Margaret Ann Donnelly

Valdon,

A word of caution first. We can’t give out any information on this board on people who may be alive today. That’s Ireland Reaching Out’s policy. From the wording of your message l assume Margaret is dead.

You want to know whether she married, sometime after 1950. The marriage records for Northern Ireland post 1940 are not on-line anywhere. They are held by GRONI in Belfast. You can either go there in person and pay for a day searching the indexes (I think it costs about £7 for a day or part day, and you need to book. Ask to book an index search). Or you could pay a researcher to do it, or you could pay GRONI to do it for you. They charge for each 5 year period searched. They will give you accurate details of all the costs. If you go in person you can view each certificate for £2 a time and/or you can order a certified copy for a reduced fee of £8, provided you order that same day. (Normal fee is £16).

If you find a marriage, you can then search the birth records using both parents surnames to see if they had any children. Again these records are not on-line for births in the 1950s. Someone has to search in GRONI as per the marriage. The same technique applies for finding Margaret's siblings in the 1920s or 30s as birth indexes after 1916 are not on-line.

Have you checked to see if Joseph left a will when he died in 1980? There are no probate records on-line for 1980 but the files themselves are in PRONI where they are free to view. You need to search the Will calendars which are big index books in the public reading room. The date you really need is not the date of death but the date that probate was granted. That’s the date under which the file is kept. So start with 1980 and go forwards 1 year at a time till you find it. Sometimes probate is not granted for several years after the death if there are delays. You then order the actual file up from the store room. PRONI staff will show you how to do that. If Joseph left a will you might expect him to have named living dependents in it, probably with an address if its in the 1980s.

Can you post a link to Joseph in the 1901 census, and I’ll see what I can find on his family.

Thank you Elwyn for your comprehensive response.  I am unable to say whether or not Margaret is still alive.   I​t is entirely possible that she is still alive, and if so she would be 87 now -- BUT I just don't know.    

As for Joseph -- I am having a problem discovering any birth or ancestral details as any time I have searched, there are several 'Joseph Donnellys' come up that could be the one I'm looking for.   I believe this is his grave >  http://www.discovereverafter.com/plot/12438    On the basis that he was 83 at time of death in January 1980 I'm estimating his year of birth as either 1896 or 1897.   On that basis I searched births for both years and, in total, found 4 'Josephs'.   Without knowing his mother's maiden surname I'm really unable to decide which one is the 'correct' one.  

 I note that in the same plot, Philomena Donnelly is also buried.  The date for Philomena is 20/02/2013 so I'm assuming that she was either a daughter, or, less likely, a grand daughter? . . . but again, I'm only guessing. I'll have a look and see if I will be able to figure out how to go about searching for a will.

Note to Elwyn: --- You previously asked if I could post a link to Joseph in the 1901 Census --- well, I searched both the 1901 and 1911 censuses and found more than one Joseph Donnelly, leaving me with the problem of deciding which was the "real" one.  If it is of any help to you in establishing further authentic information, I can give the date and place of his marriage:   He was married (to Annie Hampsey, [mother's maiden surname - Diamond]) on 25 April 1921 in Bellaghy R. C. Church.   Despite having that information I have so far failed to find any accurate birth, ancestral or descendant details in respect of Joseph.