James and Hannah Moat Nixon

James Nixon, son of William Nixon and Margaret Cunningham, was born November 24, 1837. He was born in Ballyquillan,County Antrim, Northern Ireland. On the 1851 census of County Antrim he and his father William (a farmer) are found living together at Ballyquillan in the parish of Killead which is approximately 12 miles West of Belfast right on Logh Negh adjacent to the present day Aldergrove Airport.He had a brother Samuel and sisters Margaret and Nancy for sure.Margaret and Nancy came to USA between 1841 and 1851.

[this location was found on the Ireland-L@rootsweb.com by a man who was working at the airport and was given a pilots flight map of the area because he was looking for a chinese restaurant in the area of Ballynadrentagh and the flight map was all that was available. He had left it in the car and remembered seeing the town on the map in response to my iquiry posted at rootsweb....true story!!]

James's mother pictured here had died in the winter of 1847 of Rheumatic pains at age 52.

. William Nixon pictured here was listed as a widower on the 1851 Irish census. I could never find data on him further in Ireland. Later on I got this picture which was taken in Boston, Ma. so he must have come to USA to live with one of the daughters. I believe this picture taken in Pittsburg, PA to be of one of the daughters. There were several other Nixons living in this same area of Ireland who I am sure were William's other sons but have no proof yet. Many known family first names are among the names listed on this census that have been carried down through the generations. James was listed as a blacksmith at age 16 on this census.

Hannah MOAT was born August 3, 1837 at Templepatrick the daughter of Wlliam Moat and Margaret REID Moat (who is pictured here.) Margaret Reid Moat died in the autum of 1842 at age 37 from Decline.

Her father was a blacksmith. On the 1851 census Ballynadrentagh townland, Killead, County Antrim Hannah can be found living with her father William age 49 and her siblings William 16, Samuel 12, Robert 10, and Alexander 10. Hannah was a seamstress before her marriage. Hannah's father and younger siblings came to America in 1854 and settled first in Will County, Illinois. Hannah is said to have stayed with her grandmother until she and James Nixon were married April 10, 1857 at Crumlin in the parish of Camlin Tulleyrusk Glenvy, County Antrim Ireland. The marriage took place at the General Assemblys Church according to the Discipline of the Presbyterian Church.The witnesses to this marriage were Walter REID and Isabella HANNA. They started their married life together on a farm in the Ballynadrentagh area. Their first child SAMUEL was born December 15, 1857. The next child MARGARET was born April 6,1859 also in Ireland. Shortly after this time the family moved to Govan, County Lanark, Scotland where SARAH was born May 8,1860. James and Hannah and children Samuel, Margaret and Sarah left from Liverpool and arrived aboard the ship the ESCORT at Castle Garden port at Manhattan, New York on December 21, 1860. James's sister Margaret Nixon also left Liverpool and arrived aboard the ship the OXFORD on August 21, 1849 also at the Castle Garden port.James and Hannah then settled in Will Township of Will County Illinois on a tenant farm owned by Cyrus McCormick. They later bought a farm in Sumner Township Kankakee County Illinois. The following children were born in Illinois ROBERT ALEXANDER[1862] JAMES W[1863] ELIZABETH[1864] JOHN WALLACE[1867] HANNAH[1868] HENRY[October 30,1870] NANSEY[1872] EDWARD BEMAN[1873] MARYJANE[1874] JOSEPH[1876] ANNA[1877] and MARTHA[1878]. Several of these children died in infancy and teenage years with respiratory problems. Sarah and HENRY lived long enough to marry and have children but died very young.

James,who became a naturalized citizen April 16,1874, farmed until 1891 when they bought a house on East Third Street in Manteno,

Illinois. He died there March 2, 1892 from Throat cancer. Hannah lived her last years with daughter Anna and died there February 24, 1927 from old age and pneumonia. James and Hannah and several of the children are buried in Elmwood Cemetery East of Manteno. They had amassed a good amount of property which took several years to settle the Estate.

Died at Monee, Illinois, October 5, 1894. Mrs. Sarah Gorman wife of Mr. James Gorman of Monee and daughter of Mrs. Hannah Nixon of Manteno. Mrs. Gorman was born in Scotland May 8,1860 ands came to this country with her parents when about 8 months old. She married Mr. James Gorman , November 1, 1888. She took sick May 30th and after four months of suffering she quietly passed away, leaving loving husband and three little boys to mourn her loss, the youngest being but eight months old. The hearse brought the remains from Monee, followed by a large company of relatives and friends. The funeral services were held in the Presbyterian Church Sunday afternoon, the house being filled to overflowing. Rev. Howard preached from John xi:35 "Jesus wept" his sermon being "The Tears of Jesus", He said that Christ was a sympathetic Savior. The sorrows of His children were His sorrows. He is present to every sorrowing heart; ready not only to sympathize with but to comfort the bereaved. There is one account given of Christ's tears that was when he looked down upon the city that rejected their savior. He exhorted the people to look to Christ for comfort and salvation. The remains were laid to rest in Manteno cemetery.

