From the information found on 1841 shipping records, I learned that my John Oakman was from Glenavy, Ireland. Once I had learned this, my research was directed to Northern Ireland, and in particular the Parish of Glenavy.
At first I thought it would be easy to track down John's family, given that I knew the Parish he was from. I was soon to realise it was not going to be a simple search!
I have learned that Northern Ireland consists of six Counties — Fermanagh, Tyrone, Londonderry, Antrim, Down, and Armagh. Each of these Counties is divided into Civil Parishes, and each Civil Parish is then divided into Townlands. Glenavy Parish lies within the County of Antrim and consists of no less than 17 Townlands. Any thoughts I had entertained of easily finding John's parish church suddenly became much more complex. Add to this the fact that my John was a Roman Catholic, and Catholic church records for the time my John was born and married no longer exist, and you soon see why I haven't been able to locate his family.
What are available though are Tithe Applotment records, Griffith Valuations, a few cemetery records, microfilm copies of the major newspaper of the time ("Belfast Newsletter"), and the church records of Glenavy's Church of Ireland (St Aidan's) parish church.
For anyone interested in learning more about life in Glenavy Parish, I highly recommend GlenavyHistory.com — a new website which is growing daily as more and more local stories, historical data, photographs and memories of local residents are being added.
It is from these and other sources that I have pieced together the information about Oakman families in Northern Ireland. Despite there being only a few remaining records, I've still been able to build a reasonable picture of the major Oakman families of Glenavy Parish.
County Antrim
Oakmans are known to have been in Northern Ireland from as early at 1669. The "Hearth Money Roll for 1669 - Mazareene Barony" lists a Widow Oakeman as living in Ballymoneymore (not far from Ballyminymore and Ballydonaghy where later Oakmans are known to have lived).
Forty years later, in 1709, we find Robert Oakman being chosen as one of the "Surveyors" for Glenavy Parish Church at a Vestry held in the Church of Ireland Parish of Glenavy (source: "Glenavy: Past and Present", compiled by Charles Watson, Vicar of the Union, 1892).
In 1714, Walter Oakman is "present at Vestry" in the parish records of Glenavy Parish (Church of Ireland).
In 1719 and 1728, William Oakeman is renting land at Aghadolgan, County Antrim (source: PRONI Person Index - Rent Roll Hertford Estate, Documents D427 page 220 and page 61-2).
In 1728, Walter Oakman is renting land at Ballydonaghy, County Antrim (source: PRONI Person Index - Rent Roll Hertford Estate, Documents D427(2) page 61 (rental roll for the Manor of Killultagh)).
In 1728, Walter Oakman (presumably the same as above) renting land at Glenavy, County Antrim (source: PRONI Person Index - Rent Roll Hertford Estate, Documents D427(2) page 65).
By the 1800s there are four prominent homes/farms being occupied by Oakman families in the Parish of Glenavy — Ballydonaghy, Clements Mount, Pigeontown, and Ashvale. These were substantial properties in their time and show these particular Oakman families to be quite wealthy and prominent citizens in the area. It is very likely there were also other, less wealthy, Oakman families living nearby.
In 1714, Robert and Thomas Oakman are listed as Presbyterian sub-tenants of Armagh Archdiocese, County Armagh. and Thomas Oakman is listed on the 1714 Armagh Rent Rolls (T729(3) page 124, Knockineaglr(?), County Armagh (source: PRONI Person Index).
In 1770, John Oakman and George Oakman, Presbyterian, Armagh City (source: Armagh City List of Inhabitants 1770 - list T1228/1).
During the 1800s the Oakmans of County Armagh appear to have lived in or around Armagh City, as well as in the vicinity of Loughall and Ardress.
Located about two kilometres from the Parish Church in Glenavy is a hill named Oakman's Hill.
Shown as Oakmans Hill on an 1830 Ordnance Survey Map for the area, it is described in the Townland Valuation Records of 1828-1840 for Ballyminymore (PRONI VAL/1B/171) as "arable, pretty ... good soil of a medium depth, part a little steep". These Valuation Records show Darraghmore, the home of Walter Oakman, as neighbouring on to Oakman's Hill. Also nearby is the home of John Oakman in Townland Ballydonaghy.
A recent visit and walk on Oakmans Hill confirms a very pretty hill indeed.
In 1669, Widow Oakeman was living in the Townland of Ballymoneymore and was taxed for one hearth (yes, back then taxes were calculated not on how much you earned, but on how much you owned — in this instance a fireplace).
Later, in 1709, at St Aidan's Parish Church in the village of Glenavy, a Robert Oakman was elected as Surveyor, Glenavy upper part, of the united parishes of Glenavy, Camlin and Tullyrusk. Was Robert related to the Widow Oakeman? Most probably he was her son, or grandson — though we may never be able to prove it.
A few years later, in 1714, we find Walter Oakman present at Vestry at St Aidan's, and a Robert and Thomas Oakman as sub-tenants in neighbouring County Armagh. According to the Galway Election List of 1727, Jon Oakman was a carpenter for Robert Shaw and Edward Eyre.
