This page collects information about people with surname Adair who were known or believed to have lived in County Antrim.
Notable Individuals
- James Adair in the Ninety-Six District - Research Notes on early 18th Century Adair Family settlers of Ireland
- Patrick Cathcart Adair (1625-1694) - was Episcopalian until a religious revolution caused him to change to one of the founding fathers of the Presbyterian Church. Much is written of him in the records of the Presbyterian Church. He was an Irish Presbyterian minister, notable for his part in negotiations with government for religious liberty and settlement through his career. His service covered some 28 years at Cairncastle, County Antrim before he was removed to Belfast where he led the church there for another 20 years to his death.
- William Thompson Adair (1850-1931) - Royal Marines office and Ulster Unionist.
Notable Landmarks
Modern Map - Adair estates in Ireland and Scotland
Ballymena Estate
- Ballymena - a town in County Antrim
In 1576, Queen Elizabeth I of England granted land, including the town of Ballymena, to Sir Thomas Smith. The lands had been forfeited to the crown after Shane O'Neill's resistance in the 1560s. Smith brought English settlers to the area, among the first pioneers in planting English and Scots settlers in Ireland. By 1581, Smith's settlement failed and the lands reverted to the crown.
On 10 May 1607, the Scottish king James VI also King James I of England granted the native Irish chief, Ruairí Óg MacQuillan the Ballymena Estate. The estate passed through several owners, eventually passing into the possession of William Adair, a Scottish laird from Kinhilt in Wigtownshire, southwestern Scotland. The estate was temporarily renamed "Kinhilstown" after Adair's lands in Scotland. The original castle of Ballymena was built in the early 17th century, situated to take advantage of an ancient ford at the River Braid. In 1626 Charles I confirmed the grant of the Ballymena Estate to William Adair, giving him the right to hold a market at Ballymena on every Saturday. He hired local Irish as workers on the estate; they served as tenant farmers for much of the next two centuries and more.[1]
Galgorm nearby was granted to Sir Faithful Fortescue. In 1618 he built the Castle, which still exists. In 1641, the local Ballymena garrison were defeated by Irish rebels in the battle of Bundooragh. Ballymena's first market hall was built in 1684.
In 1690, the Duke of Württemberg, a Williamite general, used Galgorm Castle as his headquarters. Sir Robert Adair raised a Regiment of Foot for King William III and fought at the Battle of the Boyne.
Ballymena Castle
From a postcard of the early 20th Century.
Ballymena Castle was a large estate located in the village of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The land was first given to the Adair family by King Charles I in 1626, with a right to hold two annual fairs and a free Saturday market in perpetuity. As of 2018, the Saturday market still runs.
The Adairs were active in helping Scotch settlers settle the "Ulster Plantation" in Northern Ireland. In the 1600s Sir Robert Adair (d. 1655) built Ballymena Castle as a centre for their Irish estates. But a great portion of the Adair Family continued at their main residence in Kilhilt Tower in Wigtownshire, Scotland. For time Ballymena was renamed "Kinhiltshire".
In 1865, one of the key descendants, Robert Alexander Shafto Adair (2nd Baronet Adair) made extensive modifications to the castle. But in the 20th century, the placed was little used, becoming victim to vandalism and arson before being sold and demolished in 1957. The Adairs sold much of the surrounding landholdings to their tenants.
Ballymena Burials Register
Source: Adair Burials in Ballymena District - UlsterAncestry.com
Bold equals full profile completed.
| ID# | Name | Cemetery | Burial Year | Full Transcript |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
|
Old Churchyard, Ahoghill | 1812 | Underneath rest the remains of William Adair of Ballyminstra who depd this life 25th April 1812 aged 31 years Jane Adair daughter to Robert Adair who departed this life at Ballymena the 14th day of January 1817 aged 10 years Robert Adair surgeon of Ballymena who departed this life the 2nd of July 1829 aged 50 years. He was Eminent in his profession Beloved through life and at death much lamented Grace Adair wife to Robert Adair surgeon who departed this life on the 10th February 1830 aged 59 years And here also lie the remains of Rose Mary wife o f James Wier of Killybeg who departed this life 28th April 1848 aged 51 years Also Hugh Weir their son who depd this life 10th June 1859 aged 37 yrs Also the above-named James Weir who departed this life 17th July 1878 aged 81 years Also his son David Weir who died 30th November 1913 aged 74 years |
| 02 | Rachel Adair | Connor New Cemetery | 1950 | Adair in loving memory of our dear mother Rachel, died 9th Sept. 1950. Also our father Samuel B.S. died 3rd July 1966. Also their son Alexander Frew died 31st May 1985 the lord\'s my shepherd |
