I had been on the trail for several years, looking for the siblings of John Adams of Chequer Hall, County Antrim, Ireland. The only sibling I knew about was a brother named James, who received £50 in John's will. Family stories say that John and James were business partners. But without known parents and thin… Continue reading Finding Siblings
Sarah (Eve) Adams, my 5th great-aunt, married an Irishman by the name of John Strong Adams on 2 March 1803. He was a clerk to her uncle and she thought he had exceptional taste in literature. Sarah and John made trips to Ireland to visit his family in Randalstown, County Antrim, Ireland. On one of… Continue reading The Old Presbyterian Churchyard
My husband and I took a trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland last year. We enjoyed lots of beautiful scenes of rolling green hills dotted with sheep, weather changing hourly, and dramatic coastal views. In between all these delights, we made our way though out-of-the-way villages and towns and to cemeteries and houses that are… Continue reading Walking in Randalstown
The ancestors of my 6th great-grandmother, Anne (Moore) Eve, have been pretty easy to find. This isn't always the case for ancestors so far back, but this branch of my tree happen to be early members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, and they kept and preserved excellent records. Anne1 was the daughter… Continue reading I Love Quaker Records
Genealogy research isn't always easy. Most of the time it takes some creative thinking to find new way to get to the answer of the question being asked, especially as you get further back in time. Records can become thin or non-existent due to war or natural disaster. Sometimes you only have a name, sometimes… Continue reading Mystery Women
Family legends go with family history like oreos go with milk. While often not provable, there can be nuggets of truth to many of our families' legends. James Bones was born about 1766 near Randalstown, County Antrim, Ireland, the first child of John and Elizabeth (Scott) Adams. James had four brothers and one sister. As… Continue reading A Rebel with a Cause(way)
Dear County Derry, Can a place hold memories? John Carmichael was my 4th great-grandfather. Do you remember him? He was born within your borders just outside the town of Dungiven on 11 June 1774. It's thought his parents were Archibald and Isabella (Dunlap) Carmichael (although I haven't found definitive proof of them). John and his… Continue reading Derry Diary
