Hi, my husband and I are visiting Ireland from Australia in May. As part of our journey we are visiting County Down to find where my Grandmother was raised by her grandparents. They lived in Ballymacateer.
John Myles was born in 1832 (County Down?) died 27 Oct 1903 Ballymacateer (child of William Miles and Mary Melville) and his wife was Sarah McKane (have seen different spellings) born 05 Jan 1834 Kilfullet, Moira Parish. (child of Patrick McCane and Elizabeth McCullagh) They married 06 Nov 1857 Catholic Church Magheralin Co. Down.
They had 5 daughters, all baptised in either Magheralin Co Down or Moira Co Down. (3 immigrated to Australia and 1 to Scotland). The 5th lived in Ballymacateer, but never had any surviving children.
John Myles was a farmer and a damask weaver. I know that Ballymacateer is not far from Lurgan, Co Armagh, so he may have worked there? I can not find where John and Sarah were buried - I am assuming the Dougher Graveyard Lurgan?
My grandmother, though born in Australia, was raised in Ireland from the age of 2. Her name was Harriett Sarah Millman, born 1886. Her mother was Mary Jane Myles born 1860. I would like to know where she attended school. Harriet was a dressmaker in Lurgan before she immigrated back to Australia.
We would also like to visit where their home was in Ballymacateer. I understand the home is long gone, however the gates were still standing 20 years ago. Unfortunately I don't have a street name. I have attached a very old picture, so perhaps someone may recognise the gates?
I will post this message on the Moira parish page as well. I would be very grateful of any assistance. Kind regards Donna
Thursday 3rd Mar 2016, 01:15AM
Message Board Replies
-
Here’s your family in 1901. I note that a grand-daughter born in Brisbane is living there.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Magheralin/Ballymacateer/1242541/
Looking at the revaluation records I see that John Miles acquired the tenancy of that small farm in 1888. It consisted of just over 4 acres. It was plot 2a in the revaluation records. It changed to Sarah’s name in 1906.
http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/val12b.htm
Looking at Griffiths Valuation for 1864 plot 2a was in the name William Miles. It then changed to John Donnan in 1878 (suggesting William may have died around then), then to Sarah Donnan before John acquired it from her. That location today appears to be on the Dromore Rd just after the junction with the Belfast Rd, south of Dollingstown. You can see it using the maps on the Griffiths site:
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch
You ask where John would have done his weaving. The answer is at home. It was top up income for small farmers and labourers in Ulster. Weaving was undertaken at home using hand powered looms (such as are still in use in the Outer Hebrides for making Harris Tweed). The looms were portable and could be packed up when not needed or when moving house. Men and women did the weaving, with women and children spinning thread and other related work. It provided a bit of extra income, and cash (in a society that was largely run on the barter system). As well as purchasing the things that barter can’t buy eg a ticket to Australia, the cash ensured that the lot of the small farmer in Ireland was slightly better than that in of people in other parts of Ireland where linen was not made. (Most Irish linen was made in Ulster).
As the 18th century passed, new inventions led to the building of mechanized weaving factories, powered by water or steam. These could make linen far more quickly and to a higher standard than most hand loom weavers could achieve and so home weaving went into decline.
John’s probate abstract:
Probate of the Will of John Miles late of Ballymacateer County Down Farmer who died 26 October 1903 granted at Belfast to Arthur Kane and Patrick McKane Farmers.
The will itself is on-line on the PRONI wills site:
http://apps.proni.gov.uk/DCAL_PRONI_WillsCalendar_IE/willsSearchResultsDetails.aspx
Can’t help you with the burial site. No formal records are kept of burials in Ireland and so it may just be a question of enquiring locally.
Regarding school records, you would need to check the local area (on the Griffiths maps) for the various schools. If she attended a National School, the attendance records could be in PRONI (in paper format) if they have survived. They are indexed under the SCH series of records, by school name.
Sarah in 1911 (with a change of name):
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Magheralin/Ballym…
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Thursday 3rd Mar 2016, 05:43AM -
Hi Elwyn, I now have the place to visit in County Down of where my Grandmother was raised.
Thanks to you I also have John Miles' Will and info with regards to his father William. I can't thank you enough for all your kind assistance!
Kind regards Donna
Thursday 3rd Mar 2016, 11:49PM