Magee family, Shankill Road 1870s onwards

[liscoole]

Hi
Im new to the board and would like to say that it looks like a great place!

Also wondered if someone could help me- Ive hit the dreaded "brick wall" in my research!!

Im trying to find the parents of my great great grandfather Benjamin Magee, who I believe had relations living in Canmore Street in the Shankill area. I found out that he married Eliza Jane McConnell in St Annes in 1880. From his death cert I have worked out that he must have been born in 1861, but from his marriage certificate it seems he was born in 1858. (Did people have trouble remembering their dates of birth in those days ??) Marriage cert states that his father was called Arthur.
Well I think I have spent a small fortune looking up records on the internet, but without success. I have also visited PRONI to try and find a record of his baptism but there was nothing for St Annes. ( and the records were so hard to read anyway on the microfilm reels!)

So now I am at a dead end! I do know that he had 3 children Maria, Margaret and Samuel. Maria was my great grandmother. The last known residence was in Whitehouse, outside Belfast in a place called Erskine Terrace.

If anyone else is researching the Magee family (Im not sure whether my Magees were originally from Lisburn direction or Antrim (Ballysillan, and out towards Larne, Ive yet to find that out!) but if anyone has any connections, or any suggestions on how to move forward, I'd be grateful!

ps they were church of ireland, I think.

Keep up the good work all!
 

[aspin]

Welcome to rootschat
you startled me when I saw Magee
as my family are Maghie and wondered if therewas a connection

However reading through you letter I see it is tater than my Maghie's and I am not sure where they really came from Scotland or Ireland

Good hunting

Elizabeth

[aspin]

Foregot the spell check I should have later not tater

Elizabeth

[liscoole]

thanks for your reply,  there are so many variations of magee- I know that Benjamin's wife spelled her name McGee and he spelled his Magee. I have heard that the Magees in Ireland originally settled in a place called Islandmagee near Larne on the Antrim Coast.

Anyway, thanks again for your reply and good luck with your Maghies!

[OTTO]

The great site for on line Belfast Street Directories, www.lennonwylie.co.uk
has an Arthur Magee, car owner iving at 20 College Street South.

Sorry, but i have searched high and low for something concrete on your family, and found zilch.

This is a good site to visit also.unfortunately the search facility is not working at present, but should be back on line soon: http://www.belfastfamilyhistory.com/

OTTO

[liscoole]

thanks for trying anyway, Otto, I knew it was going to be a tough nut to crack! I will plod on..

[jack34]

Hello Liscoole,
I am also researching  a Magee family with Shankill connections but probably not the Magees that interest you. My g grandfather John Magee  , born 18 th July 1841 in Carrickfergus ,married Susan Jennings a weaver, born around 1850 and who lived at the date of marriage in Leopold St,Shankill . Marriage took place on on 24 November 1875 at Holy Cross RC Church,Shankill.
John was a publican in Carrickfergus. They had nine children named Annie (my grandmother ) Patrick,Mary Elizabeth,Jack,Susan Josephine,William Henry,(died young)Rose Bernadine ,Dorothy and Hugh.
 Annie emigrated to Cape Town  in December 1902 where she married  on arrival Jimmy Russell ,an engineer from Larne.
John's parents were Patrick Magee (farmer in Islandmagee ,Greenisland or Carrickfergus ) and Anna Graham. Susan's parents were William Jennings and Anna Kenny.

[liscoole]

Hi

Thanks for your reply, there are so many Magees it is like finding a needle in a haystack. At least you have some concrete names and dates for your family. How did you find them all?

[elaine447]

Hi liscoole
dont know if this helps
1861 census for Devon
William Magee............................34
Frances Magee...........................27
Benjamin Magee..........................5 born 1856
Eliza Anne Magee........................3
William Magee..............................2
all born Ireland except youngest son William he was born in Devon
I think I have some other Magee info but it is for Scotland
my grandmother has Magee as her middle name
Elaine