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email posted Jan 20th 2008 From Bruce Braley Iowa USA

Greetings! My name is Bruce Braley, and I represent Iowa's First District in the United States Congress. (http://braley.house.gov/)

My great-great-grandparents, James and Nancy Donnan, came to America from Donaghadee during the famine, along with many members of the Millisle Presbyterian Church. They settled in the small village of Coal Valley, Illinois, where they founded Homestead Presbyterian Church. The centennial history of the Homestead church includes source material from the "Short History of Millisle and Ballycopeland Church by the Rev. T. Kilpatrick, published in 1934. This history notes:

"... a strong colony of Irish settlers from Ballymacruise, Drumfad, Ballyhaskin, Ballyshiskin, and adjoining townlands, was established here ...."

The church history notes some of the family names who migrated, including the McWhinneys, Caugheys, McKeags, Warnocks, Donnans, Campbells, McGimpseys, Walkers, Baileys and others from County Down, and confirms that they "brought their church letters with them."

The church history notes that "It was James Hannah, the younger son of the Rev. John and Jane Maxwell Hannah, pastor of the Millisle Presbyterian Church, Millisle, County Down, Ireland, who gave the land for the church, the parsonage, and the burial ground of Homestead Presbyterian Church, which was organized May 2, 1852.

James and Nancy Donnan were charter members of the Homestead Presbyterian Church. They later moved to a farm near the tiny village of Ewart, Iowa. James died shortly after, but Nancy helped found the Ewart Presbyterian Church. My father was born on that farm, grew up in that church, and is buried there today. James and Nancy are buried in the burial ground at Homestead Cemetery in Coal Valley.

I would be interested to know if any Donnans still live in the area and if any church records from the 1830s and 1840s might still be available.

My mother recently traveled to County Down and had a wonderful time walking in the footsteps of my father's ancestors. Unfortunately, I didn't discover this link until after her trip.

Best wishes,

Bruce Braley

email posted 2oth Jan 2008 by Derek Jamison Pullen ( Canada)

Hello to everyone in Millisle.

My name is Derek Jamison Pullen, and my middle name is the reason for this letter. My grandfather was Samuel Millar Jamison and he was born and raised at what was called “Burnside” in or just outside of Millisle. His father was James Jamison and his mother was Jane Millar. Both are now buried in the graveyard in front of the Millisle and Ballycopeland Presbyterian Church in Millisle.
Here is what I do know about the Jamison clan so far.

James Jamison, was born 1855, and died August 27, 1915, while a Greaser on the HMS Redbreast of the Mercantile Marine Reserve at the age of 60. The Redbreast was sunk in the Mediterranean by a German U-boat. James’ father was Joseph Jamison, and his mother was Elizabeth. . I believe James Jamison is remembered on the Donaghadee War Memorial. James brothers and sisters included; David, Mary, William John, Maggie S. Jane, Armenia and Lizzie Jamison.

They had the following children;

Samuel Millar Jamison, born October 8, 1895, died November 26, 1975. He married Muriel Edyth Barrett, born July 3, 1905 in Lisburn, Antrim, Ireland, and died on March 25, 1990 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. They had three children, Geraldine, Gerald (twins) and my mother Muriel Frances Jamison.
Angus Adair Jamison was born on 27 Nov 1892 and passed away on 24 Nov 1973. He married Irene (Gertie, Gertude) Simon, whose last name is unknown. She was also called Gertie. I have no details about their children yet.

Alexander Carroll Jamison was born on 2 Mar 1886 and passed away on 29 Jan 1966. He married Lucy Elizabeth Robinson, on January 25 1911, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They had four children; Harold Adeley, Kenneth E., Doreen, and Alex Jamison. This Alex was the second in the family. The first Alexander Carroll Jamison was born 4 Apr 1884 and unfortunately passed away on 5 Apr 1885 and is buried with his parents.

Robert McKinley Jamison was born on 18 May 1897 and passed away on 28 Jun 1979. His wife, Dorthy Violet Wilson was born on 21 Aug 1901 and passed away on 24 Mar 1979. They married on 23 Feb 1923. They had three children; Thomas Wilson, currently living in England; Euphemia Dorothy May and Robert Wilson Jamison.
William Jamison, was born 1 Dec 1880 and passed away on 11 Jan 1969. His wife was Mary Hillis who was born 2 May 1875 and passed away on 13 Dec 1969. I do not know when they married. They had 8 children;

Daisy Evelyn, Eileen Jane, James Alexander, Ruth Gwendolyn, Isobel May, Annie Gertrude, Patricia and Nora Kathleen Jamison.
Annie Brown Jamison was born on 22 Jul 1888 and passed away on 13 Dec 1955. I have recently been in contact with someone who says she never married, but helped her mother raise a cousin Charlotte at Burnside. Annie was usually known as “Nan”.

