Aughnamoe - William Patterson, father to Alexander, father to Alexander -

Here is a birth record of Samuel from aughnamoe. https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_retur…

Doug,

Tithes in 1834 indicate there were just 2 Patterson farms in Aghnamoe then (James & William):

https://cotyroneireland.com/tithe/dromore.html

By the time of the Encumbered Estates inventory in 1856, there were still 2 (William & Samuel) suggesting Samuel had acquired James farm (given that they were father and son that’s not too surprising). So James senior appears to have died between 1834 and 1856.

By the time of Griffiths Valuation (1860) there are 3 farms (Samuel, William & James (jnr).

Given their relative ages, Samuel & William look to me to probably be brothers. If Alexander (snr) was born c 1835, then William must have been born 1815 or earlier, to be his father. And we know that Samuel was born around 1810 from the 1901 census.

As you say William is deleted from the Revision Records between 1864 and 1879. The red ink suggests it may have been 1872 but I can’t be 100% sure. Death registration started in 1864. I searched the death records for 1864 to 1880 but did not find any adult Williams. So I suspect he died before 1864. But given that he made it into Griffiths, that narrows it to between 1860 and December 1863. His wife probably pre-deceased him because otherwise you might expect her to have acquired the life interest. Griffiths clerks weren’t 100% accurate and you do see names recorded as tenant long after someone had died, especially if the land remained in the same family.

You wonder if William died young and James jnr brought Alexander up. Alexander and James were both about the same age were they not? (James was born around 1835). Their father looks to have been alive around 1860, so I’d have thought he brought them up.

Family was Presbyterian. Samuel born c 1810:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Tullyclunagh/Au…

They likely attended Dromore Presbyterian church. It has baptism & marriage records from 1835 onwards. They are not on-line anywhere so far as I am aware but there is a copy in PRONI. You may get William’s wife’s name from that if he had any children born 1835 onwards.

Thank you so much for the replies! It is so hard to piece the puzzles together from so far away. I am hoping to come over next fall to explore these areas! This is my grandmothers side- my grandfather's side (Hunter) were also from Northern Ireland. Can't wait!! Blessings!

Thanks for that information. I have seen those records and have searched them back somewhat, still working on it!  I have to read very carefully your line again. First time I got a little confused with all the James!  But I'll get there. It definitely means a visit. If I get anything definitive I will post for confirmation. 

thanks  

Doug

Hi Doug- to be honest, I am still sorting through them all too. Samuel St's birthdate is off by 10 years in the census and his death certificate. 1901 census says he was 90, but his death certificate says he was 100. So he was either born in 1901 or 1911. Which throws off William, who I am still searching for, if his brother. And yes! So many James! I still don't have them straight. I am trying a visual diagram- I will post it for you when I am confident in in. Lots of info- just need to connect the James ;)

In general, people in Ireland in the 1800s didn’t celebrate birthdays, didn’t have birth certificates or passports (though they might sometimes have had a baptismal cert) and often had little accurate idea of their ages. Most ages on official documents were just a guess. Errors of up to 10 years or more for someone over 70 were absolutely normal.

Alexander Irvine was born in 1863 in Antrim town and became a Minister living in the US. This extract from his book “The Chimney Corner revisited” perhaps explains why people often had to guess their ages:

“My mother kept a mental record of the twelve births. None of us ever knew, or cared to know, when we were born. When I heard of anybody in the more fortunate class celebrating a birthday I considered it a foolish imitation of the Queen’s birthday, which rankled in our little minds with 25th December or 12th July. In manhood there were times when I had to prove I was born somewhere, somewhen, and then it was that I discovered that I also had a birthday. The clerk of the parish informed me.”

That is very helpful Elwyn. I have a couple of birthdays off from 2 to up to10 years, like Samuel. In one situation I thought it was perhaps so that the woman could get married at "full age", that maybe they stretched the date a little. So many of the early 1800 family did not read it write, so they couldnt record the dates. I had not thought about this before. Thank you for this insight. 

