Sunday, March 28, 2010

Finding Ballykeenan

In the early 1850s, while thousands were fleeing Ireland and the devastation caused by the potato famine, somebody or something lured Henry Webster to leave Scotland and to move his entire family to Ireland.




By 1851, Henry Webster, who I introduced in my first post, had become the farm overseer at Inch in the parish of Fettercairn, Kincardineshire, Scotland.  When the census was taken, Agnes was alone at their home in Scotland with three of their four children: John, age 4; Henry, age 2; and the baby, James.  Jessie, their 5 year old daughter, was staying across the river at Cowie Hill in Edzell with her Aunt and Uncle, Elizabeth and Richard Alexander. Henry wasn't home.  Perhaps, Henry was away scouting Ballykeenan, the farm in Ireland where they would soon be moving.


Two years ago, I went on a most extraordinary journey to Ireland. One of the many highlights of the trip was finding my husband's ancestral home, Ballykeenan, near Myshall in County Carlow.  


Come along and join us on our adventure by just clicking on the slide show,  FINDING BALLYKEENAN.

Enjoy.


Sources:
Christian Advocate, December 9, 1908, p. 595:  "Mr William Hopkins first invited the late Mr Henry Webster, of Ballykeenan, to the church (Clonegal). Mr Webster was a Presbyterian. He came from Scotland in the year 1850. He settled down on a farm some five miles distant. On finding there was no Presbyterian church nearer than Carlow, he threw in his lot with our people. He became a very staunch supporter of the cause. Two of his sons are in our ministry today. Mr John Webster JP who lives in the old homestead, has occupied some of the most important offices of our Church. He has represented this circuit at the Conference, and is now the divisional steward for Clonegal District."


1851. Scotland Census 1851 viewed at ancestry.com on July 24, 2007:
Parish Number: 257 Civil parish: Fettercairn  County: Kincardineshire  Address: Inch  
Agnes Webster, head, age 32  b abt 1819  in Edzell, Forfar  Occupation: Farm Overseer's Wife  
Betsy Low, sister, age 30  b Edzell, Forfar
John Webster, age 4, b Fettecairn, Kincadshire
Henny Webster, son, age 2, b Fettecairn, Kincadshire
James Webster, son, age 10 Mo, Fettecairn, Kincadshire
Source Citation: Parish: Fettercairn; ED: 3; Line: 5; Year: 1851.  Source Information:   Ancestry.com. 1851 Scotland Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Original data: Scotland. 1851 Scotland Census. Reels 1-217. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.

1851 Scotland Census viewed at ancestry.com on July 24, 2007:
Parish Number: 285  Civil parish: Edzell  County: Angus  Address: Cowiehill  
Richard Alexander, head, age 30, b abt 1821 in Montrose, Forfarshire, Occupation: Ag Lab  
Elisabeth Alexander, wife, age 28, b abt 1823 in Edzell, Forfarshire  
Jessie Webster, niece, age 5, b abt 1846 in Fettercairne, Kincardshire  
Source Citation: Parish: Edzell; ED: 4; Line: 7; Year: 1851.  
Source Information:  Ancestry.com. 1851 Scotland Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Original data: Scotland. 1851 Scotland Census. Reels 1-217. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.





© 2010, Cathy H Paris

3 comments:

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    Jenny

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