Carson from Muff Parish

Do you know what denomination Robert was? Also his father's name or occupation?

Griffiths Valuation lists just one Carson in Muff, in 1858. He was another Robert, who had a house in Drumskellan.

He was Protestant, never allowed anyone to wear green especially on St. Patricks Day. As for his parents I know nothing about them. He came to the states @ 1855 to the port of Philadelphia then settled in south central Pennsylvania just before the Civil War, a conflict in which he fought.

This is why I am looking and hoping for more steps back in the family tree. I am also hoping he had some related descendants still living in the area.

Protestant covers a variety of denominations eg Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist etc.

Robert?s birth was long before the start of statutory registration of births in Ireland (1864), so you will need to rely on Church records to trace him, his parents and siblings, and probably any descendants.

Muff Church of Ireland records start in 1837; there?s a Presbyterian church at Greenbank whose records only go back to 1862. Another at Knowhead start in 1826.

If you don?t know which specific denomination he was, then I?d suggest you search those if you are able to. Copies are held in PRONI, Belfast. (Rootsireland has Knowhead?s records on-line but not the other baptism records, which don?t appear to be on-line anywhere).

I looked in the 1901 census for the Muff area but there are no Carsons listed. (There are 78 Carsons in the county, most of whom are Church of Ireland, but none on the Inishowen peninsula which is where Muff is.). They may well have moved to Londonderry (which is just a few miles away) or further afield.

I have never known what denomination he was there.  I can say that in the small community where he settled he was a founding member of a Church of the Bretheren.  I pretty much figured that I would need to rely on church records to find anything.  However you have given me more areas to look through and I thank you.

Wow only 78 in the county must have been a very small family in the area or as you said moved farther afield.  Thank you again for your help.