DOB: 6 June 1760
DOD: 4 March 1841
Does anyone know anything about William Roark's origins in County Antrim? He emigrated to the American colonies before the Revolutionary war, as he fought in a New Jersey regiment during the conflict. His gravestone bears a different death date, but the above date is the one used by other descendents when applying for his war memorial stone.
My Roark grandfather died before I was born, and I have been unable to find information on William's parents or parish. Any additional information would be appreciated.
MaryLinda
Sunday 4th Oct 2020, 09:15PMMessage Board Replies
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MaryLinda,
There aren’t many records of people in Ireland in the 1700s, so this sort of research can be very difficult. Few churches have baptism records fro someone born around 1760.
I searched the 1796 Flax Growers list to see if it threw up any Roarke (and variant spellings) in Antrim but there are none there at all. Indeed it’s not a common name in the county at all.
https://www.failteromhat.com/flax1796.php
The 1901 census has 1 Roarke family in the county. They lived in Ballintoy, plus there are small number of Rourkes (a more common variant spelling) mostly in Belfast.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Ballintoy/Ballintoy_Demesne/922201/
Ballintoy does not have any baptism records for the 1700s. There was a census in 1803 (conducted by the local Minister) and it does list several Rourke families living there then. You can view that census on Bill McAfee’s site:
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Monday 5th Oct 2020, 12:18AM -
Thank you Elwyn for these ideas. I have been trying periodically trying to find information for a couple of years, but it's been hard to find leads of where to search, so I appreciate your ideas.
MaryLinda
MaryLinda
Monday 5th Oct 2020, 11:29AM