James Jamison was born on 20 Jan 1882 and passed away in 1942. I do not yet have much in family details but I am still hopefully.

David Joseph Jamison was born on 1 Jan 1891 and passed away on 9 Feb 1933 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His wife was Ellen Jameson but I do not yet have details about her family. They were married on 29 Aug 1919.

George Smith Jamison was born on 16 Oct 1898 and passed away on 28 Jun 1975. His wife was Jean and they had three children; James Garth, Bob or Robert and Ronald George Jamison.
Certain documents mention a Nellie Jamison but we are not sure if she is part of this family.

I do have more details if anyone from the Jamison clan does read this, but I am hoping that some people that may still be in the Millisle area will remember some things about this Jamison family, despite many of the children leaving the area by the early 30s. I will start by asking any local visiting the website www.millisle.org to view both the Out and About pictures and the Memory Lane pictures. I am hoping that this nice collection of pictures includes a shot of where Burnside once was located. I do not know exactly where Burnside was in town, but have heard that is now has apartments or condos where the property once was. I have included a picture of the building and surrounding property to hopefully refresh memories.

Next, I am looking for any stories people have about the Jamisons. For reasons still unknown, the Canadian Jamisons hardly ever spoke of their life in Ireland and I am trying to find out the real stories behind the family. Why did most of them leave and stay in Canada? I know that at least Sam and Alex both worked in the clothing business but do not know how they got started in Ireland. Rumour has it that there is a stained glass window in the local church in his name, but we could not see if from the outside during our visit back in September.

Of course, I am also looking for any information about any of the Jamison family, living or dead. Even if you have information about other Jamisons clans in the Millisle area. I have been asked for information about the other Samuel Jamison that was supposed to have lived in Millisle around the same time as my Grandfather. My email address is d.pullen@sympatico.ca and would appreciate any information, and especially any stories that you may have.
Thank you.

Sincerely,

Derek Jamison Pullen

email posted Jan 14th 2008 "Sharon Allen" <res0bc7m@verizon.net> Washington USA

Hi,
I would like to know if the Carmichael house still stands to this day? Presently I'm reading Amy Carmichael's biograghy and this has brought many memories back for me as I spent many holidays down in Miilisle with my aunt and uncle as a child. I had the opportunbity of returning there in 1997, so the sights, sounds and many memories came flooding back.
I would be greatful for your help and any further information.
Thank you,
Sharon Allen, Redmond, Washington, USA.

email posted 7th Oct 2007

Hello:
I am writing from Mexico...there is going to be a 100th Birthday celebration in the Millisle Presbyterian Church Hall on October 13th for our good friend Mary Millar of Belfast. We would like to send a surprise bouquet of flowers to her but cannot find a street address or phone number for your Church or Hall. If you can, please email this information to us as soon as possible. Thank you. Nora & Bill Deane, Ajijic, Mexico............ ( A response was sent to this person from millisle .org)

email posted 1st Oct 2007 (Neil Young. Journalist Western Morning News)

Hello, I'm a journalist at the Western Morning News in Plymouth, and wrote
the following column in May which you may find interesting...

Best wishes,
Neil Young

Stopping off at the post office

ON A SUNNY afternoon on April 4 on the County Down coast, Northern Ireland, I had a brief and everyday exchange of words which left me - an urbanite -mwith a deep impression of the irreplaceable value of a village post office.

Gina and I had stopped off on our travels in Millisle, where I was looking for a big house I understood to be called "Churchhaven" - if it still existed - on the outskirts of the village.

Why? Well, therein hangs a tale - and one, I think that illustrates the cruel small-mindedness of this Government's plan to shut down 2,500 post offices.

I'd passed Churchhaven many years before, but the recollection of it was too vague for me even to guess at its whereabouts.
So, where better to enquire than in the post office?

We parked the car and I went to ask the sub-postmaster, who looked confused, then proceeded to ask everyone else who came through the door. It was quite a little gathering, with everyone chattering away and scratching their heads for the best advice:

"Not heard of the place."

"Churchhaven?"

"Sorry there."

"Are you sure that's what it's called?"

"I'd know of a spot called Churchhaven if there was one."

Then the man behind the counter scribbled down the name and possible whereabouts of the local historian who just might know of the place. "Don't know if he's around at this time," said the sub-postmaster before mapping out extensive directions.

But we were short on time and I did not pin any hopes on a local historian who might not be found.
It seemed I had failed.

