Searching for information on Sloans (or Sloanes) from Drumgrath, County Down

Bill,

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church and so if Ann Sloan is part of the family you are interested in then 1st Rathrfriland seems likely to be the family church.

The 1868 marriage certificate should give Ann’s townland on it. What does it say?

There’s no John Sloan(e) listed in Griffiths Valuation farming in Drumgath in 1864, so he may have been dead by that year. Samuel & Alexander Sloane each had a farm in Ballykeel and Joseph had one in Tullyquilly.

The tithe applotment records for Drumgath in 1834 list just one John Sloan. He farmed in Ballykeel. See:

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/drumgath-parish.php#.WYwCFhR9eg0

Rathfriland 1st Presbyterian has baptism records from 1827 onwards. They have marriages for 1782 to 1811. The years 1812 to 1844 are lost, and the marriages start again in April 1845. There’s a copy of those records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. Probably worth searching them.

Have you searched the graveyards in the Rathfriland area for your family? This site has 2 John Sloan gravestones in Drumgath. You might want to pay to view them:

http://www.irish-world.com/gravestones/index.cfm

Hello Elwyn:

My thanks for your reply. Much appreciated. Just a quick reply right now to answer your question about Anne's marriage.  The certificate says that the marriage was "solemized at Rathfriland in the parish of Drumgath in the co. Down."

Just to give you a little background about myself - I was born in Belfast, but emigrated to Canada with my parents when I was a child - so I am doing much of my research remotely from Canada. I was in Ireland in late May for a visit and spent some time at PRONI trying to track down Presbyterian birth or christening records for James and John, but as I had not found a farmer named John Sloan in Griffiths in Drumgath (as you noted), I had centered my search in the parishes more in the north of Down (e.g. Drumbo, Knockbreda, Saintfield, etc.) where Griffiths did indicate there were farmers named John Sloan and where there seemed to be clusters of Sloans. Lots of Sloan. The odd James or John born to a John, but not both to the same father or in the right time frames. I have only recently come across James Sloan`s death record and the notation that he was from Drumgath and Anne`s marriage record, now pointing me to Rathfriland.  You are right that John the father may have been dead by the time of Griffiths and did not show up because of that. Possibly the gravestones will provide a clue to that.

I will check out the tithe applotment tables and the gravestones as you suggest. Thanks for suggesting that.

I am unlikely to be back in Ireland for a while to visit PRONI again, so I have written to 1st Rathfriland Presbyterian to ask if they can search their parish records for James and John - and possibly Anne and other Sloan siblings. There was quite a gap in ages between James and John, so I am assuming that there were other children. Incidentally, some of the records I have seen have the family using the spelling Sloane - with the "e".

Interestingly, John Sloan (the son) named his only son "Alexander". After his brother?

Thanks again for your post. Cheers.

Bill

Hello Bill, my great grandfather is a James Ernest Hubert Sloane but there's a bit of uncertainty as to his real father. I am definitely descended from Sloanes though as his maternal grandmother was Agnes Sloane, daughter of David Sloane (1801-1882). Agnes, her husband Robert Toal and my 2nd great grandmother Mary are all buried at Ryan's presbyterian church near Rathfriland. I've been out to the church and noticed there are a few Sloanes, the earliest of which was buried in 1856. I'm waiting for the minister to get back to me and see what he has in regards to the Sloane family :)

Hello:

Apologies for the delayed reply. I was away. I'm not sure if there is a connection between our two Sloan(e) lines, though there could well be.  I'm still working on a link between John Sloane, my paternal great great grandfather, and other Sloan(e)s in the Drumgath/Ballykeel/Ardarragh/Finnard/Ryan area in the 1700s and 1800s.  My great grandfather James Sloane was born (around 1846) in Drumgeth Townland to a John Sloane who was a farmer. John presumably farmed in Drumgath or one of the nearby townlands. At one point I must have been looking at your line, because I have a copy of the 1917 birth registration for James Ernest Hubert Sloane (mother Mary Sloane; father not given).  I also have a copy of the 1882 Will Calender entry for David Sloane (probably the father of your Agnes Sloane, who married Robert Toal in 1877 and gives her place of residence at the time of her marriage as Ardarragh, and gives her father's name as David Sloane, farmer). David, who was a farmer in Ardarragh died January 9, 1882.  I also have a copy of his 1880 will.  Oddly, in the 1880 will, there is mention of sons David and Samuel Sloane, and a daughter Eliza Sloane, but no Agnes. Do you know if Eliza was also known as Agnes? Notably, the will lists Robert Toal as a witness, which makes me think this is the correct David Sloane. Do you have an email address that I can contact you at directly? Cheers.

Bill

Hello there!

I would be very interested in anything which comes up from this area that can connect John Sloan, farmer, to children William John Sloan, Sarah Sloan and Thomas Knox Sloan who were born between 1838 and 1844.

Many thanks,

Trish

Hi Bill,

Sorry for the very late reply. I hadn't noticed the email coming through

My email address is craiga1993@hotmail.co.uk

Thanks

Hello Trish:

Apologies for the slow reply. I haven't checked Irelandxo in a while.  What makes you think there might be a connection between William John Sloan, Sarah Sloan and Thomas Knox Sloan and a John Sloan from Drumgath Parish, County Down?  Out of curiosity, I did a quick search on Irish Genealogy for any likely marriages for William, Sarah or Thomas (which would have likely taken place after around 1859; civil registration of marriages started in 1845), but couldn't find any with a father John Sloan, a farmer.  Any additional information you have about William, Sarah or Thomas would be helpful. Cheers.

Bill