Good Day All,
I am currently on the hunt for an elusive relative. We all have them! Sneaky bugger seems to have no real link to anyone prior to his birth. Even his parents are a bit of a mystery or there is queston as to whom they truly may be. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. My ancestors name is William Robert Waters or Watters, as I have both spellings on records, born May 16 1839 to either Thomas and Jane Waters, or Thomas Waters and Nancy Johnston, or James Watters & ?. There are several William Waters on the Griffith Valuation pages would show being in the Antrim area at sometime later on after he had moved to America in 1850 at the age of 9, According to the 1921 canadian Census and living in New Jersey, but I'm just not convinced it is him. He also returned to the Killead area from around 1871 - 1876 as two of his children were born in Ireland. The two oldest were born in New Jersey but Sarah Jane Waters and Thomas Maneely Waters were born in 1872 and 1876 respectively. William Roberts Wife was Martha Irene Maneely, another uncommon name in the antrim area, which I thought would make this search a little bit easier, but not so. I am yet to finally confirm whether or not they were married in Ireland or New Jersey as of yet as I have evidence of both. Crazy, I know! lol.I have evidence showing she was both from Ireland and Scotland, year of birth is 1843 with no township or Parish evidence of either.
If anyone is willing to help or knows of great research area's online that can help me with this I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can give. If not, I'll have to be forced to take time and just come to Ireland and search the records myself...lol. Damn that would be too bad wouldn't it? Unfortunatly, that just isns't in the cards for right now. Maybe later on.
Thanks, Kris Waters
Thursday 31st Mar 2016, 02:20PM
Message Board Replies
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I had a look for William and Martha’s marriage in Ireland but did not find it in the civil indexes. I also looked for the 2 births in Ireland (Sarah Jane c 1871 and Thomas 1876) but did not find them either. I searched a few years either side but though there were children of those names born around then, none was born to a mother named Maneely (or anything like it, eg McNeilly) nor in the Killead area (ie Antrim civil registration area).
I looked for the marriage in Scotland too (given that Martha is reported to have possibly been born there) but did not find it.
The 1851 census for Killead has survived. There are 2 Waters listed in it but both are servants and so it doesn’t tell you much about their family.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1851/Antrim/Lower_Massereene/Killead/Carnaghliss/14/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1851/Antrim/Lower_Massereene/Killead/Boltnaconnell/19/
You could have a look in church records. What denomination were the Waters?
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Tuesday 5th Apr 2016, 08:24AM