There was one last chance - I phoned my mother in England and asked: "Ma, ask the old man, will you - what was the name of that house?"

"Tommy?" she hollered. "Tommy - it's the wee lad."

A long pause as she relayed the question. (My father, I should explain, suffers from tinnitus and is partially deaf, so it's often pointless him answering the phone).

"Childhaven," came back the answer.

"Not Churchhaven?"

"No - Childhaven.

Armed with this new information, I stepped back in the post office where the little gathering was still musing over my enquiry.

A light bulb went off in the sub-postmaster's head: "Childhaven. Oh sure, it's the house with the big wall up the ridge two miles on the Donaghadee Road - you can't miss it."

We drove up to Childhaven, which was very much intact but with no one inside - a big building run by the Methodist Church as a youth and community centre.

You see - my father had been sent here twice as a boy during the Luftwaffe bombing of Belfast. These were weekend breaks, organised by the Belfast Corporation, for working-class children who had never been out of the city, or seen the countryside, and whose fathers were off fighting the war.

For some reason in later years - probably because he was too busy working and being a husband and father to three sons - he'd never been back to Childhaven in Millisle.

Now that he was a 71-year-old - with his share of ailments - living in England, there was no chance he'd see the place again.

More than 60 years after he and all those other children ran and played in that house and the grounds, I was able to stand as his 42-year-old son in the place where he had stood.

Then I started taking photographs of the outside and the magnificent sea views. But these were not souvenir snaps like all the others I'd taken. Back home in Plymouth, I separated them out from the rest and posted them to my parents. I'm not sure what I expected.

But the next time I phoned and my mother answered, she told me how my father had sat poring over those photographs for hours, and the look of joy and warmth on his face was as if he had been transported back to Millisle again.

He was especially gladdened to know that I had stopped there too and looked out on the same sea and rocks as he had done as a boy - decades later and a world removed.

Though they might never know it, I owe this small experience to those people in the village post office of Millisle who took such time and attention to help out a stranger. Without that, we would have driven past the house, unknowing of its existence.

This is simply my one small story - but I'm guessing there must be so many other people with other stories who have good reason to be thankful for a few words in a small post office somewhere.

I just hope that Alistair Darling and his ministers never personally have occasion to want to find out for themselves.

There might be no one around to answer their enquiry.

<mailto:nyoung@westernmorningnews.co.uk> nyoung@westernmorningnews.co.uk
www.southwestmediagroup.co.uk

email posted 27th Sept 2007 ( Blamirerob@aol.com )

Dear all.
I am doing my family tree and found that my great great grandfather Robert Gunning married Cicilia White on the 21st March 1856 at Millisle Presbyterian family, I think they had a son John1865 Isabella 1867 George my great grandfather 1869 Robert 1871, Nicholas Francis 1874, would there be any
decendents in Donaghadee, and can anyone tell me who the parents of Robert and Cicelia are? any communication appreciated, Gillian

email posted 27th Aug 2007 (Pat Middleton)

I have looked on the internet for my late mothers cousin. Her grandparets wereDavid McNarey and his wife was Ellen McNarey nee Rutherford they were married at Millisle July 30th 1878, they moved to Glasgow but she doesnt know what date. is there anyone out there who would know what church they married in and anything about their parents.

From what i can see this must be a lovely little town.
thanks Pat Middleton my email is patsarah@xtra.co.nz

email posted May 6th 2007 (Robert Burrows USA.)

Hello Millisle,

My name is Robert Burrows from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania in the United States. In researching my Grandmothers McCartney Family Line I was provided a picture of my Grandmother Mary McCartney Burrows first Cousin Hugh McCartney on his wedding day on July 30, 1913 to Mary (Minnie) McGimpsey. I have attached their wedding picture. I also found from another Irish source, a Poem written about the wedding called "The famous Motor Wedding" which I have also attached.

Hugh McCartney and Minnie McGimpsey are seated with their wedding party with the six shown identified in the poem. I also talked to another elderly Irish relative (age 90) who indicated that he thought the reference "to Minnies old home on the Hill" was in reference to her parent's home (Alexander and Elizabeth McGimpsey) and that the home was located on a Farm at " Dumahry" near Millisle. Is there anyway to verify such a location? Also since the couple were Presbyterian, Does the Presbyterian Church at Millisle have any records that may be accessible to verify if the local Missisle Presbyterian Minister performed the wedding? Any advice you might provide would be very appreciated.

Click onthe image for larger view.


