My great-grandfather, Joseph Dinsmore (birth about 1845), married my great-grandmother, Rose Gorman (birth about 1849) in Ballymoney in 1870. Joseph was a widower -- his first wife was Jane Laverty. Rose and Joseph -- either together or separately -- immigrated to the United States in 1870, settling in Brooklyn, New York. Joseph is listed on the US Census with his wife, Rose, and son, James Joseph (born in 1872 in Brooklyn), until the 1890 census. In the 1890 census, Rose lists herself as a widow. But we have no death certificate for my great-grandfather nor was Rose buried with him when she died in 1927. Family mythology had it that Joseph left his wife and son, but that is not confirmed by the census information as Rose listed herself as a widow. Does anyone have any information on my great-grandfather, Joseph, his father, Hugh Dinsmore, or any of his relatives? I am also interested in learning about Rose Gorman's father, Alexander Gorman. Both Hugh Dinsmore and Alexander Gorman are identified as farmers on the Dinsmore-Gorman marriage certificate.
If there are Dinsmores or Gormans who remain in Antrim who are related to my family, I would be happy to give you details of your American relatives, including Joseph, Rose, James and James heirs.
Thank you.
ChristineDinsmore
Monday 23rd Sep 2013, 04:50PMMessage Board Replies
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Hi Christine,
Thank you very much for your message. I hope that someone with information makes a connection with you and helps you to further your research on the Gormans and Dinsmores.
In the meantime, here are some places you could try (if you haven?t already!):
Civil Records:
Civil registration began in Ireland in 1864 so any births, deaths or marriages in the family after this date would be recorded in these records. Civil records are available from the General Register?s Office. Here are their contact details:
General Register Office
Government Offices
Convent Road
Roscommon
Ireland
Tel:+353 90 663 2900
Locall:1890 25 20 76
Fax:+353 90 663 2999
Homepage: http://www.groireland.ie/
You can search the indexes to these records up to 1958 online at:
https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1408347
Church Records:
Prior to civil registration, births/marriages were recorded by the local parish church so you may be able to find more information in parish records. Most Catholic records are held locally so you may need to write to the local parish priest for possible assistance. One website that you may find useful is the Irish Times where they give an overview of what records are available in specific parishes. It also shows you where copies of the records are available. For Ballymoney parish, follow this link:
Most surviving Church of Ireland records are still held by the local clergy, although some are in the National Archives of Ireland and others are in the Representative Church Body Library in Dublin. Here are their websites: http://www.nationalarchives.ie/ and http://ireland.anglican.org/about/42
Lists of these surviving registers can also be found at the National Library of Ireland.
You could also try searching at www.familysearch.org
As you can see from the Irish Times links the Ulster Historical Foundation have copies available of the Catholic records and they will most likely have Church of Ireland records also. Here is their email if you would like to contact them: enquiry@uhf.org.uk Please note that a fee may apply.
Census Records:
Have you tried looking in the 1901/1911 census records to see if you can find any of the family still in Ballymoney? Here is the link:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/
Cemetery Records:
You could try searching to see if you can access Ballymoney Cemetery records. Follow this link to see what transcriptions are available and where:
Immigration Records:
Have you tried looking into immigration records for more information? Some websites you may find useful are:
Ellis Island: http://www.ellisisland.org/search/passSearch.asp
Castlegarden: http://www.castlegarden.org/
US National Archives/Immigration info: http://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/
Land Records:
Have you heard of Griffith?s Valuation? This is a property valuation survey carried out in Ireland 1848-64. www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
Some other websites that you may find useful are:
The National Archives of Ireland http://www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy1/genealogy-records/introduction/
The National Library of Ireland http://www.nli.ie/en/family-history-introduction.aspx
The National Archives UK ? genealogy search: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/
The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/family_history.htm
Irish Genealogy Tool kit: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/
Genealogy links: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/antrim/index.html
From Ireland: www.from-ireland.net
Kind regards,
Genealogy Support
Wednesday 9th Oct 2013, 12:35PM -
Thank yo uso much. I have checked many records in both Ireland and the U.S. and I have no information about my great-grandfather after 1888 -- we have his signature along with my great-grandmother on an insurance policy for some land and a cow in Brooklyn, NY. We will continue to search for him as it doesn't seem right to have anyone just be lost and forgotten. Again, many thanks.
Best regards,
Christine
ChristineDinsmore
Wednesday 9th Oct 2013, 01:07PM