Glad to have helped. As another example, I have attached a letter which I found in parish records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast from someone in Pettigoe, Co. Donegal in 1908 writing to his Minister, asking for proof of age (ie a baptismal certificate). All he knew was that he was between “70 and 78 years of age.” He clearly had only the vaguest idea and couldn’t narrow it down to within 9 years. (The likely reason for the letter was that the old age pension was being introduced in 1909 for people aged 70 and over. Documentary proof of age was required. Thus, probably for the first time in his life, establishing his age accurately became relevant to him).

I hope this isn't a silly question.  Is there anyway to find out if there are any Patterson's that go to Dromore Presbyterian Church, Omagh, County Tyrone (or family from the area) that I could talk to?  I have so many James' in the family tree my head is spinning :).  I am hoping that there is someone out there who might be able to make some sense out of my jumbled James'!  I am still researching WIlliam and the Alexanders (Jr and Sr), my direct line.  I was just really hoping to find out some sibling and extended family links that have me extremely confused. 

You could contact the church and ask. Write to the Minister or the Kirk Session clerk at the church, Omagh Rd, Dromore Co. Tyrone Northern Ireland BT78 3HZ. I looked for a Facebook page for them but couldn't find one. So perhaps a letter will do it instead.

Thank you Elwyn!

Hmmmmm.  Dromore Presbyterian Church in County Tyrone was built in 1835.  I found that Fintona and Dromore parishes were united until 1834, the first Dromore pastor being ordained in 1835.  I am looking for information on my GGG grandfather William Patterson. I have searched Fintona records and have found nothing.  

I have a "Landed Estates Court Rentals" for William at Aughnamoe, Omagh, Tyrone dated 1831, the covering date is Nov 1856. Where there is designation for Parish, it is "--". Blank. 

I have the Title Applotment in 1834 that lists William and his brother(?)  James.  This one says Parish Dromore. On the cover it says for the "Parish of Dromore (2), Diocese of Clogher".  Is it possible that he would be Catholic? I can find no records of birth. 

Any thoughts? Should I look at other parishes?  Because I have no spouse or parent information, I think I am stuck.  Thoughts?

Few Presbyterian records are on-line. As I explained in an earlier post, copies can mostly be found in PRONI in Belfast but a personal visit is required to view them. Having said that, Dromore Presbyterian has no records before 1835 and Fintona has none before 1836. (There were Presbyterian congregations there but either the Ministers didn't keep any records or, if they did, they are lost. So if the events you are interested in are before those years, there are no records to find. I doubt the family were Catholic but if they were, then there's no records for the 1700s and early 1800s for that parish either. (Their batisms start in 1835).

Elwyn,

You have been such a huge help with my William Patterson family.  Over the past year I have been able to find many more things online.  I wonder if it is ok to post these here, so that the record is correct?

William Patterson and Mary Nixon of Aghnamoe Townland, Dromore Parish, Omagh, County Tyrone (born approxiamately 1808ish) had 10 children  (living) according to the 1835 and 1864 Dromore Presbyterian Church records at Emerald Ancestors. I was also able to connect with a distant cousin, who had been to Dromore Presbyterian Church and actually took photos of the birth and marriage pages at a book there.  I have photographed written record the last three of William and Mary's children birth and baptism, as well as four of his brother Samuel and Catherin Egleson's children.  As far as I know, this information is not online anywhere, so these photos are treasures! This was a wealth of information for William's family as well as his brother Samuel's family, as it has the birth and baptism dates.  This is also how I found Mary's maiden name was Nixon.

William and Mary Patterson's children: Anne (born about 1829), Alexander (my line - born about 1831), James (born about 1833), Sarah (born about 1835), WIlliam (born about 1837), George (born about 1841), Catherine (born about 1845), Joseph 21 AUG 1845, John 8 JAN 1848, and Margaret Jane 21 MAR 1855. 

Also, in looking at the 1835 census, my best guess is that James (Senior - born around 1785ish)  is both William and Samuel's father. His wife's name was also Mary.  They had 3 children living at home in 1835 - Samuel, aged 27, James, aged 27-twins?, and Catherine aged 19.  I am assuming William is also their child, who had already started his family. 

This has been a lot of fun, tracking them down, and now I am trying to extend the family and discover more. I wanted to thank you for your help Elwyn!

Jill,

Glad to have helped.  Pleased you found the church records. You are probably correct about some not being on-line. There are still many Protestant records in Ireland that are not on-line and you have to go to PRONI or the church itself to get them.