The 1901 Census

The study of the McClure surname in Ulster begins with

the 1901 Census. Because of the four courts fire many

valuable genealogical resources were lost. Fortunately

the 1901 and 1910 Census survived and provide us with

a wide range of information which may assist in

identifying the areas of early settlement in Ulster.

A map of the raw numbers of the McClure surname is

the starting point. 1524 McClures are found in Ulster.

Broadly speaking four significant clusters can be

identified.

The region identified as #1 has at it’s core the port of

Belfast. 413 McClure’s,  27% of all individuals, are found

within a radius of 5 miles of Belfast. Two factors

contribute to this dominance. First is the proximity to

the coast of Ayrshire and Galloway where McClure’s are

found in large numbers. Two way migration between

Belfast and Scotland had been a factor since the

plantation (and before), resulting in growth of the

largest metropolitan region in Ulster. Secondly,

particularly  since the 18th century, the draw of the city

as it industrialized has resulted in large scale emigration

from its immediate hinterland.

Area #2 is defined by Coleraine, the River Bann and the

Lough Neagh Basin. The region was settled planters in

the early 17th century attracted by it’s prime agricultural

land.

Area #3 is centred on Londonderry and Donegal.  The

River Folye  and Lough Swilly provided access to

Tyrone Londonderry and Donegal.

Area #4 is a minor concentration of the surname centred

on Donegal Bay in the SW of Donegal.

All four regions have a major port and river access to the

interior. These factors influenced the settlement of

planters and the McClure’s in the 17th century.

The regional concept can also be seen by examining the

religious structure of the McClure surname. Zones # 2

and # 3 are predominantly Presbyterian. Zones #1 and #

4 are entirely or predominantly Church of Ireland.

Surname Intensity:

We can begin to examine the structure of each area by

expressing the distribution as a relative measure. In this

case we can express the distribution of McClure’s  per

100,000 population.

Areas with the highest intensity are likely the areas of

earliest settlement. Over time as opportunities arose,

individuals would relocate, usually to areas nearby that

they were familiar with, establishing secondary satellite

settlements. The Dark green areas represent the core

areas within each district. A second measure of intensity

can be calculated.

The Banwell Index compares the frequency of the

surname in a local area a (District Electoral Division),

with the frequency of the surname in a larger area, in

this case Ulster. The Index has been filtered to display

only those Electoral divisions in which the Banwell

Index is at least 5x the frequency of Ulster as a whole. In

the areas of Greatest intensity, the frequency of the

surname is between 15 and 24 times higher than in

Ulster. By using this measure we can significantly

reduce the probable zones of initial settlement.

Occupational Structure

Further confirmation of the primacy of these regions can

be established by examining the occupational structure

of the McClure surname. Farmers are by far the most

stable elements in the population of Ulster, often

remaining in the same general region for generations. If

we filter out farmers from the 1525 McClure’s and plot

them on the map of highest intensity, they are generally

found close to areas where the Banwell index exceeds 5

times the national average.

Summary

The 1901 census is an invaluable tool that can be used to

isolate areas of long term settlement. Areas can be

identified with intensity indexes and occupational

structure. The next task will be to determine if the time

horizon can be extended back to the 16th century and

the plantation era. In the absence additional censuses or

parish records can approach this task by examining

census substitutes.

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