Montgomery in Londonderry

Rod,

I see from Elizabeth’s 1870 marriage that her townland was Tobermore. This may be her father’s death in 1897. He was a widower. The informant was Eliza Kane (who appears in the 1901 census with Matilda):

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1897/05878/4666982.pdf

Griffiths Valuation shows Alexander Montgomery having just under 4 acres of land in Moneyshanere (plot 14) but no house on the land. His house appears to have been in the Main St, Tobermore (where he is shown as having a house, offices, a yard and a garden).

I don’t see a death for his wife Matilda so suspect she died before 1864 when statutory death registration started.

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church. Elizabeth married in Maghera Church of Ireland in 1870, so I’d suspect that was the family church. That church has baptism records from 1785, marriages from 1798 and burials from 1809. According to my guide to Church of Ireland records the Maghera records are not on-line anywhere. However there is a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast if you or a researcher care to visit. You may get Alexander & Matilda’s baptisms from that (assuming Matilda was also born Church of Ireland), and also their children's baptisms.

In the 1831 census, there were 4 Montgomery households in Maghera. None in Moneyshanere. There was an Alexander in Culnedy, Thomas in Ballynacross, John in Crew and Nancy in Craigadick. The Ballynacross and Craigadick households were Presbyterian, the others Church of Ireland.

I found a marriage for Jane Montgomery of Tobermore in 1870. Eliza (presumably her sister, was a witness):

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1870/11368/8174040.pdf

Interestingly it was in a Baptist church. Perhaps she broke with tradition and married in her husband’s church? (If she was born a Baptist then you obviously won’t find any child baptism records).   I don’t see any children born in Ireland to that couple, and trees on Ancestry (eg Austen-Taylor DNA) indicate they headed for Pennsylvania in 1870 where both later died.

Here’s Matilda and Eliza Kane in the 1901 census. Both were Brethren.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Tobermore/Tobermore_Town/1531428/

Brethren (sometimes known as Christian Brethren or Plymouth Brethren) are a tight knit sect that has always had a following in Ulster. Each church or Gospel Hall is a stand alone community. They practice baptism but their records are not in the public domain.

By 1911, Matilda was Baptist, so clearly there was variety in the Montgomery family when it came to which denomination they followed.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Tobermore/Tobermore_Town/612307/

The Valuation revision records (on the PRONI website) for Tobermore show Matilda Montgomery acquiring plot 51 in Tobermore in 1920 (she already owned plot 52). Those records finish in 1929 and she is shown as owner of both then. I don’t see a death for her in Maghera in 1916. I think she may still have been alive in 1929. There is a possible death that might fit her on 18.1.1937 aged 77, registered in Magherafelt. (You have to pay to view on the GRONI website to get the details).

Matilda Montgomery signed the Ulster Covenant in 1912, in the Memorial Hall Tobermore. You can see her signature on the PRONI Ulster Covenant site. So you know a little about her politics ie she was against Home Rule for Ireland!