Rocks family

[aghadowey]

Hi I have a name Ballyhordian from 1949, in clady armagh, cant find as an area would it be a farm name an how can I find the address, is that possible, regards

Could it be Ballyheridan in Lisnadill civil parish (Armagh Poor Law Union/registration district)?

[carraige]

Hi Patricia,

You are correct, there were a lot of Rocks' in the Clady area and many families of the name around Armagh and Newry seem to originate from there.

However, if there is a connection to a 'Ballyhordian' (probably Ballyheridan townland, as suggested by Aghadowey), then the 1911 and 1901 census are worth a look. In 1911 a 30-year-old John lives in Ballyheridan with his widowed mother Mary and brother Patrick Joseph (22).
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Armagh/Ballyaros/Ballyheridan/325163/

But in 1901 they seem to have been recorded in nearby Milford village, with a sister Mary Ellen and a cousin.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Ballyards/Milford/1011488/

You talk about a Clady origin, so they could have originally come from Clady and moved to Milford for work as weavers and then moved into quarrying at the Rock Road area on the outskirts of Armagh city.
It would be more difficult to ascertain exactly which of the Clady Rocks families they came from but the recent uploading of baptismal records online might help. They are available here: http://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0189

[TonyMcGartland]

I was able to find the Rock family that I believe are my wifes ancestors. I have little or no evidence to confirm other than approximate dates and names. My wifes great great grandfather was Simon Rock and his son Patrick Rock. Within the Armagh parish records there is only one Simon Rock, with a son Patrick. The interesting thing is than on their birth records some of the family members are listed as Rock, other are Rocks. This is the same with their parents. However, Patrick Rock and his son Patrick are both buried here in Omagh and there is no S.

[Cladymore]

I have limited information regarding John Rocks who died in 1935 and had four daughters, Bridget, Elizabeth (Lily), Kathleen and Anna (Nan).  He was my great uncle.  Is this the same family?

[TonyMcGartland]

I have limited information regarding John Rocks who died in 1935 and had four daughters, Bridget, Elizabeth (Lily), Kathleen and Anna (Nan).  He was my great uncle.  Is this the same family?

Thanks for your message. The only John Rocks that appears on my tree is John born 1837 do I don't imagine he lived that long. However, I wouldn't rule out some connection. I have little to go on about the Rocks family other than Patrick, my wife great-grandfather born 1845 stated Co. Armagh in his place of birth in the census. His father was Simon. In different documents such as births/marriages etc they are noted as Rocks and on their headstone it is Rock. I don't really understand why?

[annclare]

Hi, Trying to find info about my grandfather, John Rocks born in Cladymore Armagh 1887 died falling off his cart in 1949,  I think owned quarry's at some stage and a farm on a place called The Rock Armagh, married a Mary Carr, the farmhouse I've been told is still standing unoccupied, can anybody please help with any of this, Thanks

May be of interest Marriage John Rocks Mary Carr
28-Aug-1912       
Parish / District:   DERRYNOOSE RC      County:   ARMAGH
Husband      Wife
Name:   John   Rocks      Mary   Carr
Address:   Ballyheridan      Granemore
Denomination:   Civil Parish / District      Civil Parish / District
Occupation:   LABOURER      
Age:   Fa      Fa
Status:   Bachelor (Previously unmarried)      Spinster (Previously unmarried)
Husband's Father      Wife's Father
Name:   James   Rocks      Michael   Carr
Address:         
Denomination:         
Occupation:   LABOURER      FARMER
:         
Witness 1      Witness 2
Name:   Patrick   Toner      Susan   Toner
Address:         
Notes:
MARRIED IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF BALLYMACNAB ACCORDING TO THE
RITES AND CEREMONIES OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH BY ME P C CORR/

[aghadowey]

...
In different documents such as births/marriages etc they are noted as Rocks and on their headstone it is Rock. I don't really understand why?

It is only in fairly recent times that spelling of both words and names has become consistant. It's not uncommon to see more than one version of a name in the same document and just depended who was doing the writing.

[gaffy]

John Rocks' address at the time of his 1912 marriage to Mary Carr was Ballyheridan, his father was given as James, a labourer. The 1911 census return for house 12 in Ballyheridan previously posted at reply #10 looks reasonable (and consequently the 1901 return for house 20 in Milford), on that basis his mother was Mary and he had siblings Mary Ellen and Patrick Joseph.  Using all this information points to his parents being James Rocks and Mary Kernan / Kernaghan, who got married in the RC Chapel of Armagh on 9 December 1874, the address for both was Ballynahone and both of their fathers were labourers called John. Children included Mary Ellen (b. 23 Apr 1878), John (b. 3 Aug 1880), Christopher (b.25 Dec 1887), and Patrick Joseph (b. 28 Feb 1889).

[TonyMcGartland]

The Rock family we are associated with may have been born between Derrynoose and Lisnadill. Simon Rock married Anne Burke and their son Patrick b. 1845 left Co. Armagh and settled here in Omagh. He was noted in census records as a railway night watchman. In later years he had property in Omagh including a lodging house at Market Street, Omagh. There was never any known contact with Armagh, as nobody kept in touch.