My great-grandmother, Rose Gorman, married Joseph Dinsmore in Glenbuck in Finvoy in 1870. On their marriage certificate it said she was a servant from Glenbuck. Her father's name was Alexander Gorman, according to the marriage certificate (also identified as Alexander on her brother John Gorman's marriage certificate to Mary Drain/Drane). The mother isn't listed. However the death certificate of John Gorman, who died in Ohio where he immigrated to (Rose and Joseph settled in Brooklyn, NY), lists his mother as Alla Haggerty. The two times we traveled to Antrim, we went to Glenbuck, where people said there were no Gormans there. Some suggested that perhaps Rose and John moved to Glenbuck for work. Speculation, of course. Can anyone shed some light on the Gormans of Antrim? Any information on Alla Haggerty or Alexander Gorman? Any leads would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Christine Dinsmore
ChristineDinsmore
Thursday 21st May 2020, 01:08AMMessage Board Replies
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Christine,
I would agree with the information that you obtained in the Glenbuck area that Gorman is not a name found locally. Looking at the 1901 census for Co. Antrim, there were 127 Roman Catholic Gormans in the county. The vast majority lived in or near Belfast. I can’t see any in the area around Glenbuck. Given that Rose was a servant, I’d go with the possibility she had moved to Glenbuck for work, from Belfast or further afield.
I notice that her father Alexander was a farmer, according to her marriage certificate. If alive, he would likely be listed in Griffiths Valuation. I searched it but did not find a single Alexander Gorman farmer anywhere in Ireland. (There was 1 labourer in Cotton, Co Down. That was it). That could suggest he had died by the time Griffiths was compiled (1847 to 1864).
I searched the on-line RC parish records for a marriage for Alexander Gorman to Haggerty but without success. There isn’t a single Alexander Gorman marriage listed anywhere in Ireland. So either he married in a parish that doesn’t have any records for the period in question (quite possible) or he wasn’t RC. (I mention that simply because there were 10 people named Alexander Gorman in the 1901 census. Only 1 was RC. The others were all Presbyterian or Church of Ireland).
Statutory death registration started in Ireland in 1864. I searched 1864 to 1921 for Alexander Gorman deaths, of a farmer of an age to be Rose’s father. I found this one in Drumillard, Co. Monaghan:
That family does appear to have been RC. See the 1901 census:
Drumillard is in the RC parish of Muckno. Their baptism records start in 1835. You might want to check them for Rose or John’s baptisms on the nli site:
https://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx
2 other possible Alexander Gorman deaths were in Cavan 1869 aged 55 & Monaghan 1871 aged 60. Those are not viewable on-line free at present and so to see them you would need to order copies from GRO Roscommon.
John Gorman’s marriage certificate gives his address as Glenbuck in 1873, and his occupation as farmer. I checked the Valuation Revision (property occupancy) records for that period and there was no Gorman farm in Glenbuck. If he was farming there then he was doing it for someone else and wasn’t the farm owner or tenant. I notice a Drain farm in Glenbuck (John & Charles farming together). Perhaps he was working there? Perhaps they were related to Hugh Drain of Dunloy (whose farm is listed in Griffiths). Whatever the explanation it also tends to confirm that John and Rose Gorman were not long established in the area.
Sorry but I have no other suggestions.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Thursday 21st May 2020, 07:25AM