Hello, I'm trying to find out any information on my relatives Jane Gardner and John Miskimmin. My search has been complicated by the various spellings of Miskimmings/miskimmin/mcSkimming/miskimmon etc that have been used over the years.
The information I have this far:
Jane born c 1820-25 in ireland. Sibling james.
Married John Miskimins 6th October 1841 in Ballycairn, Co. Down.
John Miskimmings born c 1821-5, ireland. Parents names not known.
Family living in Scotland by 1847.
Children
Mary miskimons born c 1845 ireland. Married glasgow. Died Pennsylvania
Sarah miskimmings born c1847, lanarkshire.Died 1925 Scotland.
Margaret mickimons born c1849. Died 1869 Scotland
James miskimons born c 1851
Ann Jane miskimin born c 1853
John miskimmin born 1861. Died 1861 Scotland
Andrew born 1863. Died 1941 Pennsylvania.
Jane's mother may be Nancy "Garner" (born c1791) who resides with the family in Glasgow according to 1861 census.
Jane and John Emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA in 1874. Presumably died there.
I have a DNA link on ancestry with a woman who is descended from:
William miskimmin c1841, Co derry
Andrew miskimmin c1816, carrickfergus, Antrim - maybe my John's brother.
James miskimmin c1788 ireland. Died 1864 doagh, Antrim
Andrew miskimmin c1764, ballyclare, antrim
Also are these names Irish or scottish?
Thanks for any help
Ann-Marie
Ann-Marie
Sunday 27th Nov 2022, 06:18PMMessage Board Replies
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Griffith’s Valuation of Down, 1863-64, shows the following heads of household who might be related to your family: Source Surname First Name Townland Parish County Griffith Miskimmon George T/loughbrickland Aghaderg Co. Down Griffith Miskimmon Mary T/crossgar/killyleagh St. Kilmore Co. Down Griffith Miskimmin David T/saintfield/main Street Saintfield Co. Down Griffith Miskimmin John Balleny Dromore Co. Down Griffith Miskimmin Robert T/saintfield/main Street Saintfield Co. Down
Patricia
Sunday 27th Nov 2022, 09:41PM -
Ann-Marie,
I can’t find a townland named Ballycairn in Co Down but there is a Ballycarn in the parish of Drumbo. Might be an area to research. John Miskimmin’s 1861 birth certificate on Scotlandspeople has his parents marriage as “1840 October 5th, Ballykane, Co. Down.” Drumbo Presbyterian church is called Ballycairn, so in theory that might be worth investigating. Unfortunately they have no records earlier than 1860 so possibly a dead end. There is also a Ballykine in the parish of Dromara. That's another possibility.
You ask whether the names are Scottish or Irish. According to MacLysaght’s “The Surnames of Ireland” Gardiner is both English and Scottish (but not Irish). He is less helpful with Miskillen etc which he has as a variation of Mac Skimmins and Cummins.
The area around Doagh, Co Antrim was very heavily settled by Scots. 95% of the population there in the 1800s were Scots.
Looking at the 1901 census of Co Down, there were 103 Miskimmins (various spellings). Without exception all were Protestant with Presbyterians dominating. That tends to point to Scottish origins.
Tradition was to marry in the bride’s denomination. You say Mary Miskimmons married in Glasgow. What denomination? (It’ll be on the certificate). I’d suspect it’ll be Church of Scotland and if so, that tells you the family were Presbyterians and likely therefore of Scottish origins in the first place. They probably moved to Co Down in the 1600s.
Presbyterianism was created in Scotland in the mid 1500s and brought to Ireland by Scots settlers in the 1600s (some 200,000 came that century). Counties Down and Antrim were particularly heavily settled by the Scots.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Wednesday 30th Nov 2022, 05:27PM