Looking for shoemakers/cobblers in armagh 1850s

Have you searched church baptism records for Rose? That seems a more likely way of finding her mother. What denomination was she?

For over 15 years I have searched possible baptisms. Rose was married in a Protestant Church in NZ. They only have her marriage record. She could well have been baptised Catholic in Ireland and changed as her husband was protestant.

The Catholic records for Loughgilly have the years I need to check missing. That is 1856 to 1858. Her possible birth mother and siblings were baptised there (Catholic)

One other possibility is a thorough check of St Lukes Protestant Church Ballymore where the Synnots worshipped. I have tried to get help but understand that there is no one there  who can help me or has access to the records.

Most likely if she were baptised there it would be private and no father recorded as was her 1/2 brother.

Our DNA is not helping much but giving us some ideas.

margaret and fred,

Ballymore Church of Ireland has the following records:

Baptisms, 1783-1923, which include a list of Presbyterians baptised, 1822-31; marriages, 1783-1908; burials, 1783-1899; vestry minutes, 1771-1810; vestry account book, 1821-7; confirmations, 1843, 1846, 1849, 1852 and 1856; estate rental for the manors of Ballymore, Acton, Clare etc., possibly used for tithe or cess purposes, 1812-27; history of the church from the 17th century.

There is a copy of those records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

My guide to Church of Ireland records says that rootsireland (subscription) has “some years” for Ballymore on its site. It doesn’t say which years.

Illegitimacy would not mean that the baptism was private. A baptism must normally be conducted in public, usually in front of the congregation. That’s fairly standard for all denominations. Church baptism records are full of illegitimate births. Sometimes the father is present and named, sometimes it says father “reputedly X” and sometimes no father’s name appears at all.  Both Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic church also normally record godparents (COI) or sponsors (RC). Presbyterians don’t have godparents. In Drumgooland Church of Ireland, Co Down, in the 1830s I noted that where couples were living together but not married, the Vicar had put the quaint comment “concubine” against the mothers’ names, in the baptism register. (Example baptism of Caroline Dickson attached). There are 3 on that page alone. Sometimes it will simply say "illegitimate" beside the baptism.

The only time a child is baptised in private is normally if it’s ill and not expected to survive, in which case it may be baptised at home, but even then it is usually recorded in the baptism register.

Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project in conjunction with FTDNA and can offer testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).