James Davidson

Eleanor,

Davi(d)son is a very common name in Co. Down. Looking at the 1901 census I see 850 of them in the county. (50 named James). Without some idea of where he came from it’ll be difficult to trace him. Probably worth trying to get his parents names from his marriage or death certificate (or from siblings certificates) to ensure you find the right one.

In Ireland, the Church of England is the Church of Ireland. There are about 35 parishes in Co. Down. Not all have Church of Ireland records for the early 1800s. However copies of the surviving ones are in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. Some – but not all – are also on-line on pay to view sites eg rootsireland, so you could try there. Otherwise you might need to get a researcher to go through the records in PRONI. But they would need parents names to be sure of finding the right baptism.

Hi Eleanor,

Here's the only record from rootsireland for James Davidson Down 1819 + - 5 years:

Name:James DavidsonDate of Birth:03-Feb-1824
Date of Baptism:--:02:1824Address:KnockstickenParish/District:CLOUGH PRESBYTERIANGender:MaleCountyCo. Down
Denomination:
Father:James Davidson

Siblings look promising:

Name:Andrew DavidsonDate of Birth:
Date of Baptism:28-Sep-1821Address:KnockstickenParish/District:CLOUGH PRESBYTERIANGender:MaleCountyCo. Down
Denomination:
Father:James Davidson

Name:Jane DavidsonDate of Birth:31-Jan-1820
Date of Baptism:20-Feb-1820Address:KnockstickenParish/District:CLOUGH PRESBYTERIANGender:FemaleCountyCo. Down
Denomination:
Father:James Davidson

Name:James DavidsonDate of Birth:03-Feb-1824
Date of Baptism:--:02:1824Address:KnockstickenParish/District:CLOUGH PRESBYTERIANGender:MaleCountyCo. Down
Denomination:
Father:James Davidson

Col

Looking at Griffiths Valuation for 1863 I see a James Davidson listed there. He was in a house on plot 29b (which was on John McAuley’s farm) and had 4 acres of land on plot 30. That property today (if still standing) is up a small lane off the Castlewellan Rd, just outside the village of Clough.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

The revaluation books show James Davidson left that property in 1879. Possibly because he died around then. He was replaced by a Thomas Disney.

The family Col has found were Presbyterian. Nearest Presbyterian churches to Knocksticken are Clough Non Subscribing which has records from 1792, Clough Presbyterian with records from 1791 and Seaforde with records from 1826. (I think the Knocksticken family attended Clough Presbyterian because of a marriage mentioned below).

The tithe applotment records for 1828 list 2 Davidson farms in Knocksticken. One held by James and the other by John:

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/loughinisland-parish.php#.WLUhCRR2ug0

Some information on Knocksticken here:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Erosdavies/PLACENAMES/K.htm

This link mentions Elizabeth Davidson, daughter of John Davidson of Knocksticken, who married Robert Langtry on 13.3.1823 in Clough Presbyterian church. (Tradition being to marry in the brides church, points to that being the family church).

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Erosdavies/SURNAMES/…

Wow! Thank you Elwyn and Col for all of the above. At least I have something to follow through now.

I did check his Australian Marriage Certificate for parents names when I started researching him but they weren't collecting that information in Tasmania in 1857. Thanks for the clarification around the Church of England and the Church of Ireland. I think his marriage certificate has Church of Ireland on it.  I've just moved and haven't got my records at hand.

Can I ask a dumb question or two?  Is Presbyterian in Ireland the same as Australia ie Scottish origins such as the Calvinists? Does it include the Methodists who were a break away from the Church of England?  Or is it another description for Protestant?

I don't think the James Davidson born 1824 is my 2 x gg only because in the prison and convict records his age (around 30)  fits with a birth date of 1818 earliest to 1820 latest.  However the potential siblings records certainly fit. 

I'll keep digging.  I am hoping to be in Ireland for the Genealogy conference in September and hopefully will be able to visit County Down and check out some of the information you have so kindly shared.

Thank you again for your help.  Eleanor

Eleanor,

Nothing dumb about asking about Presbyterianism. Many people find the various denominations confusing.

Yes Presbyterian in Ireland is the same as Presbyterian in Australia. These are usually descendants of Scots. Generally lowland Scots.  (Some 100,000 Scots settled in Ireland during the 1600s, representing 10% of the entire Scottish population). In Co Down to this day they remain the most common denomination, outnumbering RC and Church of Ireland.

Whilst the Church of Ireland is the same denomination as the Church of England and also the Church of Wales, that’s not so in Scotland. Confusingly, the Church of Scotland is Presbyterian and Anglicans there are normally in the Scottish Episcopalian church).

Methodism became a separate denomination in Ireland from around 1816 onwards. However it took a long time to get fully established (because many members didn’t want to break with the Church of Ireland) and many Methodists carried on using the Church of Ireland for baptisms and marriages right up to the 1870s. Even today there are occasional discussions about merging back into the Church of Ireland.

Methodists, Presbyterians and the Church of Ireland are all protestant. Methodism has nothing to do with Presbyterianism though. Its style of religious service follows the Church of England/Ireland (and also the RC) format.

The main differences between Presbyterianism and other Protestant denominations are firstly, the lack of hierarchal structure. So there’s no bishops, archbishops etc. Secondly, each church elects a Minister and he/she often stays with that congregation for their entire career, whereas other denominations move the Minister or Priest around from time to time. Finally, there’s no pre-determined structured format to Presbyterian services, dictated by the bishop or the religious calendar, and involving the congregation making fixed responses to the readings. In Presbyterian services it’s largely left to the Minister to decide what the service will contain, and what readings from the bible to use.

We do enjoy our religion in Ireland. In lesson 2, I can cover Non Subscribing Presbyterians, Reformed Presbyterians and Free Presbyterians, Independent Methodists, Wesleyan Methodists, Congregationalists and Brethren. There will be stiff exam at the end of it.

Hi Elwyn

Thank you....I've been digesting the religious instruction:-)!  I had a chuckle about the stiff test! I joined the John Calvin Presbyterian Church when I was about 10....self-selected and it was close to home.  The Methodist Church was the 'big church' in the centre of town.  I did my confirmation classes at the  JC Presbyterian Chruch but the confirmation ceremony was at the Methodist Church in town:-).  Eventually  the Presbyertians, Methodists and Congregationalists joined forces in the late 60's to form the Uniting Church. It was voluntary from memory and so in some areas you still see the individual churches operating.

I left religion in my early 20's, never to return. Spirituality interests me more. However, religion is fascinating, particularly the way it is used and abused.

Eleanor