McCollum and associated families.

Hi,

Thank you for your message.

I hope that someone connected to the family makes contact with you. In the meantime, do you have any other information that you can share? What is the relationship between your husbands grandfather and John McCollum for example? The more information you share the more likely it will be that someone may recognise the people you are talking about and make a connection with you.

Please be patient - as our programme has only begun to rollout across the island of Ireland and volunteers in some areas may not yet be organized.

Kind regards,

Genealogy Support

I have a McCollum family in Largandoy Fermanagh (near Tempo). It is thought there were 3 brothers (James born 1796, John - my line born 1801 and Robert). The grandson of John's family - Robert COLLUM - came to Sydney Australia in 1889. He was my g-gr'fth. My email wwimble@iinet.net.au Barbara

Good afternoon from Maine USA

Not sure if folk are still following this thread, but I just discovered this board, and am searching for

information regarding:

Thomas and Agnes McCollum who had a daughter Margaret Jane McCollum,  b.1874 in Ballinagopage Co DOWN.

No information beyond that, except that Margaret sailed to America at some point in her eariler years.

Would LOVE to hear if anyone knows anything...

Here's Margaret's birth cert

Cheers,

Rich

Rich,

I see a Thomas McCollum in Ballynagappoge in the 1901 census, with a wife  Mary Jane:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Clonduff/Ballinagappage/1248619/

Thomas McCallum died 23.5.1907, aged 72. His wife was still alive at that date. The informant was Rachel McCallum of Rathfriland, a niece.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1907/05534/4551362.pdf

This may be the niece in 1901 & 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Rathfriland/Newry_Street/1250068/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Rathfryland/Newry_Street/258747/

Rachel senior died 4.5.1919. She was described as the widow of a breadserver. (That’s someone who delivered fresh bread on a horse drawn bread cart). Informant was Robert J. McCready, son in law, of Rathfriland.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1919/05154/4421305.pdf

This looks to be the McCready family in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Rathfryland/Downpatrick_Street/258611/

Robert married Christiana McCallum on 28.6.1904 at Hilltown Presbyterian church.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1904/10198/5711073.pdf

Christiana was born 31.5.1885 in Rathfriland, The birth is registered under McWilliam, though from the parents names, fathers occupation and address it’s evidently the McCallum family. Presumably something got garbled when the birth was registered.

I looked for a marriage for Thomas McCollum. I did not find one that matched the names on the 1874 birth certificate. Nearest was Thomas McCallum who married Elizabeth Menabeny on 22.5. 1862 in Kilkeel registration area.  Menabeny doesn’t sound correct and may be a garbled McNabney. You might want to look at the certificate to see if it could be your couple.

Alexander McCallum appears to have married Rachel Ratcliff on 7.11.1866 in Newry registration area.

Looking at the Valuation Revision records for Ballynagappoge, I don’t see a McCollum household. However there was an A. McCaulinan there in 1880, which changes to Thomas McCaulinan in 1887, and to reps of (ie he had died) by 1909.  Griffiths clerks were often out by a year or two. He had plot 25 which was a 3 acre farm.  That might be your McCallum family. (A relaxed approach to spelling is quite important in Irish research).

Photos of Rathfriland today, courtesy of Raymond's site:http://countydown.x10.mx/html/index2.htm

Hi Elwyn, and many thanks for the research notes.

It's curious about Thomas, since the marriage register of Margaret in 1893 (MASS, USA) shows the birthplace of himself and

his wife at the time(Anes) as being born in Scotland.

I wonder if there were others who for one reason or other, came from Scotland to this area?

Also wonder if Agnes was a diminuitive for something else...

and yes, I've found out that a rather relaxed naming approach works best!

:)
 

Rich

This seems like a reference to the father of my wife's ancestor Archie McCallum of Crosh townland by NewtownStewart, who married Elizabeth Crawford.

"The story of the McCallum family started in Scotland and our knowledge starts about the year 1700. John McCallum moved to Northern Ireland to engage in the linen trade, and family tradition says that he was accompanied by four brothers. One brother supposedly settled in Enniskillen and eventually dropped the Mc from the name. One brother settled at Strabane, but eventually went back to Scotland with his family; one son stayed behind. This son apparently married a Catholic and the family never spoke his name again. One brother settled in Fermanagh but soon returned to Scotland. One brother settled at Coleraine and the family believed that there were still many descendants there in the late 1950's. The names of the four brothers are not known.
-
"John McCallum settled at Newtownstewart and was engaged in the linen trade. He apparently made a good living according to family tradition and had a son, Archie. It is thought that Archie was an only child."
- from a Weaver's Pretty Daughter, by Ernest McCallum, 1998, Winnipeg, Canada

The author, Ernest McCallum, is now deceased but he interviewed family in Ireland while writing his book. 

Regarding Thomas’s birth place, I notice that in the 1901 census he put Co Down as his birthplace, and that his brother Alexander put Rathfriland, Co Down. So I’d say they were both born in Ireland. You might be able to find their baptisms to confirm that. I note that Christiana was married from Hilltown Presbyterian church so that may have been the family church. It was built in 1829 and has baptism records from 1845 onwards. Also nearby are Rathfriland 1st Presbyterian with baptism records from 1827 and Rathfriland 2nd with baptisms from 1807. Worth checking them too. Copies of all those records are held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. Free to view there.

