mckinstry -Lisburn circa 1855

Ric,

The surname McKinstry is fairly common in Co Antrim. The 1901 Irish census had 313 people of that surname in Co Antrim (which includes Lisburn). Regarding the origins of McKinstry St, if the local council don't know then I suspect the explanation is probably lost in the mists of time.

Birth registration didn't start in Ireland till 1864. Prior to that we rely on church records. Have you searched them for your family? The records probably won't be on-line and may involve someone going to PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast.

You would need to know what precise denomination the family was. Looking at the 1901 census there was a mix of Church of Ireland (Anglican), Methodists and Presbyterians. All of which generally indicate the family will probably be descended from folk who came over from Britain, most probably Scotland I would say, in the 1600s.

The Church of Ireland in Lisburn (parish of Blaris) has records from 1637 onwards; the 1st Presbyterian Church has records from 1692 and the only Methodist church with records for the period you are interested in is Seymour St, Lisburn, which has baptism records from 1827. It's marriages don't start till the 1860s so they will have been using the Church of Ireland for marriages in the 1830s. (Methodism was slow to become a separate denomination in Ireland as many folk did not want to break with the Church of Ireland, and continued to use it for some baptisms and many marriages. It was the 1870s before most Methodists routinely used their own churches for their baptisms and marriages).

Tradition was to marry in the bride's church after which she'd normally attend her husband's, so the marriage and subsequent childrens' baptisms are not always in the same church.

If you can't get to PRONI yourself, there are professional researchers in the Belfast area who will undertake the work.

I noted this marriage which I assume is Ann McKinstry. Henry was a witness. Ann was living in MUllaghglass in Derriaghy, so you might need to widen your search to include that parish's records too.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_re…

Robert McKinstry was shown as a farmer. Does that accord with your understanding of the family?

Mullaghglass today is on the western edge of Belfast. The modern Colin Glen Rd goes through it.

The tithe applotment records are a list of most of the farmers c 1827. I don't see Robert McKinstry listed in either Blaris or Derriaghy but there were 2 James McKinstrys farming in Derriaghy, both not far from Mullaghglass. Possibly connected to your family?

https://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/antrim/tithe-applotments/derryaghy-pa…

The Whitemountain family was Methodist (by 1901 anyway):

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Islandkelly/Whi…

The Aghnaho (sometimes Aghnahough) family had left by 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Islandkelly/Agh…

Ann McKInstry married in Lisburn Register office. There can be various reasons for using a Registry Office. Not being religious is one, but it was sometimes because it was a mixed marriage. Another was if the family were Brethren. They generally used Register Offices as they mostly didn't have anyone qualified to undertake a religious service.

Ric,

Sept. 26, 2016, this message was posted to Ireland Reaching Out by Linda.

Robert McKinstry and Jane Waring | Ireland Reaching Out (irelandxo.com)

Hopefully, it will add to your information.

Regards- Mary