Clare family

Hello Bklyngidget,

Do you have the marriage record for James Clare and Caroline Cairns? If not I can send you a copy of the original marriage cert.

I also found what I believe to be a copy of the original the birth record for James Clair, which I can send to you as well if you don't have it. 

In addition I located the birth transcription for Caroline Cairns and what I believe to be a transcription of the marriage of her parents, and can send these to you as well after you reply.

Kind Regards,

Dave Boylan   

Hi, Thank you for all of the reply. Yes that would be great!  Hope I am not imposing, but we are stuck looking for a William Mc Clare, they dropped the Mc, born around 1829 and his father was John Mc Clare. William married Mary McGowan in 1855. Can not find anything on John Mc Clare or William birth records.. You are a God send.   How do you send ...email or do you want my home address?

Thank you so much,

Linda Clare

 

Hello Linda,

Many thanks for your prompt reply. After I had sent the communication to you last night, I continued to search for more records about your ancestors other than those I had already discovered. I did find more records, and as I am writing this, I've found even more, though I'm not sure about how many of these records you have. And so, I'm just going to send everything I discover. This may take some time as I try to look for ancestors as if they were my own and do not want to take any short cuts with the research. I'm not sure if I'll be able to uncover the baptism record for William McClare/McClair/Clare/Clair, etc., baptized circa 1829, as I haven't gone back far enough in time yet. Most of the records I've located thus far are from the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s. I hope to find more.

For those records I cannot find online, I'll make recommendation about where you may be able to locate them, though this may take some little expense, with no guarantee that you'll find any further information. But, there is always the possibility that you will find more information. 

I hope you don't mind waiting some time longer, as I'm not sure when I'll be finished looking for your ancestors, but I should be done by this weekend. Again, I don't want to skimp on the research. Some of the records I'll be sending you will be attachments of copies of the original records. Other records will either be transcriptions or indexes.  

Thank you again for writing Linda. If I have any questions I hope if you don’t mind if I get back to you again.

KInd Regards,

Dave

 

Thank you....much appreciated. This is taking alot of your time. Do you want anything for your time? Maybe you do this out of the kindness in your Irish heart!
The William McClare I came upon by accident...and then connected him to my great grandfather.
I don't have any records in hand yet...just info as to who I know is related so far and alot mostly.
You are in my prayers in thanks for this ...

Hi again..
I have a question...I did the ancestory DNA and this woman I dont know came up as my 2nd cousin.
She is 89 percent northern Irish. ..she was in shock as she was raised here Jewish . She realized she was adopted. She was born 1949 in queens york.
She did the 23 and me test to make sure..it came back the same. She has no one alive to ask questions.
On the 23 and me site a Cahill came up as CLOSE relative.Cpuld be a sibling etc. But will not help. Dont know why all are deceased.
Ancestory told me one of my grandfathers children 's child either came here got pregnant or made a girl pregnant and the girl was given up for adoption. Her and I are in touch. In fact she lives 10 min from me.
How do I find who immigrated here. I only know of one sibling who came with her husband...and stayed..no children.but 1949 would have been too old to have a child.
Where do I look to find out who it was if possible.
Obviously..either a Clare was her mom or dad...or a Cahill was her mom or dad.Shes got more Irish DNA in her than me! Any suggestions would be something and appreciated.

Linda Clare

Hi Linda,

Many thanks for both your recent replies. I don’t charge anything for finding records as all the records I’ll send to you were discovered for free. I also don’t mind spending the time looking for as much information about your ancestors as possible. Speaking of records, thus far I’ve uncovered 11. These are copies of original birth, marriage, or death records pertaining to your ancestors. Because I’ve come across more records than I had expected, it may take more time to compile them into a narrative format. It may even take past this weekend to send you all the information I found. The copies of the original records I found will be send to you as attachments when the time comes to send you the full genealogical report.

I also located indexes and transcriptions of records pertaining to your ancestors, which I’ll send in the body of the reply, rather than as attachments.

Concerning your immigration question Linda, I don’t have enough information to give any suggestions. For later 20th century research you may want to consult a certified genealogist with whom you can sit down with and go over all the information you have about your DNA testing and the person you are looking for. Most of my experience has been with 19th and early 20th century Irish Catholic baptisms and births, though records I found show your ancestors were mainly Presbyterian., or had belonged to an Independent Church.

To date I haven’t come across Clare/Cahill or Cairns/Cahill connection, but I still haven’t finished with the research as yet. If I do find a Cahill I’ll let you know immediately.

I’ll get back to you again as soon as I can after I’ve found as many records as I can concerning your ancestors. Or, I may write back again in case I have any questions.

Thank you again for writing Linda,

Dave

Hello Linda,

I checked several free websites to see if I could find the circa 1829 baptism of William McClare/McClair/Clare/Clair, son of John, but didn’t find any records. Even if I had found the baptism for a William McClare circa 1829, was the son of a William McClare, I couldn’t be sure that he was your ancestor, as his mother’s first and maiden names are unknown. The websites I went to to look for him were mainly Ancestry.com and Family Search. Family Search is also known as the Latter Day Saints (LDS).

There is one place you can go to search for a John McClare’s baptism to see if you can narrow down the possibility of finding his baptism. This website is the subscription and pay-as-you-go RootsIreland, which is also known as the Irish Family History Foundation (IFHF). In the past I have used the IFHF website with great success, but no longer use the site as most of the records I look for are for Irish Catholics and are online for free, whereas I believe your Clare ancestors were Presbyterian, though some may possibly have also belonged to the Church of Ireland.

A 12 month subscription to the IFHF is very expensive at $262, but you can also obtain a 1 day subscription for $18 and a 1 month subscription for $35.

The IFHF has transcribed Catholic and Protestant church records of baptism, marriage and burials, as well as civil records of birth, marriage and death for almost all of Ireland, excluding County Kerry and Western Cork County. These records include Presbyterian as well as Church of Ireland and Catholic parish records. To view samples of the transcriptions from the IFHF, go to: http://www.rootsireland.ie/sample-records/

If you do access one of the subscription options at the IFHF, you’ll want to see if you can locate the baptism record for a William McClare, born circa 1829, son of John McClare. William may have been baptized in Belfast, County Antrim, but he may have also been baptized in County Down, which is just south of Belfast City.

There will not be a civil birth record for William McClare, as the government in Ireland did not commence with the registration of births or deaths until January 1, 1864. The government however, did begin to record Protestant marriage on April 1, 1845.

The free Irish genealogy.ie website has recorded indexes to Irish civil marriages from the year 1845, but these indexes do not give a lot of information. For example, below are the individual marriage indexes from irishgenealogy.ie for William McClare and Mary McGowan, showing they were married in the year 1855, and that their marriage was recorded in the Newtownards (County Down) Registration District. Newtownards is not necessarily where the marriage took place, but where the marriage was recorded:

Name WILLIAM MC CLARE
Date of Event 1855
Group Registration ID N/R
SR District/Reg Area Newtownards
Returns Year 1855
Returns Quarter 1
Returns Volume No 9
Returns Page No 115

AND

Name MARY MAGOWAN
Date of Event 1855
Group Registration ID N/R
SR District/Reg Area Newtownards
Returns Year 1855
Returns Quarter 1
Returns Volume No 9
Returns Page No 115
____

I next uncovered more detailed indexes for the marriage of William and Mary at the Family Search/LDS website. The first index shows the marriage took place in Bangor, County Down on 16 August 1855. The index shows that William’s father was John and that Mary’s father was David McGowan. You may already have this record:

Ireland Civil Registration

Name William Mc Clare
Spouse's Name Mary Magowan
Event Date 16 Aug 1855
Event Place Bangor, Down, Ire

Father's Name John Mc Clare
Spouse's Father's Name David Magowan

Citing this Record
"Ireland Marriages, 1619-1898," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FG6L-1K9 : 10 February 2018), William Mc Clare and Mary Magowan, 16 Aug 1855; citing Bangor, Down, Ire, reference 2:3KGL4P7, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 101,370.
____

The second LDS index is even more specific in that it shows the marriage actually took place in Groomsport County Down on 16 August 1855. Groomsport is actually a suburb of Bangor. The index follows:

Ireland Civil Registration

Name William McClare
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 16 Aug 1855
Event Place Groomsport, County Down, Ireland
Event Place Groomsport, Newtownards, Ireland

Father's Name John McClare

Spouse's Name Mary Magowan
Spouse's Father's Name David Magowan

Citing this Record
"Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGVD-3KTK : 17 March 2018), William McClare and Mary Magowan, Marriage 16 Aug 1855, Groomsport, County Down, Ireland; citing General Register Office, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,370.
____

A Google Map shows that Groomsport, County Down, by the shortest route, is 16.6 miles northeast of Belfast. See the map at: https://is.gd/gOWmrP

For a Google Street View of Groomsport, go to: https://is.gd/rWHOH7

The above records are civil registration marriage indexes, not church marriage indexes. If you want to subscribe to the IFHF you’ll want to see if you can find a transcription of the marriage record. Traditionally, Irish civil registration marriage records will provide the name of the church where the groom and bride were married. Other information you may find on the record include the church where the couple were married and the name of the priest who married them, the ages of the couple (in many cases the ages are only recorded as “Full Age”), the occupation of the groom and bride, the residences of the groom and bride before they married, the names of the fathers of the groom and bride, but unfortunately, not the names of their mothers, and the names of the witnesses to the marriage. In some cases the witnesses could be relatives of the groom and bride.

If you do not want to look for the marriage at the IFHF, you can order a copy of the marriage record from the General Register Office (GRO) in Dublin. You can order a photocopy of the marriage for 4 Euros. The application form to order birth, marriage, and death records from the GRO can be accessed at the following link: https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/images/content/GRO_Documents/Form_for_DAH…

The application form also includes the address of the GRO where you can send your request for the marriage record of William McClare and Mary McGowan.

Earlier I had mentioned the irishgenealogy.ie website. To date this free website has digitized and made available online, copies of original birth records from 1864. Copies of original marriages records are available from the year 1870, and copies of original death records are available from the year 1878. In the future the irishgenealogy.ie website will make available copies of original marriage records from the year 1845 and death records from 1864.

One of the first records I uncovered at irishgenealogy.ie was the marriage of James Clair and Caroline Cairns. They were married by License in the Agnes Street Independent Church, Belfast, on 30 March 1889. The marriage record shows that both James and Caroline were of full age when they married, which means they were over 21. James is shown to have been a bachelor, that is, he wasn’t married previously. His occupation is Iron Turner. His residence at the time of marriage was 49 Canmore Street, Belfast. His father is William Clair, whose occupation was Carman.

Caroline is shown to have been a spinster at the time of marriage, which means she hadn’t been previously married. Her occupation is weaver. Her address at the time of marriage was 9 Lime Street, Belfast. Her father is Andrew Cairns, whose occupation is labourer. James and Caroline were married by an officiating minister named David McKee. The witnesses to the marriage were James McKay and Isabella Clare. The marriage record is attached to this reply.

For a history of the Agnes Street Independent Church, which was a Presbyterian Church, go to the following link. http://www.immanuelbelfast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Bethany-Congr…

Sadly, the church building was demolished in 2008. See: https://is.gd/W8yPUQ

For a Google Map of Agnes Street, Belfast, go to: https://is.gd/8fKErA

For a Google Street View of Agnes Street, Belfast, go to: https://is.gd/eoM7vb

The marriage record shows that James Clair had lived on Canmore Street and that Caroline lived on Lime Street. I found Canmore Street on a Google Map of Belfast, but not a Lime Street. But I did find a Lime Court which may have previously been named Lime Street, or may have been near Lime Street. Canmore Street and Lime Court, by the shortest distance crossing over Agnes Street, are only 9/10ths of a mile apart. See the map at: https://is.gd/BAMhMD

For a Google Street View of Canmore Street, Belfast, see: https://is.gd/h530he

For a Google Street view of Lime Court, see: https://is.gd/PkUX4D

Having been married in 1889, I figured there would be a civil birth record for James Clare/Clair, as he was likely born after 1863. As mentioned earlier, copies of original civil birth records from 1864 are available at the irishgenealogy.ie website for free. I looked for and located James’s birth record, showing he was born at 49 Tea Lane, Belfast, on 18 December 1866. His father is William Clair, a carman, residing at 49 Tea Lane. James’s mother is Mary Clair, formerly Magowan. A lady named Ann Buck, who was present at the birth, reported the birth of James to the local registrar. Her address is 49 Tea Lane. She may have been the midwife who delivered James. The Deputy Registrar, A. Hadskis, recorded James’s birth on 1 January 1867 in the Belfast Registration District. James’s birth record is attached to this reply.

