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Descendants of Margaret Christina Ballesty

Generation No. 1

1. MARGARET CHRISTINA¹ BALLESTY was born March 17, 1810 in Paddentown, Ballynacargy, County Westmeath, Ireland, and died February 07, 1906 in St Joseph Cemetery, Ridgeway, Gallatin Co, IL. She married JAMES MCCORMICK, son of HUGH MCCORMICK and UNKNOWN.

Notes for MARGARET CHRISTINA BALLESTY:
After the death of James, her husband, Christina (Margaret Bellesty McCormick) lived with her daughter and son in law, Ellen and Joseph Larkin.

Margaret Christina was 100 yrs, 10 mos and 20 days old when she died.

Notes for JAMES MCCORMICK:
James McCormick of Bracklyn, County Longford, Ireland married Margaret Christian Ballesty of Paddenstown, Ballynacargy, County Westmeath, Ireland and moved to her home county which adjoins County Longford. They were the parents of 7 children.

James only lived 2 years after coming to American in 1848. They lost a son, Hugh McCormick, age 3 months, on the voyage over. He was buried at sea.

Marriage Notes for MARGARET BALLESTY and JAMES MCCORMICK:
James and Margaret "Christina" Ballesty McCormick met and married in Ireland. They had 7 children. Rose died as an infant in Ireland. The parents decided to depart for America in 1848 and they took with them 4 of their children - the three oldest, Ellen (age 13), Mary, William (age 8), and the baby, Hugh, who was 2 months old. Because of the danger of illness, the 2 small girls, Margaret and Catherine were left in Ireland with relatives known to us only as Aunt Kitty and Uncle Pat. Catherine later came to America but Margaret never did.

James and "Christina" sailed the ocean on a ship named the "Lord Ashburtan". The left from Cobb, then known as Queenstown, and landed at Shippaway, Canada, where they were quarantined for six weeks. The trip was approximately 2600-2800 miles and took 63 days. It proved to be rugged for the baby, Hugh. He passed away and was butied at sea. The customary burial at sea in these times was to wrap the body in a sheet, place it in a barrel, or other container, and after a short ceremony, lower it into the ocean. If flowers were available, a bouquet was also dropped into the water. Burial at sea was necessary because otherwise, sharks might smell the body, follow the ship,attack and overturn it and all aboard could perish.

After they arrived in America, they family traveled down the Ohio River on a flat boat and landed at Shawneetown, IL. James' brother, William, who had come over earlier, took James, "Christina", and the 3 children to his home by the water mill in the Elm Grove Commjnity near Elba. This millwas in the vicinity of the North Fork bridge on the present Ridgway-Elderado blacktop road. They lived with William while they were getting settled.

James leeased eighty acres of land from the US Government for fifty cents an acre. This transaction probably took place at the Land Office at Shawneetown which had been organized since 1814. James started clearing the land and built a home on it. This eight acres was still owned by his grandchildren, Teresa and Raphael McCormick as of December 1969, and a small part of it is still in virgin weeds. It is situated directly across the road from Clydia Mitchell's house and the rest of the farm lays to the west and north of this woods.

Wild turkeys and deer were plentiful and served as food for the family. Vegetables were raised and stored for the winter months. Wheat and corn were raised, and someof it was taken to the water mill where it was ground into flour and corn meal to furnish the family with a supply of bread. Extra wheat and corn could be traded for payment of grinding, so that no money was needed. The nearest store was located in Equality which was about 10 miles away over fough country roads. School was taught for a few months a year only at Shoemaker School. The McCormick children only attended for a few days at a time as they were needed at home, and it was a long distance to walk.

There were no churches for the early settlers to attend. The people were visited periodically by Father E.J. Durbin of Sacred Heart Church, Uniontown, Kentucky and later by Father Francis McCabe. At these times, all the faithful would gather at a home, usually that of William Burns where Mass would be offered and the sacraments received. Later, in 1853, the first Catholic Church in the county was erected at Pend Settlement, and the people would go there by wagon and oxen to attend. The cemetery there, St Patrick's, was the usual burial place for Catholic families.

