Coppals

Rkelly,

You say that Sarah was born in 1868. However the only Coppals-Black marriage I can see was in Greenock in 1881. If Sarah was born in 1868, then she was only 13 when she got married. That doesn’t seem very likely. Do you want to revise her year of birth? Have a look at her marriage certificate or the 1881 or later Scottish censuses to get her age from that.

Also, Scottish marriage certificates record both parents names, and occupations. So can you let us have that information?

I suspect Sarah was born before 1864 which is when birth registration started in Ireland. So to trace her, we need her religious denomination. The marriage cert should tell you the denomination of the church they married in. What was it?

I suspect the spelling of her name in Ireland will be Cupples. Quite a common name in Co. Antrim.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. My mistake, I took birth details from info a relative passed to me. 

Sarah was married in Greenock in 1881 aged 18. Certificate shows only mothers name- "Jane McLean now married to George Mitchell."  Sarah married Daniel Black in St Marys Catholic Church Greenock.

Thanks for your help

Rkelly

I looked for George Mitchell and Jane Mclean marriage in Ireland 1863 to 1881 but couldn't see one. Nor can I see one in Scotland.

I looked at the 1901 census for Ireland. There was no-one named Coppals in the island. However, as I mentioned previously, Cupples is found, so I think that is how the name was probably spelled in Ireland. There were 178, all in Antrim or Down. Nearly all were Presbyterian. So if Sarah came from Ballymoney it might be worth searching the Presbyterian records there for her baptism. So possibly Sarah converted to the RC faith before marrying in Greenock. 

Statutory birth registration began in Ireland on 1.1.1864 and there’s no trace of her birth after that date. But if she were 18 in 1881 she should have been born in 1863 or 1862 so that isn’t surprising. But it means you will need to check church records for her baptism. And those records are not on-line.

Ballymoney 1st Presbyterian church has records from  1817, Ballymoney 2nd from 1835. Copies in PRONI in Belfast. (Not on-line so a personal visit is required to view them).

Thanks very much for your help.

Will try to arrange a visit.

Regards 

Rkelly