Nixon, Larkin and Meek. Help needed please.

I can’t see the Nixon – Larkin marriage in the statutory records. What’s your source for that?

I see Thomas Nixon’s birth in Galgorm on 10.8.1868.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1869/03387/2241676.pdf

Also Joseph in the same location 18.3.1866:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1866/03532/2299890.pdf

I had a look for the family in the valuation revision books but didn’t see them in the 1860s. However some of the properties there are just marked “lodgers” and so they might have been in one of those. However Joseph Nixon is later shown as tenant of plot 1k from 1878 onwards. That was a small cottage with a garden.

I noted this couple in the 1901 census who I think may be the family you have enquired about:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Galgorm/Galgorm/929965/

Joseph’s death in 1907:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1907/05516/4545829.pdf

Ellen’s death in 1910:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1910/05438/4521005.pdf

Both deaths were registered by Lizzie Stockman, their daughter. Her age in the 1901 census suggests a birth c 1862 (pre statutory registration).

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Galgorm/Galgorm/929968/

Daughter Lizzie seems to have been married twice. Firstly to a Logan then to Samuel Stockman in 1895.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1895/10540/5839312.pdf

There is a marriage for Thomas Nixon to Agnes Meek on 12.7.1892 but I don’t think it’s the same family as Joseph & Ellen. The marriage cert shows that Thomas’s father was Thomas Nixon, a farmer, and that Thomas lived in Lisnafillan. Possibly 2 different Nixon families are mixed up here? Which one are you really interested in?

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1895/10540/5839312.pdf

I've had another look at my notes ;

My gggrandfather Thomas Nixon was born 10/08/1869 in galgorm, ballymena to Joseph Nixon and Ellen Nixon ms Larkin.

Thomas had a brother Joseph born 18/03/1866.

Thomas married Agnes Meek (born 27/01/1874) in Ballymena 12/07/1892

Thomas moved his family to Glasgow about 1901. He died in Glasgow 19/08/1946 aged 77. The death certificate was signed by his son Joseph.  Thomas's father's name was noted as Joseph Nixon, farm labourer. Mother as Ellen Nixon ms Larkin. As far as I know, they were married in galgorm.

I also have parents of Agnes Meek noted as John Meek and Mary Kernohan married in Ballymena 1866.

I would love to unravel the problems I have with this part of my tree in order to allow me to move on to the next generation.

I really do appreciate you having given up some of your own time to look at my tree. Thank you.

There is a marriage between Thomas Nixon and Agnes Meek in Ballymena on 12.7.1892, but on that marriage certificate Thomas’s father was named Thomas, not Joseph. So, if that’s correct, that cannot be the Thomas born to Joseph Nixon and Ellen Larkin. You can view the 1892 marriage on this site, and decide for yourself:

https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/

I note what you say about the information on Thomas’s death certificate in Glasgow, but it doesn’t reconcile with the marriage certificate. One of them must be wrong. Usually the information on a marriage certificate is more reliable since it came from someone with first hand knowledge, whereas on a death certificate the information must inevitably be second or third hand, with the informant often not knowing that much about the deceased’s parents. Mistakes on death certificates are quite common.

I can see 3 children born in Ireland to the Nixon/Meek marriage: Ellen 24.6.1894, John 23.6.1896 & Mary 9.4.1899.

The family’s move to Scotland was before April 1901 since they are in the Scottish census at 27 Gilmour St, Govan.

I had a look for a Thomas Nixon birth to a Thomas Nixon father but didn’t find one.

I can confirm that there was a marriage between John Meek and Mary Kernohan, registered in Ballymena on 17.9.1866. (He is indexed incorrectly as Meck).

 You can view the original certificate on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

This is probably the Meek family in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Ahoghill/Lisnafillon/924151/

And in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Ahoghill/Lisnafillon/115308/

The Meek family were Moravian. They are probably buried in the Moravian burying ground in Gracehill near Ballymena. There’s a Moravian church in Gracehill with records that start in 1749. The records are not on-line anywhere but there are copies in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. A personal visit is required to view them. Here’s what the records contain:

Diaries which record baptisms, marriages and deaths and the movement of members, 1750-1899; baptisms, 1749-1986; marriages, 1758-1862; burials, 1766-1987; Elders’ Conference minutes, 1755-1892; Congregational Committee minutes, 1788-1927; Congregational Council minutes, 1790-95 and 1833-93; Lot Conference minutes, 1755-91; register of members, with an index, 1755-91; register of pupils and teachers at Gracehill Academy, 1805-83; reviews of the years’ activities, including details of births, marriages and deaths, 1863-91 etc.; printed history, 1984.

Hi Elwyn, I cant believe that I have been staring at the same names and few clues for all these years and you manage to put me on the right track in such a short time. You're are correct in pointing out that Thomas's fathers name is Thomas and not Joseph as I was sure it was. I can't thank you enough, however, I now have the problem of trying to find information on the real parents of Thomas and not those who I thought were the parents.  I think I've hit a brick wall already.

I had a look in the 1901 census for Co Antrim for Thomas Nixon, farmer. There was only 1 but he was a single man.

I searched the wills calendars for Thomas, farmer, but did not find any in the Antrim area that would be of an age to be your man.

I looked for deaths of anyone named Thomas Dixon in the Ballymena area but did not find any relevant adult deaths. However I did come across the death of Thomas Nickson on 3.3.1893, aged 1 day. Cause of death was debility. He died in Ballykennedy, Ahoghill. The informant was Mary Meek of Lisnafillan. He was described as “child of a bleach green worker.” Ballykennedy is the village of Gracehill and some surrounding rural land.

Though Thomas (jnr) was living in Lisnafillan when he married, it doesn’t mean his father lived there. Indeed I am sure he didn’t as he isn’t listed in the revaluation records, and most farmers would be. Thomas was probably lodging with the Meek family in Lisnafillan at the time of his marriage. So his father could be living anywhere.

I searched all the Thomas Nixon births from 1864 to 1872 but didn’t find another in Co Antrim save for the 1869 one to Joseph & Ellen. It’s a bit baffling.

Hi elwyn, I registered with Groni and bought some credits. I viewed the marriage of Thomas Nixon and Agnes Meek in 1892, it gives Thomas' fathers name as Joseph Nixon and not Thomas as it appears in the Moravian church register!  I'm not sure if there has been a mistake made somewhere. I have also looked for a marriage for Thomas's parents, Joseph Nixon and Ellen Larkin, however, I don't seem to be having much luck finding them. I am now wondering if the couple you found on the 1901 census are the right ones. They had a daughter which I am not aware of and she had signed the death certificates for the couple. Any suggestions?