Thanks Bhoy for your reply - I have been from going in circles trying to trace the right Rose McNeill as there is more than one from around that time and place. The names and dates you've supplied really help, if you have any more names and dates I would be very grateful as I try to piece a few missing links together. Interestingly, I have other Northern Ireland ancestry as Rose's daughter Katherine married a HAMILTON in Australia who had just migrated from Campelltown in Scotland - his mother Emily Mitchell seems to have come from Down, Northern Ireland. Sadly Katherine died quite young along with an infant son, but her son (my direct ancestor) and daughter survived. Katherine's husband married the housekeeper and went on to be very successful (he was a sail maker and there was a great demand for canvas in Australia at that time) and have a second large family.
