Clements/Kirk family

Your problem is that the births and marriage were all before the start of any records for that area. Ballynure Presbyterian church has baptism and marriage records from 1819 onwards. Too late for you obviously. If there were any earlier records they have long been lost. (Not uncommon in Ireland).

Gravestone inscriptions from Ballynure Old Graveyard:

This tablet to mark the burying place of the Ellis family of Straid & Prospect was placed here by direction of their last representative Jane Anne Clements Nicoley in Jul 1884. Tablet in opposite pillar has been placed there for safety.

Clements Erected by Mary McCurdy in memory of her husband Henry Clements who died on 02 Mar 1831 aged 75 years. The above-named Henry Clements' first wife Martha Simm died 09 Jul 1800 aged 48 years.

Clements Here lyeth the body of Frances Clements aged 82 years. 1812.

Clements In memory of Mary Clements, the beloved wife of Wm. Clements, who departed this life on 05 Mar 1867 aged 63 years. And an infant son. Also her son Andrew who was lost at sea in May 1852 aged 22 years. Also the above-named Wm. Clements who died 16 Mar 1882 aged 76 years.

Clements See Philips

Kirk Erected by Andrew and James Kirk of Ballynure as a small tribute of regard to the memory of an affectionate mother who departed this life 31 Jul 1824 aged 50 years. Also of their sister Ann Kirk who died 09 Jan 1809 aged 11 years. Likewise to the memory of their father William Kirk who died on 28 Dec 1841 aged 69 years. The remains of the above named James Kirk also lies here. He died 23 Oct 1844 aged 42 years.

Kirk Erected by John Kirk of Legaloy to the memory of his beloved wife Elizabeth Kirk who departed this life 02 Jan 1853 aged 62 years. Also the erector, John Kirk, who departed this life 26 Sep 1857 aged 77 years.

Kirk Erected by William Kirk of Clements Hill in memory of his son John who died on 26 Apr 1854 aged 27 years. Also his son James who died in Mobile, U.S. 1853 aged 23 years. Also their father William Kirk who died 14 Jul 1858 aged 67 yrs. Also his wife Elizabeth Kirk who died 03 Nov 1868 aged 70 yrs.

Kirk Erected by Robert Hughes, Larne, in memory of his wife Mary Hughes who died 16 Jul 1899 aged 70 years. Also her mother Agnes Kirk who died 20 Nov 1864 aged 80 years.

Kirk Erected by Jane Kirk of Hydepark in affectionate remembrance of her husband Thomas Kirk who died 15 Dec 1870 aged 45 years. Their daughter Sarah died 20 Jun 1865 aged 17 years. Their son William died 10 Aug 1865 aged 19 years. Also their infant children: John, Robert, and Mary Jane.

Kirk Erected in memory of Andrew Kirk, Marsden Villa, Belfast, who died 11 May 1875 aged 75 years. Also of Sarah, wife of the above Andrew Kirk, who died 05 Jul 1889 aged 65 years. J. Robinson & Son, Belfast.

Kirk Erected by Samuel & Jane Kirk of Clementshill in memory of their children: William Kirk died 24 Apr 1882 aged 15 years. Elizabeth Park Kirk died 02 Aug 1884 aged 11 years. Jane Kirk died 24 Aug 1885 aged 15 years. James Kirk died Jun 1892 aged 27 years.

Parents, for us let fall no tears; We early loved God's blessed Son, He took us home, and hushed our fears, And said, our earthly race is run.

Also their son David John died 10 Oct 1907. The above Jane Kirk died 16 Feb 1916. The above Samuel Kirk died 24 Apr 1916.

Kirk Erected to the memory of Alexander Kirk, Legaloy, who died 25 Feb 1896 aged 66 years. Also his wife Margaret A. Kirk who died 07 Jan 1900 aged 66 years. And their son James Kirk who died 08 May 1889 aged 24 years. And their son Thomas Kirk who died 01 May 1933 aged 70 years. Also Elizabeth, wife of above Thomas Kirk, died 11 Apr 1955. I know that my Redeemer liveth.

Kirk See Lorimer and McGookin

Source: http://www.ulsterancestry.com/newsletter-content.php?id=489

Ballynure was certainly heavily involved in the 1798 uprising. In general, the names of the rank and file supporters who fled after the defeat at the battle of Antrim have not been recorded. (No legal action was ever taken against them). A handful of senior commanders were tried and executed (McCracken etc) “pour decourager les autres”  and some middle ranking officers were held and given the option of a trial for treason (penalty death) or being allowed to leave Ireland with all their family for good, usually within 3 months. A pragmatic way of ensuring they didn’t participate in any future rebellions. Some of their names appear in the Black Book of the Rebellion (MIC575/1 in PRONI, the public record office in Belfast). But if your family remained in Ireland till around 1817, I’d say they were rank and file supporters and probably don’t appear in any official records of the rebellion.

