I have shared both my own DNA and that of my father to a number of the online sites. The results frequently throw up new family links which I would never have come across by traditional research methods.
Both my father, Paul Stewart,and I share a remarkably high level of genetic material with a James McCartney who has also shared his DNA and his family tree to Ancestry.com. He shares 184cms across 5 segments with my father, and 123cms across 6 segments with me. This indicates a very close family relationship. His family tree shows him to be a descendant of a Stewart mcCartney. Although his online tree makes no mention of a Stewart marriage, the use of the name here reflects the common Scots-Irish practise of naming children after earlier members of the family, so I suspected there must have been a Stewart/McCartney marriage at some stage.
I did a little hunting through the earlier Irish marriage indexes for a McCartney-Stewart marriage in the Belfast area and discovered that a James McCartney married a Lucinda Stewart in Newtownards in 1852. Since the Irish government website hasn't yet digitised the earliest registered marriages, I took a trip to the GRO offices in Werburgh Street and bought a copy of this particular marriage. Bingo!
On 22nd May 1852 in Newtownards Registrar's Office, Lucinda Stewart, the daughter of Joseph Stewart of Crossnacreevy, married James McArtney or McCartney, the son of labourer Cornelius McCartney. Both bride and groom gave their address as Crossnacreevy, Comber, Co. Down. The witnesses were named as Charles McCartney and Margaret Stewart.
This means that both my father and I and the James McCartney who shared his DNA on Ancestry all descend directly from Joseph Stewart of Crossnacreevy, and this explains why we all share so much DNA.
https://alison-stewart.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-stewart-family-of-crossnacreevy.html
(The Margaret Stewart, who witnessed the wedding in 1852 of Lucinda Stewart and James McCartney, might be Lucinda's sister, or more likely her sister-in-law, Margaret Burke, who had married Lucinda's brother, William A. Stewart, in Downpatrick the previous year. )
Lucinda Stewart and James McCartney settled in Belfast where James McCartney worked as a porter and where their children were born:
The LDS site records the birth of a Charles McCartney to James McCartney and Lucinda Stewart in Belfast on 31st March 1865, while John McCartney was born on 9th July 1870 at 10 Norton Street.
Lucinda McCartney was born at 12 Norton Street on the 10th August 1867 - daughter Lucinda McCartney died young aged only 14 on 7th June 1882 at 12 Norton Street; she died of TB. Her mother, Lucinda, signed the death registration with her mark, and it was noted that the girl's father had predeceased her.
Another daughter, Agnes Jane McCartney, died of heart disease aged only 35 at 12 Norton Street in May 1890.
Robert James McCartney, a 21-year-old printer who died of TB at Norton Street in May 1884
On 27th December 1896 Lucinda McCartney, née Stewart, the widow of James McCartney, died aged 61 at 6 Kathleen Street, the residence of her son John McCartney. She died of TB like her daughter before her.
On 16th April 1895, John McCartney, son of James mcCartney and Lucinda Stewart, married Elizabeth Carberry, the daughter of Hugh Carberry and Jane Lavery of 93 Mountpottinger Road. The wedding was witnessed by David and Lizzie Ravey, possible neighbours of the groom since both the Raveys and John McCartneys were both living on Kathleen Street at the time.
Elizabeth Carberry had been born in 1872 to Hugh Carberry and Jane Lavery of 50 Claremont Lane. An older sister was Rose Ann Carberry who had been born in 1870 and who would marry John Martin in 1893.
The McCartney family were buried together in grave C588 in Belfast City Cemetery, along with a James May who had died at 3 Lyle Street aged 26 in 1872. Lucinda McCartney, née Stewart, was buried there in 1896, next to her daughter Agnes Jane McCartney who died of heart disease aged only 35 at 12 Norton Street in May 1890, and her son, Robert James McCartney, a 21-year-old printer who died of TB at Norton Street in May 1884. Lucinda's granddaughter, also named Lucinda, was also buried there when she died of pneumonia aged only 4 months at 6 Kathleen Street on 25th January 1897.
Baby Lucinda McCartney had been born to the ship painter John McCartney and Elizabeth Carberry at their home, 6 Kathleen Street, on 14th September 1896. Son Stewart McCartney was born at 19 Vicarage Street on 3rd December 1901.
