann Woods daughter of Mrs Catherine Woods Smithfield
Samuel Hanna
We whose names are subjoined were present at the above marriage
Robert Ireland
Israel Milliken
James Thomson
Faithful Tate
http://www.dippam.ac.uk/ied/records/51961
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I would like to thank those people who have tried to assist me. It is very hard to try and unravel history some 200 years later. Thomas Milliken was the Chairman of the 1st Belfast Society of the UIM and chaired their meeting on the 2/10/1792. ( Madden. P177). I am trying to find out if he was an uncle or the father of Israel. Israel is said to have been the Secretary of 4th Belfast Society on the 19/10/1792. Israel was an apprentice to a Hatter called Sampson Clarke and it was Clarke who wrote to Dublin Castle in 1798 to try and get them to release Israel telling them that he was going to go to America. We don't know if he did but his stop there must have been short indeed as he reappears in Belfast quite quickly in th 1800's. Israel's employment is also noted as a Book-keeper. (Exiles of 98 P. 183.) Gilmore, Parkhill & Roulston, et.al.Ulster Historical Foundation. :)
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http://www.findingaids.nationalarchives.ie/index.php?simpleSearchSbm=true&searchDescTxt=israel+millikin&simpleSearchSbm=Search#searchfocus
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http://www.findingaids.nationalarchives.ie/index.php?simpleSearchSbm=Search&searchDescTxt=milliken&offset=0&browseresults=true
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Re Israel Milliken , Belfast.
Special thanks to dathai [/color]
Whilst in the grander scheme of things Israel Milliken is not seemingly a big player in 1798 a number of things entrique me concerning him. He seems to have been one of the longest serving or actually interned prisoners at Kilmainham gaol. Virtually all the people arrested with him were released some months/ years earlier. Some of those arrested with him were far more senior and a much bigger threat than him. Cuthbert, the two Gordons and Storey to name but a few. They had been tried by the state before and were alleged to have killed many of their enemies, particulary informants.
The actual history records that I have and have accessed state virtually anything at all about Israel. The only mention Mary McCracken makes of him is that a few years before his death he was virtually bedridden and just made it to the fire side crippled with arthritis. Indeed in Mary McNeills excellent book on Mary Ann McCracken, poor old Israel's name doesnt even make it to the index. For such a man his name seems to have been virtually airbrushed from history. His name can't be found in Benns history of Belfast or indeed any of the five other books I have on Belfast. Nor is his baths.
It is now apparent that his father was called James and that Thomas Milliken was most likely his uncle. He was married to Elizabth ( nee. Kirkwood) and doesn't appear to have had any issue there from. I don't believe he was transported or went to America. His name does not appear in any of the letters or records of the American 1798 Exiles/ banished or in any of the excellent works on the subject.
By 1805 he appears to have accumulated quite a considerable fortune to be able to open a substanial Bathing house in a relatively shortime for someone incarcerated, which one can only assume he inheirted from either his father or uncle. If it is the father mentioned, James, he was a Slater. The records of the Sayer connection in other matters would suggest it is. James and Thomas were both Freemasons as was Sampsons Clarke, Israel's employer. The two lodges concerned Nos. 272 and 587 were both heavily infiltrated by the UIM command. Edward Kelly the Chairman of the UIM's 4th Belfast Society was a member of Jame's lodge No. 272. Israel was the secretary of the 4th Belfast Society. :) :)
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Hi all, I see my name is mentioned earlier in this thread I was not aware all these years :-[
Just to clarify a number of items, I am not directly descended from Israel Milliken but my Mothers Grandmother did inherit a large box of gold coins from his estate and each week she would cash in a coin and would spend it on her friends each weekend.
Israel's exploits in the rebellion were clearly detailed in a book called “The Pikemen of ’98” which can be found in digital form online, but that book confusingly referred to Thomas as the father of Israel? I put this down to the fact that “The Pikemen” was written 60 years after the event and memories might have been dimmed or confused.
