McCance of Knocknagoney

THE McCANCES OWNED 371 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN

The family of McCance is said to have moved from Scotland to Ulster about 1710.

DAVID McCANCE (1684-1747), of Woodbourne, Dunmurry, County Antrim, married Isabella __________ (c1669-1724), and had issue,

JOHN McCANCE (1711-86), of Dunmurry, who wedded firstly, Rachel _______, and had issue,

DAVID of whom hereafter;

John, of Farmhill, Dunmurry;

William (1746-1810), of SUFFOLK HOUSE.

Mary, m James Stouppe.

The eldest son,

DAVID McCANCE (1736-93), of Knocknagoney, County Down, married Jane Wilson, and had issue,

JOHN, his heir;

Sarah; Rachel.

The only son and heir,

JOHN McCANCE (1784-1807), of Knocknagoney, espoused, in 1803, Mary Eliza, daughter of the Rev Samuel Martin Stephenson, of Belfast, and had issue,

DAVID, his heir;

John (1806-81), died unmarried.

The elder son,

DAVID McCANCE (1805-71), of Knocknagoney, married, in 1838, Emily, youngest daughter of William Stevenson, of Springfield, County Antrim, and had issue,

William (1840-71), died unmarried;

JOHN, of whom presently;

Mary, m Major J P Ewing.

The younger son,

JOHN McCANCE JP (1843-1922), of Knocknagoney House, Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Irish Rifles, High Sheriff of County Down, 1890, wedded, in 1873, Margaret Davidson, eldest daughter of Henry Harrison, of Holywood House, County Down, and had issue,

DAVID, his heir;

Henry Harrison (1885-1944);

Elizabeth.

The elder son,

DAVID McCANCE (1876-1953), of Knocknagoney House, married Elizabeth, daughter of _______ Patrick, and had issue, an only child,

Anne Dickson CBE MP

ANNE LETITIA McCANCE (Mrs Anne Dickson CBE MP), born in 1928, who wedded, in 1951, James Johnson Dickson, and had issue, four children.

Knocknagoney House (Image: A R Hogg/ Ulster Museum)

KNOCKNAGONEY HOUSE, Belfast, built in 1880, replaced Clifton House.

Clifton was built by the Haliday (Halliday) family in the 18th century, and was still in their possession in the 1850s. John Harrison, Senior, bought Clifton in 1854, together with the neighbouring Holywood House and a number of other properties. Clifton House was demolished ca 1880, to become the present Knocknagoney House.

Knocknagoney House was the residence of the McCances until ca 1953, when the grounds became the location of Orchard Caravans.

The house became the Windsor Hotel in the 1960s.

The house is now police administration offices, and the grounds are the site of a large Tesco super-store.