Who knew that ancestor hunting could be so much fun?

Searching for evidence of my Great Great Grandmother, Jane Wilson, we started with the Presbyterian church in Killead. The grave yard had five or six headstones with names of both sides of the our family - probably a lot of second cousins many times removed….. Knocking on the door of the minister next door, we spent time talking to his wife who suggested the Public records in Belfast and also gave us directions to the Killead Irish Church. 

Well, it turned out to be located within the secure zone of RAF Aldergrove. The barracks were first built during WWII but have continued to be active through “The Troubles”. We were greeted at a check point where we giddily explained our mission to the young guy with a semi-automatic gun. He sent us to the next gate and suggested we explain our reasons there. The second, equally well-equipped fellow heard us out and told us to wait while he worked things out. Shortly after, a security vehicle arrived. By this time, guy 2 changed his approach and had a bit of a smile on his face as he said, Okay, not a word!” I asked if he meant we weren’t supposed to talk and he laughed and said, “No, just don’t tell the boss!” So with a promise that we’d memorize the route following the security vehicle so we could find our own way out, we were waved through - with a final “not a word” reminder. 

A ways into the barracks, we were led into a parking lot in front of the church and with a wave of a hand out the window, the security vehicle left us. 

The church, dated 1712, was locked tight but again we found many graves with family names from both sides of the family. To add to the unusual surroundings and situation, as we strolled around the grave site we were accompanied by the sound of live ammunition going off just behind the bushes surrounding the church - practice time I guess. 

We made it out safely but at the gate Bill asked our new best friend why the sign noted that the security level was severe. Explanation: it is always severe. To our question, aren’t things getting better in northern Ireland? the response: Oh no, not at all. 
Next stop was up the road to The Mount: the farm where Jane was born. Success! The sign is still on the wall but we found out that the farm is no longer in the family - sold about 10 years ago. We were treated to a tour by the current tenant who is sad to see the farm deteriorating. He has heard the new owners might turn the fields into a windmill farm. The centuries old farm house is damp he tells us and would have to be torn down anyway. 

I have loads of pictures to share with the keen ancestor searchers of the family and we’ll stop by at the public records tomorrow to see if there is anything else we can find out.