Watsons and Corry's of Clontonakelly, County Down

Jackie,

Birth registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864. Prior to that you need to rely on church baptism records. Not all churches have records and of those that do, not all are on-line.

Likewise for marriage records. Statutory  marriage registration started in April 1845. Again before that you need to rely on church records. Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church after which she’d attend her husband’s, so marriage and children’s baptisms can be in different churches. This link explains what records exist, parish by parish:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/proni-guide-church-records

If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

There were still Corrys in Clontonakelly in the 1901 census and I note they were Presbyterian (therefore likely Scots origins) so you might want to search Presbyterian records for James & Mary’s marriage. Perhaps Drumbo Presbyterian. It has records from 1699 (with gaps). Copy held in PRONI.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Drumbo/Clontonakelly/1238832/

This looks like James Watson’s death in 1874:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1874/020647/7244834.pdf

Note that the informant was a James Watson of Belfast, so possibly that was a son? His wife had pre-deceased him. I see a possible death for her in 1870. However that year is not on-line free yet so I can’t say if it is right.  You can view it for £2.50 on the GRONI website if interested in it.

James death indicates he was born c 1817. So he likely married around 1840.

I see a birth of a daughter Ellen Watson on 14^th Feb 1866 in Clontonakelly:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_retur…

Griffiths Valuation shows James on plot 25 in Clontonakelly (parish of Comber). That was just over 10 acres. After his death a James Douglas became the tenant (according to the Valuation Revision records on the PRONI site).

Jackie,

RootsIreland gives the following baptism dates for Samuel and two of his siblings:

Church BaptismWatsonDavid1855Co. Down

Church BaptismWatsonSamuel1859Co. Down

Church BaptismWatsonMary1861Co. Down

Thank you, I appreciate your help.