Seeking advice

Dianne,

Death registration only started in Ireland in 1864. I searched for Wilhelmina Hall deaths post 1864 but without success, so she presumably died before the start of death registration. There are a number of possibles for Robert Hall, men of about the right age to have been a father in 1838. What was Robert’s occupation, do you know? For example, there was one who died near Fintona in 1886 aged 90, who was a grocer. So having an occupation might help narrow the search.

Knowing the Hall family denomination might help too. I know you say that William married inj a Catholic church. However there are over 300 Halls in Tyrone in the 1901 census, and all but 9 are protestant of one denomination or another. Do you think William was born RC? I have searched the RC records on the Ancestry site but did not find a marriage for Robert & Wilhelmina, nor a baptism for William. But not all parishes have records for that period so that’s not a comprehensive search.

Dianne,

I think it unlikely that someone from a farming background in Tyrone would have known a lady from Kildare, about 150 miles away. They might have met en route of course, but I’d be surprised if they knew each other in Ireland.

The tithe applotment records list most farmers in Ireland. I have gone through the records and extracted those for Co. Tyrone c 1833. (You will see some that include Fermanagh. That is because the parish of Aghalurcher straddles the two counties. I have removed those whose townlands are in Fermanagh).

Hall, Robert-Townland: Screen Y: 1827-Donacavey-Tyrone

Hall, Robert-Townland: Alderwood Year: 1833-Aghalurcher-Tyrone

Hall, Robert-Townland: Claudy Year: 1828-Cumber Upper-Tyrone

Hall, Robert-Townland: Drumwha Year: 1833-Aghalurcher-Tyrone and Fermanagh

Hall, Robert-Townland: Rehack Glebe Year: 1833-Aghalurcher-Tyrone and Fermanagh

Hall, Robert-Townland: Surcarr Year: 1833-Aghalurcher-Tyrone and Fermanagh

We can assume he was alive in 1833 if he had a son born c 1838 so he may well be one of the 6 farmers listed above. You could employ a researcher to go through the church records looking for Robert & Williamina’s marriage and William’s baptism. Not all church records have survived but there are copies of most surviving ones in PRONI in Belfast. The names all appear to fall into just 3 parishes, so not an impossible task. If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

You could also go through all the Robert Hall deaths in Tyrone post 1864 in case you find one that might fit. (They’d be registered in either Armagh, Clogher, Dungannon, Irvinestown, Omagh, Cookstown, Enniskillen, Castlederg, Strabane or Gortin). 

Dianne,

Glad to have helped a bit.

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 in conjunction with FTDNA and can offer testing kits at a reduced price.  http://www.nifhs.org (Go to DNA project on the website).