Hello, looking for help for the above-noted. The only definite date I have is for Alfred Christopher McKay - his date of birth is January 1, 1842. His father, John McKay, is buried in Downpatrick in a Protestant cemetery. He originally came from Scotland. We think John McKay had a previous wife - Martha Danson.
Mary Jane McConnell was born in Ireland, either in 1821 or 1822. She emigrated with her son (John was deceased at this time) around 1849 first to England where she and her son converted to Roman Catholicism in London, then perhaps departed for Quebec. She died in Montreal in 1848.
Alfred is my great grandfather.
Many thanks for any help you can provide.
AMM
Saturday 12th Nov 2022, 08:08PMMessage Board Replies
-
AMM,
Statutory birth, death and marriage registration (in some jurisdictions called Vital Records) only started in Ireland in 1864, save for non RC marriages which were recorded from 1845 onwards. So you probably won’t find statutory birth, death or marriage certificates in Ireland for this family. For earlier years you usually need to rely on church records, where they exist. Ideally you need to know the precise denomination and have some idea of where the person was born in order to search the correct records. Not all churches have records for that period and not all are on-line.
RC records are mostly on-line on the nli site:
https://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx
For other denominations, the churches usually hold the originals but there are also copies in PRONI, the public record office, in Belfast. A personal visit is required to access them. Access to the records there is free. This link explains what records exist, parish by parish:
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/proni-guide-church-records
If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net
Their e-mail contact is: secretary@sgni.net
If Alfred Christopher McKay was baptised in Downpatrick, then there are about 6 churches with records for the 1840s. (Details on the PRONI site). His parents’ marriage might also be in the same church but not necessarily. Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, after which she’d attend her husband’s. Likewise for the possible marriage to Martha Danson (which might be Dawson. That’s much more common than Danson).
Take Alfred’s date of birth with a little caution. Most people in Ireland didn’t celebrate birthdays in the 1800s and didn’t always know precisely how old they were. If officialdom later asked for an age or date of birth it was common just to make one up. So the normal advice is to search 5 years either side of the date you have been given.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Saturday 12th Nov 2022, 09:03PM