Bernard McKenzie and McKenzies of Raye/Rye/Raymoghy, Donegal, Ireland
Hello All,
Here's hoping somebody might be able to help me with a bit of a brick wall!
My great-great-great-gran Eliza McKenzie is my most recent ancestor of this name. She was born in Droylsden, Manchester, Lancashire, in 1848.
Her father was Alexander McKenzie, born Stockport, Cheshire, in 1829.
So far so good. Alexander's mother Jane McKenzie (maiden name unknown) survived to see the 1841 census, and was born c. 1791, in Scotland (no county or town given :o( ). Alexander's father had already died by then, but is given in the baptism records of five of his children as BERNARD MCKENZIE.
Try as I might, I have been unable to find this man anywhere except in these baptismal entries.
He was in Stockport from at least 1824, when his son Isaiah was christened. He lived long enough to father a daughter christened there in 1829. This Emma seems to have been his last child.
Before 1824, he appears in baptism records further north-west in England. His son Robert was christened at St. Cuthbert's in CARLISLE in 1822.
All of the four above children, Robert, Isaiah, ALexander and Emma are accounted for in the 1841 census, where they are living with their widowed mother in Stockport.
There is another possible daughter, Eliza Jane McKenzie, christened at St. Andrew's in Penrith in 1815. She does not show up in 1815, but her parents are down as Bernard and Jane, which is pretty distinctive among all the Johns and Williams of the day, so I suppose this is the same family.
AND there my trail runs cold. Can anyone help find my Bernard and Jane prior to 1815???
Jane was Scottish born, and I assumed the same for Bernard, but I may have been simplistic there. I have found a record of a Bernard McKenzie discharged from the army some time before 1815, who was born in ULSTER:
WO97/1247/237 (1807 - 1816)
Royal Artillery.
Bernard McKenzie, discharged, aged 27.
Born RAYE, DONEGAL.
Now, it's a long shot, but this could well be the same man. This might help as a lead, or might not, but I'd like to hear of any McKenzies located in that part of Ireland, hopefully with a record of a son Bernard. It's not the most common name in the world, so perhaps there's a chance!
Cheers,
Ben