McComb/Benagh - accidentaly deleted!!!

I believe the person who originally helped me was named Elwyn.

jmpaes,

Unfortunately I don’t have a copy of the reply that I posted. It seems to have been deleted from my messages box when you deleted the original message. I recall saying something like:

The townland where the couple were living at the time of their marriage was Tonaghmore in Co. Down. (No connection with Donaghmore in Donegal). To confuse matters slightly there are 2 places called Tonaghmore in Co. Down. The one your family appear to have lived in was in the parish of Magherally. Essy’s father Samuel is listed there in Griffiths Valuation for 1863. He had plot 11 which was a 7 acre farm. That farm today is on the Glen Rd outside Banbridge, near Drombane Nursing home. Postcode BT25 1JX. You can see where it is by using the maps on the Griffiths Valuation site:

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

Tradition was to marry in the brides church so it might be worth looking at Donaghclonley Presbyterian church’s baptism records in PRONI. I don’t think they are on-line anywhere.

I used the irishgenealogy site to find some events for the Benagh family. Here’s Charlotte B marrying Joseph Hale:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1874/11242/8122475.pdf

Eliza Benagh’s death:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1894/05960/4693962.pdf

Informant was son in law Charles Campbell (who married twice, first to Eliza Beenagh who died around 1893, and then Mary McClements). That family in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Magherally/Tanaghmore/1203890/

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1888/10763/5925448.pdf

The Hale family in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Magherally/Drumnavaddy/1204019/

Probate abstract for Charles Campbell:

Probate of the Will of Charles Campbell late of Tonaghmore, Blackskull, Dromore, Co. Down, who died 28 June 1920 granted at Belfast 15 October 1920 to John Hilary, Farmer and Mary Jane Campbell, the widow. Effects: £378 0s 0d.

And for Joseph Hale:

Probate of the Will of Joseph Hale late of Drumnavaddy County Down Farmer who died 25 October 1914 granted at Belfast to Joseph Hale Farmer and William Smyth School Teacher (Retired)

This is presumably that Joseph’s son:

Hale Joseph of Drumnavaddy Banbridge county Down farmer died 13 February 1930 Administration Belfast 3 July to Annie Hale the widow. Effects £202 11s.

The above probate files are held in PRONI. If you go there you can view them free.

If I recall correctly I said that finding William McComb’s birth in Belfast may be hard going. It’s before the start of statutory birth registration and so you need to rely on church records. There are about 150 churches in Belfast and few of their records are on-line (save for the RC records and I assume he wasn’t born RC). If you don’t know the church and denomination, there’s a lot of records to plough through.

Further to the above message, I found Eliza Campbell (nee Beenagh)’s death on 15.6.1897, aged 54.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1897/05850/4657648.pdf

I also looked at the Valuation Revision records on the PRONI website to see when Samuel died, and who acquired the farm after his wife Eliza died. Samuel is replaced by Eliza in 1873. After her death she is replaced by Charles Campbell, so evidently there was no son available to run the farm and it went to the daughter Eliza and her husband.

https://apps.proni.gov.uk/

Samuel died 30.3.1873 aged 73. Indexed under Beenagh. That certificate is not available to view free yet. You can view the original on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

Eliza Benagh (who married Charles Campbell) had an illegitimate son Robert in May 1888. You would expect the father was Charles Campbell but of course we don’t know that from the birth certificate (baptism records might confirm it):

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1888/02519/1933480.pd

There was also an Isabella Benagh who died in the Banbridge registration area in 1872, aged 59. That’s not on-line free yet either. Presumably a relation of Samuel’s in some way (Sister or sister-in-law).

Samuel & Eliza look to have married before 1845 which is when statutory registration of marriages started. So you would need to search the church records to try and find their marriage. That may involve a trip to PRONI.

Tradition was generally to marry in the bride’s church, after which she’d attend her husband’s. In this particular case though the 3 sisters each married in a different church, so we don’t know which church was the family one. Eliza married in Magherally Presbyterian (which has records from 1837 onwards), Essy married in Donacloney Presbyterian (which has records from 1798) and Charlotte married in Seapatrick Church of Ireland (which has records from 1802). Copies of all these records are in PRONI but a personal visit is required to view them.

Moses Benagh had the Tonaghmore farm in the tithe applotment records for 1833:

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/magherally-parish.php#.XD4ogBSqCns

Those records don’t say what the connection is between Moses and Samuel but it’s probably father & son. The church records may confirm that for you. Moses appears to have been dead by 1863 as Samuel is the tenant then.

ELWYN....YOU ARE A SAINT! You have gone above and beyond (especially if my clumsy mess of deleting it!). I promise not to delete anything from here on out!!! So grateful to you! God bless, Mary Ann

Hi there

Just to add to the above information;

Esther Benagh was baptised in Donaghcloney Presbyterian Church on 24 May 1852.  Her parents were Samuel Benagh and Eliza Graham and they lived at Tonaghmore townland.  Samuel married Elizabeth (Eliza) on 18 May 1843 in Donaghcloney Presbyterian.  Eliza was said to be from Magherally townland.  Jane Benagh may have been a sister of Samuel as she was married in the same church to John Jamison on 6 Nov 1839.

There is a Samuel Benagh, son of George, baptised in Donaghcloney Presbyterian on 5 Jun 1808.  A brother, John, was baptised the same day - he may or may not have been a twin.  A elder brother, Moses, was baptised on 4 May 1806.

Finally, in 1789 there was a Moses Benagh who was a Freeholder of property in Tonaghmore.  This will explain it and let you search for him.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/search-freeholders-records

Hope this helps!