Hugh HOOD

Carncastle Presbyterian church marriage records start in 1832, so it should be possible to confirm the 1838 marriage records. Baptisms start in 1832 too, so that won?t include Hugh Hood senior, but could include any children born before the move to Scotland. The church?s records don?t appear to be on-line anywhere, so far as I can tell. There?s a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. This is what they contain:

Baptisms, 1832-52 and 1891-1944; marriages, 1832- 43 and 1845-1936; marriage notices, 1953-60; session minutes, 1871-1907; stipend accounts, 1840-41; stipend collection books, 1872-1908; Sustentation Fund payments and stipend list, 1876-84; index to baptisms, 1832-52, and to marriages, 1832-1935.

PRONI will undertake a look up for a fee, or the records are free to view for anyone able to go in person.

Regarding migration records between Ireland and Scotland. There were none. It was just a domestic journey (of barely 20 miles) and no records have ever been kept on that sort of travel. All you can go by is when the person is last recorded in Irish records and when they first appear in Scottish records. Children?s places of birth on the censuses can often be a guide.

Though most of the Irish censuses pre 1901 have been destroyed, a few fragments survive. One such covers Cairncastle in 1851, and there's some Hoods listed in it. Can?t say whether they are connected to your family but it wouldn?t be too surprising. It?s a fairly small community. These families lived in Ballygilbert, Ballytober and Corkermain.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1851/Antrim/Upper_Glenarm/Carncastle/Ballygilbert/4/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1851/Antrim/Upper_Glenarm/Carncastle/Ballytober/14/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1851/Antrim/Upper_Glenarm/Carncastle/Corkermain/7/

Also a Johnston in Carnfunnock and another in Droagh:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1851/Antrim/Upper_Glenarm/Carncastle/Carnfunnock/2/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1851/Antrim/Upper_Glenarm/Carncastle/Droagh/10/ 

Note that the entires in the 1851 are all duplicated for some reason.Each person is listed twice. Presumably a technical error.

Ahoghill
Thanks so much for your detailed and prompt reply. I have looked at the PRONI website, but will follow up with a request. We were in Belfast a couple of years ago, but at that stage hadn't tracked the Hood line far enough.