From information I found online Tea Lane no longer exists in Belfast, but when it did exist it was located off Sandy Row. Tea Lane has been reconstructed at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum in Cultra, Northern Ireland, 6.8 miles east of Belfast City. See: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/800937114954905985/

Also see the following:

https://is.gd/AgWfdi

https://is.gd/DzksRY

Because William McClare and Mary Magowan were married in 1855, I figured they had children from the mid to late 1850s as well as the early 1860s, before civil registration. There won’t be any birth records for their children before 1864, but I looked for the births of any Clare children before James’s birth in 1866. This means I looked for Clare births for the years 1864 and 1865. I located the birth record of one child. This child, a male, but un-named in the record, was born at 46 Tea Lane on 1 September 1864. His father is William Clair, a labourer residing at 46 Tea Lane. The child’s mother is Mary Clair, formerly Magowan. The person who was present at the birth and who reported the birth to the local Registrar was Ann Wright. She reported the birth to the registrar, whose last name was Halliday. The registrar recorded the child’s birth in the Belfast Registration District on 20 September 1864.

The birth of this Clair child is attached to this reply.

I next located the civil birth record for Isabella Clare. She was born at 46 Tea Lane, Belfast, on 25 February 1869. Her father is William Clare, a labourer residing at 46 Tea Lane. Her mother is Mary Clare, formerly Magowan. Mary’s residence is 46 Tea Lane. She reported the birth to the local Deputy Registrar, A Hadskis, who recorded the birth in the Belfast Registration District on 18 March 1869. Isabella’s birth record is attached to this reply.

I also found the civil birth record of Robert Clare. He was born at 4 James Street, Belfast, on 21 January 1872. His father is William Clare, a car-driver residing at 4 James Street. Robert’s mother is Mary Clare, formerly Magowan. The first name of the person present at the birth is Agnes, of 5 James Street, Belfast. Her last name may be McMurtron, though I can’t tell for sure because of the hand writing on the record. Agnes reported the birth to the local registrar, whose name appears to be W.J. Leeds. Robert’s birth was recorded in the Belfast Registration District on 27 January 1872. Robert’s birth record is attached.

I found James Street South on a Google Map. It is located 6/10ths of a mile from Sandy Row. Tea Lane, as mentioned earlier, had been located off Sandy Row. See the map at: https://is.gd/0XYcdQ

For a Google Street View of James Street South, see: https://is.gd/11ecTL

Next is the birth record for George Clare. He was born at 15 Crimea Street, Belfast, on 26 February 1875. His father is William Clare, a coach driver, residing at 15 Crimea Street. George’s mother is Mary Clare, formerly Magowan. William reported the birth to the local registrar, W.J. Leeds, who recorded the birth in the Belfast registration District on 11 March 1875. George’s birth record is attached to this reply.

A Google Map shows that Crimea Street, by the shortest route, is 1.6 miles northwest of James Street South, in Belfast. See: https://is.gd/98JLbU

For a Google Street View of Crimea Street, Belfast, go to: https://is.gd/B27hwH

I didn’t find the birth records of any more Clare children after the 1875 birth of George. But, I did find the marriage record of the person I believe to have been William and Mary Clare’s daughter, Sophia Clare. She and James McKay were married in the Agnes Street Presbyterian Church, Belfast, on 17 July 1876. At the time of marriage Sophia was 19 years old, placing her year of birth circa 1857. She would have been born seven years before the implementation of civil registration of births in 1864, and so, no birth record exists for her.

The marriage record refers to Sophia as a “Bachelor,” whose occupation was weaver, and whose residence was Belfast, with no street address given. Her father is William Clare. William’s occupation was coachman.

Her husband James McKay was also a 19 year old bachelor when he married. His occupation was mechanic. His address is Belfast. James’s father is Daniel McKay, a sailor. James and Sophia were married by License by Samuel McComb. The witnesses to the marriage were John McCullough and Sarah White.

The marriage record is attached to this reply.

Linda, what the marriage record indicates is that the Agnes Street Presbyterian Church was the home church for your Clare ancestors, which means that your grandfather may have been baptized there.

According to the johngrenham.com website, the Agnes Street Presbyterian Church in Belfast has baptism records for the years 1869 to 1881. But it appears that no marriage records for the church are available. See:
https://is.gd/jOYTwW

What this means is that if George was baptized in the Agnes Street Presbyterian Church, there should be a baptism record for him, as he was born in 1875. What this also means is that there may also be baptism records for his siblings Isabella, born 1869, and Robert, born 1875. Today, the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) holds the baptism records for the Agnes Street Presbyterian Church. You can contact PRONI and ask how much it will cost to search their records for the baptism of George Clare and his two siblings who were also born after 1867. There is no charge to send an enquiry to PRONI. For more information go to: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/proni-enquiry-service

The next record I found at the irishgenealogy.ie website was the death record for William Clare. He died at 15 Crimea Street, Belfast, on 10 May 1880 at the age of 51 years. The death records shows that he was married and that his occupation had been “Carowner.” The cause of death was, “Heart disease 12 Months. Dropsy 3 Months. Certified.” The person who was present at his death and who reported his death to the local deputy registrar was Mary Clare of 15 Crimea Street. Mary was likely his wife. The deputy registrar, J.F. Ellison, recorded the death in the Belfast Registration District on 10 May 1880. William’s death record is attached.

William’s wife Mary Clare died on 27 June 1903 at 26 Emerson Street, Belfast. At the time of death she was the 68 year old widow of “William Clare Car Driver.” One of the causes of death is recorded as, “Acute Lobar pneumonia.” I couldn’t make out the other contributing cause of death because of the handwriting on the record. “D. Clare, Son,” of 26 Emerson Street was present at the death and reported the death to the local registrar, H. Osborne, who recorded the death in the Belfast Registration District on 27 June 1903.

Mary’s death record is attached to this reply.

I looked for, but didn’t find an Emerson Street in Belfast at Google Maps.

Mary’s death record shows that the person who was present at her death and who reported the death to the local registrar was her son D. Clare. But, I didn’t find any birth record for a D. Clare. Because Mary died in 1903, I figured she would have been enumerated in the 1901 census of Ireland for Belfast. I went to the National Archives of Ireland website to look for her in the 1901 census. The National Archives of Ireland website link for the census can be accessed at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

I found 65 year old Mary in the 1901 census living in Emerson Street. The census notes that she was at “house 63 in Emerson Street,” but house 63 does not refer to the street number of the house, but the census form number. Mary is shown to have been a widower who belonged to the “Phresterian,” Church and who was a House Wife who could read and write and who could speak the Irish language. The census also notes she was born in County Down. In the household with her is her son, 25 year old George Clare, a “Labourer in Iron Works,” who was also born in County Down, and who could read and write and speak Irish. The census shows that George was not married.

A transcription of the census from the National Archives of Ireland is below:

1901 Census of Ireland

Residents of a house 63 in Emerson Street (Shankhill, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses

Clare Mary 65 Female Head of Family Phresterian Co Down House Wife Read and write Irish Widow
Clare George 25 Male Son Phresterian Co Down Labourer in Iron Works Read and write Irish
Not Married
____

You can view a copy of the original 1901 census for Mary and George Clare at the following National Archives of Ireland link: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000300625/

Once you access a copy of the original 1901 census you’ll see that the section that notes that Mary and George could speak Irish is crossed through, meaning they couldn’t speak the Irish language.

I suspect that the house in the 1901 census where Mary and George lived was also the house where she died two years later in 1903. The D. Clare noted in the death may have actually be G. Clare. The registrar may have made a mistake about the first initial of the name of Mary’s son who reported the death.

Next I found a surprise, showing that George Clare had been married before he was enumerated in the 1901 census, even though the census states he wasn’t married, when it could have said he was a widower. George, age 25, married 23 year old Jane Auld in St. Anne’s Church of Ireland on 11 February 1900. At the time of the marriage George was shown to have previously been a bachelor. His occupation was labourer and his address was 26 Emerson Street in Belfast. His father was William Clare whose occupation was “Coachman,” but by this date William had been deceased by 20 years.

Jane was shown to have been a “Spinster” when she married. Her occupation was “Spreader.” Her address was 36 James Street in Belfast. If you recall the Clare family had been living at 4 James Street, Belfast, when William and Mary’s son Robert Clare was born in 1872. Jane’s father is Alexander Auld whose occupation was “Engineer.” George and Jane were married by License by T.W. Ernest Drury in St. Anne’s Church, Belfast. The witnesses to the marriage were Francis Smith and Lilie McClelland. The marriage record is attached to this reply.

The question I had now was, “What happened to George’s wife Jane Auld? This prompted me to look for her death record at the irishgenealogy.ie website. I found the answer showing that Jane Clare died at 26 Emerson Street on 20 May 1900, a little over three months after she and George were married. The death record shows she was 23 when she died and that she had been the wife of George Clare, Labourer. The primary cause of death was Bright’s Disease. I couldn’t make out the contributing cause of death because of the handwriting, but the death record also notes that Jane was in some type of coma for 30 hours. The death record also shows that was present at the death. He reported the death to the local registrar, H.D. Osborne, who recorded the death in the Belfast Registration District on 21 May 1900. I’ve attached Jane’s death record to this reply.

Linda, had you known that your grandfather had been married before he settled in the U.S.?

To make matters even more tragic for Mary and her son George, I also found that Robert Clare, age 28, died at 26 Emerson Street, Belfast, on 8 February 1900, only three days before his brother George was married on 11 February. At the time of death Robert was a bachelor. His occupation was “Iron Turner.” The cause of death was, “Pulmonary Tuberculosis Exhaustion. Certified.” The person who was present at the death and who reported Robert’s death to the local registrar, was his brother James Clare, of 30 Coniston Street. Robert’s death was recorded by the local registrar, H.D. Osborne, on 8 February 1900 in the Belfast Registration District.

Robert’s death record is attached to this reply.

Linda, at this point I’ve decided to send you all the attachments mentioned above, as I don’t want to send too much information at all at once. I’ve found other records you may be interested in which I’ll forward to you as attachments sometime this week, hopefully by next weekend.

Below are the 12 attachments accompanying this reply:

CLAIR/CAIRNS 1889 MARRIAGE

JAMES CLAIR 1866 BIRTH

UNKNOWN CLAIR 1864 BIRTH

ISABELLA CLARE 1869 BIRTH

ROBERT CLAIR 1872 BIRTH

GEORGE CLAIR 1875 BIRTH

SOPHIA CLARE/JAMES MCKAY 1876 MARRIAGE

WILLIAM CLARE 1880 DEATH

MARY CLARE 1903 DEATH

GEORGE CLARE 1900 MARRIAGE

JANE AULD CLARE’S 1900 DEATH

ROBERT CLARE 1900 DEATH
____

Kind Regards,

Dave

Grateful for all this..much appreciated. But you have George Clare mixed up. The George you have as my grandfather is my grandfather uncle.George was born to James Clare and Caroline Carins on Sept 1 1889. I have birth certificate and his death certificate is March 1948 in US. We have 1911 census Coniston st. They had 11 children.. 1 died James ww1..and Albert twin died at birth. Sorry you got the Geoeges mixed up. My grandfather George came here at age 22...married my grandmother same year. Can you find Caroline Carins death? The other things you sent we did not have alot of it...much appreciated!!! Cant find Caroline Death.
Found James Clare death and his son Ernest was with him at death.
Love everything you sent.
Just wanted to correct the George's before you went farther...can't wait to see more.
Thank you....
Linda Clare

Hello Linda,

After sending the last reply a few hours ago I went back to check all the links I used for maps and other websites that you could access. I had checked these links at least three times before sending the reply, but when I checked the link for the John Grenham website for the Belfast Presbyterian churches, specifically the Agnes Street Presbyterian Church, I found the link no longer works. But, if you go to Google and type in “John Grenham Presbyterian records for Belfast, you’ll be able to access the page I referred to in the previous communication.

Thanks Linda,

Dave

Thank you...did you get my message about my grandfather George?

Linda Clare

Hello Linda,

Thank you for the correction. I had meant to say it was your uncle in the 1900 marriage record as at that point in the research I had already found a great deal of information about your grandfather George and his family but didn’t include it in the last reply because of the length and because of the several attachments in that reply. For instance, during the past week I found your grandfather George’s 1889 birth record which you already have, as well as George and his family in the 1901 and 1911 census records, which I believe you already have.

But I also uncovered James, Caroline, your 1 year old grandfather George, and his father James’s siblings, 19 year old Robert Clare and 21 year old Catherine Clare, in the 1891 census of England. If you don’t have this record I can send it to you.

