I’m seeking information either about the parents of my great great grandparents who left county down in 1819, or current relatives with the surnames of Jeffrey or Bishop. According to naming patterns, I may be looking for a William Jeffrey who would have been born in the 1700s. He would’ve had at least one son named John who married Mary Bishop. They immigrated to the US in 1819. Does anybody have any information to help me trace the Jeffrey or Bishop families back to the earlier part of the 1700s? My great grandfather John was born in 1780. So I’m looking for his father and mother thank you for any help you can give me. I also want to meet any relatives who still live in the area when I come in June 2020. I am bringing a group of cousins on a genealogical tour
JillJ
Thursday 17th Oct 2019, 08:08PMMessage Board Replies
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You haven’t said what denomination your family were but none of the 3 main churches in Ballywalter has any records for the 1700s or early 1800s. The Church of Ireland records start in 1845; 1st Presbyterian in 1824 and 2nd Presbyterian in 1820. Going by the denominations in the 1901 census for Co. Down, your family appear most likely to have been Presbyterian or Church of Ireland. (So they probably arrived in Co Down from Scotland in the 1600s).
There’s mentions of Jeffreys in Ballywalter on Rosdavies board:
http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rosdavies/genealogy/SURNAMES/J/Je.htm
No Jeffrey or Bishop households farming in Ballywalter in 1834:
http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/ballywalte…
Researching in Ireland for the 1700s and early 1800s can be very difficult due to the general lack of records.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Thursday 17th Oct 2019, 08:25PM