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Looking for Protestant Sexton family of Ellen Sexton who emigrated to Canada 1852

Hello,

I am looking for a resource to find Irish ancestors named Sexton who were protestant.  Unfortunately I don’t know from what town.  They emigrated to Canada in 1852 or 1853.  

Father was James Sexton who likely died in Ireland or en route to Canada or soon upon arrival.  Mother was Mary (maiden name unknown) Sexton, born either 1819 or 1826 (Canadian census records have conflicting information.  I'm guessing 1819 is accurate and she fudged about her age being younger when she was remarried to a younger man in Canada and in her later years she didn’t care anymore).  

Children were Patrick Sexton, born 1845; Martin (also referred to as Mathew) Sexton, born 1849; Ellen “Nellie” Sexton (my great great grandmother) born 1850.  

There were two additional daughters or nieces with them in Canada.  Julia born 1839 (later records show 1842, marriage document lists father as Michael Sexton and mother as Mary) and Mary born 1843 (later records show 1845).

Is there a resource anyone could suggest to find them? I found some baptismal and marriage lists from Clare County via the library, but no names and dates matched closely enough.  I believe Clare and Limerick seem to be where most Protestant Sextons lived.  And we have exhausted the Ancestry and Family Search websites.  Someone in Ellen’s line was rumored to have been a sailor in case that helps!  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  If I can pinpoint where they are from in Ireland, we’d love to build a trip around it.

Thank you very much for your assistance!

Kind regards,

Sloane

Sloane

8 replies

The 1861 census (Ancestry.com/ see below) of Canada shows Pat, Martin, and Ellen Sexton living with Pat and Mary O'Connor.  Mary had obviously remarried, to Pat O'Connor.

There were three O'Connor children in the household too, all younger than the Sextons.  None of them was called Julia. Were these three Mary's children, or did Pat bring them to the marriage?

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1570/records/790681278?tid=&pid=&queryId=fa569861-e1d9-4584-a780-ac91d8a53923&_phsrc=gQB20515&_phstart=successSource

glanvil3@aol.com

Hi, Patricia -

Thank you very much for your response!

The record in the 1861 Canadian census is indeed my family. Mary Sexton (the mother) remarried in Canada.  Pat, Martin and Ellen Sexton are her children with James.  The three younger children listed were from her second marriage.  Julia Sexton Bingham and Mary Sexton were living elsewhere at that time.  Unfortunately, none of the records in Canada, which I have access to via Ancestry and Family Search, indicate where in Ireland they are all from.  All I have (from other records such as Ellen's marriage record) is that James Sexton was the father.  And as you can see from the 1861 census, Mary Sexton (now O'Connor) and her three older children are listed as being of the Church of England, while her new husband Pat and the three younger children are all Catholic.  

I'm hoping this small detail -- their religion -- might help us locate their likely place of origin in Ireland and from there birth/baptism records and the marriage record for Mary and James Sexton.  Any help you could provide would be very greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Best,

Sloane

Sloane

Hi Sloane,

You have done a lot of research so if I suggest things you've already done, forgive me.  Have you looked at newspaper articles and obituaries, which might give place of origin? Wills? Headstones? Interment lists? Church and civil records for all off Mary/James's children? These occasionally include parents' place of origin in Ireland.  And then there are the people who lived near them in Canada.  When people emigrated, they usually went to relatives or close friends, people they would have known from home, so if you can find where those people were from, you will probably find where the Sextons were from. I hope this is helpful!

glanvil3@aol.com

Thank you.  I am grateful for any and all suggestions.  I fear I may have exhausted all Canadian records searchable via Ancestry.com and Family Search websites...at least via the names of the known family members.  But I will look to see if there are any neighbors whose names reappear and if any of the records show a place name in Ireland.  And I will see if I can turn up any newspaper sources for Canada.  Unfortunately, the Canadian census and marriage records I have seen thus far only show Ireland and not a particular place in Ireland.  And I have been unable to find the marriage record for Patrick O'Connor (the second husband) and Mary.

But if anyone knows of any searchable data sites in Ireland itself or if there are communities of Protestant Sextons there, I could try from that side as well.  

Thank you!

Best,

Sloane

Sloane

Sloane,

The 1901 Irish census gives people’s religious denominations. There were 1827 Sextons in that census and about 1800 of them were RC. So the number of Church of Ireland (and other protestant denominations) was very small. Searching the census will show you where they lived.

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

You mention that Protestant Sextons were common in Clare and Limerick. However in the 1901 census, whilst the name is common enough in those counties, without exception, all were Roman Catholic. So I would be cautious about assuming your ancestors came from those counties.

In general, in a country where 85% of the population were RC, the majority of Protestants lived in the counties of Ulster (in the north of Ireland), though some are found across the whole island.

Possibly DNA testing may be a way of matching with others who have additional information about where the family originate. Family Tree DNA reportedly has more people with Ulster roots than any other company. That obviously increases the chances of finding a match. You might want to try them or, if you have already tested, you can transfer your results to them for no fee.

The North of Ireland Family History Society is running an Ulster DNA project and can offer FTDNA testing kits at a reduced price. http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you for that information and for providing the link.  You raise a very good point and I very much appreciate it.  I will explore the DNA option.

All the best,

Sloane

Sloane

Sloane:

Below is a comment from our volunteer, Robert Watt:

Hello Sloane,

As you are trying to ascertain where in Ireland your Protestant Sexton

ancestors came from, this may help.

I am Robert Watt born in Co. Tyrone in 1941, Our nearest Protestant

church was Crossdernott Church of Ireland.

  I seem to remember seeing a very old and fairly elaborate gravestone

at Crossdernott Church with the names of Sexton.

Crossdernott (sometimes referred to as The New Church) is near the towns

of Dungannon and Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, Then Crossdernott is in the

triangle between the villages of Donaghmore, Pomeroy and Rock all in Co.

Tyrone.

I have lived in England for over 60 years.

If I can help further I am at rwdwatt@gmail.com

 From Robert Watt.

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you!  I apologize for not seeing and acknowledging your message sooner.  I will reach out to you directly on the email you provided.  I really appreciate you providing that information.

Best regards,

Sloane

Sloane

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