The 1901 census captured the young family living at 19 Vicarage Street - John and Elizabeth McCartney, both aged 30 and Methodist, along with their three-year-old daughter Elizabeth who had been born in 1897 at 6 Newcastle Street. John didn't have long to live however - John McCartney, the son of James McCartney and Lucinda Stewart, died of TB aged only 30 on 17th July 1902 at 57 Vicarage Street.
John's widow, Elizabeth McCartney, née Carberry, married again 5 months later. In December 1902 she married a rivetter Andrew Creelman, son of Alexander Creelman; this was witnessed by James and Annie Thom. In 1911 the Elizabeth and Andrew Creelman were living at 49 Lendrick Street along with Elizabeth's two children, Elizabeth and Stewart McCartney.
Andrew Creelman and Elizabeth née Carberry were buried together in B136 in Dundonald Cemtery. Andrew Creelman of 12 Lendrick Street died aged 54 on 7th October 1927 while his wife, Elizabeth of 12 Lendrick Street died aged 64 on 1st January 1937. Also buried there was Elizabeth Finlay and her husband James Finlay.
Elizabeth was the daughter of John McCartney and Elizabeth Carberry - she married James Finlay, the son of the late Joseph Finlay, in Dundela, Holywood, Co. Down, on 8th June 1921. The witnesses were John McKernon and Jennie Freeman. Elizabeth Finlay died at 21 Lendrick Street aged 62 on 11th February 1960 while her widower, James Finlay, died there aged 82 on 16th November 1971.
Stewart McCartney, the son of John McCartney and Elizabeth Carberry, married Violet Bell Mitchell, the daughter of George Andrew Mitchell and Mary Ann Reid, on the 12th October 1909. On 20th November 1944 at 20 Montrose Street, this couple miscarried a baby girl who was buried in the City Cemetery on the same day. A rivetter, Stewart McCartney moved to the UK where the 1939 census captured him living at 142 Bootle Road, Lancashire.
Stewart McCartney and Violet Bell Mitchell had a son, James Finlay McCartney, in Belfast on 8th July 1937, who married Agnes Marie Smyth and had James McCartney who shares 184 cms of DNA with me and who is my fourth cousin, both being descendants of Joseph Stewart of Crossnacreevy.
Stewart McCartney died in Manchester on 7th April 1976.
Both my father, Paul Stewart,and I share a remarkably high level of genetic material with a James McCartney who has also shared his DNA and his family tree to Ancestry.com. He shares 184cms across 5 segments with my father, and 123cms across 6 segments with me. This indicates a very close family relationship. His family tree shows him to be a descendant of a Stewart mcCartney. Although his online tree makes no mention of a Stewart marriage, the use of the name here reflects the common Scots-Irish practise of naming children after earlier members of the family, so I suspected there must have been a Stewart/McCartney marriage at some stage.
I did a little hunting through the earlier Irish marriage indexes for a McCartney-Stewart marriage in the Belfast area and discovered that a James McCartney married a Lucinda Stewart in Newtownards in 1852. Since the Irish government website hasn't yet digitised the earliest registered marriages, I took a trip to the GRO offices in Werburgh Street and bought a copy of this particular marriage. Bingo!
On 22nd May 1852 in Newtownards Registrar's Office, Lucinda Stewart, the daughter of Joseph Stewart of Crossnacreevy, married James McArtney or McCartney, the son of labourer Cornelius McCartney. Both bride and groom gave their address as Crossnacreevy, Comber, Co. Down. The witnesses were named as Charles McCartney and Margaret Stewart.
This means that both my father and I and the James McCartney who shared his DNA on Ancestry all descend directly from Joseph Stewart of Crossnacreevy, and this explains why we all share so much DNA.
https://alison-stewart.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-stewart-family-of-crossnacreevy.html
(The Margaret Stewart, who witnessed the wedding in 1852 of Lucinda Stewart and James McCartney, might be Lucinda's sister, or more likely her sister-in-law, Margaret Burke, who had married Lucinda's brother, William A. Stewart, in Downpatrick the previous year. )
Lucinda Stewart, according the marriage details, had been born circa 1830 (in Crossnacreevy, Co. Down) and James McCartney in 1828. I can find no further information about Cornelius McCartney, the father of James.
Lucinda Stewart and James McCartney settled in Belfast where James McCartney worked as a porter and where their children were born:
The LDS site records the birth of a Charles McCartney to James McCartney and Lucinda Stewart in Belfast on 31st March 1865, while John McCartney was born on 9th July 1870 at 10 Norton Street.