I also located George in the ship’s passenger list when he arrived in New York in 1912, though I’m not sure if you have this record. In addition, I found George’s 1912 Declaration of Intention to become a U.S. Citizen and a petition by his wife Catherine for him to become a citizen. I also found George’s and Katherine Dening’s 1914 New York, Extracted Marriage Index, and George’s World War I draft registration card.

I also located what I believe to be the Greenpoint Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, NY, baptism register entry for James and Catherine’s son, Walter John Armstrong Clare, who was born on August 9, 1919 and baptized on August 31 1919. The 1920 census shows that a Walter Clare, age 5/12, that is 5 months, is in the household with his parents, 28 year old George Clare and 28 year old Katy Clare, as well as 3 year old James Clare. The address of the household is 210 Huron Street in Brooklyn.

I also found George’s World War II draft registration card.

Going back to Irish records, if you look at the 1911 census for James and Caroline Clare and 11 of their children, including 21 year old George, you’ll see for some reason there are two sons named James. One James is 18 years old and born in England. The other James is 14 years old and born in Belfast. You’ll also see that James and Caroline’s daughter, 20 year old Minnie, was born in England as well. I found what I believe are James and Minnie’s individual English birth indexes, which I’m not sure if you have or not. In the birth index Minnie is named Mary. The indexes give the first and last name of the child and the maiden name of the child’s mother, but do not include the first names of the parents.

Linda, do you know why James and Caroline had two sons named James, one born in England and one born in Belfast?

Also in the 1901 and 1911 census is the person I believe to be Caroline Cairns Clare’s sister, Lizzie Cairns. I found Lizzie’s (Elizabeth’s) marriage record showing that she married a widower named Robert Crowe, a fireman, in 1911, just a few months after the 1911 census was enumerated.

Concerning Caroline Cairns Clare, there isn’t a death record for her at irishgenealogy.ie, as this website has only digitized records for Northern Ireland up to 1922, when Northern Ireland became its own country. The GRO in Belfast would have Caroline’s death record but you would have to know when she died to obtain it without going to the GRO yourself.

Today I looked for Caroline’s death indexes at Ancestry.com and the LDS websites, but without success.

Today I’ll also see if I can find any information about Caroline’s death by going to the Find A Grave website for Belfast City Cemeteries.

You won’t be able to find the Clare family in the 1921 Ireland census because Ireland didn’t take a census that year due to the Irish Civil War. The next census taken in Ireland was in 1926. Hopefully the Irish government will release this census before 1926. This census would let us know if Caroline was still living and would provide the names of all the residents in the Clare household at the time.

Please let me know which records mentioned above you’d like and I’ll send them to you in the next reply.

Thanks again Linda,

Dave

Thank you so very much!! You can send everything if it's no inconvenience ..you've done so much...words are not enough...you are one in a million!

Linda Clare

Great Linda! I'll put everything together about your grandfather George Clare and have the information to you hopefully by this weekend. I've just finished up uncovering more information about Caroline Cairns and her family, though unfortunately I didn't find her death record or the death record of her husband James Clare, which means they likely died after the year 1922. I thought they may have been recorded in the Belfast Electoral Registers, but I didn't find them.

I'll be in touch soon.

Dave

Hi..how does one pronounce Cairns....I kept pronouncing it Carins... is it same pronunciation just spelled differently?
I found a relative immigration by accident...spelling last name wrong...I spelled it Carins and the ship had it spelled that way...it should have been Cairns. Everything else matched. Does this happen often...names spelled wrong? Just how is name pronounced. ...Carins? For Cairns...??

Linda

Hello Linda,

Your ancestors may have pronounced their name as Carens or Carins, probbaly because they were brought up to pronounce the name that way. Go to the following macmillandictionary.com website link and click on the “Pronunciation” key, and you’ll hear the name pronounced, “Carin.” Go to: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/pronunciation/american/cairn

The Cambridge.org online dictionary will give the UK version of how to pronounce Cairn as well as the U.S. version of how to pronounce the name: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/pronunciation/english/cairn

I believe either pronunciation of the name Cairn would be correct.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CLARE ANCESTORS

I found the birth record for your grandfather George Alexander Clair who was born on 1 September 1889 on 15 “Lorton” Street in Belfast. His father is James Clair, an Iron Turner who lived at 15 “Louden” Street, Belfast. One of these street names is incorrect, as the deputy registrar who recorded the birth gives two different spellings for the street name. More on this later.

George’s mother is Caroline Clair, formerly Cairns. Caroline Cairns of 15 Lorton Street reported the birth to the local Assistant Registrar, S. Mercer, who recorded George’s birth in the Belfast Registration District on 14 September 1889. George’s birth record is attached to this reply.

I didn’t find a Lorton Street, Belfast at Google Maps, but did locate a Louden Street. See the Google Map at:
https://is.gd/GhwIAw

A Google Street View of Louden Street, Belfast can be viewed at: https://is.gd/HA8ipg

I also found George Clare’s ship’s passenger list or manifest record at Ancestry.com, showing he arrived in New York on board the S.S. Adriatic on 13 September 1912. He left Liverpool, England on September 5, 1912. George’s age on the passenger list 22. His occupation is Iron Turner. He could read and write and was of British origin. His race is Irish and his last permanent address was Belfast, Ireland. His nearest relative in Ireland is his parent James Clare of 27 Coniston Street, Belfast. The ship’s passenger list is attached to this reply.

I also found George on a second ship’s list at Ancestry.com. This list is called, “RECORD OF DETAINED ALIENS.” The cause of detention is listed as George’s “uncle.” The uncle is listed as Thos Cairns, whose address is either 214 or 248 E. Armstrong Ave., NY. George was discharged from what I believe was Ellis Island at 11 am on September 14, 1912. George is on Line 18 of the manifest, which is also attached to this reply. I believe George was detained because he had been waiting for his Uncle Thomas to pick him up, but that is only a guess. The exact reason for the detainment is not specified. This is the first time I have come across a Record of Detained Aliens.

Less than two years after he arrived in America, George married Catherine “Dening.” I don’t think that is correct spelling for Catherine’s maiden name however. George and Catherine were married in Kings County, New York, on 30 January 1914. I found their marriage index at Ancestry.com’s, “New York, New York, Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937.”

The index is below:

New York, New York, Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937

Name: George Clare
Gender: Male
Marriage Date: 30 Jan 1914
Marriage Place: Kings, New York, USA
Spouse: Katherine Dening
Certificate Number: 1225

Source Information
Ancestry.com. New York, New York, Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

Original data: Index to New York City Marriages, 1866-1937. Indices prepared by the Italian Genealogical Group and the German Genealogy Group, and used with permission of the New York City Department of Records/Municipal Archives.
____

The index below, from Ancestry.com from “New York, Marriage License Indexes, 1907-1995,” gives the name of George’s wife as Katharine Dearing and the location where the license was issued as Brooklyn, New York City:

New York, Marriage License Indexes, 1907-1995

Name: George Clare
Gender: Male
Marriage License Date: 20 Jan 1914
Marriage License Place: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Spouse: Katharine Dearing
License Number: 884

Source Citation
New York City Municipal Archives; New York, New York

Source Information
Ancestry.com. New York, New York, Marriage License Indexes, 1907-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017.
____

George and Catherine were married the same year that World War I began in Europe. America didn’t enter the War until 1917, at which time the government required that male citizens of a certain age fill out draft registration forms. I located George’s World War I Draft Registration Card at Ancestry.com. At the time he filled out the draft registration card George was living at 210 Huron St., Brooklyn. He states he was born on September 1, 1890 in Belfast, Ireland. However, his birth record, which is attached, shows that he was actually born on September 1, 1889. The draft registration card also shows that George was employed as a Marine Machinist employed by the Todd Ship Building Corp., at 342 E. 12 Street, New York City. George also states he has a “wife and 2 children.” He also claims an exemption from the draft because he was the “Only support of family.” On the other side of the card is the REGISTRAR’S REPORT, showing that George was of Medium height, that he was of Medium build, that he had blue eyes and brown hair, and that he has not lost an arm, leg, feet or both eyes and that he is not otherwise disabled. Both sides of George’s draft registration card are attached to this reply.

Also at Ancestry.com I found the index as well as a copy of the original baptism record for George and Catherine Clare’s son, “Walter John Armstrong Clare. The index however, spells Walter’s first name as, “Waltie.” Walter was baptized in the Greenpoint Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, New York, on 31 August 1919. The baptism index also shows that Walter was born on 9 August 1919. The index is below:

U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970

Name: Waltie John Armstrong Clare Clare
Baptism Age: 0
Event Type: Baptism
Birth Date: 9 Aug 1919
Baptism Date: 31 Aug 1919
Baptism Place: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Church: Greenpoint Presbyterian Church

Father: George Clare Mother: Catherine Clare
Source Citation
Presbyterian Historical Society; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Book Title: 1912 - 1925

Source Information
Ancestry.com. U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
____

The handwritten copy of the original baptism record for Walter is attached to this reply. The name of the clergyman who baptized Walter is on the baptism record. His name in parenthesis appears to be either F.C. Ether or F.C. Etter.

The next record I found concerning George is his Declaration of Intention to become a U.S. citizen. The Declaration is date 22 August 1928, and is attached to this email. This is a good looking document which you can have enlarged, matted, and framed if you wish. It gives personal details about George, such as his height, weight, “complexion,” and shows that he was living at 210 Huron Street, Brooklyn, at the time he signed the declaration. It also shows that he was born in Belfast and that his wife was Catherine who was born at Long Island City, New York.

Two years earlier, on 1 October 1926, George’s wife Catherine filed a document called, “Petition for Naturalization,” on behalf of her husband George. The petition shows that Catherine was born on 25 February 1894 in Long Island City, New York, and that at the time of the petition she and George had five children, including:

James, born June 12, 1916
Walter, born August 9, 1918
Thomas, born December 10, 1921
William, born August 6, 1924
Edward, born April 3, 1927.
____

Catherine also states that she and George were living at 210 Huron St., Brooklyn, and that she and George were married on January 30, 1914, and that George was not yet naturalized. This document is attached to this reply.

I also found George Clare’s World War II draft registration card. The person who filled in the card for George spells his last name as “Clarde,” in one portion of the card and George’s wife Catherine’s last name as “Clard” in another section, rather than Clare. George’s address is listed as 320 Oakland St. Brooklyn, Kings, N.Y. George also states he does not have a telephone, that he was 53 years old and that he was born in Belfast, Ireland on September 1, 1888. On his World War I draft registration card George gives his date of birth as “September 1, 1890.” But, from his birth certificate we know he was born on September 1, 1889.

Further, the World War II draft registration card gives the name of George’s employer as the Atlantic Basin Iron Works, 186 Van Brunt St., Brooklyn, Kings, New York.

There is also information on the other side of the card, showing that George was 5 feet, 7 inches tall, that he weighed 145 pounds, had blue eyes and blonde hair and a ruddy complexion. The date of George’s registration is April 26, 1942. This side of the draft registration card is also attached to this reply.

This reply has 9 attachments which include:

GEORGE CLARE 1889 BIRTH

GEORGE CLARE 1912 PASSANGER LIST

GEORGE CLARE 1912 RECORD OF DETAINED ALIEN

GEORGE CLARE 1917 WW I DRAFT REGISTRATION CARD

WALTER CLARE 1919 BAPTISM RECORD

GEORGE CLARE 1928 DECLARATION OF INTENTION TO BECOME A CITIZEN

CATHERINE CLARE 1926 PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION FOR HER HUSBAND GEORGE

GEORGE CLARE WW II DRAFT REGISTRATION CARD FRONT SIDE

GEORGE CLARE WW II DRAFT REGISTRATION CARD REVERSE SIDE
____

I’ll be ending this reply here Linda, but I’ll be writing again with at least two more replies, as I found more information about the Clare family as well as the Cairns family. Accompanying the Cairns family information will be several attachments. I found a lot of this information last week but have only recently had time to begin to compile the records and get the attachments together. Once these things are done I have to proof the information just to make sure I have been as accurate as possible, as there are a lot records to go through. Proofing takes almost as much time as finding the records themselves. But that’s fine, as this has been a very interesting journey into your family history.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get the two replies to you this weekend, if not, then sometime next week.

