Family in New Zealand

Nicola,

Birth registration didn?t start in Ireland till 1864, so you won?t find birth certificates for any children born before that year. You may find their baptisms but to do that you need to know which church they attended. Not all baptism records are on-line, and so you may need to get someone to search the paper copies held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. Not all baptism records have survived either though there are more available in the later 1800s than in the early part.

I would start by getting a copy of the 1853 marriage certificate. There?s a match on rootsireland (pay to view) or you can order  a copy from GRO Roscommon for 4 euros. It was registered in Ballymoney 1853 volume 2, page 234.

Tradition was to marry in the bride?s church (which should be shown on the marriage certificate), so that?s the place to look for Jane?s baptism and that of any siblings, but it may not necessarily be the same church as Jane & John baptised their children.

The marriage certificate should give you the couples townlands (addresses) as well as their fathers names and occupations, all of which may help you trace the families back further.

http://ifhf.brsgenealogy.com/index.php

http://www.groireland.ie/

Youi say that some of the children were married by the time the family moved to New Zealand. If you post their names and ages, I'll see if I can track those marriages, which may help you work out the family's movement prior to leaving Ireland.

Elwyn

Hi Elwyn

Thank you so very much for your reply and research. So John and Jane had several children - I do not know all of them. Margaret (Maggie) McNEILL was born approximately 1865 and married Thomas COLVIN on 1st July 1893. Thomas was born approximately in 1856. I believe that Margaret was born in Ballymoney and that she married there. Also another daughter Jane Boyd McNEILL was born about 1856 and married James GRAY 3rd June 1878 also at Ballymoney. James is also from Ballymoney and born about 1851. They had three of their children in Ballymoney - James GRAY born about 1879, Joseph McNeill GRAY born about 1881, Sarah McNeill GRAY born about 1883. There are also two other children who died - Jane GRAY b: 08 Sept 1884 d: 17 Oct 1884 and Jane GRAY b: 27 Dec 1886 d: 27 Dec 1886.

Thank you ever so much for this.

Warmest regards

Nicola

PS - this is info from a family bible so I am hoping it is accurate

Nicola,

James Gray?s marriage to Jane McNeill was registered in Ballymoney Apr ? Jun 1878 Vol 1, page 179.

Birth of James Gray Ballymoney Apr ? Jun 1879 vol 1, page 164

Birth Joseph Jan ? Mar 1881 vol 1, page 147

Birth Sarah  Jan ? Mar 1883 Vol 1, page 144

2 options for birth of Jane 1884 Jul ? Sept Vol 1, page 126 and page 129 (suspect this birth may have been registered twice for some reason).

Death of Jane Oct ? Dec 1884 Ballymoney Vol 1, page 88.

Can?t see the birth or death of Jane in 1886, in the Ballymoney area. (if it was a stillbirth, as the dates suggest, it may not have been registered. That wasn't a legal requirement till the 20th century).

Can?t find the marriage of Thomas Colvin to Maggie McNeill in 1893. Anywhere in Ireland. (Nearest was a Thomas Colvin to Maggie Alexander in 1901). Also searched Scotland and England. No trace there either.

Possible birth for Margaret McNeill registered in Ballymoney 1864 vol 1, page 166.

Elwyn