John Hart/Sarah McClelland from Drumcree

Brian,

Statutory birth registration only started in Ireland in 1864. Prior to that you are reliant on church records, not all of which survive and not all of which are on-line. Assuming the family remained in the Drumcree area, and were Church of Ireland, the records to search first would be that parishes. Drumcree?s records start in 1788. They don?t appear to be on-line anywhere but there is a copy in PRONI, Belfast. A personal visit is required to access them.

Likewise with marriages, from the children?s ages, John & Sarah married in the 1830s. Protestant marriages were only recorded in the statutory records from April 1845 onwards, so again you are reliant on church records for finding this one. Tradition was to marry in the bride?s church (if she came from a different parish or denomination), so it might not necessarily be Drumcree COI, but I?d probably start with it, and then widen the search to others in the area. (The McLellands in Armagh in the 1901 census are all Presbyterian, so there's a fair chance Sarah may have been Presbyterian). Again copies of the relevant records are held in PRONI.

Griffiths Valuation isn?t a list of everyone living in the area. It?s really a list of heads of household  who have property worth taxing. So servants, families who share a house, and those with very poor properties eg weavers are often not listed. Weavers generally had a tiny cabin with little land, and often did not meet the ?5 rental threshold to get listed in Griffiths.

The property in Annagh (a small house and garden with some separate land) remains listed for John Hart up until at least 1895 in the revision records. So probably not the John who left for Australia.

Sarah Hart in Ballymakeown was probably a widow (women are normally only listed if single or widowed). She had a 47 acre farm, so was very well off and probably not the wife of a weaver. Here?s a probate file abstract for that farm:

Probate of the Will of Gabriel Hart late of Ballymakeown County Armagh Farmer who died 3 April 1909 granted at Armagh to Thomas P.Bryson Farmer and David William Thornton Merchant. Effects ?1,366 17s. 11d.

The will itself is on-line on the PRONI site:

http://applications.proni.gov.uk/DCAL_PRONI_WillsCalendar/WillsSearchIm…

James Hart in Kilmoriarty had a farm and 9 acres (so a small farm). Tenant changed to James Hamilton in 1868.

Elwyn

Elwyn,

Thanks for your comments and analysis of my info.

It seems I can get no further without directly accessing PRONI records.Unfortunately I am unable to get there myself.I presume  my only alternative would be to pay a consulting genealogist in Ireland to do the research for me.Have you any advice on how to proceed along that path.

From your analysis of the Griffith Valuations I think I can rule out that these are the Hart's I am looking for.

I suspect Sarah Hart died in Ireland - probably in the period between her last child and the emigration of her 2 youngest daughters in 1864.I can find no trace of her in Australia at all,but neither have I found a record of her death in Ireland.Are death records during this period also incomplete?

Any further comments greatly appreciated.

Thanks again,

Brian

Brian,

Re hiring a local genealogist, PRONI have a list of independent genealogists on their website. See:

http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/research_and_records_held/can_someone_else_do_research_for_me/independent_commercial_researchers.htm

Or if you want to send me a PM, I may be able to help you myself. (I live fairly near PRONI).

Re finding Sarah?s death, the statutory death records in Ireland are complete (they were not affected by the 1922 fire) but death registration only started in 1864, so if she died before that (as you suspect), then there won?t be a death certificate for her. If she was Church of Ireland they may have a burial record for her. (In general other denominations did not keep any burial records). Drumcree Church of Ireland burial records 1804 ? 1903 are held in PRONI.

Elwyn

Elwyn,

Thanks, but what is a "PM"?

Brian

PM is a private message. Click on the envelope icon underneath my name, and you  can e-mail me off the public board. (I am on the point of going away now for about 10 days so I won't be able to reply till then).