Looking for Eakin Ancester 18th Century

FWIW, there were Eakins in Newtownstewart in 1824 :

Eakin, E., saddler and harness maker

and 1826:

Eakins, Alexander, saddler

Found these in the book, Newtownstewart Remembered

Have you tried to find out if there are still Eakins in the area? You might find a line of descendants with information you seek. 

Kathleen

Kathleen - Thanks so much for your reply. To find possible descendants in the Newtownstewart area do I just look in a directory of some kind? What would you advise as the best way to pursue relatives in the area?

I am a little concerned about the century I'm looking at and where I might find the records. Since George Senior was Presbyterian, would the family records be kept in the Church of Ireland? Also, due to the age of the records I'm thinking they may have been destroyed in the Belfast record office fire of 1920s. Also, am I in the right parish for Newtownstewart records? I believe Newtownstewart is a Townland correct? Different type of records for Townlands?

One thing I have seen is that the Eakin's seem to have been fastitious about Christian names. You can almost tell if it is in our line by the first names. George, William, James, David, and Amanda. There are no Alexander, Thomas, Edward, etc.

BTW - We have nearly 50 Akens cousins assembled on Facebook. All in this line I'm researching. More joining everyday. You can find them under "Akens Cousins"...The name morphed in America.

Any help you could render would be muchly appreciated.

Laura

Laura,

My experience is that this kind of research in Ireland is really reactive - IOW, every case will depend on what you find, which dictates what you do next. I can only tell you some of the things that worked for me and ideas I have to share. 

When I first started looking for connections in Ireland (nearly 20 years ago now) I looked up snail mail addresses for anyone in the immediate area with my surname and wrote to them, including a postage paid return envelope. I found out later that folks were talking about me over the petrol pumps - "I got a letter for this lady in America..." LOL!  That led to connections and more connections, etc. That might still work, but now we have Facebook, etc., so you might try looking for internet sites (one that comes to mind is the Glenelly Historical Society - http://www.glenellyhistorical.org.uk/ - they also have a FB page called Glenelly Our Home. They seem very friendly and you might make connections there. I'm sure there are others I have not found. 

Since I am involved in a one-name study, I would probably approach this in the same way. Collect all the census records, parish records, directory listings, etc., on Eakin (and variants) and see where the links are. Having heard from others, it seems a really good way to do this is in a spreadsheet to begin with.

I always forget the guidelines of church records, but my cousins and I have visited several churches (Presbyterian and Church of Ireland) and found original records there, but not before, I believe, 1780 or so. Some of our family were members of the Scots (Presbyterian) Church of Gortin (a townland near Omagh), but don't get hung up too much on religion - I would look at all of them. 

Where I have had good fortune lately is with online books covering Irish history in the Cromwell and Planation eras. Besides being fascinating stuff, I found our earliest possible ancestors mentioned. I was surprised at the simple folk mentioned in the books I've read; it's not just the landowners and lords and ladies or politicians. 

Like I said, one thing leads to another; you might find a lot of other sources I have not seen. I am fortunate that one of my cousin researchers is a retired librarian and she has found some things I never would have. 

I have another book here I will search and let you know if I find any more Eakin references. 

Hope something here helps you, I know how frustrating it can be and I really think networking is our biggest tool.

Kathleen

Kathleen - Many thanks. Just the info I needed. One more request: Could you possibly recommend a couple of really good books on the early plantation times that you mention above in your message? Our libraries here in Pierce County, Washington are really good with getting obscure books for me on loan from libraries around the US. Like you, I find the more I read the more it opens up new vistas in my research. Plus I LOVE history and never seem to get enough of it.

Again thanks for the sage advice.

Laura

See if this link works for you:

http://books.google.com/books?uid=107196778446397596749&as_coll=0&authu…

I usually start with Google Books, searching for my surname or location. There are several other book resources online - some of which will let you download the book in pdf format. 

http://freeirishgenebooks.blogspot.co.uk/

If you are on Google+ I have started a community there for County of Tyrone researchers:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/114524609186821699129

I try to post links to any books I find there.

Kathleen

Kathleen - Thanks again for the tip on the books. I had been on Google Books before but for some reason completely spaced on that as a resource for this research. The early plantation resources look super interesting.  I will let you know if I find anything else out.

I was also thinking of researching from the Scotland end to see what I see. The Eakin all came from a very specific area of Scotland. Maybe working forward from where they emigrated to Ireland might also offer some possibilities.

Again thanks and I will see about Google+/County Tyrone community you established.

Laura

Laura,

One more thing - have you joined North of Ireland Family History Society? (NIFHS.org)

I checked the member's interest list and did not see Eakin, but if you send in your interests - and even write up an article, which they always like - you might get some information that way. 

Kathleen

Two Aiken males have ydna tested this week who live in Northern Ireland both family lines run back to Ardstraw Strabane area
One of them are paternaly related to the Eakin of Claudy AF04 group of Akins Project this family probably arrived in Donegal c1613 then made their way to Fermanagh in 1700s
The other Aiken is related to Eakins and Aikens who emigrated from Tyrone ie Elijah Joseph Eakins b1745 see AF11 group of Akins Project, this Aiken could well be related to the Newtownstewart Eakins less than 10 miles away
brianeakin39@gmail.com