My Irish ancestors came to Nova Scotia Canada and settled in Annapolis County sometime between 1 May 1830 & 17 May 1833. Their names were William Crawford and Margaret Lee. They brought 4 children with them. Their names were Sarah Jane, Frances, Isabella & William who was my direct line ancestor. They were poor farmers.
William Sr. was born c. 1800 in Ireland. His wife Margaret was was born c. 1801 also in Ireland according to Canadian Census records. Sarah Jane was the oldest child being born c. 13 July 1823 in Glendermot Parish, Co. Derry. I have not located a marriage record for Willam Sr. & Margaret but assume it was somewhere around 1822 if they did in fact legalize their union.The next born Frances came c.15 September 1825 at Enah, Glendermott Parish, Co. Derry. Third born was Isabella born c. 7 Jan 1828 Enah, Glendermott Parish, Co., Derry and finally William Jr. was born c. 1st of May 1830 at the same place. The first child born in Nova Scotia was a boy they named Andrew. He was born c. 17 May 1833 in Annapolis County. There were two other girls to follow, Margaret born c. 20 December 1836 and Mary born c. 4 Aug 1840.
Can anyone suggest how I might take this family back further in Ireland? Thanks for any help you can provide.
Karen
Friday 4th Aug 2017, 08:21PM
Message Board Replies
-
Karen,
The 1831 census for Enagh doesn’t list the Crawford family. That suggests they had perhaps left Ireland by then (census night was 31st May 1831). See:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Tirkeeran/Clondermot/Enagh/
There were a couple of other William Crawfords in the area, both families being Presbyterian:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Tirkeeran/Clondermot/Edenriaughmore/19/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Tirkeeran/Clondermot/Gortnissy/27/
Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, and thereafter she’d attend her husband’s. So often the children are baptised in a different church to where the couple married. You haven’t said what denomination your family was. If they were Presbyterian then there are 5 Presbyterian churches in that area but unfortunately none has any records for the 1820s and 1830s. Clondermot Church of Ireland has baptisms from 1810 and marriages from 1808. There’s a copy of those records in PRONI in Belfast and they might be on some of the subscription sites such as rootsireland.
The lack of earlier records will make researching the family pretty difficult if not impossible. And it may explain why you can’t find a record of the marriage. They may have married in a church whose records are lost or never kept in the first place.
Enagh today is largely in the Strathfoyle estate just on the outskirts of Derry.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Friday 4th Aug 2017, 10:21PM