Looking for information on Thomas Quinn and Elizabeth Campbell both probably born around 1800. I found a baptism record fo their son William Quinn from St Anne's Shankill Belfast. He was born and baptised on 17 Nov 1834. They had a second son, Thomas, who was my great grandfather. We think he was born around 1840 but have been unable to find his birth or baptism record. We do not know if they had any other children. We have also not found a marriage record for Thomas Quinn and Elizabeth Campbell. I first found Elizabeth Campbell with her sons William and Thomas in Canada on the 1861 census. We think they immigrated around 1855-1860. We are unsure if the older Thomas Quinn died in Ireland before they immigrated or if he died on his way to Canada.
RCreamer
Thursday 17th Sep 2015, 02:07PMMessage Board Replies
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St Anne’s in Belfast is Church of Ireland (ie Episcopalian). I trust that agrees with your knowledge of the family’s denomination.
I am not sure where you found the 1834 baptism for William but possibly it was on the rootsireland site. If so it’s probably worth knowing that though they have St Anne’s baptism records from 1741, they have no marriages prior to April 1845. So if Thomas & Elizabeth were married in that church, then that may explain your lack of success in finding the marriage.
Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, after which she’d attend her husband’s, so it doesn’t always follow that marriages and baptisms are in the same church, though obviously they could be.
There is a copy of St Anne’s marriage and burial records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. This is a summary of what they hold:
Baptisms, 1745-1901; special baptisms, 1817-66; marriages, 1745-1900; burials, 1745-71, 1784-1809 and 1824-65,1878 and 1883; index to baptisms, 1745- 1866 and 1872-84, to marriages, 1745-1823, and to burials, 1745-1812.
The records there are not on-line and a personal visit is required to search them. Don’t expect too much information from the marriage record, if you find it, generally in the early 1800s all you got was the couples names, the date and their 2 witnesses. No parents names or other information.
Thomas and Elizabeth may have been born in Belfast but be aware that the population of the town soared in the first part of the 19th century, due to the creation of linen mills and other heavy industries eg ship building. The population in 1800 was 20,000. By 1841 it was 100,000 and by 1861 200,000. Consequently you will see that the vast majority of the population in the early part of that century arrived from the countryside and were not necessarily born in Belfast. Indeed statistically were unlikely to have been born there.
Background:
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Thursday 17th Sep 2015, 05:01PM -
Elewyn, Thank you for this information. They where Church of Ireland. I didn't know about the population of Belfast growing so much. My sister and I are thinking of making a trip to Ireland next year to see what we can find.
RCreamer
Thursday 17th Sep 2015, 11:06PM