The funeral services of the late Joseph J. Nixon were held at the Presbyterian Church Saturday at 2 O'Clock pm. After prayer by Rev. M.M. McCreight the services were conducted by Rev. W.F. Goff, regular pastor of the church of which Mr. Nixon was a member. The casket was taken to the chapel from the home of the deceased's mother, Mrs. Hannah Nixon at 11 o'clock am where it remained in state until 1:30 pm during which time friends who cared to take a last farewell of the one whom they loved in life, were invited to do so. Many floral tributes were arranged on the casket before the altar as the choir consisting of Mrs. S.W. Parker, Mrs. Anna Gulick, Messrs. C.M. Wright aand C.H. Holmes sang "Lead Kindly Light" very beautifully. Rev. Goff spoke very feelingly of the noble Christian life of the departed young man who it seemed was called home too soon. The pall bearers were V.W. Lawrence, Wm. Stocksdale, George McQuaig, W.W., A.M. and Arthur Parker, all of whom were close friends during his life. Josesph was born Nov. 12, 1876 and died Feb. 4, 1904. He had married Sayde Beard and had 1 daughter , Ladora N.(Pinkie). Joseph and daughter are buried in Elmwood Cemetery at Manteno, Illinois.

Edward Beman Nixon was born November 26, 1873 in Sumner Township, Illinois . He married Mary Louise Cooper in 1857.They were the parents of Louise, Edna, Emmerson, Edith, Viola, Dorothy, and Yvonne. Ed was a farmer on rented land but later managed to buy a farm of his own. he was doing well until a series of farm related clamities set in on them and they sold the farm. He then accepted an offer from his brother in Minnesota to help him. After about a year away from home, Ed came home for a surprise visit. Three days later on January 27,1930 he died from a massive heart attack. Ed and Mary are buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Manteno.

John Wallace Nixon was born April 26, 1867 . He moved to Balaton, Minnesota where he became a farmer. He was the father of 12 children; Grace, Pearl, William, John Wallace Jr., Mildred, Bess Ldaurine, James Everett, Dorothy, Martha, Evelyn Ann, Floyd Charles (nick named Chub), and Mary Luella. John Nixon died December 29,1940.

Mary Nixon was born July 9, 1874. She married Jerome Lake and lived in Iowa. She and husband and children Elmer, Walter, Wilbur, Helen Bethia, Harold, Joseph and Ruth are pictured here. Mary died October 12, 1956.

Henry Nixon was born October 26, 1870 in Will Township of Will County near Manteno, Illinois the son of James and Hannah Moat Nixon. He worked on the railroad as a section foreman and later was in charge of grand maze of tracks at Yard Center. It was during his duties on the railroad that he came to the C&EI railroad in Watseka. The Cronin sisters who were said to be "Ladies of the Evening" lived by the Railroad here in Watseka, Illinois. Henry asked them if they knew of any nice girls in the area and they introduced him to Julia Maude Golden who lived a couple blocks West of the Railroad on Park Avenue. On October 18, 1893 Henry married Julia Maude Golden in her parents home at 238 Park Avenue Watseka, Illinois. Father T.J. Timmons, Catholic priest presided with witnesses Adam McNeal, Uncle of the bride and Katherine Golden, sister of the bride . The couple moved to Eggleston Avenue in Chicago. In June of 1900 Julia came to visit her parents where their son George Gordon (John) Nixon was born on June 23, 1900. On September 21, 1902 their second son, James Dennis Nixon was born in Chicago. Shortly after this Henry got Thyphoid Fever and was taken to Mercy Hospital in Chicago. He was recovering when some of his fellow employees visted him, sneaking a bottle of booze into the hospital for him. He died at Mercy Hospital January 31,1903. Henry had been a big man who weighed about 250 pounds. The funeral was held in Manteno with the Rev. W.F. Goff of the Presbyterian Church officiating. Henry is buried in Lot 23 of Elmwood Cemetery at Manteno next to his parents. Julia went back to Watseka to her parents where she later married William Templin and had a daughter Dorothy and son William Jr.

Robert Alexander Nixon was born February 10, 1862 the first child of James and Hannah to be born in the United States. He moved West to the Washington Territory in the 1880's and married Laura Newman in 1889. They were the parents of 8 children: Harry, Mavie Fleeta (Merwarth),Arthur,Vernon,Alexander Valentine,Cecil John,Anna Maybell (Powell),and Robert Alexander Jr..Robert A. Nixon Sr. died July 9, 1945.

Nancy Nixon was born March 2, 1872 the daughter of James and Hannah Moat Nixon. She married Phillip Moran April 23, 1894 at the St. Joseph's Catholic Rectory in Manteno, Illinois . They lived in Chicago for 15 years where Phillip worked as a plumber. They then moved to Wilmington, Illinois where he farmed several years. They moved to Manteno in 1913. They were the parents of children: Francis, Maude (Lockie), Irene(Trudeau), Bernard, and Helen (Chobar.) Nancy died June 27, 1919 and is buried in St. Joseph Catholic cemetery which is adjacent to Elmwood cemetery where her parents and siblings are buried.

In closing I offer the Lord's Prayer in our ancestors native Ulster-Scots Language

Oor Faither at bees abain,ye name be tovit; yer kangrick cum:yer gate be tae be on tha yird like abain forbye. Gie us ilka day wor day's bried,forgie us the wrangs we have wrocht, bein as we forgies themuns at wrangs worsels, dinnae airt us intil temptin bot save us frae aa ills. Fur yers bis tha kangrick, tha pouer an glorie for iver and aye.

e-mail me

alternative e-mail

another e-mail