William McKain 1757-1827

You don?t say what denomination your McKain family were though I?d suspect Presbyterian if they originated in Scotland. There are 2 Presbyterian churches in the Ballyrashane area (Ballyrashane & Ballywatt, which was originally known as 2^nd Ballyrashane till the 1870s). Neither has any baptism records for the 1700s.

Griffiths Valuation for 1859 lists a Rachel McCain & a Mary McCain , both in Ballywatt Leggs townland. Rachel was farming a total of about 38 acres (plot 4) and Mary had a small house, sublet from Rachel, such as agricultural labourers and weavers had, on that same farm. Both were probably widows. Plot 4 today is on the Ballybogy Rd, beside Browns Country House B & B.

I don?t see any McKain (and variants) in the 1740 Protestant Householders return for the parish, so they apparently hadn?t arrived in that parish at that time. There is a William McKein listed there in the 1796 flax growers list.

The 1803 flaxgrowers list has a William McCain in Carnglass, and Robert McKein in Revallagh North, both of which are beside Ballywatt Leggs, and so could be related.

The tithe applotment records list 2 Hugh McCains in Ballyrashane parish in 1832. One was in Ballywatt townland (nickname Stewart?s) and the other in Ballywatt East. Both are likely to have been farmers. Weavers and others without land did not normally get listed in the tithe records.

There were still 2 McKain farms in Ballywatt Leggs in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Beardiville/Bal…

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Beardiville/Ballywatt_Leggs/931832/

And in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Beardiville/Ballywatt__Leggs/130673/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Beardiville/Ballywatt__Leggs/130674/

Some probate abstracts for those families:

McKane Alexander of Ballywatt Dervock county Antrim bank official died 15 June 1934 Administration Belfast 26 September to Hugh McKane farmer. Effects ?52 10s. 1d.

McKane Hugh of Ballywatt Leggs Priestland county Antrim farmer died 2 May 1949 Administration Belfast 2 February to William McKane engine driver and farmer. Effects ?1483 16s. 1d

Probate of the Will of Hugh M'Kane late of Ballywatt County Antrim Retired Farmer who died 5 January 1902 granted at Belfast to Robert M'Kane Retired Farmer and James M'Kane Carpenter. Effects ?1,258 6s. 2d.

McKane Martha of Ballywatt Leggs Priestland county Antrim widow died 11 August 1944 at Kilmoyle Dervock county Antrim Administration Belfast 25 January to Hugh McKane farmer. Effects ?183 11s.

McKane, William of Ballywatt (P.O. Cloyfin Coleraine) county Antrim farmer died 6 October 1959 Administration Belfast 5 January to Mary McKane the widow. Effects ?2463 12s. 4d.

Probate of the Will of William M'Kane late of Ballywatt County Antrim Farmer who died 2 December 1903 granted at Belfast to Thomas M'Kane Farmer

The majority of Scots settlers in that area arrived from SW Scotland in the 1600s, when some 100,000 Scots settled in Ireland,  but there are no records of individuals from that time. Indeed research in the 1600s and 1700s in Ireland is nigh on impossible in most cases, as so few relevant records exist. Weavers were particularly difficult to trace as they often moved about and left little documentary record of their lives.

THANK YOU..sorry haven't replied,sooner,family,health issues,holidays then not getting info from our DNA contact.

Yes, we feel they were Presbyterians,but can't verify for now.
Did find a marriage for a William M'Kane and Mary Goodwin, 25 Nov.1780 in Dublin at St.Michael's Archangel Cath Ch.
Will hold onto for now.
Wm and Mary had 10 children: Hugh,Alexander,Mary,Margaret,Ann,Jane,Martha,another dgtr and 2 sons,un-named.
Trying to figure out if their Mary/Martha were the mother's of his cousin's grandparents..Moore Lawrence and Ann Scott from Corbally-where 2-lst cousins mary.

Again THANKS for the info and if any additional, let me know..Lois

THANK YOU..sorry haven't replied,sooner,family,health issues,holidays then not getting info from our DNA contact.

Yes, we feel they were Presbyterians,but can't verify for now.
Did find a marriage for a William M'Kane and Mary Goodwin, 25 Nov.1780 in Dublin at St.Michael's Archangel Cath Ch.
Will hold onto for now.
Wm and Mary had 10 children: Hugh,Alexander,Mary,Margaret,Ann,Jane,Martha,another dgtr and 2 sons,un-named.
Trying to figure out if their Mary/Martha were the mother's of his cousin's grandparents..Moore Lawrence and Ann Scott from Corbally-where 2-lst cousins mary.

Again THANKS for the info and if any additional, let me know..Lois

THANK YOU..sorry haven't replied,sooner,family,health issues,holidays then not getting info from our DNA contact.

Yes, we feel they were Presbyterians,but can't verify for now.
Did find a marriage for a William M'Kane and Mary Goodwin, 25 Nov.1780 in Dublin at St.Michael's Archangel Cath Ch.
Will hold onto for now.
Wm and Mary had 10 children: Hugh,Alexander,Mary,Margaret,Ann,Jane,Martha,another dgtr and 2 sons,un-named.
Trying to figure out if their Mary/Martha were the mother's of his cousin's grandparents..Moore Lawrence and Ann Scott from Corbally-where 2-lst cousins mary.

