Landing Day

Monday, 21 July 2013

Our trip thus far has been filled with small miracles.  We know that prayers are being said and answered, and we appreciate all of our family - we can feel your support.

On Saturday, we left Salt Lake a little over an hour late because of mechanical problems.  With just 90 minutes scheduled between flights at JFK, we were very worried about making the connection.  What are the odds, though, that we would land at Gate 67 and depart from Gate 68?  We got off the plane, and immediately boarded the next one.  Small miracle.

Sunday was exhausting but absolutely amazing.  Rich said that if we wrote everything we did, you wouldn't believe us.  It was incredible.  Here are a few highlights:

1.  We went to church - twice.  The first meeting was at a Catholic service in Newry where John Taylor preached the gospel in 1840.  The second meeting was in Mullabrack at a Church of Ireland low church meeting, a lot less pomp.  Mullabrack was where Robert Singleton lived, and we talked to someone at church who was a Singleton.  Lewis, that's his name, is going to talk to his aunt, and we will be going back to talk to her.  We also talked to the rector ( who gave an excellent sermon, by the way), and he showed us their records.  We can go back anytime, and he will let such spend as much time as we need to look at the tecords.  We did take some pictures of some Singleton entries in a book from the late 1700s.  Small miracles.

Interior of St. John's Parish Church in Mullaghbrack

2.  We met Colin and Rosaleen Kerr at church as well, and Colin invited us to look at a map he had of the area at his home, named Mullabrack House because it was built in the 1820s as the rectory church.  There us only one word to describe it- wow!  The map was cool.  But what was so incredible was that they took us on a tour of their home.  There is a basement, into which we just peeked; a main floor with a drawing room, a living room, a dining room, a HUGE kitchen, and various other rooms; a second floor with four large bedrooms, all with dressing rooms attached; and a third floor with six bedrooms - where the servants lived and where the nursery was located, back in the day.  New friends.  Another small miracle.

Mullaghbrack House - the Rectory House built in 1820

View from Robert Singleton home in Mullurg

3.  Robert Singleton's property on Mullurg Road is now owned by William Hale, whom we met after he noticed us taking pictures of his property.  We did ring the bell first!  But when he didn't answer, we figured they were "on holiday."  When all was said and done, William was another friend, and said we could come back anytime.  Small miracle that he wasn't an angry landowner kicking us off his property!  What we've had reinforced is the great value we get from being here and putting everything into perspective. This is an aerial photo of the land taken in 1968. The Hale family has owned the original Singleton's 6-acre piece since 1970 and has added the surrounding acreage into their farm.

Aerial view from 1968

Our third research trip to Ireland is about to begin. The team of five will set out July 20th and return the 30th. Members of the team going to Ireland are Liz Allred, Kathy Chipman McKenna, Rich McKenna, Reed McKenna, and Kathy McConkie. Preparations have been in the works since the last team returned in June 2011. Records from the previous trip have been scanned. Names and vital information have been extracted. We stepped up with more intensive and specific preparation and training during the early months of this year. Our understanding of Hugh McKenna's life in County Tyrone, before moving to Belfast, has been expanded. Our most important goal for the trip is to identify his direct-line ancestors (parents, grand-parents, etc.). We believe that this is the trip to make the breakthrough. Secondarily, we will also identify as many of his family members as possible, including siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. We will join in the Clann McKenna Twelfth International Rally in County Monaghan and make contacts with extended family. We hope to share our web site with them. This Rally is part of The Gathering happening all over Ireland. We will also investigate getting headstone(s) on some of our family's unmarked graves in Belfast cemeteries. We will post to this blog daily on our trip. We are excited to be on our way.

Finding Aunt Ellen

Since returning from Ireland, we discovered that Hugh's oldest daughter Ellen emigrated to the US in 1866 and lived in New Jersey.  Rich and Wendy visited the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton to solidify the connection with our family.  They then visited some sites in Newark where Ellen and her husband Joseph Glass lived and worked.  Check out her story at hughmckenna.org.

Rich and Wendy enjoying Central Park, across the river from Newark

Marriage record from County Tyrone Ireland

1866 emigration record for Joseph, Ellen, Joseph, Letitia and George 

1867 Death record for Letitia - she died of croup

Marriage record for Elizabeth showing Ellen's maiden name is McKenna

Death record for Joseph Glass showing his father is Andrew

Burnet Street School was built in 1869
Joseph Glass was the janitor here for over 30 years

Burnet Street School is currently used for Kindergarten thru 8th grade.

Salvio is a 7th grader at Burnet Street School

Ellen died in 1921 at Overbrook, the Essex County Hospital for the Insane
which held over 3,000 patients.

The hospital was shut down in 2007.  It was reported that over 10,000 patients died here.

Ellen would have faced difficult living conditions.

Coming Home!!!

GIANTS!

We left Belfast today with mixed feelings, after having driven to each location where Thomas & Sarah, Hugh, John and their families lived. Mixed feelings because we were excited to visit the northern coast, and yet disparring because of the closeness we had come to feel towards those who came and also left Belfast, before us. Each experience has strengthened our conviction that the family in the 1852 census is ours.
The drive north was gorgeous! Of course it had to rain on us, but the sun was out and the air was clear when we arrived at the northern sea. First we roamed the abandoned halls of the Castle Dunluce, and then climbed the stairs to the hidden grotto below. The late afternoon was spent in wonder at the grander of Gods beautiful world. A camera, even one as good as Quinn's, can not capture the magnificence of this stone, water, grass and sky. Quinn, Brett and Rich loved it so much they almost decided to stay. Todd couldn't quite stomach the sight of those he loved tempting fate so close to the edge. We are now safely settled into our rooms, and the sun has finally set at 10:45.
Again, thank you for your faith and prays.

Traveling North to the Giants Cuaseway and other adventures