The Parish of Magheralin (including Moira)
The parish of Magheralin is located in the Diocese of Dromore and is bounded on the northwest by that part of the parish of Shankill (Co. Armagh) extending into County Down, on the north by the parish of Moria, on the east by Dromore and south by Donaghcloney. The Church of Ireland holds baptisms from 1692 onwards, marriages from 1696 to 1782 and 1768 to 1845, and burials from 1692 onwards. The vestry minutes begin in 1692. Part of the parish was annexed in 1721 to serve the new town of Moira, built by Sir John Rawdon. The church was built in 1723 on land given by Arthur Hill, earl of Hillsborough, and has baptismal, marriage and burial registers covering 1725-56 and 1823-1871, and vestry minutes from 1758 to 1899. I have not researched the Moira records yet. Magheralin Church of Ireland preserves several early references to the Mulligans of Ballyknock. It is very likely this family are related to the Mulligans of Islandderry in the parish of Dromore, who leased from the Waddells of Islandderry, a farm in the townland of Gregorlough in the parish of Magheralin.
The history of Presbyterian Church in the Magheralin-Moira area appears to date from the late seventeenth century, when in 1692, the congregation attempted to call the Rev. Matthew Hartridge of Ahoghill, but the Presbytery would not let him move. The Rev. Samuel Ferguson was ordained towards the end of 1693 and died on November 2, 1703. About 1730 the Presbyterians were deprived of their place of worship, the location of which is obscure, but with the financial help granted by the General Synod of Ulster, they built a meeting house in Moira in 1738. This new Meeting House however passed under the control of the Seceders (a separate Presbyterian denomination) in 1747 and from this period onwards, two congregations existed. The small Synod of Ulster congregation, having obtained a minister in Rev. Joseph Mitchell on October 29, 1751, complained that their Meeting House was seized by the Seceders and that they had been at considerable expense in a law-suit for its recovery. In 1748, some of the Seceders worshipped in an out-building at Fortwilliam, Lurganville (near Ballyknock). The old Meeting House is now Moira Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church. The Synod of Ulster Moira Presbyterian Church has baptismal registers from 1866 and marriage registers from 1845.
Magheralin Church of Ireland
Baptism, Marriages, Burials 1692-1751
[Unclear] 1699
Baptism of John Mulligan son of William Mulligan of Ballyknock.
January 12, 1706
Baptism of Mary daughter of Mulligan’s daughter.
The following extract is taken from the Comber Church of Ireland.
November 6, 1747
Marriage of David Mulligan of Machralin (Magheralin) and Mary Saunders of Donaghadee.
[Source: PRONI MIC/1/18/1]
Queries To
