Trying to locate my ancestor John Orr's origins from Northern Ireland

Question

John Orr (1798-1880?) immigrated to Canada perhaps around 1820 in Hastings County, Bay of Quinte, Ontario, Canada. He married Catherine "Katie" Bleeker (1801-1895), daughter of Mary Meyers and John Richard Bleeker Esq. I am trying to find my link to Ireland, but due to lack of census in Canada/Ireland it is making it difficult. John Orr is listed in the ancestry of John Walden Meyers, a famous UEL Loyalist and Spy from Albany, NY as Mary Meyers was the daughter of the famous loyalist. Many books are written on the subject as he was the founder of Belleville, Ontario.

A "wicked execution" has been passed down in our Canadian Family from the Irish Rebellion, as well as my ancestor Mary Ann Allen's letter appears on the OrrNameStudy website. My version varies from Mary Ann's, but one thing for certain is Mary Ann is my ancestor. My great Aunt Stella Orr preserved these stories from Mary Ann through the generations, although they have somewhat become distorted in a funny Canadian version.

http://orrnamestudy.com/maryallen.htm

How it got here I am not sure. Any insight is gladly appreciated.

Answer 1

You may have already checked these sources however I would start with the parish he was in in Canada and look for his death/burial records which may give his parents names or place of birth.  It is Irish naming pattern to name the 1st born son after the paternal grandfather, make sure you have the 1st born son as sometimes the eldest passes and then you don't get the grandfather's name.  Do you know when he came over?  Check his children;s births and where they were born, which may narrow the time period down or his first mention in any old newspapers of the time or land records.  Check for his children's announcements of marriages, births of children, deaths for any mention of where they or their father came from.  If he worked on the canal or any major enterprise there maybe mention of him in their records or in the history of the location where he lived.  There are many, many John Orr's in Northern Ireland for all time lines.  James and John is sometimes used interchangablyh.  Watch also for mention of any of his brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, etc. which may lead you to location.  Hope it helps.

Comments

Thanks Lyn for your comment. The church is the hard one to locate. They are listed as West Methodist and Church of England. I have his father as Samuel Orr, which lines up with my John Orr as he named his first born Samuel as well. The letter also verified that his name is Samuel Orr and Mary Ann is suggesting Samuel Orr is the brother of the William Orr that was hanged at Carrickfergus in 1797 in the letter that she wrote on Dec 16, 1899.

I’ve read bits about Samuel Orr of Kilbegs and his family lineage and of how his son John ‘escaped to America from IslandMagee’. Although I don’t have the full “Remembering the Orrs” book on hand in front of me to follow along with. It’s not easily available in North America.

If someone ‘escaped’ to America from islandmagee... what would that look like? What sort of ship would you escape in? And would there be an immigration record if you escaped? Canada was very new at the time. Census doesn’t start until 1850 in Canada and he was dead by that time. His wife wasn’t. Worst thing is I can’t locate either of their graves as I fear it’s been ruined and illegible and lost in the records. His family and wife’s family is located in a Cemetary that sits right beside the Bay of Quinte where it has flooded and eroded over time.

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Ah dear I responded to the email and it didn't come through.  There is lots of information in the Canadian Archives, Upper Canada (which is now Canada), Ontario archives/genealogy.   Considering that there were 100,000's of people in Ireland at the time, 10,000's of Orrs and 1,000's of people named John at or about the time of yours, it is a task if you can't find information from where they settled.  The Methodist Church for islandmagee is actually at Ballymoney, a town not far away but now on the island/pennisula actually.  Other churches/cemeteries were also used by the inhabitants.  1000's of ships sailed to the new world and it was not difficult to book passage on them, especially since Canada was British North America and there was no immigration, therefore transport to Canada was cheaper then to the US>  Land grants and petitions show a John and a David Orr receiving land in 1818/19 in the area you are looking for.  He would have been escaping because of the poverty especially left from the 1798 rebellion in which the Orr's were involved. Everyone had to belong and pay tithes to the Church of England known as the Anglican church or they couldn't own land, vote, go to school, hold a job (in certain professions etc.) so people would say they are Church of England because they had too. You have some great adventures ahead, be careful to check everything you read especially in books written for the family, people did not have the resources we have today and sometimes wrote books or said things to sell to the family.  There are Orr's forever in the North.  Hope to hear more of your adventures.  Oh, yes Irish naming patterns usually had the first born son named after the father's father however, if the 1st born son died that does not always hold true.