Kind Regards,

Dave

Hello Linda,

To continue with information about the Clare/Clair family I found two Belfast directory listings for William Clair of Tea Lane that I found at the indirect.gov.uk/ website at:
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/search-street-directories

Both directory listings are for the year 1865 but they do not agree as to the house number where William had lived. Both listings are from the “The Belfast And Province Of Ulster Directory 1865.” The first directory listing gives William’s address as 64 Tea Lane and shows that he was a Grocer. See: https://is.gd/H6r9i7

The second directory listing has William “Clair” living at 84 Tea Lane, but does not mention his occupation. See: https://is.gd/BbWdAk

As you know William Clare married Mary Magowan in 1855. The LDS marriage index I sent in a previous reply indicates the marriage took place in Groomsport, County Down, and that Mary’s father was David Magowan. If you find the marriage record at the IFHF website or if you send away for the record from the GRO in Belfast, see if the marriage record gives the names of the towns where William and Mary were living at the time of the marriage. They did not necessarily live in Groomsport. The marriage record may also tell you the denomination of the church where they were married. They may have been married in a Presbyterian Church.

Concerning David Magowan: I found two entries for David Magowan recorded in an Irish property tax record called Griffiths Valuation. These entries may refer to the same individual named David Magowan or to two different individuals with the same name. The Griffiths Valuation records show that a David Magowan was leasing property in the townland of Ballymaconnell, County Down. The second entry shows a David Magowan leasing property in the townland of Ballyfotherly. Both Ballymaconnell and Ballyfotherly are near the towns of Bangor and Groomsport, County Down.

Griffiths Valuation was enumerated in the 32 counties of Ireland between 1847 and 1864. The valuation for County Down was completed by the year 1863.

Unlike a census, Griffiths Valuation did not enumerate individual members of a family, such as husband, wife, and children in a household residence. Those named in the valuation were individuals who leased property. Each person who paid to lease the property was called an “Occupier.” The other person listed in Griffiths Valuation was the person who owned the property, or who worked as the middleman for the owner. This person was called the “Immediate Lessor.”

You can access Griffiths Valuation transcriptions and original copies for free at the askaboutireland website link at: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

Below is the Griffiths Valuation entry for David McGowan leasing property in Ballymaconnell:

No. and Letters of Reference to Map: 6
Civil Parish: Bangor
Townland: Ballymaconnell
Occupier: David M’Gowan
Immediate Lessor: Lord Dufferin and Claneboye
Description of Tenement: House, office, and land
Area of Land: 6 Acres, 1 Rood, 5 Perches
Rateable Annual Valuation of Land: 7 Pounds
Rateable Annual Valuation of Buildings: 2 Pounds, 10 Shillings
Total Annual Valuation of Rateable Property: 9 Pounds, 10 Shillings
____

Griffiths Valuation shows that David M’Gowan leased over 6 acres of land and a house and office from an Immediate Lessor named Lord Dufferin and Claneboye. Lord Dufferin may have been the owner of the land. The land was valued at 7 Pounds, while the house and office were valued at 2 Pounds and 10 Shillings. The total value of David’s lease in Ballymaconnell was 9 Pounds and 10 Shillings. He would have paid a percentage against the total value of the property.

An office in a Griffiths Valuation record could refer to any type of outbuilding, such as a barn, stable, blacksmith shop, piggery, etc. The map number at the beginning of the entry (Map 6) refers to the location of David M’Gowan’s lease on an Ordnance Survey Map compiled before Griffiths Valuation was enumerated.

I haven’t found a way to save theses Ordnance Survey Maps so that I can attach them to a reply.

Next is the Griffiths Valuation transcription for David M’Gowan leasing over 7 acres of land, a house, and offices in the townland of Ballyfotherly at Map number 8. The Immediate Lessor was David S. Ker. The land was over 7 acres in size and valued at 6 Pounds and 5 Shillings, while the house and offices were valued at 1 Pound and 15 Shillings. The total valuation of the property was 8 Pounds:

No. and Letters of Reference to Map: 8
Civil Parish: Bangor
Townland: Ballyfotherly
Occupier: David M’Gowan
Immediate Lessor: David S. Ker
Description of Tenement: House, offices, and land
Area of Land: 7 Acres, 7 Roods, 5 Perches,
Rateable Annual Valuation of Land: 6 Pounds, 5 Shillings
Rateable Annual Valuation of Buildings: 1 Pound, 15 Shillings
Total Annual Valuation of Rateable Property: 8 Pounds
____

Just to repeat either one of the David M’Gowans in the Griffiths valuation entries could have been Mary Magowan Clare’s father. It’s also possible neither David was her father. Also, the David M’Gowan leasing property in both Ballymaconnell and Ballyfotherly, may refer to the same individual leasing property in two different townlands. Hopefully, the marriage record for William Clare and Mary Magowan will tell you where each had been living at the time of the marriage in 1855.

A modern townlands.ie map shows that the western portion of Ballymaconnell is being swallowed up by Bangor. See the map at: https://www.townlands.ie/down/ards-lower/bangor/ballymaconnell/

On the map Ballymaconnell is shaded in blue.

Another townlands.ie map shows that Ballyfotherly is just east of Bangor and Ballymaconnell. To the north is Groomsport: https://www.townlands.ie/down/ards-lower/bangor/ballyfotherly/

Also I’m sending you the Find A Grave indexes for William and Mary Clare, along with the link where you can access the Find A Grave entries for them. Below is the index for William Clare, who died on 10 May 1880 and is buried in the Belfast City Cemetery. The index for the Find A Grave entry comes from Ancestry.com. I’m not sure if you have these:

Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current

Name: William Clare
Death Date: 10 May 1880
Cemetery: Belfast City Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Has Bio?: N
URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801233

Source Information
Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
____.

You can access the Find A Grave page for William Clare at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801233

Below is the Find A Grave index for Mary Clare who died on 27 June 1903 and is also buried in the Belfast City Cemetery:

Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current

Name: Mary Clare
Death Date: 27 Jun 1903
Cemetery: Belfast City Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Has Bio?: N
URL:https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801226

Source Information
Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
_____

The Find A Grave page for Mary Clare can be found at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801226

For a history of the Belfast City Cemetery, go to the Wikipedia article at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast_City_Cemetery

JAMES AND CAROLINE CLARE AND FAMILY

With regard to James and Caroline Clare, the 1911 census shows that two of their children, 18 year old James, and 20 year old Minnie, were born in England. This census also shows that James and Caroline have another son named James in the household. This James is 14 years old and born in Belfast City. At the end of the census line for Caroline Clare you’ll see the numbers 23, 10, and 9. These numbers mean that James and Caroline had been married for 23 years by 1911, and in that time had 10 children, with 9 of the children still living. But if you count them, there are 10 children in the household in the 1911 census. As you know Albert was Ernest’s twin brother, but Albert died soon after he was born. Albert would make 11 children that James and Caroline had. What this signifies is that the number of children that James and Caroline was not recorded accurately by the person who filled in the census form. The person who was supposed to have filled out the census was the head of the family. In this case the head of the family was James, according to the census.

The last person recorded in the Clare household in the 1911 census is 30 year old Lizzie Cairns. She may have been Caroline’s younger sister, though the census only describes her as a “Boarder,” in the household, rather than James’s sister-in-law.

A transcription of the 1911 census from the National Library of Ireland is below:

1911 Census of Ireland

Residents of a house 14 in Coniston Street (Shankill, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses Years Married Children Born Children Living

Clare James 46 Male Head of Family Presbyterian Belfast City Machinist in Iron Works Read and write Married 23
Clare Caroline 44 Female Wife Presbyterian Belfast City Read and write Married 23 10 9
Clare George 21 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Machinist in Iron Works Read and write Single
Clare Minnie 20 Female Daughter Presbyterian England Winder in Factory Read and write Single
Clare James 18 Male Son Presbyterian England Winder in Factory Read and write Single
Clare Sarah 16 Female Daughter Presbyterian Belfast City Winder in Factory Read and write Single
Clare James 14 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Fitter in Foundry Read and write Single
Clare Willie 12 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Scholar Read and write Single
Clare Caroline 10 Female Daughter Presbyterian Belfast City Scholar Read and write Single
Clare Thomas 8 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Scholar Read and write Single
Clare Andrew 6 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Scholar Cannot read Single
Clare Earnest 3 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Cannot read Single
Cairns Lizzie 30 Female Boarder Presbyterian Belfast City Winder in Factory Read and write Single
____

A copy of the original 1911 census for the Clare family can be accessed at the National Archives of Ireland link at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai001445042/

I next wanted to see if I could find the birth indexes for the older children James Clare and Minnie Clare in English records. To do this I went to the English General Registration Office (GRO) website at:
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

The birth indexes at the GRO will give you the first and last name of the child, the maiden name of the child’s mother, but not her first name, and not the name of the father at all, but will also provide the year of birth, the quarter of the year in which the birth occurred, and the Registration District where the birth was recorded, as well as the Volume and Page Number in the GRO birth records where the birth can be accessed.

I found the GRO birth indexes for Mary Clare (she would be Minnie Clare in the 1911 census above) and for James Clare. The index for Mary shows that her mother’s maiden name was Cairns, and that her birth was recorded in the June quarter of 1891 in the Bramley Registration District. Bramley is located in what is known as the “West Ridings” of Yorkshire. Her birth record can be found in Volume 09B, Page 430 of the GRO registers.

Name: CLARE, MARY

Mother's Maiden Surname: CAIRNS

GRO Reference: 1891 J Quarter in BRAMLEY

Volume 09B

Page 430
____

Below is the birth index for James Clare, showing his mother’s maiden name was Cairns. His birth was recorded in the Bramley Registration District in the March quarter of 1893. In the 1911 census James is 18 years old, which places his birth year in 1893. The index below further shows that James’s birth record can be found in Volume 09B of the GRO registers:

Name: CLARE, JAMES

Mother's Maiden Surname: CAIRNS

GRO Reference: 1893 M Quarter in BRAMLEY

Volume 09B

Page 381
____

If you would like to order the birth certificates for Mary and James Clare, you’ll have to go to the General Register Office (GRO) website first and register as an individual. You can register at: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp

Registration is free. Once you have registered you can go to the “Start Application” page to order the birth certificates at: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/app_select.asp

On the Start Application page you’ll be asked if, “the GRO Index Reference Number known?” You can respond yes. The GRO reference number for Mary would be “1891, June Quarter, Bramley Registration District.”

The reference for James’s birth would be “1893, March Quarter, Bramley Registration District.” Each birth certificate costs £9.25, payable by credit card. Your credit card will do the conversion rate between dollars and British Pound Sterling.

You’ll have to fill out an application form for each birth certificate.

According to a UKBMD website link, the names of the Civil Parishes located in the Bramely Registration District include Armley, Armley & Bramley, Bramley, Farnley, Gildersome, and Wortley. See: https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/bramley.html

Knowing that James and Caroline Clare were in England in 1891, and that two of their children were born in England, I looked for them in the 1891 England census and found them living in an address of 4 Hedley Street, Wortley, Near Leeds, Yorkshire, England. As you see just above, Wortley was situated within the Bromley Registration District where the births of the two Clare children were recorded.

The 1891 census shows that James Clare is 23 years old and employed as “Iron Turner Tools.” He was born in Ireland. His wife is 22 year old Caroline, born in Ireland. Only one child is in the household. This is 1 year old George Clare, born in Ireland. He was 21 years old in the 1911 census. Mary would not be in the 1891 census as she hadn’t been born yet that year. James would be born two years later.

Also in the household is James’s brother, 19 year old Robert Clare, employed as “Iron Turner Tools.” Robert was born in Ireland. James’s 21 year old sister Catherine is also in the household. She was born in Ireland.

The 1891 census transcription below is from Ancestry.com:

1891 England Census

Civil Parish: Wortley
Residence Place: Wortley, Yorkshire, England
Sub registration district: Wortley [Near Leeds]
ED, Institution or Vessel: 17
Piece: 3678
Folio: 103

Street Address: 4 Hedley St.

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer/Employed/ Neither Employer nor Employed, Where Born

James Clare, Head, Married, Male, 23, Iron Turner Tools, Employed, Ireland
Caroline Clare, Wife, Married, Female, 22, Ireland
George Clare, Son, Son, 1, Ireland
Robert Clare, Brother, Single, Male, 19, Iron Turner Tools, Employed, Tools, Ireland
Catherine Clare, Sister, Married, Female, 21, Ireland

Source Citation
The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Class: RG12; Piece: 3678; Folio: 103; Page: 13

Source Information
Ancestry.com. 1891 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
____

Linda, had you known that James and Caroline Clare had lived in England for a while?

I next went to the 1901 census of Ireland where I found the Clare family still living on Coniston Road. In this enumeration the young James Clare is 4 years old. He was 14 in the 1911 enumeration. The older child named James Clare is not in the household. He would have been 8 years old in the 1901 census. You’ll also see Lizzie Cairns again in the 1901 census living in the Clare household. She was a 21 year old Domestic Servant.

