Lisburn Relatives

My Irish relations came to Scotland, not Canada, but the name "Close" or "Closs" is somewhat unusual, so I am responding to you in the hopes that we have a link.

I do not know what county in Ireland my forbears came from.  I do know that they all settled in Scotland around  .  They all worked in the coal or iron mines in the Lanarkshire area.  Also, they were all Protestant, so i have been looking in the Ulster area.

William Close (Closs) was born 1831 in Ireland to John (born Ireland 1794, was living with William in 1871 and died the same year in ARmadale, Scotland) and Jane Closs .   On John Closs's death certificate it states that his parents were Thomas Close and Jane (Hutton) Close. 

William married Mary Ann Donaldson (born 1836 in Ireland, I believe i have found her birth in Clones to Thomas and Mary (Nesbit) Donaldson) in 1854 in Airdre, Scotland. 

William and Mary had my 2nd great grandfather John j Close (b. Scotland 1855), who married Elizabeth McClay

(b. Scotland 1853) and those two moved to Pennsylvania, USA, where they continued to mine coal!

So, is there any chance at all that you can help me figure out where in Ireland these folks came from?

Thanks,

Rebecca Lynch

USA

I do not think we are related, but thought you would be interested to know that my mother's family was from Blackridge, a small town in Lanarkshire County.  My grandfather worked as a bookkeeper for the coal mine there and my uncle worked as a coal miner for a time until getting a job with the Scottish railway.  In addition, I was born in Northern Ireland, Lisburn County Antrim of protestant parents.  My father was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary until we moved to Canada in 1957.  My mother's maiden name was McLaren, her mother was the illegitimate child of a man called Duncan McNiven although her maiden name was Coventry (did not take her fathers last name on record).  Duncan McNiven was raised at his familys estate called Willanyards Farm.  My father, Eric Bradley had roots that extended to Scotland and he and my mother were actually very distant cousins. Also, have an uncle who currently lives in Armadale and is 83 yrs. old.  - perhaps there is  link between us in the distant past as Armadale and Blackridge are small municipalities.

My 2 x Great Grandparents were Nelson Dunleavy b. 1827 Lisburn and Catherine Greenaway b. 1843 Lisburn who married 1865 Lisburn.  Their son Nelson Dunleavy married Mary Eliza Anderson in Lisburn in 1891 (my Great Grandparents), Nelson  was the brother of James Dunleavy (my Great Grand Uncle) who married Agnes Close in Lisburn in 1894.

William Dunleavy married Marianne McCaherty in Lisburn 1896.  William was the brother of my Great Grandfather Nelson Dunleavy.

My father was born in Belfast Northern Ireland and I was born 1948 England.

I have other info if you are interested.

Brenda Warren

Australia

Hi  It is so confusing.  My grandfather was William Dunleavy and his wife was Mary.McCaherty.  I am unclear about other relatives on their side, other than they had my mother Isabell Dunleavy, William (Billy) and James.  I believe Billy was born in 1932 and James was born 1937.  (so confusing as William and James are such popular names)  That is part of the problem I am having, since I do not know alot of info and there are so many William's and James Dunleavy.