James Bryce Killen
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In reply to:
Re: Killens in NI > Australia, NZ & USA
Anne Bennett 7/18/01
Anne: I'm delighted to get your message, and suspect that together we might be able to fill in a number of gaps.
First, let me say that I have no information at all about your great great grandfather James Bryce Killen. But with that name and coming from Antrim there is no way that he can't be a relative of my Killens. He must, surely, be a descendant of James Killen and Blanche Brice (or Bryce) who were married (bef. 1765?) in the area of Carnmoney or Cave Hill near Belfast.
According to my information, James & Blanche were resident at least as late as 1791 in Carnmoney, Antrim, and had three sons (though there may have been other children):
• Thomas KILLEN born ca. 1766 in Cave Hill, Antrim
• John KILLEN born 1768 in Carnmoney, Antrim
• James KILLEN (2) born bef. 9 February 1775 in Carnmoney, Antrim
I am descended from the middle son John Killen, who married Martha Dool around 1792. They had four sons and five daughters, particulars of whom, and of most of their descendants, are listed in my Rootsweb file, which I think you can find from my original message on this page. I am fairly certain that no James Bryce Killen (who was a descendant of one of the four sons of John Killen & Martha Dool) would easily have escaped my attention
This suggests to me that your great grandfather was probably a descendant of one of the other two sons of James Killen & Blanche Brice. i.e. of Thomas Killen (b. 1766) or of James Killen (b. 1775). Thomas seems the most likely, since according to the information on my file he married Martha Armstrong around or before 1795, and had at least one sone, called Samuel, born ca. 1796 at Cave Hill, Antrim. This would tie in with what you tell me about Samuel being a popular name in the family.
Let's try & find out how this all fits together.
Best
Ted Marr
Hong Kong
19 July 2001
PS: There was a James Bryce Killen (1845-1916) the famous Fenian, and co-founder with Michael Davitt of the Land League.Do you think there is any connexion between him and your James Bryce Killen?