irwins of " ballymore "

Lesley,

I agree there’s no townland or parish called Ballymore in Co. Antrim. Irwin is a name commonly found in Co. Antrim (generally descendants of Scots who moved to Ireland in the 1600s).

There are 2 places both called Ballaghmore, which could be pronounced something like Ballymore. One is in the parish of Ballymoney and the other in Dunluce but looking at the 1803 agricultural census and Parks census of Ballymoney in 1817 I don’t see the name Irwin (or Erwin) in either parish.

Even if you find the townland your ancestor came from, very few parishes have records for the mid 1700s, and chances are there won’t be any records to look at. Out of several hundred Presbyterian churches in Antrim in the 1700s only about 8 have any records for the 1700s.

There was a Thomas Erwin in Ballymoney in the 1740 Protestant census. I do not know which townland he lived in. Most other Irwin/Erwins at that time lived in the parish of Drummaul, around the town of Randalstown.

You can see the 1740 census on Bill McAfee’s website: http://billmacafee.com

The only glimmer of help I can offer is that in the 1740 census there was an Adam Erwin in the parish of Kirkinriola (which is Ballymena). Could Ballymore be Ballymena written badly? Obviously the 1740 Adam isn’t your man as he wasn’t born for another 22 years or so, but it’s not the most common name. There might be a family connection. No church in Ballymena has any records for the 1700s so if it is where the family came from it’ll be hard to progress. (The Church of Ireland has baptisms from 1789 but no marriages before 1807, and then plenty of gaps to 1822). DNA testing might find a match I suppose.

Hi Elwyn. Thanks for the prompt reply....I appreciate it. I agree, Adam Irwin is not the most common name. The handwritten list for the Marines definitely says Ballymore, but I was trying to think of what it could be, Ballymore in an Irish accent to English ears in Devon, England (he was based in Plymouth, Devon). My Irish accent isn't the best, even though I was born in Liverpool!!! Ballymore could be Ballymena if Adams voice tailed off at the end? Maybe it sounded like Ballymore, but it wasn't....that sounds gobbledegook.

The Adam Erwin in Kirkinriola sounds interesting, and if the Church of Ireland has records from 1789, ma be I could look for baptisms for children from that time (Adam would be 27ish), as it was his 2nd marriage in 1815. I haven't found his 1st marriage yet, or death of wife No.1. At least I have another avenue to follow now....many thanks. 

Lesley

There's a copy of the Ballymena Church of Ireland records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast.

Many thanks for that....in middle of Christmas shopping, so it's on the list for New Year.

Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Lesley.

Hi Leslie

I came across Ballymore today when looking into Tandragee, County Armagh, it seems that Ballymore and Mullaghbrack make up the parish of Tanrdragee.  Hope it helps,

Helen Mulligan

Hi Helen. Thanks for that. Not got back into the swing of it all this year yet.....grandchildren going back to school tomorrow, so more time hopefully then. 

All the help really appeciated. Many thanks again.

Lesley