James Alexander Brown

Hi Cadpro,

Have you tried looking for James birth record in church records? Civil registration did not begin until 1864, so births, marriages and deaths prior to this were recorded by the local parish church. If you can find his birth record it will give you his parents names. Also sometimes Catholic marriage records recorded he couple?s fathers? names so it may be an idea to try to find these as well.

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 Newtownards parish, follow this link:

http://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/rcparishmaps/index.cfm?fuseaction=showidrecords&CityCounty=Down&parish=Newtownards&churchid=422

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.

If he was not born in Newtownards it will be more difficult to find church records relating to him but you could check on the following websites and hope that something comes up:

www.familysearch.org has a huge database of genealogical records including some church records for Ireland.

www.rootsireland.ie have a large collection of Irish Church records, however you have to pay to use this site.

Some other websites that you may find helpful 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

Genealogy links: http://www.genealogylinks.net/uk/ireland/down/index.html

Genealogy Tool-kit: http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/index.html

Please be patient - as our programme has only begun to rollout across the island of Ireland and volunteers in some areas may not yet be organized.

Kind regards,    

Genealogy Support

Hello Emma,

I have a Henry Brown (1770-1838) in my tree. He is my 3X great grandfather and was a grocer and draper in Bangor. His son Alexander (1809-1855) took over the business. Alexander married Elizabeth Jane McCready. They had 2 children that I have found:  Anna and George Henry. George Henry didn't take over the shop, so I have suspected that Alexander and Elizabeth had more children, but couldn't find them.

James is a family name - Alexander had a brother called James. So it might fit together.

If you can make a connection between your James Alexander Brown and Alexander and Elizabeth Brown, I have some research to share.

Regards

Helen

Helen,

Emma was a volunteer for Ireland Reaching Out, who is no longer working with us.  (It was cadpro who was interested in the Newtownards Brown family). Hopefully they will get your message.

Here’s James Brown’s second marriage. His father was also named James but was a farmer.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1881/11018/8028708.pdf

Here’s James 1st marriage in 1866:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1866/11531/8241164.pdf

Family were living in  the Square, Newtownards when their daughter Agnes was born in 1890:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/cert_amends…

Margaret’s death in 1901:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1901/05740/4620809.pdf

James in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Newtownards_Urban/Conway_Square/1258889/

He appears to have changed profession to shipping agent by 1911, if it’s the same man). Place of birth has changed from Donegal to Down.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Donaghadee_Urban/…

Administration of the Estate of James A. Brown late of Donaghadee County Down Shipping Agent who died 2 April 1914 granted at Belfast to James J. Brown Traveller. Effects £63

Hi Elwyn,

These are two different families. Monument inscriptions for both families can be seen at:

http://www.bangorabbeygraveyard.online/Bangor%20Abbey%20Graveyard%20-%2…

My family his the Inscription that starts:

BROWN
Erected in memory of Henry Brown, merchant, Bangor, who died 4th August 1838 aged 68.

This family lived in Bangor.

It appears that James Alexander Brown was a draper of Newtownards not Bangor.

Thanks

Helen

Helen,

Yes I know that they are 2 separate families. I was just taking the opportunity to expand the information shown on this site on the Newtownards one in case it is of use.

I can’t connect it to the Bangor family but that’s not to say there isn’t a connection. Perhaps cadpro may have more information now that some years have passed since the original post.