Again THANKS for the info and if any additional, let me know..Lois

THANK YOU..sorry haven't replied,sooner,family,health issues,holidays then not getting info from our DNA contact.

Yes, we feel they were Presbyterians,but can't verify for now.
Did find a marriage for a William M'Kane and Mary Goodwin, 25 Nov.1780 in Dublin at St.Michael's Archangel Cath Ch.
Will hold onto for now.
Wm and Mary had 10 children: Hugh,Alexander,Mary,Margaret,Ann,Jane,Martha,another dgtr and 2 sons,un-named.
Trying to figure out if their Mary/Martha were the mother's of his cousin's grandparents..Moore Lawrence and Ann Scott from Corbally-where 2-lst cousins mary.

Again THANKS for the info and if any additional, let me know..Lois

THANK YOU..sorry haven't replied,sooner,family,health issues,holidays then not getting info from our DNA contact.

Yes, we feel they were Presbyterians,but can't verify for now.
Did find a marriage for a William M'Kane and Mary Goodwin, 25 Nov.1780 in Dublin at St.Michael's Archangel Cath Ch.
Will hold onto for now.
Wm and Mary had 10 children: Hugh,Alexander,Mary,Margaret,Ann,Jane,Martha,another dgtr and 2 sons,un-named.
Trying to figure out if their Mary/Martha were the mother's of his cousin's grandparents..Moore Lawrence and Ann Scott from Corbally-where 2-lst cousins mary.

Again THANKS for the info and if any additional, let me know..Lois

THANK YOU..sorry haven't replied,sooner,family,health issues,holidays then not getting info from our DNA contact.

Yes, we feel they were Presbyterians,but can't verify for now.
Did find a marriage for a William M'Kane and Mary Goodwin, 25 Nov.1780 in Dublin at St.Michael's Archangel Cath Ch.
Will hold onto for now.
Wm and Mary had 10 children: Hugh,Alexander,Mary,Margaret,Ann,Jane,Martha,another dgtr and 2 sons,un-named.
Trying to figure out if their Mary/Martha were the mother's of his cousin's grandparents..Moore Lawrence and Ann Scott from Corbally-where 2-lst cousins mary.

Again THANKS for the info and if any additional, let me know..Lois

THANK YOU..sorry haven't replied,sooner,family,health issues,holidays then not getting info from our DNA contact.

Yes, we feel they were Presbyterians,but can't verify for now.
Did find a marriage for a William M'Kane and Mary Goodwin, 25 Nov.1780 in Dublin at St.Michael's Archangel Cath Ch.
Will hold onto for now.
Wm and Mary had 10 children: Hugh,Alexander,Mary,Margaret,Ann,Jane,Martha,another dgtr and 2 sons,un-named.
Trying to figure out if their Mary/Martha were the mother's of his cousin's grandparents..Moore Lawrence and Ann Scott from Corbally-where 2-lst cousins mary.

Again THANKS for the info and if any additional, let me know..Lois

Below is a message we've posted looking for connections to our DNA results..if you know of anyone connected to the elow, please let us know..THANKS Lois

Hugh McKean b. 1753 Ballyrahane, Co Antrim, Ireland

Ancestor notice:  The McCain family DNA project is looking for male direct descendants of Hugh McKean born 1753 Ballyrashane, Antrim, Northern Ireland, died  cira 1849 Mercer County, Pennsylvania for DNA testing.   We would like to determine if Hugh was descended from Samuel McKean/McKeen who died in 1784 in New Hampshire or from an as yet unknown McKean/McKain who died in Antrim, Northern Ireland and had a son, William of Ballywatt. We have a high level DNA test from a known descendant of William of Ballywatt.  Hugh's descendants include McKeans of Iowa (Emmet, Jones and Jackson Counties) and Pennsylvania (Mercer and Lawrence Counties).

In checking the book written in 1902 about the McKean Genealaogy in America...as we realize you have to check the sources

then again dna can disprove....Pg 186 Rev.Merton Morton's research...(https://archive.org/stream/mckeangenealogie00lcmcke#page/n7/mode/2up)

We noticed the father of William,Hugh,John and Robert is unknown who died in Ireland in 1793 at an advanced age...

Any death records or other records showing this?  Thanks Lois

You ask about death records for 1793. The short answer is there aren’t any. Presbyterians didn’t keep burial records, and statutory death registration didn't begin till 1864.  Wealthier people might have a gravestone but weavers would rarely be able to afford one, and so your ancestor is almost certainly in an unmarked grave somewhere in that area.

Looking at your post of 9th Feb 2015 you mention a marriage in Dublin in 1780. I’d be very surprised if there was any connection with your family. A Presbyterian weaver in Co. Antrim is very unlikely to have married in a Catholic church 150 miles away in Dublin.

Your difficulty is that the churches that your ancestors are likely to have attended don’t have any records for the 1700s. They were either lost or never kept in the first place. Consequently on-line searches aren’t going to find any relevant matches. There are a few churches in Ireland that do have records for the 1700s (St Michael’s in Dublin is obviously one) and so you might find records there, but it’s most unlikely to be your family. This is a very common surname in Ireland and there will be many McKain (and variant spellings) households across the country. (A quick glance at the 1901 Irish census shows about 600).