Looking for O'Kane family who lived in Londonderry in 1820's. They left for America sometime in the 1830's. There was Echlin O'Kane, His wife is Unknown. and Eziekiel O'kane and his Wife Mary Mulholland. Not sure how Eziekiel and Echlin are related, There were children that came with them. I believe they came from Coleraine/Garvagh area. There was a son Henry who attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution in 1837. I found the following posting in several newspapers which I would like to be able to track down more information on. I am hoping someone might be able to help me. The article is as follows:
American Claims
Swatara, 15th June, 1846
Sir - We beg most sincerely to give you our best thanks, for the satisfactory manner in which you have recovered the amount of our Claims on the Estate of a deceased Relative in the United States, part of which we have already received, and we trust that it will soon be in your power to hand over to us the remainder. Which in you every success as an Agent for American Claims, we are, Sir, your obedient servants,
John O'Kane
Susan O'Kane
Mary Mulholland
Susan Mulholland
To Mr James Cairns, 68 Foyle Streat, Londonderry
I would like to track down more information on this claim and was hoping someone could direct me as to where to look.
Thank you
Sue Cucchiarella
Suecucch
Saturday 2nd Apr 2016, 03:08AMMessage Board Replies
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Dear Sue
Have you contacted the Public Record Office (PRONI) in Belfast about this yet?
Best wishes
Clare Doyle
Genealogy Support
Clare Doyle
Monday 25th Apr 2016, 02:05PM -
I am not quite clear where the writer of the 15th June 1846 letter was living. But if it was in Ireland, then there is a town called Swatragh in Co. Londonderry. That looks very like Swatara to me. Swatragh is about 5 miles south of Garvagh so fits with the information you have. So that might be where the family lived.
O’Kane/Kane is an extremely common name in the county with about 1500 households in the 1831 census. However Ezekiel and Echlin are rarer. (Indeed I have never come across Echlin before). I searched the 1831 census but did not see either. However that census only named heads of household so that’s not conclusive. In Swatragh itself, there were 3 households, headed by John, Thomas & Sally. All were RC.
I think the Royal Belfast Academical Institution has very old admission records. It might be worth contacting them to see if they have any record of Henry.
Swatragh is in the parish of Maghera. You don’t say what denomination the families were but the Church of Ireland has records from 1785, Methodist baptisms from 1825 (their marriages would likely be in the Church of Ireland); there are 4 Presbyterian churches (Culnady, Curran, Maghera & Swatragh) None has nay records before the 1840s. RC records also start in 1841. So if they were Church of Ireland there are records in PRONI but otherwise no denomination has any for the period you need.
If the families were farmers then they would likely appear in the tithe applotment records. Here’s a link for all those in the tithes in Maghera parish in 1828:
http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/derry/tithe-applotments/maghera-parish.php#.WJrl2xR2ug0
Note that the O’ & Mc prefixes in Irish names are detachable and often dispensed with. So you need to include Kane as well as O’Kane when searching records. (In Ireland, Kane is far more common than O’Kane).
http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/derry/tithe-applotments/maghera-parish.php#.WJrl2xR2ug0
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Wednesday 8th Feb 2017, 09:49AM -
thank you Elwyn for your reply. They were indeed Roman Catholic but I know that I should also check those other records too. Looking at the Tithe records, in Swatragh the names of James and John both appear. If Irish naming practices where upheld by my family, which by all indications it seems that they did, then John would be the name of the father of my Nancy O'Kane who was born in Ireland in 1825. There was also a Thomas and a Hugh living in the United States at the same place my relatives lived which I also see reference to in Swatragh. You might have put me on the right track.
Thank you again for your help
Suecucch
Wednesday 8th Feb 2017, 04:22PM