Hi, I am trying to solve one of my ancestral mysteries/skeletons, and I am hoping someone here may be able to help. It is fairly recent history, but I just don't know where to go next. Thank you in advance, any pointers would be absolutely
What I have:
Isaac Dunwoody lived at 50 Killaughy Road with Rebecca Georgina Martin (formerly of Enagh/Garvaghy), they married at "Ballyhack Presbyterian Church" 31st March 1938. I eventually found a copy of the marriage license, which is a little bit of a work of fiction, but it is definitely the right people, the address matches what we knew as does her name.
It also looks like Isaacs' brother John William and sister Mary Jane lived at 66 Killaughy Road. Again this matches what I knew from oral history.
Isaac Dunwoody died 19th April 1961, retired cattle dealer of 50 Killaughy Road. I think Rebecca passed in the early 1970s?? She was also known as Georgina.
Questions:
- I can not find any record of Ballyhack Presbyterian Church? Has it changed name, or is it an abreviation?
- If someone lived at Killaughy Road and was in the local Presbyterian church choir - which church would they have attended & what is the likelyhood of that church having any newletters or records from that time period?
- Is there a way of finding the obituary and or grave for Rebecca Georgina Dunwoody and Issaic Dunwoody. I've searched Find a Grave - but nothing to date, and I don't know where they would be burried.
Thank you
Kind Regards
Kerry
Wednesday 24th Jun 2020, 10:18AM
Message Board Replies
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Kerry,
The GRONI website has a copy of George & Rebecca’s marriage but it gives her surname as Hanna, not Martin. I hope that fits with your information.
I don’t know of any Presbyterian church named Ballyhack. It’s probably Ballyblack which is about 4 miles from Newtownards. Have you checked the original marriage certificate on the GRONI site to see exactly what it says?
https://www.ballyblack-church.org.uk/about-us-1/
There’s a copy of the Ballyblack records in PRONI (the public record office in Belfast) as follows:
Baptisms, 1821-1948; marriages, 1820-1915; deaths, 1821-52; communicants’ roll book, 1869-89; session minutes, 1821-43; transfer certificates, 1824-8; census,
1821-39; collections, subscriptions and accounts, 1822-49.Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church after which she’d attend her husband’s. Presbyterians don’t use the parish system and so which church you attend is just a matter of personal preference. There’s quite a lot in the Donaghadee area. However there is a clue form Mary Jane’s probate abstract where one of her executors was the Rev John Edward Glenfield. I wouldn’t be surprised if his church was the family church. A newspaper search revealed he was Minister at Shore St, Presbyterian St in Donaghadee in 1962. (He appears still to have been alive in 2002).
Probate abstracts from the PRONI wills site:
Dunwoody, Isaac of 50 Killaughey Road Donaghadee county Down retired cattle dealer died 19 April 1961 Probate Belfast 5 September to Robert James McLain civil servant and Cecil Campbell electrician. Effects £1301 6s. 11d.
Dunwoody, William John of 66 Killaughey Road Donaghadee county Down retired labourer died 10 March 1963 at Ards Hospital Newtownards county Down Probate Belfast 2 April to Luke Semple farmer and John Edward Glenfield presbyterian minister. Effects £391 13s.
Dunwoody, Mary Jane of 66 Killaughey Road Donaghadee county Down spinster died 17 November 1963 at Ards Hospital Newtownards county Down Probate Belfast 2 April to Luke Semple farmer and John Edward Glenfield presbyterian minister. Effects £1691 16s.
The wills themselves should be in PRONI, in paper format. You can look them up yourself free or they will copy them for you, for a fee.
For Rebecca’s death you need to either go into PRONI and look it up or contact GRONI and ask them to di it for you. (Deaths within the past 50 years are no accessible on any on-line site). Rebecca may also have left a will. Again the details won’t be on-line but you can search for it in PRONI.
Belfast Telegraph for 20th April 1961 says Isaac (beloved husband of Ena) was to be buried at Donaghadee New Cemetery on 21st April. There is also a mention of Isaac’s brother James in New Zealand.
Can’t see a death notice for Rebecca Georgina.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Wednesday 24th Jun 2020, 06:03PM