Please, I am looking for information and direction for and about my ancestors named SAYERS and BROWN from, I believe, County Tyrone. My 3rd great grandmother is Sarah Sayers, born Ireland 6 APR 1818, died Fall River, Massachusetts USA 10 APR 1910 - daughter of John and Jane. This transcribed article is all I know of her life in Ireland. It refers to her as Sayer (no S) but I have never seen her name listed as anything but SayerS - including her death certificate. My third great-grandfather was John Brown, born Ireland 1810 and died Fall River, Massachusetts USA 1882 - son of Samuel and Agnes (nee Hastings). Samuel and Agnes also emigrated to Massachusetts c. 1837. I would also be interested in hiring a researcher in or near Co. Tyrone - if anyone can make any recommendations I would be grateful. Thank you.
"A most remarkable woman for her age is Mrs. John Brown, who if she lives until April 8, 1910 will reach her 92nd birthday. Mrs. Brown is the daughter of John and Jane Sayer who resided in the north of Ireland near Londonderry. Mrs. Brown's maiden name was Miss Sarah Sayer and she was educated in the country school of the district where she lived until the age of 19. When about the age of 20 she married in Ireland, John Brown, who belonged in the same part of the country. Both then came to America. They came direct to Fall River and took up their residence between Washington and Ferry Streets. After residing there a number of years, Mr. and Mrs. Brown removed to Union Street until 14 years ago when she became too feeble bodily to live alone as she was then a widow, her husband having died 14 years previous. She was the mother of 12 children, five of whom are living at the present time. Since her health began to fail, she has resided with her different children and is now living with her daughter-in-law Mrs. John Brown, 75 Buffington Street, where she has been since a year ago last June. Mrs. Brown, through her husband was actively engaged in church work, led a very quiet home life carinig for her children, who demanded all her attention. Mrs. Brown is remarkably clear in her mind for such an old lady and is also a very pleasing conversationalist. Her bodily strength being weak, Mrs. Brown is able only to go out when taken for a drive. She is always delighted when anyone calls to see her, but she regrets greatly not being able to attend her church on Sundays." The Fall River Evening Herald, November 11, 1910.
Sayersbrown
Monday 27th Dec 2021, 04:17PMMessage Board Replies
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Sayersbrown,
Statutory birth, death and marriage registration (in some jurisdictions called Vital Records) only started in Ireland in 1864, save for non RC marriages which were recorded from 1845 onwards. So you probably won’t find statutory birth, death or marriage certificates in Ireland for this family. For earlier years you usually need to rely on church records, where they exist. Ideally you need to know the precise denomination and have some idea of where the person was born in order to search the correct records. Not all churches have records for that period and not all are on-line.
RC records are mostly on-line on the nli site:
https://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx
For other denominations, the churches usually hold the originals but there are also copies in PRONI, the public record office, in Belfast. A personal visit is required to access them. Access to the records there is free. 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
I searched Griffiths Valuation (1858) for the surname Sayers in Co. Tyrone. There were only about 18 households and 2 were in the parishes of Termonmaguirk & Clogherny (not far from Omagh) and 2 were in Donaghedy and Camus (around Strabane). Strabane is the closer of the 2 areas to Londonderry so if you have no other leads, you might want to start your search around there.
I looked at the 1901 Irish census of Tyrone and there were 70 Sayers (No Sayer). Almost all were Presbyterian or Reformed Presbyterian. (Being Presbyterian, living in Tyrone and having a surname that is common in Scotland, points to them being of Scots origins. The families probably arrived in the 1600s. In North America they tend to be called Scotch-Irish and in Ireland we generally call them Ulster- Scots.)
As you might expect Brown will be a lot harder to trace. There are about 600 in the county in the 1901 census. Needle in a haystack.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
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Thank you for your prompt reply and guidance.
Sayersbrown