The 1901 census follows:

1901 Census of Ireland

Residents of a house 1 in Coniston Street (Shankhill, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses

Clare James 31 Male Head of Family Prespesterian Bangor Iron Turner Read and write English Married
Clare Caroline 30 Female Wife Prespesterian Belfast Housekeeper Read and write English Married
Clare Mary 9 Female Daughter Prespesterian Belfast Scholar Read and write English Not Married
Clare Sarah 6 Female Daughter Prespesterian Belfast Scholar Read English Not Married
Clare William 2 Male Son Prespesterian Belfast Scholar No English Not Married
Clare James 4 Male Son Prespesterian Belfast Scholar No English Not Married
Clare Gorge 11 Male Son Prespesterian Belfast Scholar Read and write English Not Married
Carins Lizzie 21 Female Boarder Prespesterian Belfast Domestic Servant Yes English Not Married
____

A copy of the original 1901 census for the Clare family can be found at the National Library of Ireland link at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000300196/

Because the older child named James Clare is not in the 1901 census, I was prompted to look for his death record. I found James’s death at the irishgenealogy.ie website showing he died on 9 February 1894 at 19 Winchester Street, Belfast. At the time of death he was 11 months old. The English birth index shows his birth was recorded in the March quarter of 1893. The March quarter covers the months of January, February, and March. This means that James, at 11 months old when he died in February of 1894, was born in 1893.

The death index further shows that James was the “Child of James Clare Iron Turner.” The cause of death was, “Congestion of Brain 10 Days Certified.” The person who was present at the death and who reported the death to the local registrar was James’s father James, of 19 Winchester Street. The Registrar, H.D. Osborne recorded the death in the Belfast Registration District on 10 February 1894. James’s death record is attached.

I found the Find A Grave entry for young James Clare showing that he died on 9 February 1894 and was buried in the Belfast City Cemetery on 11 February 1894. This record shows that James was 11 months old when he died. See: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801222/james-clare

ERNEST AND ALBERT CLARE

I found the 1907 birth records for Ernest and Albert Clare, as well as the 1907 death record for Albert.

The birth records show the twins were born on 17 August 1907 at 32 Coniston Street, Belfast. Their father is James Clare an Engineer residing at 32 Coniston Street. Their mother is Caroline Clare, formerly Cairns. Martha Creaney of 44 Bowress Street was present at the births and reported the births to the local Registrar, J. Ritchie, who recorded the births in the Belfast Registration District on 20 August 1907.

The death record for Albert Clare shows he died 8 hours after he was born at 32 Coniston Street. He is listed as the child of “James Clare Engineer.” His mother’s name is not recorded. Albert died of “Debility from Birth Certified.” Martha Creaney of 44 Bowress Street was present at the death and reported the death to J. Ritchie, who recorded the death in the Belfast Registration District on 20 August 1907. Martha Creaney was likely the mid-wife who delivered Ernest and Alfred.

This reply includes four attachments:

JAMES CLARE 1894 DEATH RECORD

ERNEST CLARE 1907 BIRTH

ALBERT CLARE 1907 BIRTH

ALBERT CLARE 1907 DEATH
____

I didn’t find an entry for Ernest Clare at the Find A Grave website for Belfast City Cemetery. You can view the 21 Clare entries from Fond A Grave in the Belfast City Cemetery at the following link: https://is.gd/cOtncC

In the next reply I’ll have more information about the family of Caroline Cairns. That reply will also include several attachments of records I uncovered pertaining to the Cairns family.

Will respond soon.

With Regards,

Dave

Hello Linda,

In the last reply I had stated that I would next send you information about Caroline Cairns and her family before she and James Clare were married. But, I’ll send the Cairns information in a follow-up reply after you receive this communication. In this reply you’ll see information about James and Caroline Clare’s son James, who died in World War I. You had mentioned James had died in World War I in a previous posting.

Below is an index from Ancestry.com noting that James Clare was a Casualty of World War I, showing that at the time of death in France he had been with the Royal Irish Rifles and that he died on 24 March 1918. His birthplace is given as Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The index follows:

Ireland, Casualties of World War I, 1914-1922

Name: James Clare
Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles
Regimental Number: 2835
Death Date: 24 Mar 1918
Death Place: France
Birth Place: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Source Information
Ancestry.com. Ireland, Casualties of World War I, 1914-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2009.

Original data: The Committee of the Irish National War Memorial, comp. Ireland’s Memorial Records 1914-1918. 8 volumes. Dublin: Maunsel and Roberts, 1923.
____

The above index at Ancestry.com is accompanied by a document entitled, “Ireland’s Memorial Records 1914-1918,” which gives the names of several soldiers who died in the war, including James Clare. This document, which is attached to this reply, shows that James Clare was in the “15th Batt (Battalion) of the Royal Irish Rifles,” and died of wounds in France on March 24, 1918. The document also shows he was born in Belfast

For information about the history of the 15th (North Belfast) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, go to the following link: https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=63…

For a Roll of Honour of the soldiers of the 15th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles who died in service of their country, go to the following eddiesextracts.com website link at: http://www.eddiesextracts.com/rohsdgw/royalirishrifles/ririflesbat15.ht…

The names on the Roll of Honour are listed alphabetically, and so you’ll have to scroll down the page to come to James Clare.

A second index found at Ancestry.com is from the collection, “UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947.” This record shows that James Clare was 22 years old when he died on 24 March 1918. It also shows he is buried in the Poziers Memorial cemetery in France, and further mentions that his father was James Clare and his mother Caroline Clare. Along with the index at Ancestry.com is a copy of the original Commonwealth War Graves document which is attached to this reply.

See the index below:

UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947

Name: James Clare
Age: 22
Birth Date: abt 1896
Death Date: 24 Mar 1918
Cemetery: Pozieres Memorial
Burial Country: France

Father: James Clare
Mother: Caroline Clare

Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles
Regimental Number: 2835
Region or Memorial: France

Source Citation
Commonwealth War Graves Commission; London, United Kingdom; Pozieres Memorial France, Fifth And Fourth Army Areas, 21st March To 7th August, 1918, Part Two Breeze Court

Source Information
Ancestry.com. UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
____

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has produced a memorial page for James Clare which you can print and frame. To view the memorial for James, go to the following link: https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1578749/clare,-james/

For more information and photos of Poziers Cemetery, as well as a map showing where the cemetery is located, go to the following links:

https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/87600/Pozieres%20Memorial

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozi%C3%A8res_Memorial

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/somme/memorial-pozieres.htm

http://thebignote.com/2016/08/03/pozieres-british-cemetery-the-pozieres…

The Find A Grave page for James Clare in the Poziers Cemetery can be viewed at:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16079720/james-clare

Yet a third index uncovered at Ancestry.com comes from a collection called, “UK Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929.” The index shows that James Clare of the Royal Irish Rifles died in Gaspoins, France, on 24 March 1918. I believe the initials EF in the index stand for Expeditionary Force. This record not only tells where and when James died in France, but that his mother Caroline was awarded a “War Gratuity” of 14 Pounds and 8 Shillings.

The index is below:

UK Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929

Name: James Clare
Gender: Male
Death Date: 24 Mar 1918
Death Place: EF France Gaspoins
Rank: Private
Regiment: R In Rifles
Regimental Number: 2835

Source Citation
National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 665501-667000; Reference: 395

Source Information
Ancestry.com. UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
____

Accompanying the above index at Ancestry.com is a copy of the original Soldier’s Effects register page, which is attached to this reply. James is the first deceased soldier recorded on the page among four others.

I looked for but could not find a location in France called Gaspoins.

I next found three different World War I medal awards’ documents for James Clare of the Royal Irish Rifles. All three of the documents are attached to this reply.

The index below from Ancestry.com for James Clare comes from the collection, “UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.” No image of the document accompanied the index at Ancestry.com:

UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919

Name: James Clare
Birth Place: Belfast
Death Date: 24 Mar 1918
Death Place: France and Flanders
Enlistment Place: Belfast
Rank: Rifleman
Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles
Battalion: 15th Battalion
Regimental Number: 2835
Type of Casualty: Died of wounds
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
War Diaries (France, Belgium, Germany):
War Diaries (Gallipoli):

Source Information
Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.

Original data: British and Irish Military Databases. The Naval and Military Press Ltd.
____

If you’d like to find out how you can obtain more information about James Clare and his service record in World War I, you can do some online research at England’s National Archives, located in Kew, Richmond, Surrey. Go to the following National Archives links for more information:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/

https://is.gd/fOT3UP

You may be able to find records for James Clare at the Find My Past subscription and Pay-As-You-Go website. Go to the following link for more information: https://www.findmypast.com/military-records/

Linda, there are two very sad songs about World War I you may be interested in. One of these songs is called “No Man’s Land,” better known as “Green Fields of France,” written by Eric Bogle. You can hear the song performed by the Fureys and Davey Arthur at the following YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntt3wy-L8Ok

For the lyrics of Green Fields of France go to: https://is.gd/Y8RrWf

The song memorializes an Irish soldier named Willie McBride, but it could also refer to James Clare.

The other song is called “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda,” by John McDermott. You can hear this song, accompanied by film footage and song lyrics on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VktJNNKm3B0

There are six Attachments with this reply. They are:

JAMES CLARE CASUALTY OF WORLD WAR I

JAMES CLARE COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES

JAMES CLARE SOLDIERS’ EFFECTS

JAMES CLARE MEDAL AWARD DOCUMENT 1

JAMES CLARE MEDAL AWARD DOCUMENT 2

JAMES CLARE MEDAL AWARD DOCUMENT 3
____

Will send another reply soon,

Dave

Hi...May 29th 1924 ..Caroline Clare death..27 Coniston St. BELFAST

Hi Linda,

The irishgenealogy.ie website doesn't have birth, marriage, or death records for the six counties of Northern Ireland past the year 1921. For Caroline's death record you'll have to write to the General Register Office, as noted in a previous reply, to request her death cert. You can order a photo copy of the death record for 4 Euros from the GRO.

I checked the Find A Grave website again to see if her death is recorded there, but I didn't find it.

Kind Regards,

Dave

I found Caroline Cairns Clare death...its in my last post...

Linda

Hello Linda,

To continue with information about the Clare/Clair family I found two Belfast directory listings for William Clair of tea Lane that I found at the indirect.gov.uk/ website at:
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/search-street-directories

Both directory listings are for the year 1865 but they do not agree as to the house number where William had lived. Both listings are from the “The Belfast And Province Of Ulster Directory 1865.” The first directory listing gives William’s address as 64 Tea Lane and shows that he was a Grocer. See: https://is.gd/H6r9i7

The second directory listing has William “Clair” living at 84 Tea Lane, but does not mention his occupation. See: https://is.gd/BbWdAk

As you know William Clare married Mary Magowan in 1855. The LDS marriage index I sent in a previous reply indicates the marriage took place in Groomsport, County Down, and that Mary’s father was David Magowan. If you find the marriage record at the IFHF website or if you send away for the record from the GRO in Belfast, see if the marriage record gives the names of the towns where William and Mary were living at the time of the marriage. They did not necessarily live in Groomsport. The marriage record may also tell you the denomination of the church where they were married. They may have been married in a Presbyterian Church.

Concerning David Magowan: I found two entries for David Magowan recorded in an Irish property tax record called Griffiths Valuation. These entries may refer to the same individual named David Magowan or to two different individuals with the same name. The Griffiths Valuation records show that a David Magowan was leasing property in the townland of Ballymaconnell, County Down. The second entry shows a David Magowan leasing property in the townland of Ballyfotherly. Both Ballymaconnell and Ballyfotherly are near the towns of Bangor and Groomsport, County Down.

Griffiths Valuation was enumerated in the 32 counties of Ireland between 1847 and 1864. The valuation for County Down was completed by the year 1863.

Unlike a census, Griffiths Valuation did not enumerate individual members of a family, such as husband, wife, and children in a household residence. Those named in the valuation were individuals who leased property. Each person who paid to lease the property was called an “Occupier.” The other person listed in Griffiths Valuation was the person who owned the property, or who worked as the middleman for the owner. This person was called the “Immediate Lessor.”

You can access Griffiths Valuation transcriptions and original copies for free at the askaboutireland website link at: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

Below is the Griffiths Valuation entry for David McGowan leasing property in Ballymaconnell:

No. and Letters of Reference to Map: 6
Civil Parish: Bangor
Townland: Ballymaconnell
Occupier: David M’Gowan
Immediate Lessor: Lord Dufferin and Claneboye
Description of Tenement: House, office, and land
Area of Land: 6 Acres, 1 Rood, 5 Perches
Rateable Annual Valuation of Land: 7 Pounds
Rateable Annual Valuation of Buildings: 2 Pounds, 10 Shillings
Total Annual Valuation of Rateable Property: 9 Pounds, 10 Shillings
____

Griffiths Valuation shows that David M’Gowan leased over 6 acres of land and a house and office from an Immediate Lessor named Lord Dufferin and Claneboye. Lord Dufferin may have been the owner of the land. The land was valued at 7 Pounds, while the house and office were valued at 2 Pounds and 10 Shillings. The total value of David’s lease in Ballymaconnell was 9 Pounds and 10 Shillings. He would have paid a percentage against the total value of the property.

