William McGimpsey & Lizzie Muckle

Dixie,

There’s deaths for people named William McGimpsey regd in Newtownards registration district on 16.2.1923 aged 75, 14.3.1927 aged 73, 17.2.1930 aged 72, 18.10.1932, aged 76 and 1.5.1939 aged 78. Have you looked at them?

The Valuation revision records don’t list William McGimpsey in Ballycopeland in 1911 but there was a Robert McGimpsey who had plot 9d which was a labourer’s cottage and small garden. That remained in his name till 1921 when he was replaced by Anna McGimpsey. Her name remained as tenant till 1930 when that series of records finishes. Could Robert & Anna be related to William?

Hello Edwyn,

Thank you so much for replying to my query.  I am very interested in taking a look at the death records you mentioned.  Also, the William I am looking for did have a son named Robert who was married to an Anna, so they might possibly be related to William.  Would you kindly advise me how I can access the death records & the Valuation records?  Which website did you use?  Looking forward to hearing back from you.  Thank-you!  - Dixie

Dixie,

You can view the original death certificates on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option. Note that for events in Northern Ireland from 1922 onwards, this is the only website that has them:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

The Valuation Revision records are on the PRONI website:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni

(Go to search archives on-line, and click more. You will see them there, and you need to follow the links).

The on-line Valuation revision records finish in 1929. There are later records that take the information forward to the 1960s but they are not on-line. A personal visit to PRONI is required to view them. They are in the VAL/3 series of records there.

I assume this is Robert McGimpsey and his wife Annie Agnew in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Carrowdore/Ballymacruise/264171/

It looks as though that after marrying in 1905, they went to Scotland to work for a wee while, before returning to Ireland.

Thank you, Elwyn!!  I was able to find the record for William McGimpsey that I was lookig for on the Groni website you directed me to.  He died Mar 14, 1927.  Robert McGimpsey who was married to Annie Agnew was William's son & he was killed Aug 3, 1917 in the war.  I know that William McGimpsey went to America & lived in Chicago for awhile.  He married a woman named Annie Mickle in Chicago & had two children with her, Robert & Thomas.  They came back to Donaghadee where Annie died in 1888.  I've been unable to find passenger records for him when he went over & when he came back to Northern Ireland with his family.  I've looked on various sites & have been unable to find them.  Can you suggest a website that I might find these passenger records on?

Dixie,

You say that William McGimpsey went to Chicago and married Annie Mickel there, and had Robert & Thomas before coming back to Donaghadee. The younger of the 2 Thomas was 16 in 1901, and so born c 1884/5. Since Annie died in Feb 1888, the journey back to Ireland must have been between 1884/5 and Feb 1888.

The 2 sites that contain most passenger lists are Ancestry and findmypast. I would try them. Bear in mind that the family may not necessarily have sailed from the US directly to Ireland. There were very many more sailings to Liverpool and to Glasgow or Greenock than to Ireland, so people often went to one of those and got a connecting boat across the Irish Sea to Belfast. (Liverpool in particular was a sort of clearing house for migrants from all over Europe and had daily departures and arrivals from the US and Canada when there might only be 5 or 6 a month to or from Ireland itself. There was a lot of competition for the business and shipping agents often threw in the cost of the short ferry to or from Ireland free, as part of the fare. It was often cheaper and easier to go via England or Scotland, to get to or from Ireland).

William’s death certificate should tell you whether he was married or a widower in 1927, and with that information you will know which side of 1927 to search for Lizzies death.

I looked to see if William left a will but he does not appear to have done. At least not one that required probate in Northern Ireland anyway.

Hello. If you google Shaking The Tree you will find a very interesting article on the early McGimpsey family which mentions a William. This article was done by Geyer Genealogy whatever that is. Anyway just click on the heading Shakig The Tree.

Good to see someone working on their McGimpsey name.

Cheers.

From,

David McGimpsey

Thanks all for your replies & help!  I've got memberships on Ancestry.com & Findmypast, but have been unable to find passenger records for William McGimpsey going to or from America.  I've also found on the Groni site a death record for Elizabeth - she died Feb 17, 1951.  William & Elizabeth were married in Belfast on Oct 12, 1889 & it says William's fathers name was Robert, a carter.  I assume a carter is a carriage driver or someone who delivers goods by carriage.  I've been unable to find any information about Robert & which McGimpsey family he came from.

A carter was someone who delivered goods, usually in a horse drawn cart.

There’s a will for Lizzie McGimpsey in PRONI. (They'll send you a copy for a small fee). Here’s the probate abstract:

McGimpsey Lizzie of Millbank Millisle county Down widow died 17 February 1951 Probate Belfast 6 September to John Crawford labourer. Effects £320.