Some records for James and Thomas Cunningham of Ballygowan Townland, Kilkeel, County Down, Ireland
In this, as it turns out rather long, article, we are going to start in 1901 and walk ourselves back through the Ballintur records, looking only at the Rourke families, trying to trace each family back as far as we can.
Having found James McAneny's death record, I was inspired to keep going on the family. Here is his brother Michael's naturalization card. As far as I can tell, this was some kind of summary of information made after the fact, along with the immigrant's current address.
A surname index to Mary Ann Snider's Reminiscences, which are found in the Documents section of this website.
A transcript of the family Bible of Henry and Sarah "Sally" (Kern) Kiel
A transcript of a letter from Henry Kiel to his wife Sarah "Sally" (Kern) Kiel
While I was going back through the information on my mother's side of the family, I solved one mystery: what ever happened to Catherine Rodgers' first husband, James McAneny?
An introduction to the reminiscences of Mary Ann (Kiel) Snider, from an unpublished typescript of Jacob S Royer.
Below is a transcription of the indenture papers of Patrick McQuaid, apprentice to Jacob S and George W Kern in Greensburgh, Pennsylvania, beginning April 30, 1827.
Summarized: I, Patrick O'Rourke, a native of Ireland, arrived in the United States on 11 May 1900. It is my intention to become a citizen of the United States.
Below are the Rourke families listed in the Valuation Revision Books, 1864 to 1933, in County Down, Barony of Iveagh Upper-Upper Half, Parish of Kilbroney, Union of Kilkeel, Electoral Division of Killowen, Townland of Ballintur
I finally broke down and paid for a few marriage and death records for my Irish ancestors from Northern Ireland. Here they are, all from the General Records Office of Northern Ireland.
My sister called my atttention to the fact that our O'Rourke family rented 16 acres of Ballintur in 1864, according to Griffith's Valuation. This was a parcel twice as big as almost everyone else. I decided to take a closer look at the land records.
My aunt Theresa "Tiny" O'Rourke, went back to Killowen about 1960 to visit her relatives, presumably her aunt Elizabeth. When Tiny returned she said that the O'Rourke property "ran down to the Irish Sea.
Will of John McVeigh, transcription, from Will Calendars. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
A transcription of William O'Rourke's petition for naturalization, April 14, 1909 and other naturalization papers.