Here’s a picture of Hilltown Presbyterian church. Presbyterians favour a solid simple building. No frivolous bits on Presbyterian churches:

http://www.stonedatabase.com/buildings.cfm?bk=2212

The family obviously do have Scottish roots. That’s clear from their Scottish surname, the fact that they were Presbyterian (Scots settlers brought Presbyterianism to Ireland in the 1600s. The first Presbyterian congregation was established at Carrickfergus in 1645). And the fact they lived in Co Down is also a clue because literally half the population of Co Down are of Scots origins. To this day there are more Presbyterians in Co Down than any other denomination. McCollum/McCallum is not a common name in Co Down so that hints at a more recent arrival than the main influx of Scots in the 1600s. So perhaps it was Thomas and Alexander’s parents who were born in Scotland?

Something like 100,000 Scots settled in Ireland in the 1600s. Some came as a part of the Plantation of Ulster. Some stayed behind after General Munro’s Scottish army was disbanded at Carrickfergus in the mid 1600s and a huge number came to avoid famine in Scotland in the 1690s. But the flow continued after that for various reasons. If you go to the 1901 Irish census, and type in Scotland as place of birth, you will find 26,575 people who were born in Scotland. So that’s probably a typical snapshot of the sort of flow back and forth that there was all the time. If you know your Scottish poets, you’ll know Robert Burns, the author of songs like Auld Lang Syne, My Love is like a red red rose, and so on. His sister is buried in Dundalk, a few miles from Rathfriland. She was married to an estate manager who got a job in the Co. Louth area in the late 1700s. So there were always plenty of Scots in Ireland. (And vice versa). Which is why you have to be very wary of DNA ethnicity tests that purport to distinguish between Scots, Irish & English. There’s been far too much internal migration for those to have any accuracy at all.

Co. Tyrone received a huge influx of Scots settlers in the 1600s, as part of the Plantation, so the account of the Newtownstewart family seems very plausible. Tyrone and Fermanagh were both heavily settled by Scots. Dropping the Mc prefix is pretty common too. As is omitting the O’ prefix.  You’ll often see Hagan in one set of records and O’Hagan in another, followed by Hagan again.  It was a matter of whim for many.

Regarding diminutive names, Agnes, Ann & Nancy are all interchangeable in Ireland and Scotland. There's lots of them. Sally & Sarah; Jean & Jane; Mary & May or Minnie; Henry & Harry; Edmund & Edward.

Boy, lots to sift through here...

I wonder if Mary Jane is either another wife, or would a Mary Jane also be Agnes?

I need to find that record where I saw 'Scotland' as the birthplace of both Thomas and Agnes...

Well, I've got lots of surfing to do..

Thank you both for the time and assistance!!

Cheers,

Rich Gouette

Mary Jane & Agnes wouldn’t normally be interchangeable. I wondered about a second marriage too, but can’t find one. I looked for Mary Jane’s death but couldn’t find it

I wonder if this is Mary Jane in the 1911 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Clonduff/Ballycoshone_Upper/257226/

It would tell you that her maiden name was probably Jennings (not McNabney).  I can’t see her marriage in the statutory records. All very mysterious.

ugh, dead ends ....

but, the answers must be out there somewhere...

Thanks Elwyn..

Rich

Also, that would make Mary Jane 41 years old when Margaret was born.... in 1874

not sure how old the women folk got to, as far as child-bearing back then

Rich,

Well, I suspect Mary Jane might have been his second wife. First Agnes McNabney, second Mary Jane Jennings.

Hi - I am just back from holidays so hence late reply.

I am a McCollum (Fermanagh) researcher - my post from 2014 above.

I have been looking at early McCollums.

** In Penders 1659 census there are 13 McCollum households in Antrim. (see Bill MacaFee's site - www.billmacafee.com)

** Hugh McCollum (1621-1673) was an agent for Earl of Antrim, Randall MacDonnell.

Hugh's brother was Capt Randal McCollum. His daughter married into the LECKY family. 

RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: The Family of William J. Montgomery

wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=wjmntgmry&id=I830&op...

1.  
2. Jun 20, 2017 - Robert Montgomery, the youngest son of John. ... This Robert married Mary McCollum, 22 May 1715, daughter of Hugh McCollum, who was agent for the Earl of .... Hugh MONTGOMERY b: 1690 in Glenarm, Antrim, Ireland

** 5 McCollum brothers were in Cavan in late 1700's - Hugh (1785-1865); Thomas 1771; Terrance 1777; Randal 1781; William 1781 &  Rebecca 1783

The history of Glasleck Presbyterian Church, Shercock, Cavan and its ministers are also included in this publication. Officially known as Shercock Church up until 1926, it was erected in 1836. The Rev. Randal McCollum was the first minister ordained; he spent his entire ministry in Glasleck. He is best remembered for his writings, these included the ‘Highlands of Cavan’ which he had published in Belfast in 1856.

** The earliest McCollums in Fermanagh (I have found so far)  - Brooke Deeds D998/26/155 PRONI - 5 May 1787 - 17 acres in Irredanagh, Fermanagh

Thomas Macollom born about 1750 with sons Thomas born 1779; John b 1781; Hugh 1783

Barbara Wimble in Sydney Australia

Thanks Barbara, I've been tending to other things in my life, so this pursuit has fallen off of late.

I'll get back into it hopefully in the next few months or so..

Cheers,

Rich

I would love more information about John McCollum, I have recently started my ancestry because I knew extremely little about my father's side. I have traced back to John McCollum 1731-1769, married to Elizabeth McDowell Jr. born and died in Antrim, Ireland. They had at least one son, William Collum who was born in Somerset NJ in 1755. That is the extent of what I have found so far in that line.

I do have James H. McCollum on my mother's side 1762-1833 born in Randolph County, NC and died in Kentucky. Sixth great grandfather.

Just interesting that the clan came back around full circle.

Pardon, I meant to clarify John McCollum III 1731-1769