Greers of Ontario, from Ireland

[v.wells]

And OWTand unsourced IGI user submitted info. I have gotten lost in all this info and thoroughly. Only suggestion is to contact tree owners to clarify. Failing that go back to where you do Know the info is correct. It is very easy to get lost in the maze of names. I have gone in circles many times. My pile of paper could paper my whole house. I have spent some 2 weeks going thru it and discarding stuff I thought was important and isn't of any use. But in the process of double checking things I have generated more paper. I congratulate the computer Gods

Solution: Get in the car, roll up the windows, lock doors - and SCREAAM!!
Works like a charm to get rid of stress!

[Carolyn28]

Hi
I also have a Greer line.
I looked through some notes and thought I might pass them on to you.

"from
Scenes & Parlor Talk at Liberty Hall.

Fri Dec 28 1860 a conversation by a Perry Greer & wife Amanda.

Rober Grier came from Ireland. Family were formerly from an island off coast of Scotland called Islay." Queen of the Hebrides." Ancestorial home of the McDonalds and the Campbells.

(note I have searched some of the Campbells of the USA that went to Canada because they were loyalists. I don't know if that is the case of your Campbells.)

"Many of the Greers in the Southeastern US prior to 1800 descended from either James Greer of Scotland who emigrated to Baltimore. Alexander Greer of Ireland who's sons emigrated through Philadelphia Penn mid 1700's.

I have'nt check any of this out but thought it might be of interest.

There is a John /James Greer born Lag Argyle Ireland possible son of Scotlands James Grierson and Mary Browne who also was born in Ireland.

Best wishes
Carolyn

[Hall/Swan]

Freeholder list.. William Greer, Aughliss Dungannon

[JLGreer]

hello Hall/Swan

thank you for that.
I beilieve I have seen this William you are talking of, but have not been able to make a definate match via birth records for children, that is ai have noted those brith records previosly in this post but am not positive it is the same William of Dungannon. I will look into it again on the Freeholders list.

Do you by chance know if this William (Greer) of Dungannon has brothers James, John, Thomas, Joseph, and possibly a brother George?

My info tells me these were brothers that came to Ontario in 1823, along with an Alexander Greer & Samuel Greer (brothers), and another Joseph Greer with wife ( brother to Alex and Sam?), possibly cousins to the lot above.
Also, it is speculated via the family history of the children of George Greer mentioned above that they came from Dungannon, though the ship records state they sailed from Newry and were from Bailieborough (sp?).

regards,

J. L. Greer

[JLGreer]

I just googled for the Freeholders list-May 1829 to 12 June 1832

Had not seen that one before, it most be relatively new to the web, or I have missed it somehow in my searching for William Greers.

I'll add it to my info, I have some info on Greers of Dungannon from the mid-late 1700s, this could be a child of one of them, it could well be William the elder I am looking for. I did note a Joseph Greer of Dungannon as well. More pieces to the tapestry.

Good find mate, thanks much

[Hall/Swan]

Well believe it or not I was just going through whatever Freeholders lists I could find for my Hall family and this page was actually on the screen when I read your message! There was the William Greer record right in front of me! Good timing??

[Kelly Greer]

It is certainly nice to see all of this information and speculation on my Greer ancestors. Not sure if what I have will help or simply add to the confusion here but the following is what I have on my Greer family ancestors (which you have been discussing here):

GENERATION # 1 -
I. William Greer
b. Abt. 1760 in Northern Ireland (possibly in County Armagh or County Down).
Married first to a wife named ANN M.N.U. who was b. abt. 1765 in N. Ireland. She died prior to 1811. They were married abt. 1784 in Moira Parish, County Down, N. Ireland. Their children were 1. John Greer b. Sep 9, 1785, 2. William Greer b. Aug. 14, 1786 (not 1789), 3. Susanna Greer b. Oct. 3, 1790, 4. James Greer b. 1797, 5. Joseph Greer b. abt. 1801
Married Secondly to wife named Margaret M.N.U. abt. 1811 presumably in Moira Parish, County Down, N. Ireland. She was born about 1770 and died prior to 1833. Their children were 1. Margaret b. Feb. 2, 1812 and 2. Thomas Greer b. 1815 (my ancestor).

