McElhone / McIlhone name issue

[Kelley.Rea]

I am Great Grandaughter of John Rea son of Samuel Rea
I wasn't clear until I read your family tree in wickitree, but I know in our past there was a name change from Mclhone to Rea. And the story goes: There were 2 brothers Mclhone and no sons to pass down a family name Rea from 2 spinsters,  One brother took up the name. This must have been Samuel.  There was some monetary influence of passing down land or something. I believe this went awry. There was a rift in the family.  I have only the story. But it seams as though it was his mothers maiden name Jane based on your family tree. A couple of her children also bear the name - Rea. maybe they were born b4 McElhone and got the bastard end? Who knows? Need to do more research.  We couldnt figure out where or when the name changed occurred and because of your work I couldn't find relations past Samuel.  I knew he was killed in an accident on the dry docks. As a Steam crane driver. Because of his brothers presence I dont believe they were estranged maybe this was from the next generation his son John and family.? We know he was able to get an apprenticeship on the docks from his father before his untimely death. It is our understanding that they helped to build the Titanic. I will still be looking for proof from H&W and records and such. I went to the opening of the museum of Titanic and a tour guide said I was the fist descendant he had come across and gave me a piece of the floor from the design offices of H&W. So anyways after his Father passed he was the only provider of all his brothers and sisters whom all married Catholic and couldn't get work during the troubles. His mother Elizabeth would shell out the groceries to all her daughters families out the back door soon as they came in the front. John Married an Eliza Wilson, she died young, they had many babies who died of illness and 4 survived including one Son John (Jack) Rea My Granddad.   So this is our legacy his only surviving son John (Jack) Rea to pass down the Rea name to his only son my Father Sean Rea to pass the name on to his only surviving son Patrick. Always the same problem in this family. Plenty of Daughters not enough men to pass on the legacy. I recall My Great Aunt Rita being so proud of the name Rea she gave it to her Daughter.      Loved reading your information and its an immense help for us to fill in our tree. I must go back and see how we are related <3 - Kelley Rea Harvey - Born and raised in Los Angeles and now living back in Ireland from my Rea roots.

[Antaares]

Hi Kelley,

I am the great niece of Samuel Rea McIlhone (b.1866), my great grandfather was his brother William James McIlhone (b.1873). Their parents were John McIlhone from Tyrone, and Jane Rea from Down, they married in 1865. All their six children were born in wedlock and many had Rea as a middle name.

The Rea name is very confusing. We know nothing of Jane Rea’s family and why their name was so important to them.

Interestingly, Samuel’s death at the Graving drydock was registered as Samuel Rea McElhone. It’s strange that all his children could retain Rea when it wasn’t really their name! It’s something that makes research difficult as McElhone is such a rare name in comparison to Rea. If only Samuel hasn’t changed his name! Samuel’s death entry: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1917/05216/4443233.pdf

We had not heard anything about money being the reason for the name change, but I suppose it is possible. Through the information we have via his brother William, we felt that the Catholic aspect seemed to be the problem. We don’t know why Samuel dropped the McIlhone/McElhone name, but for awhile his father John dropped it also.

The Wikitree is somewhat out of date. I have lots more dates. I will upload a new GED file next week with added data, and look at merges. My Ancestry.com tree is more current, do you have an ancestry account? If so let me know and I will add you.

Is your John Rea born 19 Feb 1894 and marrying Maggie Wilson in 28 Nov 1917? That is the info I have.

Cheers,
Laura

[aghadowey]

A few corrections to various details posted on this thread-

1) According to 1911 census John McElhone & Jane Rea had 7 children (4 living) not 6-
http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Ballynahinch/Church_Street/233944/
2) In 1901 Samuel Rea was in Ruth St. and 1911 in Kilronan St., in 1915 (when Samuel registered father John's death) he was living at 8 Churchill St. but when he died in 1917 the family were living at 81 Upper Mervue St.
http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Duncairn_Ward/Ruth_Street/938787/  (engine driver steam vessel)

A few extracts from newspapers-
Belfast Newsletter, 8 Apr.1898: … Briens, publican, 156, North Queen Street, summoned Samuel Rea, 2, Mervue Street, for disorderly conduct on his licensed premises on the 1th ult. Mr. M’Erlean represented the complainant…

Northern Whig, 14 May 1917: … shocking fatality occurred at the new Thomson Graving Dock when Samuel Rea, aged 50, of 81, Upper Mervue Street, lost his life. It appears that the deceased was the driver of electric crane, and in the course of working something went wrong, and it toppled …
Belfast Newsletter, 15 May 1917: … yesterday relative to the death of Samuel Rea M’Elhone. of 81, Upper Mervue Street, which occurred at the Thompson Graving Dock on Saturday evening. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased was driving electric crane which was moving tank floors when …
Northern Whig, 15 May 1917: AT THE DOCKS The City Coroner (Dr. James Graham) and jury held an inquest yesterday, touching the death of a craneman named Samuel Rea, who was killed at the Thompson Dock, Queen’s Road, Saturday evening. ...
Irish Independent [Dublin], 15 May 1917: A shocking accident occurred at the new Thomson Graving Dock, Belfast, resulting in the death of Samuel Rea, aged 50. It appears that an electric crane which deceased was driving toppled over into the dry dock, a distance of 50 feet, carrying the unfortunate …

Thompson Graving Dock- https://www.titanicmemorials.co.uk/post/memorial/thompson+graving+dock+belfast/
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Rea-278

http://census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Duncairn/Kilronan_Street/141042/

[Antaares]

Thank you! I have found birth entries for six McIlhone children, but can’t find that seventh child - yet. (At one stage I found two Elizabeth’s which seemed to correctly belong, but it seemed odd to use the same name twice?)

Many thanks for the newspaper article - where did you find that? It’s a missing piece for me!

[aghadowey]

It wasn't uncommon to name a new baby for a deceased sibling- especially if the name was that of a close relative (grandparent, parent, etc.)

Find My Past will have the complete articles of the extracts I posted.

[jrmrea]

I'm sorry for the necropost, but I'm hoping to reach other's who've previously posted in this thread.

I believe my family to be related to Jane Rea and John McIlhone in some way. My working theory as of now is that my earliest known ancestor (Samuel Rea born ~1841, Harbour Constable) might have been Jane Rea's brother. There is a tombstone in Saintfield Parish Church, County Down that reads:

Erected by
Samuel Rea and his son David J. Rea
to the memory of their cousins
William Rea,
who died 24th Oct. 1906, aged 86 years.
Also his brothers and sister
Samuel Rea, Eliza Rea,
David Rea, John Rea,
of Ballygreen Ballynahinch
---
The above Samuel Rea,
who died 15th Sept 1908.
Also his wife Mary Robb,
who died 28th Nov. 1915.
Also their daughter Eliza Rea,
who died 11th March 1899, aged 19 years.

I was able to find the above William Rea in the 1901 census records, where he lived with John Beattie Patterson and Eliza Rea McIlhone (sister of Samuel Rea McIlhone and William James McIlhone discussed above). William was a farmer, never married or had any kids. Upon his death, he left his effects to Samuel Rea.

Samuel (married to Mary Robb) and his son David John (married to Sara Jane Ferguson) lived in Belfast, with David eventually moving to Canada with his family.

Samuel Rea is currently our brick wall, all we know from his marriage record is his father was a farmer also named Samuel Rea.

I'd love to be able to confirm the relation between Samuel and Jane Rea as it'd be a significant addition to our family tree.