James McCormick died 2 year after he arrived in America. At the time of his death, the water was high at the creed so that it could not be crossed to go to St Patrick's and he was laid to rest at Purcell Cemetery, a small cemetery used by the people of the vicinity. The exact spot is not known as his grave was not marked. The cemetery was cared for by Gussie Payne until 1969, whose ancestors are also buried there. It can be reached by going pst the John Collin's home and turning left down a little lane which is marked by 2 small stone pillart at the entrance.

"Christina" is a source of inspiration to all of us for her faith and courage at this time. Consider her plight - only 2 years in a strange, primitive country, separated by an ocean from her birthplace and family, including her own 2 little girls. She had buried here baby at sea and now must bury her beloved husband. At age 45, she was left alone with 3 children as her brother-in-law, William, had moved on to the north, and her husband's other 2 half-brothers, Hugh and Tom, had settled elsewhere. With her son, William, now 10, as the man in the family, they managed to hold on, but one can inagine the tremendous effort that was put forth in the years that followed.

Consider also, their mode of living in those days - houses were log cabins, heated by fireplaces. Over these open fires family meals were cooked in sturdy iron kettles. Furniture consister of the bare necessities and was often made by hand. Nearly all of the food was raised by the family, and much of it had to be put away for the winter months. Some of it was stored in an underground cellar, some was dried, some was placed in stone jars and sealed with sealing wax. Water for drinking, bathing and laundry had to be drawn and carried from open wells. These well also served as refrigerators in the summer when butter, milk and other perishables were lowered into the well by ropes to keep the fresh.

Clothing was made at homeexcept for special occasions. The women would copy the patterns of the clothing that had been brought across the ocean with them. Washing was done by hand and ironed with hand irons heated on the open hearth. The laundry was soaked over night, rubbed by hand and boiled over an open fire. The soap was made from grease and lye.

Children of MARGARET BALLESTY and JAMES MCCORMICK are:

ROSE² MCCORMICK, b. died as an infant.

ii.

ELLEN MCCORMICK, b. December 07, 1837, Westmeath Co, Ireland; d. June 03, 1933, ElDorado, IL buried at St Joseph Cemetery, Ridgeway, Gallatin Co, IL; m. JOSEPH LARKIN, 1881.

More About ELLEN MCCORMICK:
Fact 1: December 07, 1837, Ellen's date of birth according to family records.
Fact 2: Baptimal certificate is filed at Edgewarthatown, County Westmeath
Fact 3: married around age 40

iii.

MARY MCCORMICK, b. 1843, Westmeath Co, Ireland.

iv.

WILLIAM MCCORMICK, b. 1844, Westmeath Co, Ireland; d. February 16, 1936, Ridgeway, Gallatin Co, IL St Joseph Cemetery.

MARGARET MCCORMICK, b. Westmeath Co, Ireland; d. Ireland.

vi.

CATHERINE MCCORMICK, b. 1843, Ireland; d. August 18, 1925, Ridgeway, Gallatin Co, IL St Joseph Cemetery.

Notes for CATHERINE MCCORMICK:
Came to American when she was 13 in 1856. Hugh McCormick, half-brother to James, and uncle to "Kate", provided the money for her passage, and since he was living in New York at the time, he met her on arrival, helped her to find employment in a cheese factory at Syracuse and also a place to live with the Halpin family.

More About CATHERINE MCCORMICK:
Fact 1: 1903, Moved to Illinois from New York

vii.

HUGH MCCORMICK, b. 1848, Ireland; d. 1848, 3 months old, buried at sea between Ireland and USA.

Notes for HUGH MCCORMICK:
Settled in Syracuse, NY after coming to the USA during the Great Potato Famine in Ireland in 1848. He later left New York and went to Blaine, KS where he settled a claim.

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