Lucinda McCartney was born at 12 Norton Street on the 10th August 1867 - daughter Lucinda McCartney died young aged only 14 on 7th June 1882 at 12 Norton Street; she died of TB. Her mother, Lucinda, signed the death registration with her mark, and it was noted that the girl's father had predeceased her.
Another daughter, Agnes Jane McCartney, died of heart disease aged only 35 at 12 Norton Street in May 1890.
Robert James McCartney, a 21-year-old printer who died of TB at Norton Street in May 1884
On 27th December 1896 Lucinda McCartney, née Stewart, the widow of James McCartney, died aged 61 at 6 Kathleen Street, the residence of her son John McCartney. She died of TB like her daughter before her.
On 16th April 1895, John McCartney, son of James mcCartney and Lucinda Stewart, married Elizabeth Carberry, the daughter of Hugh Carberry and Jane Lavery of 93 Mountpottinger Road. The wedding was witnessed by David and Lizzie Ravey, possible neighbours of the groom since both the Raveys and John McCartneys were both living on Kathleen Street at the time.
Elizabeth Carberry had been born in 1872 to Hugh Carberry and Jane Lavery of 50 Claremont Lane. An older sister was Rose Ann Carberry who had been born in 1870 and who would marry John Martin in 1893.
The McCartney family were buried together in grave C588 in Belfast City Cemetery, along with a James May who had died at 3 Lyle Street aged 26 in 1872. Lucinda McCartney, née Stewart, was buried there in 1896, next to her daughter Agnes Jane McCartney who died of heart disease aged only 35 at 12 Norton Street in May 1890, and her son, Robert James McCartney, a 21-year-old printer who died of TB at Norton Street in May 1884. Lucinda's granddaughter, also named Lucinda, was also buried there when she died of pneumonia aged only 4 months at 6 Kathleen Street on 25th January 1897.
Baby Lucinda McCartney had been born to the ship painter John McCartney and Elizabeth Carberry at their home, 6 Kathleen Street, on 14th September 1896. Son Stewart McCartney was born at 19 Vicarage Street on 3rd December 1901.
The 1901 census captured the young family living at 19 Vicarage Street - John and Elizabeth McCartney, both aged 30 and Methodist, along with their three-year-old daughter Elizabeth who had been born in 1897 at 6 Newcastle Street. John didn't have long to live however - John McCartney, the son of James McCartney and Lucinda Stewart, died of TB aged only 30 on 17th July 1902 at 57 Vicarage Street.
John's widow, Elizabeth McCartney, née Carberry, married again 5 months later. In December 1902 she married a rivetter Andrew Creelman, son of Alexander Creelman; this was witnessed by James and Annie Thom. In 1911 the Elizabeth and Andrew Creelman were living at 49 Lendrick Street along with Elizabeth's two children, Elizabeth and Stewart McCartney.
Andrew Creelman and Elizabeth née Carberry were buried together in B136 in Dundonald Cemtery. Andrew Creelman of 12 Lendrick Street died aged 54 on 7th October 1927 while his wife, Elizabeth of 12 Lendrick Street died aged 64 on 1st January 1937. Also buried there was Elizabeth Finlay and her husband James Finlay.
Elizabeth was the daughter of John McCartney and Elizabeth Carberry - she married James Finlay, the son of the late Joseph Finlay, in Dundela, Holywood, Co. Down, on 8th June 1921. The witnesses were John McKernon and Jennie Freeman. Elizabeth Finlay died at 21 Lendrick Street aged 62 on 11th February 1960 while her widower, James Finlay, died there aged 82 on 16th November 1971.
Stewart McCartney, the son of John McCartney and Elizabeth Carberry, married Violet Bell Mitchell, the daughter of George Andrew Mitchell and Mary Ann Reid, on the 12th October 1909. On 20th November 1944 at 20 Montrose Street, this couple miscarried a baby girl who was buried in the City Cemetery on the same day. A rivetter, Stewart McCartney moved to the UK where the 1939 census captured him living at 142 Bootle Road, Lancashire.
Stewart McCartney and Violet Bell Mitchell had a son, James Finlay McCartney, in Belfast on 8th July 1937, who married Agnes Marie Smyth and had James McCartney who shares 184 cms of DNA with me and who is my fourth cousin, both being descendants of Joseph Stewart of Crossnacreevy.
Stewart McCartney died in Manchester on 7th April 1976.