Searching for Owens family.

Pat,

If you give us the couples townlands and their parents occupations from the 1850 marriage certificate, it may enable us to give you a little more information about them.

HI Elwyn

thanks for getting back.  The only information I have on Samuel Owens and Mary Ann Henry is that Samuel's residence was Grange Kilbride and Mary Ann's was Antrim Town at the time of their marriage in 1850.  Samuel's father, Daniel was a Pensioner and Mary Ann's father, Hugh Henry was a Farmer.

Any help greatly appreciated.

P

Griffiths Valuation for 1862 lists what may be Daniel Owens in Grange of Nilteen. He had plot 2c which was a small hosue and garden. Today that’s on the Burn Rd, in the village of Parkgate, just outside Antrim town.

If Daniel Owens was described as a pensioner in 1850,then that indicates he was retired from the army or navy. You could look for service records for him, if interested, on findmypast or Ancestry.

There’s a death that might be Daniel, registered on 19.5.1873, aged 85, in Antrim town. You can view the original certificates on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

Griffiths lists a Hugh Henry in Town-head, Townparks, Antrim in 1862. He had plot 62 which was a house and small garden. Given that Mary Ann’s father was a farmer, I am not certain that this is the right person since he doesn’t appear to have any land. There was another Hugh Henry a few miles away in Farlough just outside Randalstown. He farmed plot 9, so he might be her father.

Probate abstract:

The Will of Hugh Henry late of Farlough County Antrim Farmer and Grocer deceased who died 17 June 1877 at same place was proved at Belfast by the oath of Richard Drain of Lenagh (Antrim) same County Farmer the surviving Executor.

His wife’s probate abstract:

Letters of Administration of the personal estate of Mary Henry late of Farlough County Antrim Widow deceased who died 5 June 1877 at same place were granted at Belfast to Richard Drain of Lenagh (Randalstown) same County Farmer the Brother of said deceased.

Hi Pat

I’ve found that Samuel Owens lived near his father Daniel Owens in Nilteen Grange, just behind the mill pond. They worked in the flax factory near-by but my mother seems to recall her Grandfather- who was Samuel’s son- telling her that he had moved closer to Belfast to be a tailor, which would make sense as Nilteen Grange was very rural. She also said that she remembers that he had once trained as a blacksmith as she remembers him being good at making gates and other things out of iron.

Samuel and Mary-Ann had several children: my mother’s gr grandfather was Francis Henry Owens and I think your ancestor was his brother - James Henry Owens, although James was in his teens when Francis was born.

I can’t seem to get any further back than Daniel Owens, but Ihave seen the service records online that are mentioned in this thread, which possibly links Daniel to spending time in the military.

Hope this helps,

Clare

Hi Clare.  Thank you for the update and it would seem that we are related - not sure how many times removed!!  Did your family move to Glasgow as well or did they stary in Ireland?  I have not been able to establish when my great grandparens James and Annie (Mary Ann) moved to Glasgow, but they were married in Glasgow in 1875.  My grandfather William (their son) did not stay in Glasgow as he was in the army and travelled around which included livingin Belfast, so close to his parents' home towns, but living most of his life from 1920s onwards in Cork, which was where my father John was born.

On one of the certificates that I have for James it confirms his father's (Samuel) occupation as Tailor.  Do you have any information regarding Daniel's wife?

Best wishes.

Pat

Hello Pat,

Yes - my side of the family ended up in Glasgow as well. In fact, we think now that my Gr grandmother and grandfather (Francis Owens and Elizabeth McCartney) came to Scotland and were married there, rather than in Ireland. I know my granddad had rather a colourful life: My (Gr) uncle Francis told me how granddad was in Glasgow with his brothers and parents, then he got on to a ship to Canada on his own when he was about 14 / 15. Francis said he remembers waving him off. My grandad went on to become a Canadian citizen and flew for the Canadian airforce in WW2; he also lived with a native American tribe for some time and he and my Grandmother told me stories of how he had been given a ceremonial belt and brought it back to England, then one of the tribe's chiefs had come to retrieve it. What is truth and what was embellished I don't know, but I do have a newspaper article about my Grandfather and his travels. When he eventually returned to Scotland after the war he came to NE England for work and married my Grandmother, whose family were from Maryhill in Glasgow.

There seems to be no information as yet on Daniel's wife. I guess the logical step would be to visit the parish itself to look at records if they still exist. I've been trying to find a marriage document or even some information on the Mill at Nilteen Grange, where I think both Samuel and maybe Daniel worked. I'm on holiday for 2 weeks now for Easter, so I will have a little more time to search the net, so I'll keep digging and let you know if I find anything.

Regards,

Clare

Hi Pat,

I can't find an email address for you for some reason. Mine is now derek.331thom@btinternet.com.

I am going through some references to Hugh Henry now I've also subscribed to My Heritage and I can't recall whether you had obtained a copy of Samuel Owens and Mary Ann Henry's 1850 marriage certificate. I only ask because I assume Hugh's occupation might be on there. Feel free to email me if you wish.

Cheers,
Derek

If it’s any help, I have access to a transcript of the marriage on the rootsireland site. The 1850 marriage certificate gives Samuel’s occupation as tailor. He lived in Grange, Kilbride. His father Daniel was a pensioner, normally indicating he had served in the army or navy. So he might have some military records if you can locate them. Mary Ann Henry lived in Antrim town. Hugh Henry was a farmer.

Hi Elwyn,

Many thanks for taking the trouble to respond.

I have been re-checking data.  My Hugh Henry and Mary Ann Monford were in Walsall in 1861 and a daughter Mary A (who is listed in the Donegore Registers as born 2nd May 1830 but clearly listed as 20 in 1861) was present. I need to have a good think

Despite that it is useful to have the information. It would be useful to have the transcript for later comparison. Use the email above if preferred.

Once again many thanks.

Derek

For those interested in an Owens family ancestry I am based in Co Antrim and researching my own Owens family ancestry.

I am a Grandson of Patrick Owens 1880-1958 who married Effie Lyle Graham. This branch of the Graham family came from Berwick on Tweed.

Patrick Owens' family came from Ballymena and Patrick was one of seven children - his siblings were James John, Margaret, William, Mary and Jane. With the exception of William who emigrated to the US all the childern remained in the Ballymena area of Co Antrim.

There are a number of Owens named families in Co Antrim. The Owens named family with which I am connected seems to have originated in the Glenwhirry Townland area which is close to Ballymena.

My earliest known Owens named ancestor is Patrick McCracken Owens 1843/4 - 1919 whose first wife was Ellen Agnew who died in 1872 and whose second wife was Mary Montgomery 1842-1915.

Any information others may have on the Owens families of Co Antrim would be welcome.