Dorothy; No, the United Church Of England & Ireland was episcopalian - about equivalent to the Anglican Church in New Zealand. Unfortunately your David was born before the 1864 start of Civil Registration of Births - but maybe someone else will be able to tell you whether the Ballycor-Rashee Parish records of 1853 are available. Bob Kane Wellington ----- Original Message ----- From: "dorothy derecourt" <ddanddm@gmail.com> To: <irl-antrim@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 8:02 AM Subject: [IRL-ANTRIM] McKeown / Houston > Hi > > I am at a standstill in my research and was wondering if anyone had > any > ideas on how to progress the matter. My research is as follows:- > > My Mckeowns are from Ballyeaston, Ballyclare, Ballynure (possibly > Belfast) > in Antrim. > > My line briefly is James McKEOWN (McKEON) born about 1823 married > Sarah > HOUSTON in Ballyeaston (Parish of Ballycor and Rashee) 9 Septenber > 1845 in > the Church of United Church of England and Ireland by licence, on > the > marriage entry Jas McKEON, Labourer (father of James) and > Thomas HOUSTON, farmer, (father of Sarah), witnesses George BEGGS > and > Elizabeth BEGGS (or BIGGS), > D.C. COURTENAY was the Perpetual Curate. > their son David McKEOWN born about 1857 in Ballyclare (according to > his New > Zealand marriage certificate which also provided his parents names) > , he > travelled to New Zealand from Belfast to New Zealand on the ship > Conflict in > 1857, his name was bracketed with with a George GRAY (David at this > time was > 21 and George was 14) we are descended from David. > > I feel the following family is connected as well (James could be a > sibling > of David's): > James McKEOWN b.1846 (wife Mary McVEIGH/McVAY b. > 1850) who married in 1869 in Belfast who had Huston McKEOWN born 7 > Jan 1871 > in Ballynure,David McKEOWN b. 1872 and Samuel McKEOWN born 25 Jul > 1874 > Ballynure. > > I have written to several churches in the area (and must admit being > not > familiar with what Church of England and Ireland would be this makes > the > task even harder - I gather it would be Presbyterian?) > > Any help or advice would be most appreciated. > > Kind Regards > Dorothy Derecourt > New Zealand