Great Grandfather Robert Melville

You have put your message under Aghalurcher, Co Fermanagh, but if Robert was from Fivemiletown, then that’s in Co. Tyrone and in the parish of Clogher.

You don’t say what denomination Robert was. I had a look in the 1901 census for Tyrone. There was only 1 Melville listed. He was Presbyterian.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Clananeese/Cranslough/1735153/

Cranslough is about 15 miles east of Fivemiletown. There were no Melvilles in Fermanagh in 1901.

I also looked in Griffiths Valuation for Fermanagh(c 1860). None listed. There were 2 in Tyrone but they lived near Strabane at the other end of the county. So Melville isn’t a common name in the area.  Possibly or probably Presbyterian but we can’t be sure. (Presbyterian usually indicates Scottish origins, but you may know that).

Birth registration only started in 1864 in Ireland. Before that you need to rely on church records. If Robert was baptised in Fivemiletown then Clogher Church of Ireland has baptism records from 1804. If he was Presbyterian then there are 2 churches in the area. Aughentaine Presbyterian has baptism records from 1836, and Carntall Presb. has them from 1819. If Robert was RC then their records don’t start till 1856. Copies of all the above records are held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. I don’t think the Presbyterian records are on-line anywhere. Not sure about the Church of Ireland. They might be on rootsireland but can’t be certain. 

Thank you for the reply.Robert was RC and I was given Fermanagh by Inniskilling Museum.He enlisted in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1858 in Westminster and served for 20 years.The Museum gave me Fivemiletown too which they said straddled Fermanagh.His father was James Melville,mother unknown.