McIlhagga - Wade

The third child of William and Agnes (nee McCosh) McIlhagga was Jane born about 1834 in Ballycloughan, County Antrim. She was their eldest daughter so quite probably was named after Agnes' mother. On 16th May 1854 she married Robert Wade (sometimes spelled Waid) in the Presbyterian Church at Broughshane. Robert was then a Weaver, son of Thomas, a Labourer. Robert signed his name but Jane 'made her mark'. The marriage register would have been filled out by the Minister, the Revd. A. Robinson, who uniquely spelled the clan name McIllhagah! Clearly this was what he 'heard' rather than what he 'knew'. The witnesses were Samuel Smyth and Thomas Wade.

Their first child Agnes was born in Ireland on 23rd June 1855 but the family was in Greenock, Scotland, two years later when Robert was born (21st Feb 1857). Later five more children were born: William (on 1st Mar 1859), Thomas (on 24th Apr 1861), Margaret (on 20th Mar 1863), Elizabeth (on 4th Apr 1866) and Crawford (on 27th Nov 1869). I do not know what happened to any of these children or whether there are any McIlhagga-Wade descendants. Robert the Weaver in Ireland became Robert the Shipbuilder's Labourer in Scotland. Jane died on 18th June 1909.

I have already had occasion to refer to the McIlhagga-Wade connection several times in my blog this year. On 22nd January I told how Jane's youngest son recorded his mother's death and made an interesting mistake. On 4th July I mentioned how Jane's younger sister lodged with her before she married in Scotland. On 13th August I recorded how the name Wade was mis-transcribed in a bizarre fashion and on 26th October I noted that 2009 has seen the 100th anniversary of Jane's death. Her place in the Ballycloughan family was given in my overview on 21st November.