McCance family - County Down

[Kiltaglassan]

Our Gt grandfather John McIlboy married Ellen McCance on 26 July 1883.  This was his second marriage.  He married married Agnes Close on 3 February 1876.  I am assuming she died.

John a farmer. His place of abode…Ballyurna Allen, parish of Greyabbey.
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1876/11156/8086827.pdf

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1883/10939/5998095.pdf
John, a widower and labourer living on The Islands
https://www.townlands.ie/down/ards-lower/grey-abbey/ballyurnanellan/
Mid Island below the coastline of Ballyurnanellan.

Agnes McIlboy died 3 June 1880 of typhoid fever (5 months certified) at Ballyurnallen [sic].
https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1880/06481/4864973.pdf

OpenStreetMap
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/4581477#map=15/54.53339/-5.57170

[Kiltaglassan]

McIlboy - 1901 census - Boretree Island (Greyabbey, Down)
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Greyabby/Boretree_Island/1256797/

Island location - Image

[shanreagh]

Note that on the 1901 census that Kiltaglassan has found there is a William Keog listed aged 60 with the status of cousin to the head of family John McIlboy. 

Keogh is one spelling of that name and if the surname Keogh is not one you have come across you will have lots of fun working out where the Keoghs fit in if you did not know before. 

NB the word 'cousin' back then was not always used for the relatives we would call cousins nowadays. Sometimes the connection was back in the mists of time........but people knew 'these people are related to us' 

[Jon_ni]

Boretree Island is tiny, opposite Mount Stewart 1 acre, 2 roods at high medium tide with a high point 22 ft above sea level, surrounding mud flats exposed at low tides but still need a boat to get there. Wading bird sanctuary now. There is a ruined building on it on satellite views but the old 6" maps don't show on PRONI viewer. 7 people living there in a 2 roomed stone house with slate roof & 4 windows to the front with stable, calf house, piggery and foul house. Fresh water would have been a problem.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KRj3AgT1QQhCYTVWA

Mid Island where they were 1911 seems much more sensible, 15 acres with a connecting causeway to shore except at highest tides and to South Island with more land. Buildings shown on Mid Island from 1st edition 1830's too now https://maps.app.goo.gl/AWrX4ScMks1MbFuKA Both in Greyabbey civil parish.
https://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Grey_Abbey/Mid_Island__in_Strangford_Lough/

Pretty confident the Enumerator has just put the wrong name in for the island and 1901 should read Mid Island also, one window less but same stable, calf house, piggery etc, so he didn't need a rowing boat. 17 Greyabbey Townlands enumerated both 1901 & 1911. The ruin on Boretree a shed for oyster bed work etc