Graham-Kinnear in Barony of Toome, Antrim 1700s

[gramsearch4family]

Elizabeth GRAHAM, my direct maternal 5th great grandmother, was born no later than 1770. She married Robert KINNEAR (Kinnaird, Kinneir, etc. spelling variations) by 1783. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was baptized in December 1784 in Dromore Parish (County Down, Ireland). According to the baptismal record (transcribed by Mettam) for their daughter, they were living in “Edna__” which is likely Edenordinary or Ednego Townland. The family remained in or returned to County Down, as Elizabeth Kinnear married George JAMISON there before August 1809. Elizabeth Graham and Robert Kinnear may have married earlier than 1783 and had additional children prior to Elizabeth.

My autosomal (3rd - 5th cousin level) and mitochondrial (H13a1a) DNA matches to the profile manager on FTDNA whose earliest known direct female ancestor was Mary RICHMOND of Galston, Ayrshire, Scotland. Unfortunately, he has not responded to an email sent by the FTDNA H13 Project manager on my behalf.

In Scotland:
Robert GRAHAM married Elizabeth RICHMOND in Galston Parish on 7 February 1741. Their son, John, was baptized there on 21 August 1743. No parish records for later events of this family were found in Galston Parish in the Scotland's People database. Perhaps this Galston Graham family were Jacobites and wanted to the aftermath following the Battle of Culloden in 1746, joining family in the Ahoghill/Ballymena area. The Galston, Ayrshire censuses of 1861 to 1881 show that Robert KINNAIRD, a coal miner, was born in 1834 in County Down, Ireland. He married Sarah GRAHAM. He may have moved back to Galston for employment joining relations who had stayed there.

In Antrim:
Numerous records show that both the Graham and Kinnear families lived in Ahoghill, Antrim as early as 1669 (Hearth Tax, on the Galgorm Estate, historically Ballyconnell, Glanagherty), if not before.
Additionally, 1) Mathew RICHMAN was a resident of Drummaul in 1740 (no Richm* found in County Down during this time), neighbor of Francis KINARD and James (x2), John and Thomas GRAHAM. 2) John GRAHAM, possibly son of Robert from Galston, was listed in the 1776 Religious Survey as a Dissenter, along with Arthur, Alexander and William, all living in Ahoghill. Also listed as Dissenters of Ahoghill were James KINNEARD, Pat Kinnear, John Kinnard, William Kinnard and Alexander Kinneir. 3) Robert KINNEAR (perhaps Elizabeth's husband) signed the Dissenters Petition while living in Ballymena in 1775.

I speculate that Elizabeth Graham, my ancestor, was born in the Ahoghill area to either Robert Graham and Elizabeth Richmond or their son, John, and she subsequently married Robert KINNEAR, also born there.

Thanks ever so much, in advance, for your assistance in finding the births and marriage of Elizabeth Graham and Robert Kinnear. Of course, additional information on them and their ancestors/family groups would be most welcome, as well as meeting new cousins.

Cheers,
Beth

Sources for the above information are available upon request.
The profiles for Elizabeth Graham and Robert Kineer can be viewed at WikiTree.
X-post Fiona's County Down group, WikiTree G2G and FTDNA Projects: Graham, North of Ireland and County Down.

[Elwyn Soutter]

Beth,

As a general historical comment, if the Galston Graham family were Jacobites, I can’t see them coming to the Ahoghill/Ballymena area.  That area was very heavily settled by Presbyterians who were firm supporters of William of Orange and fought for him at the Battle of the Boyne and elsewhere. (Against James II). Very anti-Jacobite. Not a great area for a Jacobite on the run to lie low.

I note that the 1741 Richmond - Grahame marriage was in the Church of Scotland (ie Presbyterian). Tradition was to marry in the bride’s denomination, and so that strongly suggests she at least was Presbyterian. Most Jacobites were either Roman Catholic or Episcopalian. Few were Presbyterians.

All the families you mention in the 1766 census of Ahoghill were Dissenters (ie Presbyterians). My thinking therefore is, if they lived there, the Kinnear-Graham family were Presbyterian and most unlikely to be Jacobites.

Ahoghill has 3 Presbyterian churches. At least 2 were functioning in the 1700s but  none has any records for that century. The Church of Ireland (Episcopalian) has records from 1811, the RC church from 1833. The only church in the area with any records for the 1700s is Cullybackey Presbyterian whose records go back to about 1729 when it was built. The Presbyterian Historical Society in Belfast has a copy of those early records.

Researching in Ireland in the 1700s is very hard going due to the general lack of records. If you don’t know where they lived it’s a needle in a haystack. Ideally you need to know the person’s exact denomination and the townland or parish they lived in to have any chance of finding them, and even then there may not be any records for that location.

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project in conjunction with FTDNA.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).

[gramsearch4family]

Thank you, Elwyn! I appreciate you correcting me regarding the Jacobites with details! I did know that but jumped to an erroneous hypothesis because of the birth year of John Graham. They were Presbyterians, as you suggested and I omitted to mention. Such a shame that the early church records won't be of assistance to me. As I wrote in my query, I've already been working on DNA matches through FTDNA, but appreciate your suggestion.
Cheers!
Beth