I do not know, for a certainty, who were the parents of William Greer (b. abt. 1760). One theory (that you have not discussed here) is that he may have been the son of a John Greer b. prior to July 29, 1722 in Waringstown, County Down, Ireland and his wife Ruth Sheppard b. abt. 1723. They were married on April 6, 1744. Known children are an Eliza Greer, a Ruth Greer, a Benjamin Greer b. prior to Jan. 1, 1746, a James Greer b. abt. 1755 and possibly my William Greer b. abt. 1760.

I suggest the above theory (that William's father's name was JOHN Greer) because William named his eldest known son as JOHN.

This James Greer, who was born abt. 1755, later served as
------------------------------------------------------------------
Generation # 2 - Children of William Greer and wife Ann

II - John Greer b. Sep. 9, 1785 (Source - Moira Parish Church records), in Legmore, Moira Parish, County Down, Northern Ireland.......no further record on him.

III - William Greer b. Aug 14, 1786 (Source - Moira Parish Church records) in Legmore, Moira Parish, County Down, N. Ireland. No further record of him.

IV - Susanna Greer b. Oct. 3, 1790 (Source - Moira Parish Church records) in Legmore, Moira Parish, County Down, N. Ireland.

V - James Greer b. abt. 1797 (Source - 1851 Canadian Census of Peel County, Ontario, Canada) presumably in Moira Parish, County Down, N. Ireland. His year of birth is given as 1799 in the book "Early History of Greer Family" by David Greer (a grandson of James and Rebecca Greer). James died on June 12, 1859 (Source "Early History of Greer Family" by David Greer). His WILL was written in March of 1859 and it was filed in December of 1859 in Albion Twp., Peel County, Ontario, Canada. James' wife was named Rebecca Craig (daughter of Thomas Craig). She was born in 1798 (Source - 1871 Canadian Census). They were married about 1820 in Ireland (presumably in Moira Parish, County Down, N. Ireland. She died on Aug 11, 1881 in Albion Twp., Peel County, Ontario, Canada (Source - Her Estate records). James Greer was buried in the Providence Cemetery in Albion Twp., Peel County, Ontario, Canada.

VI - Joseph Greer b. abt. 1801 (Sources - 1851, 1861 and 1871 Canadian Census records) in Moira Parish, County Down, N. Ireland. Joseph died on July 3, 1881, in Mono Twp., Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada. (Source - Death Record of Joseph Greer on file in the Office Register General of Toronto, Ontario, Canada). His wife's name was Elizabeth (Maiden Name Unknown).
--------------------------------------
GENERATION # 2 - Children of William and his second wife Margaret

VII - Margaret Greer b. Feb. 2, 1810 in Moira, Moira Parish, County Down, N. Ireland. (Source - Moira Parish Church Records Dromore Diocese, County Down, N. Ireland). No further record of her.

VIII - Thomas Greer b. 1815 (Source - "Record of Family Traits" documented by Sarah & Dora Greer in 1915 - He was also recorded on the 1871 Canadian Census as being 56 years of age at that time). He was a Methodist Lay Minister and a farmer. He was born in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. He died on Aug. 14, 1876 in Saugeen Twp., Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. He married Ellen Maria McDonald (daugher of "Squire" George McDonald and his wife Mary Ann (Tate?). She was born Sep. 9, 1822, in either New York or New Jersey. She died on May 26, 1908 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She and her husband were both buried in Sanctuary Park, Port Elgin, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada.

I will not go into the third generation at this time as this has gotten to be rather lengthy already. If there are questions or if I can be of assistance in any way please feel free to contact me by e-mailing me at IXLR82 AT gmail DOT com Thanks/Kelly Greer

[JLGreer]

Hi Kelly,

It is very nice to find another relative!

