H  E  L  P   ........... !!!

I am interested in finding out more about the following. Any help would be greatly appreciated brian@orrnamestudy.com

William ORR  married  Anne JOHNSON date not known:

their son

James ORR   b 27 January 1839.

married 6 June Antrim Matilda McCLUNE b ca 1838.

**********************************************************************

John ORR married  Martha SMITH date not known:

their son

James ORR  b 25 September 1836. Dromara, Co Down.

His marriage and spouse not known

**********************************************************************

William Bruce ORR Listed in the Ulster Pedigree

b ca 1760 d  30 August 1790 Scrabo, Newtownards.

Captain of the Comber Volunteers.

Married Nancy CUMING ca 1780

Children:

James, b ca 1783   

Thomas b ca  1784

Andrew b  ca 1786       All the sons went to the West Indies

John b ca  1788            at some juncture and may have either

Robert b ca 1789          returned later, or went on to the USA.

Found so far (a possible):

1. Robert Orr spouse Elizabeth MEVOZIES , living 1823, St Johns, Antigua.

Daughter Louise Augusta Orr b 17 Oct 1822. baptised 12 Feb 1823.

2. Robert Orr, Antigua. Slave Compensation Claim # 967/30 November 1835. 1 slave, £13.0s.2p.

NOTE: Antigua trade 18C.

By the middle of the 18th century, there were more than 150 sugar cane processing windmills on the island. With the success of sugar cane crops, farmers on the island turned from the production of tobacco to sugar, which in turn increased the number of slaves on the island to fulfil the need for more labour.

At the end of the 18th century, Antigua became a key strategic port and a very valuable commodity for the British colonies. The "gateway to the Caribbean," as Antigua was then known. It was in a prime location that offered control over major sailing routes between the region's wealthy island colonies. As the sugar industry grew, an increasing number of slaves were brought from Africa to the island under harsh and inhumane conditions. In 1834, Britain abolished slavery, and Antigua fully emancipated its slaves, forgoing the four-year waiting period some colonies instituted.

While 96 percent of Antigua's population claim African heritage, three percent of the remaining inhabitants are Europeans, who, for the most part, can trace their lineage back to slave owners and early colonialists of the islands.

3. There was a fairly large presence of Orr in Jamaica ( approx 300 entries Civil registrations - www.familysearch.org   [Caribbean ] but after 1850 in the main and too late for above ).