August 13, 2011:

My ancestor came from Wicklow,  Ireland in 1831 to Lansdowne, Ontario, which is east of Kingston, Ontario.  
His name was John Burns, born about 1784 in Wicklow and married Margaret Armstrong, born about 1793, in Wicklow also.  
They brought 6 children with them, namely, James born 1820, John born 1822, William born 1824, Mary born 1828, Thomas born 
1830 and Susan born 1830.  They had two children here, Edward born 1834 and Alice born 1843.  John would be my 
great, great grandfather.  I would like to know who his parents were if anyone knows.  My son is visiting this part of Ireland 
August 15 to 25th and would like more data before he goes.  

Thanks, 
Marilyn Burns McDougal
Five Burns families and an Armstrong family 
in Concession 3 of Lansdowne Township in 1879
Map Source: McGill University Digital Atlas Project



Other surnames: Frees, McConnell, McCormick, Waldie, Rape (Ralph), 
Shearer, Shields, Heaslip, Cornett

Thanks to Anne Burgess for the following:

Hello Marilyn, 

I’d really like to know where your John Burns came from, but I’m guessing the family was Protestant, and the records I 
have are pretty well all Catholic. However, Annette Code (codeannette@yahoo.ca) is the expert, as far as I’m concerned, 
on the Protestant families on the Fitzwilliam Estate. Maybe she could help?

The attached is my transcription of the Fitzwilliam rentals record  for 1839 (a sort of census) for Ballyraghine / 
Ballyrahine / Ballyraheen. It’s just a shot in the dark because there is an Armstrong family, and there are a few Byrnes. 
But I guess you know there were SO many Byrnes in Wicklow! 

Good luck

.. Anne Burgess
_______________________________

And thanks to Annette Code for the following:

I'm sorry to say but on the data base run by www.rootsireland.ie there are no records of any one of the children. 
There is a Mary Burn born 1828 with a father John Burn. There are so many John Burn/s etc. that one is surely to have 
one named Mary in the same year and since none of the other children are there I think this is not Mullinicuffe Parish.
 
Births for Margaret Armstrong from 1709-1765 next is 1818 
John Burn/Burns/Burnes...98 from 1706.....1774, 1798,  none for the year 1784 
 
ages are not usually perfect in fact sometimes were not remembered. I just was rereading a book about s.w. Wicklow in 1850. 
The fellow was baptised in June but his brother remembered he was born in April around the middle. 
He decided his birthday was April 16th.
 
I looked up Ballyraghine, and the was the name used in the FW account books, the official name is Ballyraheen and 
it was in the Civil Parish of Mullinacuffe.
 
I've printed off a page from the Brian Cantwell Memorials, but there is nothing written to connect your family. I will 
send from my scanner's address: a.code@telus.net
 
Carnew Parish records 1808-1811 - basically unreadable then from 1811-1900
 
*Parish of Mullinicuffe records start 1837-1900 which explains why none of the children are in the records. 
 
The 1798 Rebellion Claims and Compensation:
 
John Armstrong, farmer, Carnew Parish. claim of 34 Pounds 13 shillings and 3 pence for
houses, furniture, cloaths, mare, car, Paid in full
 
Mary Armstrong, Parish Carnew residence Newtown Claim: 2.16.7  for furniture, cloaths, silverpoons, paid in full
 
William Armstrong, Parish of Carnew, Farmer residence Carnew 39.18.4 for house, provisions, furniture, mare, 
cloaths, paid in full 
 
Commercial Directory:  (www.failteromhat.com)
 
1846 William Armstrong, Esquire, Humphrey's-Town, Blessington  (north of FW lands)
 
I have to go through a lot of materials but If you don't hear back from me  contact me as my brain is like a sieve these days.
 
trying to find a decent map I can print for your son.
 
The C of I records are in Dublin at the Church Representative Library 
 
details: www.library.ireland.anglican.org they do not do any research for you but are
helpful, in helping you find the parish references to fill out the order forms and they will bring you the appropriate 
parish register, you don't need gloves.  You will need paper (I use school exercise books) and pencils and probably a handheld
magnifiying glass although they have this stuff there if it is busy you should take your own. You can use a laptop but no 
photographs not even digital. All belongings in a locker including water, and they close 2 hrs. for lunch. It is a about 
a 20 minute ride from in front of the National Libary bus. 14 you get of the bus at Mount Carmel Hospital and return from 
the hospital side.  The  bus driver if you tell him when you get on where you want to get off he will announce the stop, 
but lots of employees get off there and it is well marked.  The Hospital has a decent cafe for lunch or benches if you bring 
a packed lunch. You cannot stay in the building and they take 2 hours for lunch. There is a pub in the opposite direction.
Get off the bus and walk to the end of the street where the bus went and turn the corner and about 1/4 blk. further is the building. 
It is not the C of I building at the corner. 
 
If you want to go to the Church I would suggest you phone and make an appointment. Churches are not unlocked anymore. Good to 
walk around old graveyards. Digital pictures are best, take at least two, best if not in sunshine. If really worn, take some 
white tissue paper and a black crayon and make a rubbing.  Over 1/2 of Ireland's gravestones are gone physically and there 
are a lot you can't read.
 
... Annette Code
_________________________________

Note: Donald H. Akenson has written the book The Irish in Ontario – A Study in Rural History. 
This academic book deals mainly with the Irish who settled in Leeds and Lansdowne in the 1800’s and is well worth reading.
... Al
(more to come for this page).