I am certainly a descendant of Joseph Greer born 1801. Would be very interested in any information you may have linking him to William born 1860. All I ever found was the parish birth record. I also have been in contact with other descendants of the Greers who migrated to Ontario in 1823. Of which, was the youngest brother Thomas (b. 1815) who married Ellen Maria MacDonald it was that families ties to the William Greer (b. 1760) which led me to the search for the records of his other children.

Also I noticed you are from Idaho. My family settled in Kalispell and Cascade Montana in the 1890s, also in Spokane in 1900-1905 and are buried there. I have been tracing other Greers of Ontario who also migrated through MIchigan/Wiscosin- Dakotas- Montana- Oregon/Washington in hopes of further consolidating the family

please contact me

regards,
J. L. Greer

[Kelly Greer]

I mentioned to you in an e-mail message that my distant cousin, Sally (Painter) Prior put together a book on our Greer family ancestors back in the early 1970's. In that book she mentioned several times that my Greer ancestors who came from Ireland to Canada immigrated prior to 1833. So perhaps it WAS as early as 1823 when they did immigrate to Canada. BUT if that is true then my Thomas Greer would have been only about eight years old at that time if that is the case.

Why 1823 tho? Was there a large movement from Ireland to Canada at that time? Is there any documentation on early Ship records which proves that they immigrated to Canada in 1823? If so I'd love to be able to review them if possible.

As to connecting my Thomas Greer (or James or Joseph) to William I can only relate what was written in my cousin's book as follows:

"We Greer cousins in the United States have had little legendary knowledge about our 'Scotch Irish (Ulster Scot) Greer family. We only knew from a record written in 1914 by a daughter-in-law of Thomas Greer's that he was born in Northern Ireland (1815), and in the 1940's the same daughter-in-law said he was orphaned as a young child, and at about age eight (someone later wrote in "een" to the end of this eight, i.e, eight-een) was brought to Canada by an uncle. That amount of information was not enough for beginning the search for our Irish ancestry."

"Later a Canadian Cousin added some help, telling us that Thomas' birthplace was in or near Armagh. (His death record says he was born in Armagh County)"........"However, I knew this was still not specific enough as to place, for delving into Ireland records is very difficult. Before I could begin a search for Thomas' parents I would need the name of a townland in Ireland, or better yet a probable parish."

"Then from another Canadian cousin I got a big boost which indirectly gave me the name of that close relative and a probably parish. She told the story of Thomas' emigration as she had heard it. 'Uncle Kit said that Thomas Greer was orphaned and came to Canada as a teenager with two older half-brothers, all sons of the same father.'

"I was elated, for this story fit with what I had learned about two men named Greer who lived near Thomas in Ontario. I had felt these men must have been related to our Thomas for they and Thomas are the only men of that surname appearing in early records of two entire counties (in Ontario, Canada). But several details about the other Greers had not fit out 'U.S. cousins' version of the story of Thomas' emigration."

"The two men I had found living near our Thomas in Peel County, Ontario, Canada, was JAMES GREER (b. Ireland, 1799) and JOSEPH GREER (b. Ireland, 1801)."

The above is the first several paragraphs of Sally (Painter) Prior's section (in her book) pertaining to the Greer Family In Northern Ireland.
If you would like more of this detailed please e-mail me/Kelly

[joette]

This has been a fascinating post for me to read.I also have Greers in my lineage but alas not these Greers(not that I could prove anyway).
Mine I have tailed to the early 1800's to St Quivocks in Ayr.Gilbert Greer is a oft chosen first name with many Gilberts being named up until at least the 1950's.My Granny had at least five cousins all named Gilbert Greer.
I suspect that they originated in Ireland as I can find no trace in St Quivocks where my original Gilbert Greer claims birth-they have extensive & readable Parish Records including Death/Burials ones but no mention of a Greer marriage/birth or death.
I did enjoy reading those records though.They included the cause of death & the inclusion of several "unknowns" who died within the Parish.