Hi
I'm trying to figure out where my great-grandfather Thompson Graham was born.
On his daughter's birth certificate here in New Zealand it stated that he was born on 23 March 1855 in Ballypitman, County Antrim but I've discovered that there is no such place as "Ballypitman" so this was obviously an error of some sort.
His death certificate gives his parents as Isaac and Mary Ann (no maiden name unfortunately). It states that he was born in Belfast but this may be wrong and might just indicate that he'd moved to Belfast before coming out to New Zealand in 1874 as an assisted immigrant on the "Waitangi". He was single at the time but married Margaret Templeton whose family were also by that time in Belfast, but she was apparently born in Loughguile. Her parents married in Roseyards Presbyterian Church in Ballymoney in 1852 (I've contacted that church which was very helpful but no record of any Grahams there of relevance).
I found one Isaac Graham that might be the father in the Griffith's Valuation: 31189 Graham Graham Isaac Toome Upper Parish:Drummaul Townland: Groggan DED: Drumanaway Poor Law Union: Ballymena
Wondering if there's any way I can really find out where he was born?
Grateful for any help. Thanks, Jo
JMHilderNZ
Saturday 21st Feb 2015, 09:11PMMessage Board Replies
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Jo,
I think the Isaac Graham who lived in Groggan was married to Sarah. I think he died in 1892 aged 59, so too young to be Thompson?s father. Here?s the family in 1901:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Drumanaway/Groggan/941844/
Griffiths only lists those with land, not all persons. And so someone who lived in Belfast would generally not be listed, nor would a servant or tradesman etc. So it?s not a comprehensive list of all Isaac Grahams around at that time.
Thompson Graham is a fairly unusual name. I found one in Belfast in 1901, aged 30. You might wonder if they were connected? I see that the one in Belfast was a butcher. Yours wouldn?t have been a butcher too, by any chance?
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Cromac/Donegall_Pass_/968975/
Isaac Graham is also fairly rare. I looked at the deaths from 1864 to 1900. (Death registration started in 1864). There were just two that were old enough to be Thompson?s father. One was Ballymena 1807 ? 1890 and the other Antrim town 1801 ? 1881. You might want to look at both of those deaths to see if the informant was a Mary Ann etc.
You can view the certificates on-line on the GRONI website, using the ?search registrations? option:
(You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs ?2 to a view a certificate).
Elwyn
Ahoghill Antrim
Saturday 21st Feb 2015, 10:16PM