Any information about Robert Stevenson born 1841 marries Jane Martin in 1859.

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lHi Elwyn

The marriage certificate shows that they both lived in Garvaghy. Robert was a weaver and his father John a farmer. Can this be taken any further?

Regards Les

Les,

Yes having the townlands helps a lot.

Griffiths Valuation for 1863 lists Robert Stevenson on plot 13b in the townland.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch

That was a labourer/weaver’s cottage and was on Rachel Bleakely’s farm (Plots 13 & 14). Today that’s on the Gall Bog Rd just outside Banbridge. I did not see a John Stevenson farming in the townland but possibly he lived elsewhere. There was also a John Martin and a James Martin. Can’t say whether they were related to Jane but they might be. Both with labourer/weaver’s cottages. (Labourers tended to work on the land in the summer and weave in the winter). No David Martin and no Martin farm.

Here’s a James in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Gaevaghy/Garvaghy…

Administration of the estate of James Martin late of Garvaghy County Down Weaver who died 25 January 1902 granted at Belfast to Anne Martin the Widow

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church which should be on the certificate (unless it was a Registry Office marriage). That church may be the place to look for her baptism and that of any siblings.

This site mentions that John Stevenson son of John Stevenson of Garvaghy married Elizabeth Magowan in 1862. So that may be a brother to your Robert:

https://web.archive.org/web/20140707085247/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/S/StevensonEtc.htm

The 1834 tithe applotment records doesn’t list any Martin farms in Garvaghy but there was a Robert & a James Stevenson, each with a farm there. No John but perhaps he was one of their sons.

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/garvaghy-parish.php#.WtT-_hR9eg0

Statutory birth records start in 1864 and non RC marriages in 1845. Prior to that you need to rely on church records. Not all have survived and of those that do still exist, not all are on-line.  You haven’t said what denomination the families were but I’d guess Presbyterian. Garvaghy Presbyterian church has baptisms from 1809 and marriages from 1845 (the marriages are also on the GRONI site). Kilkinamurry Presbyterian has lost all its pre 1900 records. The Garvaghy ones are in PRONI in Belfast.

I notice that the James Martin who died in 1902 was a Reformed Presbyterian (also called Covenanters). So there must be a Reformed Presbyterian church in the area. Possibly Dromara but they only have records from 1874 so not much help.

Many thanks. I have a cousin who is living 11 miles from Gavarny and he is going to search locally.

Elwyn, there is a John Stevenson on the Griffiths valuation (same page as James) he is residing at ref 37.

Elwyn, janes father was a David Martin. My mother who was a Stevenson was a Catholic.

My mistake for overlooking John Stevenson in Garvaghy. You are correct. He is on plot 37 which was just under 4 acres. That’s on the modern Thorn Hill Rd. John’s name remains tenant of that property till 1891 when he was replaced first by Elizabeth Nelson and then by Samuel Nelson.

John died at Garvaghy 6.10.1892 aged 98, of burns. There was an inquest on 7.10.1892. So you might find the inquest papers in PRONI or a report in the papers.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1892/06021/4714321.pdf

Elwyn we are so grateful for your help in finding our family’s roots. My cousin visited Garvaghy yesterday and has the details of someone who has access to the grave records. Hopefully we will find John and perhaps more of his family. Regards Les

Les,

I am gklad to hear it is all coming together.

Cheers Elwyn I have been looking on PRONI and newspaper records for the inquest but found nothing as yet.

Les,

The inquests are not on-line at PRONI. Someone will need to go and look them up for you. According to their e-catalogue, the records for Co. Down for the years 1881-1897 should be under PRONI ref: DOW 6/1.

Hi Elwyn thanks for pointing us in the right direction. I will let you know if we are successful. Cheers Les

Hi Elwyn, unfortunately we have drawn a blank at PRONI re the inquest into the death of John Stevenson. We have also drawn a blank of grave records at the church in Garvaghy. The church is Church of Ireland  and our ancestors were catholic. Are you aware of any RC church that would have been there in 1796 to 1862? Regards Les 

Les,

I don’t know the area well enough to suggest which graveyards to search. However you could contact the RC parish office to ask them which graveyards are commonly used by their parishioners. Contact details here:

https://www.dromorediocese.org/parishes/parish-details/?parishID=19

Having said that, I note that your ancestors’ farm was pretty small (under 4 acres) so they weren’t very well off. The majority of the population at that time couldn’t afford a gravestone and were buried without one.  So the issue may be that they are in an unmarked grave. That will make it very difficult to locate them since, apart from the Church of Ireland, most other denominations didn’t keep any burial records.

You ask about churches in the Garvaghy area in 1796-1862.  Here’s a link to the parish history. In short I think the current church replaces a mass house that was nearby but is now gone:

http://www.lisburn.com/books/dromore-diocese/parish-dromore.html

Hi Elwyn,Once again many thanks. Regards Les