reynolds family

George & Agnes were married in 1847 in the local Register Office (possibly because they may have been Brethren):

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1847/09333/5379643.pdf

George’s townland (address) was Ballyknock which is where Walter was born in 1868.

Griffiths Valuation for 1864 lists George Reynolds on plot 3 in Ballyknock which was a house, and 7 acres. A Patrick Reynolds lived next door on plot 4 with 3 quarters of an acre. Perhaps a relative?

Plot 3 today is up a lane off the modern Lany Rd, beside Tim Allen motorcycles.  Looking at the property today on Google Earth I’d say the original buildings your ancestors lived in have been demolished and replaced by a modern house. But you would need to call up to check for yourself.  The buildings on plot 4 seem to be gone altogether.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

Family in 1901 by which time George senior had moved to Moira:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Moira/Moira_Town/…

1911, back in Ballyknock:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Moira/Ballyknock/…

Probate abstracts from the PRONI website:

Probate of the Will of George Reynolds late of Moira County Down Farmer who died 26 April 1903 granted at Belfast to George Reynolds Merchant Tailor.

George left his estate to his son George.

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Oh thank you so much for this information.  I will definitely see about finding the property and take pictures of the area for my cousins.

Joanne Walsh

just a quick question -- what do you mean by Brethren?  I know on the 1911 census at least one of George's sons - Henry lists religion as Presbyterian.

There was some speculation in the family (here in the states) that his mother Agnes might have been Catholic.  It seems Walter never had contact with his family once he left to come to the States.  And he always said he was from Wigan England (which is on the ship manifest on hiis arrival at Ellis Island) But this is the only Walter Reynolds I can find with these parents, which I got from his marriage certificate here in NYC.

The family story is that one of his brothers was an officer in the British Army and they got into a fight and Walter slugged the brother so the family got him on a ship before he could be arrested.  He also said that he had worked in mines in England.  Walter was a cobbler here in NY.

I know my cousins will be thrilled with whatever I can find and take pictures.

Again thank you so much

Joanne

Joanne,

Explanation of Brethren here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Brethren

In Ireland they generally don’t like to be referred to as Plymouth Brethren. If they have to be designated anything, most prefer to be called simply Brethren. Without getting bogged down in the details, many people have been attracted to the denomination because it offered a stricter interpretation of the bible than in the Church of Ireland or Presbyterian doctrines. 

You’ll see from the 1911 census that 4 of the Reynolds household were Brethren then.

Brethren don’t have a Minister or anyone qualified to conduct a religious marriage service, and so get married in a Register Office. Some Register Office services in Ireland may because of the couple being of mixed denomination, but being Brethren is another category too.

Walter’s birth certificate seems to tie him fairly firmly to Co Down. His father was born in Co Down too and the family appear to have live dint hat area steadily from the 1840s onwards and they were still there in 1901. I think Walter’s story of being born in Wigan is probably inaccurate. It is possible he went to England to work in the coal mines (many people from Ireland did that) before he emigrated but he doesn’t appear to have been born there.

There was a John Reynolds farming in Ballyknock in 1833. Possibly George’s father? Anyway it shows the fmaily were well settled in that area. Consequently it;s very unlikely that one of their children would be born in Wigan. 

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/moira-parish.php 

Possibly the Ellis Island passenger born in Wigan isn't your Walter. Many migrants went to the US via Canada (as it was cheaper) and entered across the land border. Did Walter naturalise in the US? If so, does his application record where and when he first arrived in the US? (They often do).

Thank you so much for your explanation and prompt reply.  I will have to look into the link you sent me regarding Brethren.  That is one of the things I love about genealogy, I always learn something new.

I agree that this is the Walter Reynolds that is my cousin's great grandfather.  It is the only Walter Reynolds that I can find with those parents,  My aunt, his granddaughter, said he came from Wigan but I think he said that because that is where he did leave from and where he was living before he emigrated to the states.  He also arrived in NYC in 1900/1901 I believe and there was a lot of anti Irish sentiment which could have also affected what he said of where he came from.

I know from my own maternal grandmother (who grew up in NYC) always said she came from the Bronx but if you asked her where she grew up, then she said "e 90th st between 1st and 2nd ave" in Manhattan.  So it can depend on how you ask the question.

I know the walter reynolds on the ships manifest is correct because he always talked about a passenger he met on the ship that convinced his to change his destination from Philadelphia to Roslyn, NY  ---- but again he listed Wigan because manifest asked "last residence"

Again thank you so much for all your information.  This is very exciting.

Joanne