An office in a Griffiths Valuation record could refer to any type of outbuilding, such as barns, stables, blacksmith shops, piggeries, etc. The map number at the beginning of the entry (Map 6) refers to the location of David M’Gowan’s lease on an Ordnance Survey Map compiled before Griffiths Valuation was enumerated.

I haven’t found a way to save theses Ordnance Survey Maps so that I can attach them to a reply.

Next is the Griffiths Valuation transcription for David M’Gowan leasing over 7 acres of land, a house, and offices in the townland of Ballyfotherly at Map number 8. The Immediate Lessor was David S. Ker. The land was over 7 acres in size and valued at 6 Pounds and 5 Shillings, while the house and offices were valued at 1 Pound and 15 Shillings. The total valuation of the property was 8 Pounds:

No. and Letters of Reference to Map: 8
Civil Parish: Bangor
Townland: Ballyfotherly
Occupier: David M’Gowan
Immediate Lessor: David S. Ker
Description of Tenement: House, offices, and land
Area of Land: 7 Acres, 7 Roods, 5 Perches,
Rateable Annual Valuation of Land: 6 Pounds, 5 Shillings
Rateable Annual Valuation of Buildings: 1 Pound, 15 Shillings
Total Annual Valuation of Rateable Property: 8 Pounds
____

Just to repeat either one of the David M’Gowans in the Griffiths valuation entries could have been Mary Magowan Clare’s father. It’s also possible neither David was her father. Also, the David M’Gowan leasing property in both Ballymaconnell and Ballyfotherly, may refer to the same individual leasing property in two different townlands. Hopefully, the marriage record for William Clare and Mary Magowan will tell you where each had been living at the time of the marriage in 1855.

A modern townlands.ie map shows that the western portion of Ballymaconnell is being swallowed up by Bangor. See the map at: https://www.townlands.ie/down/ards-lower/bangor/ballymaconnell/

On the map Ballymaconnell is shoded in blue.

Another townlands.ie map shows that Ballyfotherly is just east of Bangor and Ballymaconnell. To the north is Groomsport: https://www.townlands.ie/down/ards-lower/bangor/ballyfotherly/

Also I’m sending you the Find A Grave indexes for William and Mary Clare, along with the link where you can access the Find A Grave entries for them. Below is the index for William Clare, who died on 10 May 1880 and is buried in the Belfast City Cemetery. The index for the Find A Grave entry comes from Ancestry.com. I’m not sure if you have these:

Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current

Name: William Clare
Death Date: 10 May 1880
Cemetery: Belfast City Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Has Bio?: N
URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801233

Source Information
Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
____.

You can access the Find A Grave page for William Clare at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801233

Below is the Find A Grave index for Mary Clare who died on 27 June 1903 and is also buried in the Belfast City Cemetery:

Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current

Name: Mary Clare
Death Date: 27 Jun 1903
Cemetery: Belfast City Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Has Bio?: N
URL:https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801226

Source Information
Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
_____

The Find A Grave page for Mary Clare can be found at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801226

For a history of the Belfast City Cemetery, go to the Wikipedia article at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast_City_Cemetery

JAMES AND CAROLINE CLARE AND FAMILY

With regard to James and Caroline Clare, the 1911 census shows that two of their children, 18 year old James, and 20 year old Minnie, were born in England. This census also shows that James and Caroline have another son named James in the household. This James is 14 years old and born in Belfast City. At the end of the census line for Caroline Clare you’ll see the numbers 23, 10, and 9. These numbers mean that James and Caroline had been married for 23 years by 1911, and in that time had 10 children, with 9 of the children still living. But if you count them, there are 10 children in the household in the 1911 census. As you know Albert was Ernest’s twin brother, but he died soon after he was born. Albert would make 11 children that James and Caroline had. What this signifies is that the number of children that James and Caroline was not recorded accurately by the person who filled in the census form. The person who was supposed to have filled out the census was the head of the family. In this case the head of the family was James, according to the census.

The last person recorded in the Clare household in the 1911 census is 30 year old Lizzie Cairns. She may have been Caroline’s younger sister, though the census only describes her as a “Boarder,” in the household, rather than James’s sister-in-law.

A transcription of the 1911 census from the National Library of Ireland is below:

1911 Census of Ireland

Residents of a house 14 in Coniston Street (Shankill, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses Years Married Children Born Children Living

Clare James 46 Male Head of Family Presbyterian Belfast City Machinist in Iron Works Read and write Married 23
Clare Caroline 44 Female Wife Presbyterian Belfast City Read and write Married 23 10 9
Clare George 21 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Machinist in Iron Works Read and write Single
Clare Minnie 20 Female Daughter Presbyterian England Winder in Factory Read and write Single
Clare James 18 Male Son Presbyterian England Winder in Factory Read and write Single
Clare Sarah 16 Female Daughter Presbyterian Belfast City Winder in Factory Read and write Single
Clare James 14 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Fitter in Foundry Read and write Single
Clare Willie 12 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Scholar Read and write Single
Clare Caroline 10 Female Daughter Presbyterian Belfast City Scholar Read and write Single
Clare Thomas 8 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Scholar Read and write Single
Clare Andrew 6 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Scholar Cannot read Single
Clare Earnest 3 Male Son Presbyterian Belfast City Cannot read Single
Cairns Lizzie 30 Female Boarder Presbyterian Belfast City Winder in Factory Read and write Single
____

A copy of the original 1911 census for the Clare family can be accessed at the National Archives of Ireland link at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai001445042/

I next wanted to see if I could find the birth indexes for the older child James Clare and Minnie Clare in English records. To do this I went to the English General Registration Office (GRO) website at:
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

The birth indexes at the GRO will give you the first and last name of the child, the maiden name of the child’s mother, but not her first name, and not the name of the father at all, but will also provide the year of birth, the quarter of the year in which the birth occurred, and the Registration District where the birth was recorded, as well as the Volume and Page Number in the GRO birth records where the birth can be accessed.

I found the GRO birth indexes for Mary Clare (she would be Minnie Clare in the 1911 census above) and for James Clare. The index for Mary shows that her mother’s maiden name was Cairns, and that her birth was recorded in the June quarter of 1891 in the Bramley Registration District. Bramley is located in what is known as the “West Ridings” of Yorkshire. Her birth record can be found in Volume 09B, Page 430 of the GRO registers.

Name: CLARE, MARY

Mother's Maiden Surname: CAIRNS

GRO Reference: 1891 J Quarter in BRAMLEY

Volume 09B

Page 430
____

Below is the birth index for James Clare, showing his mother’s maiden name was Cairns. His birth was recorded in the Bramley Registration District in the March quarter of 1893. In the 1911 census James is 18 years old, which places his birth year in 1893. The index below further shows that James’s birth record can be found in Volume 09B of the GRO registers:

Name: CLARE, JAMES

Mother's Maiden Surname: CAIRNS

GRO Reference: 1893 M Quarter in BRAMLEY

Volume 09B

Page 381
____

If you would like to order the birth certificates for Mary and James Clare, you’ll have to go to the General Register Office (GRO) website first and register as an individual. You can register at: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp

Registration is free. Once you have registered you can go to the “Start Application” page to order the birth certificates at: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/app_select.asp

On the Start Application page you’ll be asked if, “the GRO Index Reference Number known?” You can respond yes. The GRO reference number for Mary would be “1891, June Quarter, Bramley Registration District.”

The reference for James’s birth would be “1893, March Quarter, Bramley Registration District.” Each birth certificate costs £9.25, payable by credit card. Your credit card will do the conversion rate between dollars and British Pound Sterling.

You’ll have to fill out an application form for each birth certificate.

According to a UKBMD website link, the names of the Civil Parishes located in the Bramely Registration District include Armley, Armley & Bramley, Bramley, Farnley, Gildersome, and Wortley. See: https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/bramley.html

Knowing that James and Caroline Clare were in England in 1891, and that their children were born in Yorkshire, I looked for them in the 1891 England census and found them living in an address of 4 Hedley Street, Wortley, Near Leeds, Yorkshire, England. As you see just above, Wortley was situated within the Bromley Registration District where the births of the two Clare children were recorded.

The 1891 census shows that James Clare is 23 years old and employed as “Iron Turner Tools.” He was born in Ireland. His wife is 22 year old Caroline, born in Ireland. Only one child is in the household. This is 1 year old George Clare, born in Ireland. He was 21 years old in the 1911 census. Mary would not be in the 1891 census as she hadn’t been born yet that year.

Also in the household is James’s brother, 19 year old Robert Clare, employed as “Iron Turner Tools.” Robert was born in Ireland. James’s 21 year old sister Catherine is also in the household. She was born in Ireland.

The 1891 census transcription below is from Ancestry.com:

1891 England Census

Civil Parish: Wortley
Residence Place: Wortley, Yorkshire, England
Sub registration district: Wortley [Near Leeds]
ED, Institution or Vessel: 17
Piece: 3678
Folio: 103

Street Address: 4 Hedley St.

Name, Relation to Head of Household, Condition as to Marriage, Sex, Age, Occupation, Employer/Employed/ Neither Employer nor Employed, Where Born

James Clare, Head, Married, Male, 23, Iron Turner Tools, Employed, Ireland
Caroline Clare, Wife, Married, Female, 22, Ireland
George Clare, Son, Son, 1, Ireland
Robert Clare, Brother, Single, Male, 19, Iron Turner Tools, Employed, Tools, Ireland
Catherine Clare, Sister, Married, Female, 21, Ireland

Source Citation
The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Class: RG12; Piece: 3678; Folio: 103; Page: 13

Source Information
Ancestry.com. 1891 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
____

Linda, had you known that James and Caroline Clare had lived in England for a while?

I next went to the 1901 census of Ireland where I found the Clare family still living on Coniston Road. In this enumeration the young James Clare is 4 years old. He was 14 in the 1911 enumeration. The older child named James Clare is not in the household. He would have been 8 years old in the 1901 census. You’ll also see Lizzie Cairns again in the 1901 census living in the Clare household. She was a 21 year old Domestic Servant.

The 1901 census follows:

1901 Census of Ireland

Residents of a house 1 in Coniston Street (Shankhill, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses

Clare James 31 Male Head of Family Prespesterian Bangor Iron Turner Read and write English Married
Clare Caroline 30 Female Wife Prespesterian Belfast Housekeeper Read and write English Married
Clare Mary 9 Female Daughter Prespesterian Belfast Scholar Read and write English Not Married
Clare Sarah 6 Female Daughter Prespesterian Belfast Scholar Read English Not Married
Clare William 2 Male Son Prespesterian Belfast Scholar No English Not Married
Clare James 4 Male Son Prespesterian Belfast Scholar No English Not Married
Clare Gorge 11 Male Son Prespesterian Belfast Scholar Read and write English Not Married
Carins Lizzie 21 Female Boarder Prespesterian Belfast Domestic Servant Yes English Not Married
____

A copy of the original 1901 census for the Clare family can be found at the National Library of Ireland link at: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000300196/

Because the older child named James Clare is not in the 1901 census, I was prompted to look for his death record. I found James’s death at the irishgenealogy.ie website showing he died on 9 February 1894 at 19 Winchester Street, Belfast. At the time of death he was 11 months old. The English birth index shows his birth was recorded in the March quarter of 1893. The March quarter covers the months of January, February, and March. This means that James, at 11 months old when he died in February of 1894, was born in 1893.

The death index further shows that James was the “Child of James Clare Iron Turner.” The cause of death was, “Congestion of Brain 10 Days Certified.” The person who was present at the death and who reported the death to the local registrar was James’s father James, of 19 Winchester Street. The Registrar, H.D. Osborne recorded the death in the Belfast Registration District on 10 February 1894. James’s death record is attached.

I found the Find A Grave entry for young James Clare showing that he died on 9 February 1894 and was buried in the Belfast City Cemetery on 11 February 1894. This record shows that James was 11 months old when he died. See: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178801222/james-clare

ERNEST AND ALBERT CLARE

I found the 1907 birth records for Ernest and Albert Clare, as well as the 1907 death record for Ernest.