Sincerely,

Robert T. Burrows
1701 Sturbridge Drive
Sewickley, PA 15143
USA
E-mail: rburrows110@comcast.net

e-mail posted 27th March 2007 Australia (faye@tpinstruments.com.au)

I believe my Great Grandparents lived in Millisle in July 1922, they were James Hume Meek and his wife Susanna Meek (Creight), do you have any place that I could search online for information concerning them?

Thank you
Faye Owers
Tasmania
Australia
faye@tpinstruments.com.au

e-mail posted 19th March 2007 by Rosemary (Canada) r_folco@hotmail.com

Hello,
I am researching the above, and my Burns & McDonalds are from Newry. I have a picture of My gran and my Aunt Aggie Berry with bikes and a picture of a building which I thought belonged to a farm in Donaghadee. I have since found out the picture was taken in Millisle, my best guess as to the year is 1900-1920. I noticed on your site there was a picture of old bungalows in 1910 and wondered if perhaps they were holiday rentals of the time.

Do you have record offices or research departments in the village. Any information would be greatly accepted.

Thank you.

Rosemary
Canada

email posted 2nd March 2007 ( T Frasor America) TFRASOR@aol.com

Hello,
My name is Theresa Frasor and I live in Loveland, Colorado in the US. We are taking a trip to your country next week and trying to see as much as possible in a week. One trip I would like to take is to find my great great great Grandfathers grave. I would be the first family member to do so. My Dad will be 88 on the 16th, and I know he would be thrilled if I could. What I know from family members that have done some research, is that our relatives are buried in the Templepatrick cemetary near your town. The question I have is...What is the best way, using public transportation from Dublin, to get to your town and then to the cemetary?
I would appreciate any feedback.
Thanks,
Theresa Frasor

Hi Stephen,
Thank you for your response to my e-mail. I have since heard from Roy Kane and has very generously offered to help me find the gravestones and take my there as well. Have a good day!
Theresa Frasor

Hi again,
Sorry to keep bothering you all in Millisle, but we are leaving in a couple of days for Ireland, and I still would like to find out a couple of things. Roy Kane has helped a lot-going out to the Templepatrick cemetary for me, but what i was wondering is the Presbyterian church in Millisle the one that has old records on births/deaths? A person from the Presbyterian society in Belfast wrote a cousin in 1996 that there are birth records from my family (McQuoid) going back to 1824, which matches our records and a gravestone inscription in the book of inscriptions. Does anyone know if the church has a website or will they let visitors see the records? Is the cemetary too big to try to find a specific name?
Thanks again, Theresa Frasor

e-mail posted Oct 5th 2006 (Alan inn Canada)

I stumbled onto your site after doing a search to find Millisle. A friend returned recently from touring Ireland, he mentioned your village as 'a quaint place, struggling to exist in a time warp'. Don't be offended - he liked the place!

Reading through some of the other e-mails and your site, I form the impression that the village would like to move into the 21st century but feels it is being left behind - be careful what you wish for! Enjoy.

Alan James, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

e-mail posted Sept 30th 2006 ( Isobel Rodgers)

| would like to make a suggestion for your website.
Include a Family Research Section to your Main Pages. Millisle has had many visitors (thousands) from all over the world researching their ancestors who lived, belonged/worked/attended local churches and burried in the local graveyards from Millisle to Donaghadee and along the Ards Pennisular etc. etc. from the late 1700’s (perhaps earlier), 1800’s,1900’s to date, also the Jewish children who took shelter during the 2nd World War

I personally feel this website could be most helpful to family researchers across the glode.
Perhaps you could take the time to browse NIR-DownL@rootsweb.com, Bill Cardwell’s and Ros Davies websites(Google Search) to evaluate how your website could benefit thousands (if not millions) of people in local Family History.

Researching local surnames from North Down myself  - Adams, Mawhinney/McWhinney (varients), Newell, Davidson/Davison (varients) and Shanks.
I look forward to a favourable reply.

Isobel Rodgers

e-mail posted Sept 3rd 2006 (Gill Lovell)

I am trying to follow my mother-in-laws family line for her. Her maiden name was Ferbridge but her mother was a Graham from Belfast and we are trying to find out waht happened to her Uncle John Grahams son. John Graham married a girl from Millisle and they had a son but unfortunatly the marriage didn't last and the wife returned to Millisle and my mother-in -law never knew what happened to her cousin. We think the boy was called George and if he's still alive he would be in his 80's. John Graham eventually left and moved to Liverpool. Susie and Thomas and Annie ( My Mother-in-laws mother ) Graham all left Belfast going to Portsmouth and Corby

We will be very grateful if anyone in Millisle recognises any of these people and can shed some light on what happened to George Graham. 

Many Thanks Gill Lovell email : vince@lovell6425.freeserve.co.u