I have recently learned that my gg-grandmother, Jane Murray, may have come from Ballygowan, Co. Down. I don't know for sure what civil parish she was born in, as I understand Ballygowan could also be in Killinchy. I will post this message there too.
What I know is that Jane was born around 1815 to Edward Murray and Margaret (unsure of maiden name). It seems she married a Murray as well (John) who may have been from the same area. His parents were John Murray and Nancy (maiden name unknown). They most likely married in Co. Down and then left around 1850 and settled in Norristown, PA for about 10 years (where they had 2 children--Anna and Edward. Then they moved to Highland Township, Wabasha, MN. They eventually ended up in Collis, Traverse County, MN and died there. John in 1885 and Jane in 1895.
I'd like to be able to confirm Jane (and John's) birth places. For sure they were both born in Co. Down.
Colleen
CSlattery
Tuesday 25th Jun 2013, 07:22PMMessage Board Replies
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Hi Colleen,
Thank you very much for your message.
In order to confirm place of birth in the early 19th century you will have to look at church records as civil registration did not begin until 1864 in Ireland.
Do you know the families? religious denomination?
Most Catholic records are held locally so you may need to write to the local parish priest for possible assistance. One website that you may find useful is the Irish Times where they give an overview of what records are available in specific parishes. It also shows you where copies of the records are available.
Comber belongs to the Catholic parish of Newtownards, unfortunately records there do not begin until 1856:
Killinchy belongs to the Catholic Parish of Carrickmannon and records their do not start until 1837:
If the family were Protestant you may be more lucky as Church of Ireland records generally tend to have an earlier start date. Most surviving Church of Ireland records are still held by the local clergy, although some are in the National Archives of Ireland and others are in the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin. Here are their websites: http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ and http://ireland.anglican.org/about/42
Lists of these surviving registers can also be found at the National Library of Ireland.
It may be an idea to contact the Ulster Historical Foundation for some assistance, however a fee may apply. Here is their email: enquiry@uhf.org.uk
Kind regards,
Genealogy Support
Tuesday 9th Jul 2013, 12:48PM