| 03 | Adair Memorial | Connor New Cemetery | 1896 | (Memorial - See #05 below)) Erected by William J. Adair, Kildrum in loving memory of his father John Adair, who died 14th Nov. 1896, aged 74 years Also his mother Agnes Adair, who died 29th Dec. 1917, aged 93 years Also the above-named William J. Adair, died 13th July, 1942, aged 83 years. Also his wife Ann Jane Adair, who died 26th September, 1942, aged 83 years |
| 04 | Adair | Connor New Cemetery | Adair | |
| 05 | John Adair | St Saviour's Cemetery Connor | 1896 | Erected by William John Adair, of Kildrum, in memory of his father John Adair, who died 14th November 1896, aged 74 years |
| 06 | Blayney Adair | Kirkinriola Cemetery | 1868 | THE FAMILY BURYING PLACE OF BLAYNEY ADAIR, BALLYMENA. HIS SON BLAYNEY, DIED 21ST JUNE 1868; HIS DAUGHTER ELLEN (MRS WILLIAMS) DIED 13TH JANUARY 1884; HIS WIFE ANNE, DIED 31ST JULY 1894; HIS GRAND DAUGHTER SALLY, DIED 3RD DECR 1900; HIS SON WILLIAM, DIED 8TH MAY 1902; HIS DAUGHTER JANE, DIED 25TH JANY 1908. HIS SISTER-IN-LAW SARAH O\'HARA, DIED 17TH MAY 1882. HIS SON HENDERSON ADAIR, DIED 12TH NOV. 1914. BLAYNEY ADAIR, DIED 13TH JANUARY 1915. ALSO HIS DAUGHTER ANNIE ADAIR, DIED 22ND AUGUST 1929, ALSO THEIR GRAND-DAUGHTER ELENORA R ADAIR, DIED 11TH OCTOBER 1964 |
| 06 | Blayney Lendrick Adair | Kirkinriola Cemetery | 1801 | HERE LIETH THE REMAINS OF BLAYNEY LENDRICK ADAIR WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE THE 7TH MAY 1801[?] AGED 29 YEARS. ALSO HIS SON Wm. ADAIR WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE 13TH[?] MAY 1824[?] AGED 17[?] YEARS. ALSO MARGARET [?] ADAIR ___? ___? ADAIR ___? 5TH [?] ___? 18_4[?] AGED 26. |
| 07 | Blayney Adair | Kirkinriola Cemetery | 1820 | HERE REST THE MORTAL REMAINS OF BLAYNEY ADAIR WHO DIED OCTR 1820, AGED 86 [?] ALSO OF MARY HIS WIFE WHO DIED JUNE 1826 AGED 88 ALSO THEIR SON HENDERSON WHO [DIED] JUNE 1862 AGED 80 AND OF [____?] JANE WHO DIED FEB 1846 AGED [?] |
| 08 | Mary Ann Adair | St Patrick\'s Church of Ireland, Broughshane | 1977 | Adair In loving memory of a dear wife and devoted mother Mary Ann died 31st August 1977 At Rest |
| 09 | Alexander Adair | First Broughshane Presbyterian Church | 1923 | Erected by William J Adair In memory of his father Alexander Adair who died at Mossley 18th January 1923 aged 74 years Also his mother Agnes Adair who died at Mossley 7th December 1937 \'Worthy of Everlasting Remembrance\' |
| 10 | William Henry Adair | St Patrick\'s Church of Ireland, Ballymarlow | 1899 | Erected by Isabella Adair, Ballymena In loving memory of her husband William Henry Adair, who died 24th January 1899 aged 56 years Also their son Robert born 16th February 1883 died 18th July 1884 And their grand daughter Lizzie Madden born 18th July 1896 died 3rd September 1897 Mary Jane wife of Wm H. Adair died 15th July 1900 aged 32 years Also Mary Margaret wife of David M Adair died 30th Oct 1926 aged 21 years The above-named Isabella Adair died 3rd May 1915 aged 72 years |
| 11 | Jane Adair | St Patrick\'s Church of Ireland, Ballymarlow | 1922 | 1923 Erected by William J Adair, Harryville, in memory of his beloved wife, Jane Adair, who died 25th July 1922 aged 63 years Also his grandson William John who died 21st Septr 1921 aged 3 years, the son of James and Lena Adair Also the above named William John Adair, who died 1st November 1930 aged 74 years Also his son James Lamont Adair, who died 18th April 1941 \'They were lovely in their live and in their death they were not divided\' Alex Adair who died 8th July 1964 Minnie Agnes Adair, died 12th Sep 1984, aged 84 Thy will be Done |
| 12 | Moses Adair (c1686-1777) | Old Churchyard, Ahoghill | 1777 | Here lieth the remains of Moses Adair who depd this life July the 19th 1777 aged 91 years |
| 13 | Robert Adair | Old Churchyard, Ahoghill | 1759 | This stone is designed for the memory of Robert Adair late of Bellyministra: whole remains are interred within the church: and who departed this life June the 15th 1759 aged 58 years And here lieth the remains of Sarah Adair otherwise Reid wife to the said Robert who departed this life Jany the 10th 1775 aged 74 years |
| 14 | Samuel Adair | Kirkhill Cemetery Connor | 1930 | Adair Samuel died 1st June 1930. Nannie died 25th Feb 1932. |
References
See Also
:Note, for the following tables, that there may be more than one county or district of this name and that some contributors may have entered a different (possibly shorter and/or ambiguous) name when this one was meant. Search for similar names to get a more complete result. Common abbreviations are "Co." and "Cty", but there may have been no word for "county" (or equivalent) included, or such a word may have been wrongly included.
Familypedia people with surname Adair in County Antrim
Readers can sort columns using the triangles at top.
Born in County Antrim
Baptised in County Antrim
Married in County Antrim
- See also Category:Married in County Antrim
Grouping is for "first marriage", "second marriage", etc as indicated in column headings
| Birth place | Baptism place | Wedding2 date | Wedding2 place | Joined with-g2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Cathcart Adair (1625-1694) | Genoch House, Old Luce, Wigtownshire, Scotland | 1660 | County Antrim, Ireland | Jean Adair (1631-1675) |
Died in County Antrim
- See also Category:Died in County Antrim