ALGOE/WISHART/WATT families,Ramelton

Statutory recording of non RC marriages only began in Ireland in April 1845. Prior to that (as in this case) you are dependant on church records, where they have survived.

Tradition was to marry in the bride?s church (after which she?d normally attend her husband?s). Do you know what denomination she was?

Griffiths Valuation for 1858 lists 4 Algoe households in Ramelton (aka Rathmelton). Robert & Thomas had properties in Castle St and David and Robert had properties in Back Lane. That?d make you think Margaret Jane probably came from the town. There were 10 Algoes in Ramelton in the 1901 census (in Castle St and Church St). All were Presbyterian. So that would suggest Margaret Jane was also Presbyterian. So I?d expect to find her marriage in the records of one of the 3 Presbyterian churches in the town.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

Copies of the church records for Ramelton are held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. They are not on-line anywhere as far as I am aware, and a personal visit is needed to search them. As well as Church of Ireland, there?s a Methodist church and 3 Presbyterian churches. If you think the Wishart family originated in Scotland, then one of the 3 Presbyterian churches seems likely to be where you might find Jane Wishart?s baptism, as well as Mgt Jane?s marriage.

Thank you for your reply.The family was Presbyterian,so it makes sense to search the Presbyterian church records.I found the baptism of Jane Watt Wishart in the Ramelton  Presbyterian church 3  in the Donegal Parish Birth records of  my local genealogical society library. She was baptised on the 18th April,1843.Her parents were listed as William and Margery. I have found the Griffiths' Valuations previously for Rathmelton,but I don't know which Algoe is related to  Margaret Jane Algoe.They probably all are,but I need to find her birth record,or her marriage record,or her parent's marriage record.

As I live in Australia it is impossible for me to view the PRONI records in person.I will just have to find

another way to see them.

Many thanks for your help.

Margot.

Margot,

I'll have  alook for the marriage for you next time I happen to be in PRONI.

Elwyn

Dear Elwyn,

Thank you very much for your help,it's much appreciated.

Regards, Margot.

Margot,

I had a look at the 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd Presbyterian church records for Rathmelton at PRONI. No sign of the Wishart = Algoe marriage. The 3^rd seems to have been the family church and I would therefore suspect it was where they married. Their records only start in mid1839 and so all I can suggest is that the couple married 1838/early 1839 and the records are lost.

I wondered if they might have married in Scotland, given that you think William may have come from there. There are plenty of William Wishart marriages there around 1830/40 but none to anyone named Algoe.

I did see the baptism of Jane Watt Wishart on 18^th April 1843. (MIC1P/209). The baptism says ?aged 4 days?. Not sure whether you have that extra piece of information, so that gives you a more accurate date of birth.

One other baptism I noted:

25.4.1847 Isabella Algeo to Thomas Algeo & Margory Dinsmore, of Rathmelton

There was a list in the same set of records of people who had emigrated from the church. They started in 1850. Included was:

Samuel Algoe son of Robert emigrated to America in 1850.

Few Presbyterian churches keep burial and death records but this one did for a short period of time:

9^th April 1851 Jane Algoe aged 22 Rathmelton

1.4.1852 Mary Anne Algoe aged 3, Castle St (water on the brain)

March 1855 Samuel Algoe aged 56 (paralysis & heart)

26.11.1857 Mrs Robert Algoe, Ramelton aged 65 (inflammation of lungs)

5.1.1861 Thomas Algoe aged 22 days, Rathmelton

6.2.1863 David Algoe (precentor*) aged 70, Ramelton (disease of heart & kidneys).

*NB The precentor is the person who leads the singing in a Presbyterian church, normally one without an organ or other accompanying music. They are still quite common today in stricter churches that don?t allow musical accompaniment.

Marriages:

14.8.1849 William Browne 21 bachelor, baker, Ramelton s/o John Browne baker; to Jane Ann Algoe aged 18 d/o Samuel Algoe shopkeeper, witnesses Robert Algoe & Wm Rogers

23.9.1858 John Kerr, full age, bachelor, saddler, residence Derry s/o Wm Kerr farmer; to Rebecca Algoe, minor, spinster, of Rathmelton, d/o Samuel Algoe grocer. Witnesses James Kerr & Robert Long

22.9.1862 John Algoe full age, bachelor, carpenter Ramelton, s/o Robert Algoe, carpenter; Jane McIlwee, full age, spinster, dressmaker, d/o George McIlwee (occupation illegible). Witnesses James Young & John McLintock.

Elwyn

Dear Elwyn,

Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to search those records at PRONI for me.I actually did have some of the BMD records for Rathmelton,but not with the important extra details such as age at death,and witnesses at weddings etc,and which Algoe was the son or daughter of  an Algoe who was a carpenter etc.That sort of information has been invaluable.With the help of your records today,combined with what  I already knew,I have found Margaret Jane Algoe's parents and the reason for the name Watt in Jane Watt Wishart's name.Margaret Jane Algoe's parents were David Aljoe  (1793-1863) and  Jane Watt- I already had their marriage date,but didn't realise that they were her parents until I saw the age of David Algoe at his death,and was able to work out his birth date.Then the reason for the Jane in Margaret Jane Algoe's name, and Jane Watt Wishart's name became clear,and neatly slotted into place.

I felt as if I had won the lottery!! Also thanks for including  the  age of Jane Watt Wishart at her baptism,(4 days,) I now know exactly when she was born.Also,the extra detail in the Ramelton Marriage records could be useful as well.I found a marriage for a  Margaret  Wishart (possibly nee Algoe???) in Ramelton 3 Presbyterian church  10/12/1849 to William Rogers,and wondered if William Wishart had died early and left Margaret a widow.I couldn't find any more Wishart births,and when I saw the witnesses for Jane Ann Algoe's  marriage to William Browne in 1849 in the Ramelton 3 church- Robert Algoe and William Rogers- I did wonder if that was the case.I will have to do more work on that one,I have not been able to find a death for William Wishart,maybe he was lost at sea somewhere,so his death was not recorded in Ireland??

Anyway,as a result of the extra detail in those records in  the last part of your reply,I am now starting to form a picture of the family relationships-who belongs to who-so it is less confusing than it was before.Plus..I have gone back an entire generation!

Thank you so much for your kindness,I am deeply grateful for your help. If you need anything looked up in Australian records ,please let me know.I will be only too pleased to do it!

Margot.

Deaths were not recorded in Ireland till 1864 so if William died there before that there will be no record. If he died at sea, it will depend a bit on where it occurred and where the vessel was registered. If it was a Scottish vessel then they registered deaths from 1855 onwards; if English then 1837 onwards. GRO in Southport, Lancs has an overseas death register you might want to check. I think Scotlandspeople has something similar.

Thank you very much for your help. I will look into the GRO in Southport,Lancs.., and Scotlands' people.

Margot.

Thank you very much for your help. I will look into the GRO in Southport,Lancs.., and Scotlands' people.

Margot.