A few days ago I sent one of my Downgenealogy emails to one of my schoolboy friends by mistake. You can see below his reply and it may yet turn out to be one of those amazing coincidences. Although I wont be able to do much on my friends family tree it is possible that someone on list is related to him therefore I post his reply just in case as its the right time of year to believe in miracles :-) . Duncan - I do not know why sent this to me, but it was very welcome, in that, my mother came from a wee street of the Newtownards Road, called Mayflower Street (47). She was born in Belfast on the 25 December 1911; her father was Joseph Greer and her mother Margaret, I think. My mother's full name was - Margaret McMeekin Louisa Greer. These Mateers may be related to my mother, because some of my second cousins were Mateers, and as you can see, Newtownards was where most of this clan came from, as did my mother's side. Is there any chance of your tracing my Irish family side, as you seem to be more adept at it? If not, then I can try and contact Belfast Registry and see what I can find. My father's side has been traced back to a woman who came from Ireland with the family name of Glen, who came over in 1800 as a spinster to work in the mills in Renfrewshire, therafter they were all colliers in the pits near Bridgeton. However, my father was not to forthcoming about his side, as he did not know his own father (name on birth certificate was his grandfather's - Thomas or William Hart (I cannot remember to clearly, but those two Christian name were common in the family). It seems that it was the custom to do that, so that no stigma would come on the children. His mother had two brothers, both of whom fought in the cavalry in the First Great War, and it those two that I have often thought of tracing to see if they survived and married and had children. Back in the 19th century there were quite a few names in the family, mainly daughters of, and I have often wondered what happened to them and their offspring, but I do not think it is possible to find any records of that. The names of Mateer and its variants along with Boucher seem to show a French influence, as many came in from Europe as Huguenots who were persecuted by the Catholic kings. If you examine the names of the Protestant Irish, you will find many who were obviously from the Low Countries and France. Greer > Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2010 01:59:45 -0800 > From: duncan_mcintosh@yahoo.com > Subject: Regent st Methodist Church from 1869 > To: davymctear@gmail.com > CC: greerhart42@hotmail.co.uk > > Search for Whiteside and McTear/Mateer/Matier > > > RegentStreet Methodist Church, Newtownards > Marriages from 1863 to 1969 > > 11th May 1926 > William James Matier, 21, Bachelor, Labourer, 25 West Street, Newtownards > Father Samuel Matier, Labourer > Kathleen Brown, 19, Spinster, 18 Movilla Street, Newtownards > Father James Brown, Bricklayer > Witnesses – Hugh Matier and Elizabeth Lynass > > 16th September 1938 > John Ferris, 26, Bachelor, Farm Labourer, Bennett’s Avenue Donaghadee > Father Alexander Ferris, Butcher > Annie Whiteside, 22, Spinster, Park Avenue Donaghadee > Father Francis Whiteside, Farmer > Witnesses – James Creevy and Agnes M Lilley > > ComberMethodist Church(Marriages 1894-1937) > 16th September 1920 > Samuel Heron, Full Age, Bachelor, Electrician, Mill Street Newtownards > Father John Heron, Grocer > Mary Whiteside, Full Age, Spinster, East Street Newtownards > Father’s details not stated > Witnesses – Samuel McNeilly and Maud Boucher > > RegentStreet Methodist Church, Newtownards - Baptisms from 1869 to > > Baptised 14th March 1889– Born 11th February 1889 > Alexander, son of William and Margaret Whiteside, Newtownards > > Baptised 27th January 1892– Born 30th November 1891 > Jane, daughter of William and Margaret Whiteside, Newtownards > > Baptised 26th March 1894– Born 20th January 1894 > Robert, son of William and Margaret Whiteside, East Street, Newtownards > > >