Thomas McKnight 1833 : Short Biography

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Thomas McKnight 1833

Drummaul (Antrim) County Antrim

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Additional Information
Date of Birth	1st Jan 1833
Date of Death	18th Jan 1898
Place & Date of Marriage	Thomas enlisted in the British army aged 19 at Ballymena, Antrim joining the 77th Foot on the 14th May, 1852 and fought in the Crimean War. Married Mary Ann Moore 30/08/1856, Connor, Antrim. Ireland.

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You have posted this message in Drummaul parish. I suspect this is Thomas McKnight’s death in 1898, in which case he lived in the parish of Grange of Doagh, near Ballyclare.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

This looks to be his son Samuel in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Ballyclare/Ball…

And 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Ballyclare_Urba…

Probate abstract:

McKnight Samuel of 41 Main Street Ballyclare county Antrim retired grocer died 25 August 1944 Probate Belfast 12 June to Mary Ann McKnight spinster. Effects £1160 19s. 9d.

This looks likely to be a related family:

Probate of the Will of Thomas McKnight late of Ballyclare County Antrim Merchant who died 27 January 1922 granted at Belfast to Samuel McKnight Merchant and Charlotte McKnight the Widow Effects £117 14s.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Ballyclare_Urba…

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

Thursday 4th June 2020 04:23PM

Hi Elewyn,

Yes correct Samuel and Thomas were his sons and Mary Ann his daughter, Charlotte was the wife of Thomas. I have been trying to find a birth record of Thomas 1834 in Drummaul, the information I have about his age is a military discharge record from his time as a soldier in the Crimean War.

Thomas McKnight (1833 or 1834) married Mary Moore in 30th August,1856 in the Parish of Connor, Connor Presbyterian - is it true that oftern the groom would marry in the bride's church and not necessarily his own church at this time? From the marriage certificate Thomas is listed as pensioner (wounded in Crimea) and his father Thomas McKnight, farmer.

I have no idea were to look for a record of Thomas's birth in Drummual, he could have been Presbyterian or Church of Ireland?

Jim McKnight

Monday 8th June 2020 03:59AM

Jim,

I see from the 1901 census that the family was Methodist, at that date anyway. Methodists in Ireland took a long time to become established as a separate denomination (many didn’t want to break away from the Church of Ireland) and many carried on using the Church of Ireland for baptisms and marriages even when they could conduct their own.

In the case of Drummaul there was a Methodist meeting house there and it has baptism records from 1829 onwards. (They don’t appear to have conducted any marriages, so those were likely in the Church of Ireland). The Church of Ireland’s baptism & marriage records start in 1823. So they would be the two obvious places to search for Thomas’s baptism.

None of the 3 Presbyterian churches in Randalstown has any records for the 1830s. There are copies of the Church of Ireland and Methodist records in PRONI in Belfast.

Yes that’s correct about the location of marriages. They likely married in the bride’s church. So she was probably Presbyterian. She would normally have attended her husband’s church after they married, though not every family followed that rule.

I looked in the tithes to see if I could find a Thomas McKnight farming in the Drummaul area in 1834. The only McNight was a John who was farming in Lisnagreggan (modern Tannaghmore Rd).

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/antrim/tithe-applotments/drummaul-pari…

That family was gone by the time of Griffiths Valuation in 1862.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

Monday 8th June 2020 08:22AM

Thanks Elwyn,

I'll have to find a way yo access the Church of Ireland and Methodist records in PRONI in Belfast, it's a pity the aren't online.

Jim

Jim McKnight

Sunday 21st June 2020 05:55AM

Jim,

There are copies of most Church of Ireland records in PRONI in Belfast. They also have copies of many Methodist records though there are a few meeting houses where the Minister still holds the only copy, so you have to track him/her down. This link explains what records exist, parish by parish and where they are held:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/proni-guide-church-records

If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

The Church of Ireland has a huge project to put its records on-line. Volunteers are working on that now but it’s probably 2 years away from completion. I don’t think the Methodists have any plans to put their records on-line, or even to gather them all in the one place!

Elwyn

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

Sunday 21st June 2020 09:34AM

Hi Jim,

I am just wondering if Thomas is any relation of yours? He would be my 3rd Great grandad and I'am interested in my families military past.

Kind regards,

Charles.

Charles_McKnight

Sunday 5th December 2021 10:57PM

Hi Charles,

Thomas is my 2nd Great grandfather, who is your 2nd Great grandfather?

Jim

Jim McKnight

Thursday 9th December 2021 11:32AM

Hi Jim,

Awesome to hear and I think it's highly likely we're related. My 2nd Great grandad would be Thomas's son (also Thomas 1968- 1922). My Great grandad was the later Thomas's son Robert, who moved to Hexham with my grandad Robert Nelson to work at a paper mill (the one in Larne closed I believed, my dad still has the letter that my grandad was given to prove he worked there). At some point my grandad moved to Hull, got married to Joan Dibnah and then had my dad, his two brothers and sister (Leslie died young).

Regards,

Charles.

Charles_McKnight

Thursday 9th December 2021 04:56PM

Hi Charles,

My grandfather Albert (Bertie) 1901 was brother to Robert your grandad, that makes us cousins. If you like we can take this offline, my email address is jimmcknight.global@gmail.com. I have the family tree and I'm trying to go back beyond Thomas b.1833 - his father was also Thomas.

Jim