Hugh MILLIGAN - County Down?

Catherine,

For the benefit of others looking at this board, here’s Hugh’s second marriage:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1851/09414/5410534.pdf

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church so it looks as though Margaret Clarke was Church of Ireland.

The 1840 tribute is for Hugh Milligan of Ballynahatty, which is in the parish of Drumbo. Hugh was evidently Presbyterian. One of the speakers was the Rev Montgomery of Ballycairn Presbyterian church. I would guess therefore that it was the Milligan family church. That church only opened in 1830. Unfortunately it has no baptism records before 1860 so if that’s where any of the children to the first marriage were baptised, the records don’t exist. (It has marriage records from 1845. It looks as though the baptism records from 1830 onwards to 1859, and marriages 1830 to 1844 have been lost, or were never kept). Prior to 1830 I suspect the Milligan family will have attended Drumbo Presbyterian church. It has records from 1699 onwards (with a few gaps). There’s a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. I don’t know if they are on-line anywhere. Possibly not.

But obviously if you check the Drumbo records you might find a Hugh Milligan, son of Hugh, baptised c 1812. That would tell you if you have the right Hugh MIlligan.

There would be no harm in checking Drumbo Church of Ireland records too in case the Gray family were of that denomination. The marriage might have taken place there. Their records start in 1791.

Death registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864, so there’s no death certificate for her. Prior to that very few churches kept burial records, and the Presbyterian church rarely did. The first wife seems likely to have been buried in the Killygarvan area. Rathmullan looks to be the nearest Presbyterian church. I am not sure that it has a graveyard. In which case Presbyterians would normally use the Church of Ireland graveyard.

http://donegalgenealogy.com/killygarvanproj.htm

Rathmullan Presbyterian church opened in 1830 but has no baptism records before 1854, so again if that’s where some of the children to the first marriage were baptised, no records exist.

Londonderry Sentinel of 24th Jan 1851 contains this information about the 1851 marriage which tells you she came from Co Down.:

At Kilmacrenan, on Monday, the 20th inst., by the Rev. Henry C. Cochran, Mr. H. Milligan, of Killygarvan, to Margaret Hood Clarke, fifth daughter of the late Mr. John Clarke, of Ballymacreely, county Down.

Ballymacreely is in the parish of Killinchy in Co Down. John Clarke was listed as farming there in the 1833 tithe applotment records:

https://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/killinchy-parish.php

RosDavies has Hugh Milligan of Ballynahatty dying on 9th August 1856 aged 68 and buried in Drumbo Church of Ireland, along with one of his sons. So that would fit with him being Hugh senior.

https://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/killinchy-parish.php

Hugh Gray of Milltown (mentioned in the 1840 article) died in 1866. His children are listed  on the Rosdavies site but there’s no mention of a Letitia or an Elizabeth:

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rosdavies/genealogy/SURNAMES/G/Gra.htm

Thanks Elwyn

I'm grateful for your insights and suggestions for where I should take my search next, though understand that not everything will be available online from NZ so this may limit what I'll be able to find.

Lots to think about and look for!

Catherine

From PRONI’s e-catalogue D1954/6/15

1824 Map of Ballynahatty and Ballynavally surveyed by Thos. Prynalt. Gives names of tenants and acreage of land that each holds. Scale "240 Irish perches". This map was copied from an original map surveyed by Hugh Jackson in 1748. There is also a note attached re the survey. Ballynahatty and Ballynavally.

D1954/6/17

1827 Map of Ballynahatty and Ballynavally showing divisions of land and acreage of each part. Name of surveyor and reference and scale not given. Coloured. Pencil annotations re acreage of land etc. This map is badly torn. Ballynatty and Ballynavally.

D3670/A/4 (Note the mention of Letitia Gray).

Last will and testament of William Gray of Ballynahatty, parish of Drumbo, Co. Down in which the main benefactors are his wife Jane, son William and daughters Letitia and Eleanor.

Catherine if you can't get to PRONI yourself, you could employ a professional researcher. Try the Society of Genealogists:   

http://sgni.net/