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Searching for 2nd great-grandparents, Steven/Stephen Black & Mary Stevenson

TyronePomeroy (Tyrone)

My name is James Noble. I am searching for my 2nd great-grandfather, Steven/Stephen Black (DOB 1799) and his wife Mary Stevenson (DOB 1802), both born Co. Tyrone. I do not know their parents names. They emigrated to Ontario Canada probably around 1830 and all their children were born in Canada. There is an 1829 Tithe Applotment record for a Steven Black in Pomeroy Parish, Genburrisk Townland for a Steven Black. There is also a Thomas Black in the same Parish & Townland, that could possibly have been a brother or father of Steven. There is also a John Stevenson listed who could have been the father of Mary Stevenson.

 I do have a marriage bond index record dated 1830 showing a marriage occurred between a Steven Black & Mary Steveson in the Diocese of Armagh. They were Protestant.

These are the only records I can find for any Steven/Stephen Black in Tyrone and I have been searching for some years. Can anyone tell me if any local birth, marriage, bapism or census records exist for Pomeroy Parish, Glenburrisk Townland for the time period 1799-1831?

Thank You,

James Noble

Ontario, Canada

 

 

 

 

James D.

5 replies

James,

You haven’t said precisely what denomination the family was. Pomeroy Church of Ireland lost its early records in the 1922 fire in Dublin. It now has nothing before 1876. Pomeroy Presbyterian church has records from 1841 onwards. So neither has any for the period you need.

There were no Black households listed in Glenburrisk in Griffiths Valuation for 1860, so they had either moved away or died out.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hello Elwyn:

The 1851 Canadian census lists Stephen Black as Church of England and his wife as Weslyan Methodist. Of course this is after they had been in Canada for about 17 years, so it may not be accurate in terms of their denonmination in Ireland back in 1829. The records are most likely lost, unfortunately, but I had to try. They came to Canada sometime in 1830, just after marriage, as their eldest child was born in Sept. 1831 in Canada.

Jim

James D.

Jim,

Church of England is the same as Church of Ireland.  Methodism had barely started as a separate denomination in Ireland in 1830. (There was great reluctance to break away from the Church of Ireland and most Methodists were still baptizing in it). The earliest Methodist marriage I have ever come across in Ireland was about 1836, so they were definitely still using the Church of Ireland for marriages till long after your family had left. I’d say it was safe to assume your family was Church of Ireland, in Ireland.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

OK, thanks Elywn. I think DNA is the only answer, unfortunately the last male survivor of the line will not do a test. I've searched for years now but I think it is the end of the line.

JIm

James D.

Regular DNA could help too connects with your autosomal DNA relatives within the last 5 generations

FamilyTreeDNA has the Y-DNA test, perhalps a more distant Black cousin has done their YDNA

For autosomal DNA these are the main three sites

https://www.familytreedna.com/

https://www.23andme.com/en-ca/

https://www.ancestry.com/

(Ancestry now requires a membership to see your matches, at least for me in Canada, confirm this first before buying a kit)

Other DNA sites will let you up load your DNA from these sites, sometimes with a small fee.  

The other sites are usually full of the people you match with on the first three.

Only Kid

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