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NAMES: David Woods KENNEDY; Mary CULTRA aka COULTER; Henry Leslie KENNEDY; Emily Jane KENNEDY; William James Wallace KENNEDY; David Cultra KENNEDY; Samuel Woods KENNEDY; Edward Ambrose KENNEDY; Walter Howe KENNEDY; Mary Woods KENNEDY; William COULTER; Anne (Rea) COULTER. PLACES: Newtownards; Castledawson; Cavan, Clay City, Illinois, USA.
Sharon Oddie Brown. August 25, 2009

John E Bartos email 2009 August 25

 

David Woods Kennedy and Mary Cultra were united in marriage in Newtownards County Down, Ireland. November 9. 1839[1]. They are both of Scots parentage, of good families and well-connected. David Kennedy was born in the parish of Kilclif, Ireland. Mary Cultra was born in the parish of Killyleagh, Ireland. Of this union, 9 children were born, seven boys, and two girls, as follows::

 

Name

Birthplace

Date

Henry Leslie

Newtownards, Ireland

November 22, 1840

Emily Jane

Newtownards, Ireland

March 4, 1843

William Cultra

Newtownards, Ireland

October 21, 1845

William James Wallace

Castledawson

February 17, 1848

David Cultra

Castledawson

April 27, 1850

Samuel Woods

Cavan

November 16, 1852

Edward Ambrose

Cavan

January 31, 1855

Walter Howe

Cavan

August 24, 1857

Mary Woods

Near Clay city, Illinois, USA

December 29, 1861

 

In 1857, Mr. Kennedy emigrated to America, leaving Mrs. Kennedy and six children in Cavan, but the year following, she joined him with the children, William Cultra having died and was buried in Castledawson in 1848.

Henry Leslie having enlisted in the British army after his father's departure for America, remained behind, and never came to America.

Mrs. Kennedy and family arrived from Ireland, in New Harmony, Ohio, September 18, 1858.

Mr. Kennedy was of brilliant mind and far superior to his surroundings, after coming to America, he tried to farm, an occupation to which he was not fitted, he died near Mount Erie, Illinois on October 7, 1871, age 53, was buried in Clay City Cemetery, Clay County, Illinois. He was a member of the Scots Church of Dissenters, immovable for all its tenets.

Mrs. Kennedy was of more than ordinary refinement, died in Clay City, Illinois November 17, 1872, was buried in Clay City Cemetery, Clay city, Illinois.

David Cultra Kennedy, after graduating in law at Illinois University, was admitted to the bar with high honors at Decatur, Illinois. Died March 11, 1881 in Clay City and was buried in Clay City Cemetery.

 

Copy – Orlando D. Scooley. Jan 16, 1944.

 

NOTE: This document comes from John E. Bartos in an email dated 2009 August 25th, in which he adds the following: RE: William Coulter and Ann(e) (Rea) Coulter. Ann lived in Newtownards, County Down in Nov 1839 when her daughter Mary Coulter married David Woods Kennedy, son of William Kennedy and Mary (Woods) Kennedy.  At the time of the marriage (9 Nov 1839 at Regent Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards), Ann was living in Newtownards as well as at least one of Mary's sisters, Jane, who served as a witness at the wedding.  Mary's other two sisters Margaret and Grace were not referenced.  Ann (Rea) Coulter's husband was referred to as the "late" William Coulter in Church records. As a result I have no accurate idea of his age, but since daughter Mary was born ca. 1820 in Killyleagh, County Down, I am assuming both he and Ann were born ca. 1795-1802.  Daughters Grace, Jane and Margaret were all born after 1820, 

 

I have been unable to find a burial/death record for either William or Ann, but my search focus has been primarily in Newtownards.  Of course I don't known the parents of either of them.

 

Mary Coulter's daughter Emily Jane (Kennedy) Schooley prepared a one page family history in 1904. Later, in January 1944, her handwritten history was typewritten by Emily's son Orlando Devere Schooley, Jr.  In this history Emily refers to her mother's surname as "Cultra".  Also, some of David Kennedy and Mary (Coulter/Cultra) Kennedy's children were given a middle name of "Cultra".  I don't know enough of the Coulter family surname's history to determine if Cultra is an Irish variant spelling of Coulter or not.  Also, I am aware of the village of Cultra near Holywood but I have not been able to connect William to any residents of that village. The only two places I have found William and Ann are in Killyleagh and Newtownards, both in County Down. 

 

 



[1] 9 Nov 1839 at Regent Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards

 

 

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