The birth records show the twins were born on 17 August 1907 at 32 Coniston Street, Belfast. Their father is James Clare an Engineer residing at 32 Coniston Street. Their mother is Caroline Clare, formerly Cairns. Martha Creaney of 44 Bowress Street was present at the births and reported the births to the local Registrar, J. Ritchie, who recorded the births in the Belfast Registration District on 20 August 1907.

The death record for Albert Clare shows he died 8 hours after he was born at 32 Coniston Street. He is listed as the child of “James Clare Engineer.” His mother’s name is not recorded. Albert died of “Debility from Birth Certified.” Martha Creaney of 44 Bowress Street was present at the death and reported the death to J. Ritchie, who recorded the death in the Belfast Registration District on 20 August 1907. Martha Creaney was likely the mid-wife who delivered Ernest and Alfred.

This reply includes four attachments:

JAMES CLARE 1894 DEATH RECORD

ERNEST CLARE 1907 BIRTH

ALBERT CLARE 1907 BIRTH

ERNEST CLARE 1907 DEATH
____

I didn’t find an entry for Ernest Clare at the Find A Grave website for Belfast City Cemetery. You can view the 21 Clare entries from Fond A Grave in the Belfast City Cemetery at the following link: https://is.gd/cOtncC

In the next reply I’ll have more information about the family of Caroline Cairns. That reply will also include several attachments of records I uncovered pertaining to the Cairns family.

Will respond soon.

With Regards,

Dave

Hello Linda,

In the last reply I had stated that I would next send you information about Caroline Cairns and her family before she and James Clare were married. But, I’ll send the Cairns information in a follow-up reply after you receive this communication. In this reply you’ll see information about James and Caroline Clare’s son James, who died in World War I. You had mentioned James had died in World War I in a previous posting.

Below is an index from Ancestry.com noting that James Clare was a Casualty of World War I, showing that at the time of death in France he had been with the Royal Irish Rifles and that he died on 24 March 1918. His birthplace is given as Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The index follows:

Ireland, Casualties of World War I, 1914-1922

Name: James Clare
Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles
Regimental Number: 2835
Death Date: 24 Mar 1918
Death Place: France
Birth Place: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Source Information
Ancestry.com. Ireland, Casualties of World War I, 1914-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2009.

Original data: The Committee of the Irish National War Memorial, comp. Ireland’s Memorial Records 1914-1918. 8 volumes. Dublin: Maunsel and Roberts, 1923.
____

The above index at Ancestry.com is accompanied by a document entitled, “Ireland’s Memorial Records 1914-1918,” which gives the names of several soldiers who died in the war, including James Clare. This document, which is attached to this reply, shows that James Clare was in the “15th Batt (Battalion) of the Royal Irish Rifles,” and died of wounds in France on March 24, 1918. The document also shows he was born in Belfast

For information about the history of the 15th (North Belfast) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, go to the following link: https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=63…

For a Roll of Honour of the soldiers of the 15th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles who died in service of their country, go to the following eddiesextracts.com website link at: http://www.eddiesextracts.com/rohsdgw/royalirishrifles/ririflesbat15.ht…

The names on the Roll of Honour are listed alphabetically, and so you’ll have to scroll down the page to come to James Clare.

A second index found at Ancestry.com is from the collection, “UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947.” This record shows that James Clare was 22 years old when he died on 24 March 1918. It also shows he is buried in the Poziers Memorial cemetery in France, and further mentions that his father was James Clare and his mother Caroline Clare. Along with the index at Ancestry.com is a copy of the original Commonwealth War Graves document which is attached to this reply.

See the index below:

UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947

Name: James Clare
Age: 22
Birth Date: abt 1896
Death Date: 24 Mar 1918
Cemetery: Pozieres Memorial
Burial Country: France

Father: James Clare
Mother: Caroline Clare

Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles
Regimental Number: 2835
Region or Memorial: France

Source Citation
Commonwealth War Graves Commission; London, United Kingdom; Pozieres Memorial France, Fifth And Fourth Army Areas, 21st March To 7th August, 1918, Part Two Breeze Court

Source Information
Ancestry.com. UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
____

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has produced a memorial page for James Clare which you can print and frame. To view the memorial for James, go to the following link:
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1578749/clare,-james/

For more information and photos of Poziers Cemetery, as well as a map showing where the cemetery is located, go to the following links:

https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/87600/Pozieres%20Memorial

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozi%C3%A8res_Memorial

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/somme/memorial-pozieres.htm

http://thebignote.com/2016/08/03/pozieres-british-cemetery-the-pozieres…

The Find A Grave page for James Clare in the Poziers Cemetery can be viewed at:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16079720/james-clare

Yet a third index uncovered Ancestry.com comes from a collection called, “UK Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929.” The index shows that James Clare of the Royal Irish Rifles died in Gaspoins, France, on 24 March 1918. I believe the initials EF in the index stand for Expeditionary Force. This record not only tells where and when James died in France, but that his mother Caroline was awarded a “War Gratuity” of 14 Pounds and 8 Shillings.

The index is below:

UK Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929

Name: James Clare
Gender: Male
Death Date: 24 Mar 1918
Death Place: EF France Gaspoins
Rank: Private
Regiment: R In Rifles
Regimental Number: 2835

Source Citation
National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 665501-667000; Reference: 395

Source Information
Ancestry.com. UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
____

Accompanying the above index at Ancestry.com is a copy of the original Soldier’s Effects register page, which is attached to this reply. James is the first deceased soldier recorded on the page among four others.

I looked for but could not find a location in France called Gaspoins.

I next located three different World War I medal awards’ documents for James Clare of the Royal Irish Rifles. All three of the documents are attached to this reply.

The index below from Ancestry.com for James Clare comes from the collection, “UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.” No image of the document accompanied the index at Ancestry.com:

UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919

Name: James Clare
Birth Place: Belfast
Death Date: 24 Mar 1918
Death Place: France and Flanders
Enlistment Place: Belfast
Rank: Rifleman
Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles
Battalion: 15th Battalion
Regimental Number: 2835
Type of Casualty: Died of wounds
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
War Diaries (France, Belgium, Germany):
War Diaries (Gallipoli):

Source Information
Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.

Original data: British and Irish Military Databases. The Naval and Military Press Ltd.
____

If you’d like to find out how you can obtain more information about James Clare and his service record in World War I, you can do some online research at England’s National Archives, located in Kew, Richmond, Surrey. Go to the following National Archives links for more information:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/

https://is.gd/fOT3UP

You may be able to find records for James Clare at the Find My Past subscription and Pay-As-You-Go website. Go to the following link for more information: https://www.findmypast.com/military-records/

Linda, there are two very sad songs about World War I you may be interested in. One of these songs is called “No Man’s Land,” better known as “Green Fields of France,” written by Eric Bogle. You can hear the song performed by the Fureys and Davey Arthur at the following YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntt3wy-L8Ok

For the lyrics of Green Fields of France go to: https://is.gd/Y8RrWf

The song memorializes an Irish soldier named Willie McBride, but it could also refer to James Clare.

The other song is called “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda,” by John McDermott. You can hear this song, accompanied by film footage and song lyrics on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VktJNNKm3B0

There are six Attachments with this reply. They are:

JAMES CLARE CASUALTY OF WORLD WAR I

JAMES CLARE COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES

JAMES CLARE SOLDIERS’ EFFECTS

JAMES CLARE MEDAL AWARD DOCUMENT 1

JAMES CLARE MEDAL AWARD DOCUMENT 2

JAMES CLARE MEDAL AWARD DOCUMENT 3
____

Will send another reply soon,

Dave

Hi Linda,

Great find with uncovering Caroline Clare’s death in 1924. If you have a copy of her original death record can you send it as an attachment in your next email? It’s good that you found the death record as she would not have been recorded in the 1926 Ireland census, which was the next census taken after 1911, and which won’t be released until 1926 or 1927 unless the government approves its early release.

THE CAIRNS FAMILY

After I uncovered information about your grandfather George Clare and his family, I wanted to see if I could find more information about his mother, Caroline Cairns Clare, and her family. The marriage record for James Clair and Caroline Cairns shows that at the time of the marriage in 1889, Caroline was employed as a weaver and had been living at 9 Lime Street in Belfast. Her father is Andrew Cairns, whose occupation is labourer. I figured that when Caroline was married she would have been between the ages of 21 and 25, as the marriage record notes that she was of “full age,” which means she would have been 21 years or older. I looked for her civil birth record at the irishgenwalogy.ie website for the years 1864 to 1870, and found one record that I believe refers to her. The record shows that Caroline Cairns was born on 27 June 1868 at 11 Welsh Street, Belfast. Her father is Andrew Cairns of 11 Welsh Street. His occupation is “Bottler.” Caroline’s mother is Jane Cairns, formerly Glinn, of 11 Welsh Street. Jane reported the birth to the local Deputy Registrar, James F. Rea, who recorded the birth in the Belfast Registration District on 14 July 1868. Caroline’s birth record is attached to this reply.

For a Google Map of Welsh Street in Belfast, go to: https://is.gd/RZ4nAT

For a Google Street View of Welsh Street, see: https://is.gd/qY6gpy

I had also found Caroline’s birth index at the Family Search website as well as the marriage index for her parents, Andrew and Jane. The index however spells Jane’s maiden name as Glenn, rather than Glinn. They were married on 12 July 1867 at an address of Clifton Street, Belfast. Andrew’s father is James Cairns. Jane’s father is James Glenn. There will not be a full record of the marriage at the irishgenealogy.ie website as the site has only compiled full civil marriage records from the year 1870. You would have to send away for their marriage certificate from the Irish General Register Office (GRO).

The indexes for Caroline’s birth and the marriage of her parents are below:

Ireland Births and Baptisms

Name Caroline Cairns
Gender Female
Birth Date 27 Jun 1868
Birthplace Belfast, Antrim, Ireland
Father's Name Andrew Cairns
Mother's Name Jane Glinn

Citing this Record
"Ireland Births and Baptisms, 1620-1881," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRH4-6NY : 10 February 2018), Caroline Cairns, 27 Jun 1868; citing Belfast, Antrim, Ireland, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 101,170.
____

Ireland Civil Registration

Name Andrew Cairns
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 12 Jul 1867
Event Place Belfast, County Down, Ireland
Event Place Clifton St, Belfast
Gender Male

Father's Name James Cairns

Spouse's Name Jane Glenn
Spouse's Gender Female
Spouse's Father's Name James Glenn

Citing this Record
"Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGYQ-K251 : 12 April 2018), Andrew Cairns and Jane Glenn, Marriage 12 Jul 1867, Belfast, County Down, Ireland; citing General Register Office, Dublin; FHL microfilm 101,513.
____

Andrew and Jane may have been married in the Clifton Street Presbyterian Church in Belfast. This church is no longer standing as it was destroyed during the Blitz in World War II. See: https://sites.google.com/site/ww1belfastpresbyterians/home/clifton-stre…

For a Google Map of Clifton Street go to: https://is.gd/fGVk0G

The next link will bring you to a Google Street View of Clifton Street: https://is.gd/mxjq3Q

Another child of Andrew Cairns and Jane Glenn that I found was William James, only in the birth record his last name is spelled, “Carens.” This is an example here the registrar who recorded William’s birth spelled the name the way it was likely pronounced to him by Williams’s mother Jane. William was born at 53 Boundary Street, Belfast, on 10 December 1874. In the birth record Andrew’s occupation is labourer. Jane reported the birth to the Deputy Register, John Cummins who recorded the birth in the Belfast Registration District on 23 December 1874. William’s birth record is attached.

A Google Map shows that Boundary Street, by the shortest route, is 1.6 miles northwest of Welsh Street where Caroline was born in 1868. See the map at: https://is.gd/DySPHB

For a Google Street View of Boundary Street see: https://is.gd/SvDpN6

After William James I found the birth record for Sarah Cairns, who was born at 57 Boundary Street, Belfast on 12 February 1877. The person who reported the birth to the local Deputy Registrar was Agnes Miller whose residence was 136 Boundary Street. Agnes may have been the midwife who delivered Sarah The Deputy Registrar, Robert Humphrey, recorded the birth in the Belfast Registration District on 2 March 1877. Sarah’s birth record is attached to this reply.

Two years later Andrew and Jane had a girl whose first name is not recorded. She was born on 27 May 1879 at the Belfast Lying in Hospital. Her father is labourer Andrew Cairns of 57 Boundary Street. Her mother is Jane Cairns, formerly Glenn. A. Clegg, the Chief-Resident Officer of the Belfast Lying in Hospital reported the birth to the local Deputy Registrar, whose name I could not decipher. The deputy registrar recorded the birth in the Belfast Registration District on 7 June 1879. The birth record is attached.

