It would appear we are only allowed a certain amount of charactors so if I may I will try this in two postings
I have been rattling around here for some time and I am of the notion that there are several Kyle's or descendants of Kyle's on this site who are or may be related and therefore chasing info on the same ancesters.
In our family folklore the family came from the Bellaghy area in Co Londonderry prior to moving to Tullynahinnion.
There obviously has been a connection to the Vance family at one point as that surname became a christian name in at least two legs of the Kyle family.
The family connection to later Mckeown's, Leetch's, Crawford's, Harris's etc and mentioned in another post are fairly well known so no further info is required there. This is about the descendants and ancesters of a John Kyle Tullynahinion probably born around 1830 in or near to the Bellaghy area.
My GGGrandfather John is where the problems or lack of knowledge becomes a problem.
This was a John Kyle father of William Kyle born circa 1871.
From that John Kyle onward in the Tullynahinnion line of the family is well documented but John had siblings as had his son William. These are the connections that are a little vague.
This John Kyle had several wives, possibly four.
According to family stories at least two had family.
Given that William had brothers and sisters and we are fairly sure his father had siblings also I would like info on where everyone possibly went to and perhaps some of this may make sense to some distant descendant who like some here is missing a link or two.
There are several long standing Kyle families in the Portglenone Co Antrim area who are likely to be connected, we would just like to know how if so.
As well as the church record info I have generously received I will also refer just now to a couple of pages taken from a book "BALLYMENAGH. TOWN BY THE ROUGH TERRAIN"
This refers to a James Kyle from Tullynahinnion who later went on along with his son John and again later his grandson to build and rebuild what is now known as Broadway Ave but was then known a Kyle street.
This leg of the family is unknown to us but looks very like they are of the same ilk.
Anyhow on to John. As above he had several wives and more than one family.
The little bit of info below may or may not refer to the actual John but is taken from records and the fact it is on open view may help someone.
We do know John had one wife from the Mckeown family and there is reference to a Margaret Mckeown recorded as John's 2nd wife. Certainly William Kyle of Tullynahinion age confirmed in the Irish census does match with the births registered to John and Margaret (nee Mckeown) Kyle. Apparently that McKeown family also had a tie with McKeowns of Finkiltagh (Finkilragh in the Irish census)
As best the survivors are aware there were no other Kyle families living in the townland of Tullynahinnion at any time other than the family that originate from Bellaghy or near by to Bellaghy.
That said the 1901 census gives a John Kyle in Tullynahinion with a wife Eliza Jane and daughter Anne Jane. At present we dont know anything about this wife and daughter if in fact that is the same John Kyle. This John would have been circa the correct age to be William Kyle Tullynahinnion father but no one has turned up any record of that marriage to me as yet.
There is also a family story surrounding the death of John's father.
The story has it that John's father passed away while in Ballymena. He apparently choked whilst eating/drinking and his son John who was with him and little more than a child was put in charge of the horse and cart and sent home with his deceased father in the cart. Certainly tougher times than we know today. This story may be in other families yarns/folklore and might be a missing link.
Both my father and myself have met several people from various parts of the Provence who once they find who we are and and where we are from state that their grandmother or other ancestor was a Kyle from Tullynahinnion. Unfortunately they have no more information than we do but nevertheless it is very likely to be related.
2nd posting should follow below