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- The family lived at Knockahollet, County Antrim. This is a littlevillage in the ?North of Ireland,? not far from the sea. Their marketplace was Ballymena. John Love, had a blacksmith shop- ?hooped?wheelbarrows and carts and shod horses. There was lots of shoeing todo, for the roads were hard. John's parents were of Englishparentage. He had married Mary Ann Duncan in 1825. She was thedaughter of a Scotch farmer, who had come from Scotland to Ireland onaccount of religious persecution. John was of English parentage. Hewas also a Presbyterian. John Love and his family belonged to the?Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland.? (See Mary LoveGerrity's notes.) He had turned the blacksmith business over to anephew (no name), after which the family set out for America to jointheir oldest daughter Anna and his wife Mary's brother Andrew Duncan. They hauled their goods on carts to Belfast where they bordered theship Wyomia for New York. The night before they left Jimmie Ferrisand Andy Blue came in with their fiddles, and other neighbors came,and they all danced. After arriving in New York City, they made theirway by train to Fallsington, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
John died after the family was in Philadelphia just two months aftertheir arrival to America from ships fever.
Source: Henry County Book, page 644, contributed per Carol Combs ofCalifornia, May 2006. The article is kept in the Blair Familyrecords.
"JOHN LOVE, deceased, formerly a resident of Bucks Co., Pa., and ablacksmith by occupation, was born in County Antrim, Ireland, ofEnglish parentage and ancestry. He was educated in his nativecountry, and was married there April 30, 1825, to Miss Mary A. Duncan,who was born in the same county, June 18, 1810, the daughter of afarmer of Scotch parentage. He had come from Scotland to Ireland onaccount of religious persecution in his native country, he being ofthe Presbyterian faith.
The early history of Mr. Love is only that which is characteristic ofpoor, hard-working and honest people in the North of Ireland, whichcounty had during his day undergone some radical changes in thehabits, etc., of the people. His father had become a skillful smithin his native country, and after his marriage he lived in his nativecountry until 1849. The family were all born near Belfast, Ireland,near the channel separating that island from Scotland. The tenchildren who were born there were Ann, who was born May 24, 1827 (Herhead stone states 26 May 1826.); Eliza, who married John Blair, anddied in Millville, N.J., leaving two children, J.B. and Anna L.; thelatter is a teacher; the third child in the family above mentioned wasJane W.; the fourth is Mrs. Nancy Watson, now residing in WesternTownship, this county; Mrs. Matilda A. Finlay is now a resident ofOrion, this county; Mrs. Mary Garrity resides in Philadelphia, Pa.;William is also married and resides in Western Township; Maria L. andJames; Alexander is married, and is yet residing at the parental home.
On arrival in America the family located in Bucks Co., Pa., nearTrenton, N.J., July 2, 1849. The father died there September 3,following, aged 46. Mr. Love was a Presbyterian in religiousprinciples. After the death of the head of the family the mother andchildren were obliged to maintain themselves. they secured a farm inBucks Co., near Trenton, consisting of 95 acres, where they made theirhome until 1871; selling out in that year, they came to Illinois, andpurchased the southwest quarter of section 8, Western Township, wherethey have since resided, and where they are now enjoying prosperity.They have a good brick residence, and fine out buildings on the farm.The family were all baptized in what is called the "Associate ReformedPresbyterian Church of Ireland." [Transcribed 08 June 2006, SLJuhl,compiler]
SOURCE: Edna Grant Fiosne's (c.1898-1990 A.D.)HAND WRITTEN PERSONALNOTES ON THE BLAIR, LOVE, GRANT, AND MCWHINNEY FAMILIES. Contributedby, Susanna Baker of Ferndale, California on 12 January 2009. Ednacontributed information, photos, and some certificates of marriage toBessie Blair in abt. 1979. Edna's story of the families odyssey isthe same as told by Mary Gerrity and Bessie Blair, also all of theinformation in her notes is nearly identical.
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