I received the e-mail from Margaret Mooney ([email protected]) which you see below, so I asked Tom LaPorte ([email protected]) if he had any information on any Boal/Bole in County Down. I knew that he was looking for his own Bowles ancestors in Ireland, but he keeps some files on not only Irish Bowles, but also those who immigrated to Canada. His comments follow. Linne ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi Linne That's a long way away from my focus area all right. But ..... County Down is probably the very earliest part of Ireland for any variant of the Bowles name. They likely go back there to the very earliest attempts at an Ulster plantation, somewhere in the 1500's. Records are very sketchy though. Boal and Bole was the earliest spelling and they would have been transplanted Scots. By the time of these records they would have spread all over county Down and after 300 years of living there would consider themselves Irish but I tend to say Scots Irish or Ulster Irish. Newtownards is a town and a townland but also quite a large civil registration area so just knowing this is a Newtownards family doesn't really help locate them very much. I do have a Robert Boal, son of John Boal at Ballyblack and a Robert Boal son of Robert Boal at Ballyfeeris both from an 1813 Freeholds Register and both in Ards region. However, most of the Boals were not landowners. But to focus on just the 1860's of the reference you found: I have a Hugh Boal of Newtownards (town) with a son Robert born in 1867. Also a James Boal of Knockbreda, father of a Robert in 1868. Also a James Boal of Newtownards, father of a Robert in 1871. Also a Robert Boal married a Elizabeth Mawhiney at Newtownards with son Robert born in 1865. A Robert Boal of Newtownards (town) married to a Mary McCormac with daughter Mary in 1869. So you can see the problem identifying which Robert's daughter Margaret married a McKeekan. Margaret would have been born about 1840 which was before civil registration so that would require studying the church records which I haven't gotten to yet. I may be able to sort that one out one day though. Tom ===================================================================== Match: Bole Source: [email protected] From: "megmooney" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [NIR-DOWN] Creighton and McMeekan burials Movilla If the houses were in William St, I have details of Elizabeth's will. We wondered why she died in Australia. I don't have a birth, or death for Robert James, but I might have other info. I found a lot of McMeekans hard to track down, as they don't always use their first name. I know of the McCreights. No 31 1/2 or 31a William St keeps cropping up. My brother lived in it for a while. One of the Burkes, and possibly the McCreights did too, as well as someone named Savage. It was a nice house, but the new owners have modernised it a lot. I used to know some of the Cunningham family too, but years ago. They still have relatives around Kircubbin or Greyabbey named Waugh as far as I remember. There were Waughs in West St too. They were related to my late uncle Billy's wife. One of the family came over from Australia or New Zealand some years ago, but I hadn't much info then. Some are buried in Killysuggan Graveyard, the Catholic one on the Belfast Road, Newtownards. Anyway here is some info to start with. St Patrick's Newtownards B2 P94 No188 12-07-1928 William Mooney bach. 21 baker West St (my uncle) Kathleen Burke 30 spinster ornamenter 67 William St Fathers Richard Burke plasterer Joseph Mooney baker Witnesses Hugh Dodds (Frances St?) Mary E Delaney Cissie (Burke) Mooney died a few years after the marriage, so my cousins never knew her. My late mother thought Kathleen "Cissie" Burke's mother was Catherine Lynch, but I found the following marriage. St Patrick's B2 P43 No67 12-06-1895 Richard Burke Plasterer full age bach. Newtownards Agnes Waugh sp. full age seamstress N'ards Patrick Burke master plasterer Robert Waugh tailor Joe Waugh Mary Flynn Although my grandfather Joe Mooney didn't marry into the Jones/McMeekan family until 1902, his brother William John, and my uncle Billy, as well as some cousins were bakers. My grandfather's first employer that I know of was Mr Moore, who also had Church St connections. I wondered if he served his time with the McMeekans? Great grandfather John Mooney was a stone mason and range setter. Elizabeth McMeekan died 7th Sept. 1914 a widow. Probate 30thh April 1915. She died Waterfall Sanitorium Weetalibah N S W Australia. Her house in Newtownards was left to the children of her late sister Annie Cunningham. There were four houses in all. 31,31a,32 and 32a. Maybe five, including the Cunninghams? I am not sure if the following are all connected, but I will list them as I come across them in my notes. All Newtownards unless otherwise stated. 18-03-1882 Death of Thomas Waugh Francis St N'ards , aged 85. Draper? They had a shop. Probably related to the Cunninghams and Waughs of William St/West St. Anne Cunningham died 03-12-1905 35 William St N'ards. 05-12-1905 Peter Lynch R I P 50 Balfour St Related to the Waughs? 11-10-1930 Notice of thanks for sympathy on the death of Ruth, wife of Thomas McMeekan of 70 Upper Movilla St. Masonic Lodge No 198 mentioned. 23-10-1930 Death of James (Jack) McMeekan 44 East St. Husband of Maggie buried Movilla. Sister & brother-in-law Annie & William John McNeilly. Sister? Elizabeth Reid & family East St Don't know much about the above McMeekans yet. Jack may have been a milkman. I will check the burials and get back to you, but here are a few in Movilla. Graves registered to Samuel & James McCreight Section 1 No 41 Old Ground James McCreight buried here 07372 20-08-1936 Annie Cunningham as well 04361 04-12-1905 Samuel McCreight mason buried? 28-04-1895 Mary McCreight widow flu, 26-04-1895 I think this couple lived in Corrys St, and were involved with the Masonic Lodge in that Street. Samuel died first it seems from general debility. I have a feeling that there is Masonic Gravestone, for them, but I may be wrong. I think James in William St was their son, but not sure. 1st Newtownards B7 P47 No93 07-10-1895 Robert James McMeekan baker Newtownards Lizzie McCreight teacher Newtownards Fathers James McMeekan grocer Samuel McCreight mason Witnesses James Har****? Boal Maggie McMeekan Do you think the following could be Robert James' parents? 1St Newtownards B5? P 55 No182 09-03-1866 James McMeekan painter Newtownards bachelor full age ? Margaret Boal spinster full age? N'ards Fathers James McMeekan Sewing Agent Robert Boal car man Witnesses William McMeekan James Skillin Some of the Skillins were teachers. One taught in Londonderry School, Regent St. 1950's. Hugh mentioned a sewing agent. I had forgotten about this marriage. Births Hugh McMeekin 11-08-1869 Newtownards Henery (sic) McMeekin 05-09-1874 Parents of both James McMeekin and Margaret Bole I will let you know if I find more. I hope to get all my Mcmeekan info on the Internet, with the help of Doug Gray, but it will take some time, as I still hae a lot of notes to plough through. Margaret