The Belfast Lying in Hospital was located in upper end of Donegall Street according to an article by Lisa Lavery as found at: https://is.gd/ysw1Tu

To view old photos of the Belfast Lying in Hospital, go to: https://is.gd/blCGP7

Also see: https://townsend.co.uk/belfast-lying-in-hospital-1984/

For a Google Map of Donegall Street where the Belfast Lying in Hospital was located, go to: https://is.gd/cg4nAi

For a Google Street View of Donegall Street go to: https://is.gd/KaTrRs

I didn’t find the birth records for any more children of Andrew and Jane Cairns, but I did locate the civil death records for Jane and Andrew.

Jane Cairns died at 9 Lime Street, Belfast on 3 April 1895. At the time of the death she was 45 years old and married. The death record shows she was the “Widow of Andrew Cairns Labourer.” But, she would haven’t been a “widow” when she died as Andrew was still living. The cause of death was, “Influenza 12 days, Bronchitis 5 days Certified.” The person who was present at the death and reported the death to the local registrar was Jane’s daughter, Caroline Clare of 64 Emmerson Street. The Registrar, H. Osborne, recorded the death in the Belfast Registration District on 4 April 1895. The death record for Jane is attached.

Andrew Cairns died at 30 Coniston Street, Belfast on 13 April 1898 at the age of 49. He had been a labourer at the time of death. The cause of death was “Heart Disease. General Dropsy Certified.” The person who was present at the death and who reported the death to the local registrar was Andrew’s son-in-law, James Clare of 30 Coniston Street. Andrew’s death was recorded by the Registrar, H.D. Osborne who recorded the death in the Belfast Registration District on 2 May 1898. The death record for Andrew is attached.

ELIZABETH (LIZZIE) CAIRNS MARRIAGE

If you access the 1901 census for James and Caroline Clare on Coniston Street, you’ll see in the household 21 year old Lizzie “Carins.” I believe this is Lizzie Cairns was the daughter of Andrew Cairns and Jane Glenn. I also think, though I can’t prove that Lizzie was the child born in 1879 whose first name wasn’t recorded.

Lizzie, age 30, is also in the Clare household in the 1911 census.

I found that Lizzie got married the same year she was enumerated in the 1911 census. The record shows that Elizabeth Cairns, “of full age,” married widower Robert Crowe in the Duncairn Gardens Methodist Church, Belfast, on August 12, 1911. The marriage record shows that Elizabeth had been a spinster, that is, she hadn’t been married previously. No occupation is listed for her. Her address is just recorded as Belfast. Her father is Andrew Cairns, who was employed as a ‘Clark,” though at this period in time Andrew was deceased for 13 years.

Robert Crowe’s occupation is Fireman. His address at the time of marriage was Belfast. His father was William Crowe, a labourer. Robert and Elizabeth were married by a minister named Horatio G. Collier. The witnesses to the marriage were James Clarke and Caroline Clare. The marriage record is attached to this reply.

The Duncairn Gardens Methodist Church was located on a street named Duncairn Gardens. The church no longer exists as it was bombed during the 1941 Blitz in World War II. For information about the church go to the Irish Methodist Genealogy website link at: https://irishmethodistgenealogy.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/duncairn-garde…

For a Google Map of Duncairn Gardens, Belfast, go to: https://is.gd/grOWeX

For a Google Street View of Duncairn Gardens see: https://is.gd/nGkeMN

I found Robert Crowe in both the 1911 and 1901 census returns. In the 1911 census he is a 37 year old widower whose occupation was fireman in the Royal Hospital. The census also shows that he was a Methodist and that he had 5 children in the household with him. He had been married for 15 years and could speak Irish and English.

The 1901 census shows that 26 year old Robert Crowe’s wife was 23 year old Maggie, who was a housekeeper. Robert was a fireman in a linen mill. There are 3 children in the household with him and Maggie.

Transcriptions of both the 1911 and 1901 census returns for the Crowe family are below:

1911 Census of Ireland

Residents of a house 49 in Geoffrey Street (Shankill, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses Years Married Children Born Children Living

Crowe Robert 37 Male Head of Family Methodist Ch Belfast Fireman in Royal and Hospital Read whrite English Widower 15
Crowe Grace 13 Female Daughter Methodist Belfast Yarn Doffer Read whrite Single
Crowe Robert 12 Male Son Methodist Belfast Scholar Read whrite Single
Crowe James 10 Male Son Methodist Belfast Scholar Read whrite Single
Crowe Lizzie 7 Female Daughter Methodist Belfast Scholar Read whrite Single
Crowe Maggie 3 Female Daughter Methodist Belfast Cannot read Single
____

1901 Census of Ireland

Residents of a house 153 in Bellevue Street (Woodvale Ward, Antrim)

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion Birthplace Occupation Literacy Irish Language Marital Status Specified Illnesses

Crowe Robert 26 Male Husband Methodist Ballymena Fire Man in Linnen Mill Read and write
Irish English Married
Crowe Maggie 23 Female Wife Methodist Belfast City House Keeper Read and write Irish English Married
Crowe Grace 3 Female Daughter Methodist Belfast City At House Cannot read Irish English
Not Married
Crowe Robert 1 Male Son Methodist Belfast City At House Cannot read Not Married
Crowe James 5 months Male Son Methodist Belfast City At House Cannot read Not Married
____

The irishgenealogy.ie website shows that Robert Crowe and Elizabeth Cairns Crowe had two children, including Caroline Clare Crowe, born in 1912 and Thomas Cairns Crowe born in 1914. Both birth records are attached to this reply.

The birth record for Caroline Clare Crowe shows she was born on 14 June 1912 at 44 Geoffrey Street, Belfast. Her father is Robert Crowe, a fireman, of 44 Geoffrey Street. Her mother is Elizabeth Crowe, formerly Cairns. Elizabeth Crowe of 44 Geoffrey Street reported the birth to the local registrar, H.D. Osborne, who recorded Caroline’s birth in the Belfast Registration District on 9 July 1912.

Thomas Cairns Crowe was born on 6 July 1914 at 38 Sydney Street West, Belfast. His father is Robert Crowe, a fireman residing at 38 Sydney Street West. His mother is Elizabeth Crowe, formerly Cairns. Robert Crowe the father reported Thomas’s birth to the registrar, J. Fulton, who recorded the birth in the Belfast Registration District on 7 July 1914.

A Google Map shows that Geoffrey Street and Sydney Street West run into one another in Belfast:
https://is.gd/gbRNf7

A Google Street View of Geoffrey Street and Sydney Street West can be accessed at: https://is.gd/2oLyA8

THOMAS CAIRNS

I found two New York City records for Thomas Cairns at Family Search, who was the son of Andrew Cairns and Jane Glenn. The record is for the marriage of Thomas and Mary Fahey, who were married in Manhattan on 26 October 1901.

I didn’t find a birth record for Thomas at irishgenealogy.ie, which means I ether missed locating it, or that Thomas’s birth was not recorded. The marriage index gives his “Estimated” birth year as 1874. The index records the first name of his father as “Acona,” but this must be either a transcription error, or an error by the person who recorded the marriage. His mother is Jane Glenn. At the time he married Thomas was 27 years old. His birthplace is Belfast. He had not been previously married.

Thomas’s bride, Mary Fahey, was 22 years old. She is the daughter of Michael Fahey and Bridget Stancoss, though I am wondering about Bridget’s last name, as I hadn’t come across an Irish name of Stancoss before. Mary’s birthplace is Limerick, Ireland and her estimated birth year is 1879. She had not been previously married. The index doesn’t specify if Mary was born in Limerick or just County Limerick.

The index is below:

New York, New York, Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937

Name Thomas Cairns
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 26 Oct 1901
Event Place Manhattan, New York, New York, United States
Event Place Manhattan, New York
Gender Male
Age 27
Marital Status Single
Race White
Birth Year (Estimated) 1874
Birthplace Belfast, Ireland

Father's Name Acona Cairns
Mother's Name Jane Glenn

Spouse's Name Mary Fahey
Spouse's Gender Female

Spouse's Age 22
Spouse's Marital Status Single
Spouse's Race White
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated) 1879
Spouse's Birthplace Limerick, Ireland

Spouse's Father's Name Michael Fahey
Spouse's Mother's Name Bridget Stancoss

Citing this Record
"New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24SL-5XL : 10 February 2018), Thomas Cairns and Mary Fahey, 26 Oct 1901; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,570,686.
____

I also found Thomas Cairns’s death at the Family Search website. He died in Brooklyn, New York, on 23 August 1935 at the age of 63. At the time he died he was a widower. His occupation had been, “Porter.” His estimated birth year is 1872. His father was Andrew Cairns. His mother was Jane Glenn. Both parents were born in Ireland. Thomas was buried in the Cypress Hills Cemetery on 27 August 1935. The index is below:

New York, New York City Municipal Deaths

Name Thomas Cairns
Event Type Death
Event Date 23 Aug 1935
Event Place Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States
Gender Male
Age 63
Marital Status Widowed
Race White
Occupation Porter
Birth Year (Estimated) 1872
Birthplace Ireland
Burial Date 27 Aug 1935
Cemetery Cypress Hills Cemetery

Father's Name Andrew Cairns
Father's Birthplace Ireland

Mother's Name Jane Glenn
Mother's Birthplace Ireland

Citing this Record
"New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WR4-8CH : 10 February 2018), Thomas Cairns, 23 Aug 1935; citing Death, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 2,079,653.
____

This may be the same Thomas Cairns mentioned in the Record of Detained Aliens pertaining to George Clare who sailed into New York on board the S.S. Adriatic on September 14, 1912. According to that record Thomas Cairns was George’s uncle who was living at 248 East Armstrong Avenue, New York

There are 9 attachments with this reply. They are:

CAROLINE CAIRNS 1868 BIRTH

WILLIAM CAIRNS 1874 BIRTH

SARAH CAIRNS 1877 BIRTH'

UNKNOWN CAIRNS 1879 BIRTH

JANE CAIRNS 1895 DEATH

ANDREW CAIRNS 1898 DEATH

ELIZABETH CAIRNS 1911 MARRIAGE

CAROLINE CLARE CROWE 1912 BIRTH

THOMAS CLARE CROWE 1914 BIRTH
____

Best Wishes Linda,

Dave

Hello Dave,
Thank you for so much that I did not have..you are a miracle worker. I would like to send you a gift card ..how can we exchange address?
I must tell you....almost a yr ago...since the only thing I had and needed was my grandfather birth record and marriage records from Ireland which I found easily...I am now an Irish Citizen.. my dad would be very proud!! I received the papers in November of last year. And you have given me so much to add to my Irish ancestry! I wish I had met them..My grandfather died the year I was born. Never met him.I think about what he was like and his family in Ireland and now you have given me a picture in words what they were like.
Thank you many times,
Linda Clare

Hello Dave,
Thank you for so much that I did not have..you are a miracle worker. I would like to send you a gift card ..how can we exchange address?
I must tell you....almost a yr ago...since the only thing I had and needed was my grandfather birth record and marriage records from Ireland which I found easily...I am now an Irish Citizen.. my dad would be very proud!! I received the papers in November of last year. And you have given me so much to add to my Irish ancestry! I wish I had met them..My grandfather died the year I was born. Never met him.I think about what he was like and his family in Ireland and now you have given me a picture in words what they were like.
Thank you many times,
Linda Clare

Hi Dave,
Question...I found this a few times....a child in my family over in Ireland way back died and the parents named another child born after the deceased child.They gave the child the deceased child name. Was this a common practice?

Linda Clare

Many thanks for your kind offer Linda, but I have to decline on your sending a gift card, as I never ask for, or expect anything looking for people’s ancestors. If you’d like, why not make a small donation to a charity for children, or to a veterans’ organization, or to an animal charity in the name of your Clare ancestor. A donation to one of those organizations would be a gift that I would really appreciate.

Concerning your questions, over the past 20 years I’ve seen mainly baptism records of countless Irish families naming a second child after a child who had previously died. And so yes, this was common practice among the Irish to do this.

Congratulations on becoming an Irish citizen. I’m sure your ancestors would be very proud. If you haven’t already been, I hope you can get to Belfast some day and walk the streets where your Clares had lived and worshipped. Belfast is a great city and I’m sure you’d like it a lot. Northern Ireland itself is very beautiful and I’ve spent quite a bit of time there, especially in Belfast, as well as the coast of County Antrim, and County Down. Counties Armagh, Londonderry or Derry as many prefer to call it, as well as County Tyrone, are also worth visiting if you ever have the time.

Again, thank you very much for your kind words and generous offer Linda.

God Bless,

Dave

The new government hopes to make changes to medical studies in the Grand Duchy because of small number of students who have qualified as doctors recently.

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