McIlhagga - N

In the FamilySearch Beta Internet site there are three Nancy McIlhaggas. Nancy seems to have become a name in its own right, not simply the 'familiar' name for Agnes. The first is Nancy who married Joseph Clarke. She had a son James on 27 Sep 1879 in Lislaban, County Antrim. I have for some time thought this Nancy might be the daughter of James McIlhagga and Jane Maitland. However this may not be so. A birth in 1879 implies a marriage in 1879 or earlier and so a birth for Nancy in the mid-1850s. However it is probable that James and Jane did not marry until the mid-1860s, so some further research needs to be done!

I am more certain about Nancy Betty McIlhagga who married Alexander Brownlees in Antrim, County Antrim, on 27th October 1865. Alexander was 25 and Nancy 22. Her father was William McIlhagga, part of the Maxwellswalls, Connor, family. The third Nancy was daughter of William McIlhagga and Agnes McCosh of Ballycloghan. She married William John McCleery. I already had the record of (possibly their first) son, also William James. I now know of their other children, Alexander born in Broughshane on 11th February 1864, Crawford born 5th April 1866 and Samuel born 8th July 1872. I do not at present have a birth date for William James junior and he may indeed have come between Crawford and Samuel.

There remain two other 'N's. The first is the marriage of Nathaniel McIlhagga in Belfast in the Oct-Dec quarter of 1916. He was the son of Nathaniel Owens McIlhagga and Henrietta Wilson, and on the 11th December that year he married Sarah Ann Craig. Finally we have the record of the death of Norah McIlhagga in Belfast in the Oct-Dec quarter of 1915. Her age is recorded as 0, so she was also born in 1915. Now the only family in which Norah was a name 'to be handed down', spells its surname with one 'g', McIlhaga, and it may well be that Norah was the infant daughter of William John Marrs McIlhaga and Norah Wellwood.