Scottish settlers in Ballintoy Parish

I think the short answer to your question is probably Kintyre, Gigha, Jura or Islay. They were all MacDonald/McDonnell lands and when the MacDonalds were encouraged to settle north Antrim (or re-settle, since they may have originated there many centuries before), that’s where their tenants came from, save that some of the Kintyre tenants had only shortly before been re-settled from Renfrewshire and counties around there. 

MacLysaght in “The Surname of Ireland” says: “Mag Aoidh (Aodh equates with Hugh). Usually spelt Magee on the Antrim coast locates that prominent sept.  In addition some MacGee families are of north-west Ulster origin, some are of Scottish stock.”

The Stewarts of Ballintoy by Rev George Hill pub. Feb 1976 may contain some information on your family.  The Stewarts came from Bute and were the McDonnells factors (estate managers) in Antrim. They arrived in Ireland in the early 1600s.

I live a few miles south of Ballintoy, and have visited Islay, Jura and Kintyre perhaps 30 times.  Today Ballycastle to Port Ellen on Islay is normally a 1 hour ferry journey (23 miles). Covid has stopped that at the moment. But you’ll appreciate the distances are short. If you go round a graveyard on Islay you will find exactly the same surnames as in Ballintoy. It doesn’t require Sherlock Holmes to work out that many of these families are likely to be the same.

I appreciate your response. There are 4 population surveys I've found involving my family between 1730 and 1803. The first 2 recorded our name as McGee and the last 2 as Magee. We've gone by McGee since leaving Antrim. Was aware that Ballintoy parish had been in the control of MacDonnell and am aware he had also invited in settlers from Ayrshire and Wigtonshire to his lands. An 1830 ordnance survey made the claim that all of the parish inhabitants at that time were descended from 16th century Scottish settlers. If that's accurate, that time period would more likely suggest Argyll and the Hebrides, whereas if it were the 17th century, then it might suggest Ayrshire or Galloway I'd think. Our family lived in Drumnagee townland.

Hi there, I have been working on the family connections to the Magee's from Drumnagee and would very much like to hear from you if you have been able to find out more about the family.  I am pretty much just sitting on the information from the Traill Census of 1803 and have not been able to go any further.  Are you descendant from one of the Magee's that were situation in "The Hollow in the Hill"?  I look forward to hearing some more, Kind Regards

Hi there, found out recently my Great Granny was a Magee from Drumnagesson townland, not sure if there is a connection with any of your ancestors?

Hello!  I am seeking to identify where my ggg grandfather William Magee was born abt 1798 and lived in Ireland before he migrated to Leeds County, Ontario, Canada abt 1818.  In 1822 he married Elizabeth Read d/o William Read and Agnes (Nancy Russell d/o David Russell and Janet Lyle) all from area in and near Larne.   I have identified at least two DNA matches with people who claim ancestry from Islandmagee. I also have a match with a Magee in Ballintoy and I know that some of the Magees who fled Islandmagee went to Ballintoy.  William was a Presbyterian and given his children's names his father is most likely a James Magee. .....other children are named  Earl, Nelson, John, Jane and Sara......plus more ....

Would anyone in Ballintoy now know of the Magee families who settled there might be the ones that match my DNA.

With thanks for a clues...or  info

Donna Magee

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Hi Daryl and Donna, I have quite a few links to Magee from the Drumnagesson, Drumnagee area.  It could well be worth checking to see if we are DNA Matches,

My DNA is on ancestry.ca and my brother Wyne's is on familytreedna.

Okay thanks for this, I will see if I can find you.  My username is as written above.