| Notes |
- The existence of a John McClure as father of Thomas McClure comes from "The Clan McClure: HIstorical Highlights", by J. Brian Gilchrist, 2009. It is based on the existence of John's will, written in 1811 and probated in 1819 [No. 1821 in PRONI T2501 Connor Diocese Will and Grant Book 1818-1820], which names his sons Thomas, Andrew, Abraham and James, and his wife (whose name is not given in the will). Thomas, Andrew and Abraham were to share John's farm, with John's wife holding Thomas's portion until her death. The will notes that John was late of Castletown in the Parish of Ahoghill in County Antrim. Castletown was the old name for the present townland of Casheltown, which is in the parish of Ahoghill. John's children's data comes from the Gilchrist book.
There is a deed in the Registry of Deeds in Dublin [#380574], dated 1804 between a James Robson and his wife Elizabeth (nee McClure), John McClure and his wife Mary (nee Robson), a second John McClure and a John Dempsey. It concerned a 32-acre plot of land and buildings possesed at the time by Robson, situated in Taylorstown, a townland in the Parish of Grange of Ballyscullion (which is a western neighbour of the Parish of Ahoghill). The deed stated that when James Robson had married Elizabeth McClure 20 or more years previously, no provision of land was made for Elizabeth. Since there was apparently some relationship between Elizabeth McClure and the second John McClure, James Robson was leasing his land to that John McClure and John Dempsey, with the profits and rents going back to James Robson, and after his death, to his wife Elizabeth, then to the first John McClure and his wife Mary, and finally to their sons (the oldest of which was named as James) and daughters. The deed stated that the land was actually owned by the Earl of Masarene. The second named John McClure was said to reside in Largy, which is a townland in the Parish of Kilead.
In the Clough Presbyterian graveyard, in Ballymena, is the following gravestone of another John McClure:
"Erected to the memory of John McClure later of Drumnaglee who departed this life the 15th of March 1818 aged 58 years. Also his brother Thomas McClure who departed this life the 15th of February 1821 aged 57 years." The will for this John McClure is No. 1641 in the above PRONI reference. It names his last residence as Drumnaglee townland, Grange of Dundermot parish in County Antrim. The will names John's brothers William and Thomas and his nephew Thomas.
There were many McClure families in various parts of County Antrim, especially in the area of Ballymena and Ahoghill. A lease, dated 8 Nov., 1737, held in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland [D929/HA12/F2/3/4] is indicative. It is a lease for 86 years, which started in 1723, for a 42-acre piece of land and buildings called Brigadee and Tinklars Island in the Manor of Kinhiltstown, alias Ballymena, from its owner, Sir Robert Adair, to William McClure, merchant. It was bounded by farms held by James Moore, Robert Smith, Mathew Herbson and John Kers. In contrast to many other leases of the time, no lives, or names of other family members were mentioned. Record D929 in PRONI, "Rental of the Ballymena Estate (property of Wm. Adair Esq.) for the year 1810", includes a tenant named John McClure, occupying land in Craigywarren. The 1864 Valuation record for Craigywarren lists an Alexander and a James McClure renting land from the Adair family.
The 1766 religious census of Ahoghill Parish, Diocese of Connor, County Antrim [at www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~casoccgs/Ahoghill.htm] lists 1055 'dissenters" (in this case Presbyterians), including eight McClures: a W. McClure, a William McClure, two Thomas McClures, James, John and Arthur McClure, and an Elizabeth McClure.
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Abt 1740 - Abt 1818 (78 years)
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