David Sloss (c1838-1919)of Crew, Maghera

Marlene,

From the 1831 census, the family was Presbyterian. (That’s confirmed by Matilda marrying in a Presbyterian church too).

Statutory death registration only started in Ireland in 1864.  Prior to that only the Church of Ireland kept burial records. Presbyterians normally did not. So if Robert died before 1864 (as seems likely from his absence in Griffiths in 1859) then there’s probably no record. You could try local graveyards for a gravestone perhaps.

I assume you will have noticed Joseph Sloss next door to Robert in 1831. Presumably a relation. Both had families of 7 at that date. Joseph is also gone by 1859 but there is a Matilda,  who I suspect is Robert’s widow. She is replaced in the Valuation Revision records by James Sloss in 1868 who looks to be a sibling of David & Matilda.  His father was Robert and he too married a McKeown from Curragh in 1856:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1856/09514/5448713.pdf

James looks to have died in 1870. His son Robert John married Nancy Shiels in 1891:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1891/10683/5893330.pdf

This is them in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Maghera/Cr…

Probate abstract:

Sloss, Nancy of Crew Maghera county Londonderry widow died 14 April 1962 Probate Londonderry 30 August to Thomas Lytle and Kennedy Shiels farmers. Effects £1859 14s. 

The property still appears to be a farm, now on the Drummuck Rd, BT46, and a trawl of the phone book suggests there may be a Sloss living there. 

I can’t see a death for Matilda Sloss so suspect she too died before 1864. James’ daughter Mary Ann married in Curran Presbyterian in 1880 so there seems to be a family connection to that church too. 

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1880/11040/8038117.pdf

Curren Presbyterian church has no baptism records before 1900 and no marriages before 1845. Maghera has no records before 1843. (The previous Minister Rev Kennedy never kept any). The lack of records means that tracing the family back any further will be very difficult if not impossible. The only hint I can give is that a James Sloss of Crew had a will probated in 1808. Robert & Joseph’s father perhaps? That can only be speculation though. The will itself was destroyed in the 1922 fire but the fact that it existed has survived and is in the PRONI names index.

Being Presbyterian and living in Co. Londonderry points strongly to the family being descendants of Scots who settled in that area in the 1600s.

Hi Elwin. Thank you for the prompt reply. I had assumed that the Matilda in the 1859 Valuation was Robert's widow but later found an entry on magheragenealogy.org/Maghera-Presbyterian-church-early marriages p. 2 1843-1846 re 29 Dec 1843 marriage of Eliza Slauss, daughter of Robert Slauss and Martha McCracken of Crew. The unhelpful entry of the29 Oct 1861 death of a Mrs. sloss , 70, of Crew (http://www.torrens.org.uk/Genealogy/Bann Valley/church/MagheraP/Burials 1861-1865..) does not tell us if she was the widow of Robert or Joseph. I wonder if a look at the land records for Matilda Sloss,Farm #25 in Crew prior to 1859 would give us a clue as to whether it was Robert or Joseph who was the previous lease holder and if Matilda might be David's mother or aunt. If so, I probably have to contact PRONI for that info.

David was my maternal great-great grandfather and I have extensive info re his life in Ontario if you are interested.

Thank you for all the above info.

Take care

Marlene

Matilda’s property passing to James who married Sarah Jane McKeown makes me think that’s likely to be mother & son.  (And we know James father was named Robert, from his marriage certificate). 

I doubt PRONI will have any records detailed enough to show who was on the Crew farm prior to 1859. Apart from the tithes and the 1831 census, there are few records available from then until Griffiths was published.

Thank you so much for all your help. I had hoped to be able to confirm the relationships but will go with the assumption that Matilda is David's mother. Great to have another person looking at the info and making the same conclusion.

Take care.