Both the Clements and Kirk families have long histories in the area, with strong associations to Carrickfergus.  The names crop up repeatedly in the list of office-holders in the town from the 17th-19th centuries.  At least three Clements from Straid were also sheriffs of County Antrim between 1699 and 1721.

McSkimin’s History of Carrickfergus (available online for free) mentions Kirks and Clements, and has an account of the latter’s pedigree.  Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have a John Clements married to an Elizabeth Kirk.

Hello,

John Clements and his wife Elizabeth Kirk Clements were my 4th Great Grandparents.

My mother did family geneology for years. she has since passed away, and I have all her research.

Any specific questions maybe I could help. My email is Sheba1266@aol.com

I dont have all the answers, but I'll sure try any way I can

Mary McMaster

Hello,

   John Clements and Elizabeth Kirk were my 5th great grandparents. I know nothing of them in Ireland so I'm very excited to get any information regarding their ancestors. I am a desendant of their daughter, Lily.

I would love to connect with any of my cousins!

Colleen Clark Bobrow

Lily Clements had two husbands, John Hyde (1), and William Rogers (2).  I have information through her great grand children. Ireland is still a question.

Are you still in touch with any of Lily's decedents? I would love to connect with them as we are definitly cousins. Thanks, Colleen Bobrow. My email is: beanie3557@aol.com

Hi!

I am descended from the Clements of Ballinderry co.Antrim. my research seems to show that they are descended from the Clements family of Straid / Ballynure.

I have a DNA match with someone who is a desecendant of Lily Clements and would love to try and find out some more about this branch of the family.

It would be amazing to know some more about the above mentioned bible and speak to any of my possible Clements cousins! I've been researching this line for many years and have aquired a lot of information so we may be able to figure out the link.

My email is donna.tustin@outlook.com 

Hopefully hear from some of you in the future!

Donna xx

Hi again, I now find I have a DNA connection to Henry Clements 1755-1831 buried the Ballynure Old Graveyard that you mentioned in my previous responses.  I reviewed information I received from Ulster Historical Foundation years ago showing Ballynure Connor diocese and Ballyphilip Down diocese having records before 1819.  Looking for any leads.  Thank you. Kathy

HI Kathy, I would be so interested to know about your DNA links - it all helps put parts of the picture together.

I have lots and lots of information on the Clements family who resided at Clements Hill, Antrim. Their family crypt can be found in the old churchyard at Ballynure. I have a DNA with the John Clement / Elizabeth Kirk line. But I'm not entirely sure which branch of the Clements family they have descended from so any DNA information would be so fantastic to see - I may well be able to help with other matches as well. I've not found any early church records for Ballynure as yet (the original church is long since gone and where the records went I've not been able to find any leads on). I've used wills and land documents from PRONI to put together the earlier part of the tree. I've not seen anything that says Francis is Johns father other than other people's trees so if there is any sourced information out there on this link it would be great to know where it stems from.

Donna - donna.tustin@outlook.com

Two links to Henry Clements are Nora Crammond in England (she lived in Larne as a child) and Paul LaBrash in Canada.  They link to Henry Clements 1755-1831, buried in Ballynure Old Cemetery.  John Clements and Elizabeth Kirk's third child and first son was William and their second child and daughter was Lilly.  If they used naming patterns that could be the parents names.  On ancestry DNA, Henry is listed 1/2 3rd great granduncle. It appears to me Henry and John were 1/2 brothers. There is a 23 year difference in the births, so I'm thinking their father was married twice. All guessing on my part. 

Hi!

I can trace my Clements family at Ballinderry Antrim back to Edward Clements d1627 at Straid he came over in the army from England in the 1500s - I believe most the Irish Clements may well stem from him.

On my heritage I have a link with a Tonya Terryberry on my heritage who is descended from the above Lily Clements you mentioned. The family sometimes follow naming patterns and sometimes not so its hard to say on that one. The only William Clements I'm aware of so far that far up the tree would be the son of Lt. Dalway Clements d1721 but I have no details on this William I'm afraid other than him appearing in his fathers will. The name Lily I have no clue at all unless maybe connect to an Elizabeth - all speculation. 

If you would like to compare results over on ancestry to see if we can figure anything further out between our matches I would love to do this, it would be interesting to see if any of the Ballinderry Clements family pop up in your own matches - My match on my hertiage I've not linked to any other Clements lines so there's always the chance it could be a red flag and we are actually related somewhere else.

Donna

I  am on ancestry.  I looked from DonnaMarie but couldn't find you.  Mary McMaster and Colleen Bobrow connect to my John Clements.  I also connect to Nora Cramond, Cathy Lancaster, and James McCartney.  Does this help?

Hi!

My mother Bernadette Clements has tested on Ancestry but I don't think you are a match - not surprising as matches are rare that far back with all the genetics material being lost in the reshuffles.

If you would like to drop me an email I'd be happy to screenshot my known Clements DNA lines for you.

Donna

My email is   itskathryn@aol.com   I have a first cousin named Bernadette.