George Cree (c.1851-1932) & Jane Cree (c.1851-1918) County Down

[John Craig]

Hi,

I'm new joining the group but have have found the resources on this site a fantastic source of information over many years.

George Cree (1851 - 1932) who lived at Dunmurry in Northern Ireland was my great great grandfather, and Jane Cree was my great great grandmother, so I trace my line from both the Lisburn Crees through George, and the Ballybarnes Crees through Jane's father Andrew Cree.

My great grandmother was Eliza Cree (1870-1955) - the first child of George and Jane. She married John Douglas Jamison who became the Engineer at Whitla Street Fire Station until his death in1924.

My father told me about visiting George Cree in the 1920's when my father was a boy. He recalled that George worked as a ground keeper for the wealthy McCance family who lived at Larkfield House. He told me that George lived in a picturesque whitewashed cottage at the foot of Black Mountain, where he kept a few pigs and grew vegetables and potatoes.

I have a picture of George and will try to upload it to the site.

John

[Mrs Helen Dawson]

Hi John,

Your G.G Grandparents George & Jane Cree are my G.G.G Aunt & Uncle on my mum's side. If you look at the

Newtownards line onthis site you will see there names.

[John Craig]

Hello all,

Further to the photograph I previously posted of George Cree (1851-1932), I am posting a photograph of his wife Jane Cree (c.1851 - 1918) She was the daughter of Andrew Cree of Ballybarnes - so Cree was also her maiden name.

I don't know when or where these photographs of George and Jane were taken, but it looks to me that they are likely to have been taken at the same time and in the same photographer's studio.

It is fantastic to have this website to be able to share these photographs.

John

[Trevor Cree]

John,

Welcome to the Cree Family History Network and many thanks for posting the very special photograph of George Cree (1851-1932) and for providing your connection to George and his wife Jane Cree. As you may know George Cree has a Cree ID number 9899 whilst Jane Cree has a Cree ID number of 6288 (www.cree.name).

Many years ago I located the original Lord Londonderry Leases in PRONI that showed a Cree in occupation of the Ballybarnes farm since 1788. Andrew Cree's Ballybarnes lease for three lives was from November 1788 (D654/L5) whilst Robert Cree's Ballybarnes lease was dated 9th February 1789 (D654/LS). Andrew Cree was described as a flax dresser and a seal with a women's head was used by both himself and Robert. The documents in box D654/L5 were very fragile and I'm not sure if PRONI still allow the public to handle them but it is worth a try. Both documents were signed.  

The following document (http://www.cree.name/archives/irishj.htm) indicates that both Andrew and Robert Cree were freeholders as early as 17 October 1783. Also included in the list is my own James Cree of Ballycastle townland. I am not sure how many members of the Cree Network are directly descended from George and Jane but it must be quite a number.

Trevor.