In the North Belfast News, Joe Baker published an article recounting the memories of John Smyth from about 1900 , wherein he remembered his earliest years in Belfast. He described a Milliken who was a United Irishman but I feel he is describing Thomas rather than Israel! The Cotton Mill on Waring Street was sold about 1800 after Thomas’s death.
“In one of the houses (in Waring Street) lived a man, Isaac Milliken, whose career in life was as chequered as it was varied, and who, in adversity and declining years, maintained to the last the sturdiness of the Presbyterian and the independence of the Volunteer. He had a large cotton factory in Waring Street, and his position enabled him to take a prominent part of the transactions of the day. Fortune frowned on him and a subscription raised by one of our most honoured merchants solaced his last days.”
The Belfast Newsletter of 1st May 1797 recorded;
"This morning, eleven prisoners, under charges of High Treason, were sent off for Dublin, from the Artillery barracks here, guarded by a very strong detachment of the 22nd regiment of light dragoons, viz:
Joseph CUTHBERT, Taylor
John GORDON, Woolen Draper
Alexander GORDON, Woolen Draper
Thomas STOREY, Printer
Felix O'NEAL, Schoolmaster
Patrick CLEERY, Clerk to Mr. SPEERS
William DAVISON
Robert BLACK, Publican
Alexander ESLAR, Publican
Israel MILLIKIN, Clerk to Mr. Sampson CLARK, Hatter
Robert REDFIRN, Sadler"
A number of those listed above were definitely United Irishmen and Thomas Storey was the printer of the Northern Star, the newspaper of the organisation. He was later hanged.
It should be noted that at the time of his arrest Israel was working for Sampson Clarke in the Hatters Shop and as a bookkeeper. Clarke also petitioned for Israel’s release from jail and declared that the prisoner expressed an intention of going to America.
After release from jail Israel seems to have continued without a stain on his character and became a well known and loved local character. It’s worth noting he had two streets named in his honour; Israel Street on the Shankill and Milliken Street on the Falls.
In 1805 (at least by 1813) Israel had opened his main business, which was a “private steam baths and Vapor rooms” at 91 Peters Hill.
In 1831 the first stone was laid for an impressive memorial for William Orr of Ballycarry in the Temple Corran churchyard. Israel Milliken of Belfast was named on the memorial as the Treasurer of the Masonic Lodge Committee that raised the funds. William Orr was a famous United Irishman and this is one expression of his abiding sympathy and support for the failed rebellion and its participants. He is elsewhere described as a benefactor for various former participants of the rebellion up to his death. It should be noted that the definitive book describing the leaders of the rebellion (published in 1846 by RR Madden ) included interviews with Jemmy Hope, which were conducted at Israel’s home at Brown Square.
In Mary Ann McCracken’s letters to Dr Madden she refers to Jemmy Hope who died in 1853, whereupon she and old Israel Milliken – “a former United Irishman, now crippled with rheumatism and just able to get to his easy chair by the fire” – arranged for the erection of the headstone in the little burying-ground at Mallusk, Co. Antrim, Dr Madden being called upon to write the inscription.
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Hi Folks,
Just for veracity's sake. The monument at Ballycarry's Templecorran Church Yard is not to William 0rr but to James Orr, known as the 'Bard of Ballycarry'. He was a Freemason and UIM who fought at Antrim. He later fled to America but returned and lived the rest of his life writing many famous poems later published, quite a few of which touched on 1798. On his death in 1816 His friends and fellow Freemasons built the monument to him at the Graveyard. Mary Ann McCracken and Israel Milliken were heavily involved also. Israel was the Treasurer of the group who raised the finances. The passage of time led to the physical monument's decline. Later in 2014 the Freemasons of Antrim paid for its refurbishment on which Israel's name is again proudly recorded.It is in my Graves Book at Unitedirishmen.ie
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http://www.findingaids.nationalarchives.ie/index.php?simpleSearchSbm=true&searchDescTxt=israel+millikin&simpleSearchSbm=Search#searchfocus
Here (and see previous image)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89L4-X6G7?view=fullText&keywords=Israel%20Milliken&lang=en&groupId=
51 results for "Israel Milliken"
https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/full-text/results?count=20&q.text=%22israel%20milliken%22