Trying to find information on Mary Stewart born in 1861 - her parents were Nancy and Alexander Stewart from Londonderry- don't know much apart from Mary moved to England and married a Robert Skillen son of John Skillen not sure where from in Ireland he was born. They had seven children and Mary Stewart ended up living and dying in South Africa. Any help would be brilliant. Thanks
Quinie,
Birth registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864 so if Mary was born in 1861 you won’t get a birth certificate for her. You might find her baptism but to do that you’d need to know her precise denomination and where she lived.
I searched the marriage records for Alexander Stewart in Co Londonderry 1845 – 1861. There were about 10 but I only found one married to a Nancy. That was in 1852 in Magherafelt. She was Nancy Wallace and they married in the Church of Ireland. (Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church). RC marriages weren’t included till 1864 so if you think the couple married in that denomination then the marriage won’t be in the stautory records.
Ideally you need to get Mary’s mother’s maiden name from a suitable source eg her death certificate in South Africa to ensure we identify the right marriage.
I can see Mary Stewart’s marriage to Robert Skillen, registered in Whitehaven, Cumberland, Jul – Sept 1878 Volume 10b page 773. You can order a research copy of that from IPS Southport.
If the couple who married in 1852 are the right couple then I can see 3 children born post 1864 in Magherafelt (for pre 1864 births you need church records):
James 28.11.1864
Ann 3.2.1868
William 6.6.1869
Here’s James:
The forenames Anne & Nancy are interchangeable in Ireland so you often see it change. Sally/Sarah and many others are similarly interchangeable.
If you think this might be the right Alexander & Nancy, I’ll see what else I can find. The family doesn’t currently appear to be on any tree on Ancestry.
Elwyn, thank you so much. I had just about given up hope of finding Mary's parents. They were mentioned on her death certificate but no maiden name given for Nancy. I am a Scot and I am used to using Scotland's People where you can search and download copies of birth, death and marriage certificates for a small fee. The English system means you have to pay £11 for a marriage certificate which I did but it only had the father of the groom's name so that's how I knew Robert was the son of a John Skillen but again being born in Ireland pre 1864 I can find nothing about him. I will try looking for Nancy's death certificate but not sure if that will be available. The Skillens are my husbands great grandparents. Robert disappeared and I know not what happened to him. Thank you again Elwyn - really grateful for your help. Linda
Linda,
Yes the Scottish records are much more detailed than many in Ireland and England. (The Irish statutory records basically mirror the information in English BDMs).
If the family in Magherafelt is the right one and they were Church of Ireland, then the records start in 1718. Likewise if they were Presbyterian (a strong possibility in the Magherafelt area) M’Felt 1st Presbyterian church records start in 1818 (plus they have baptisms for 1771-1781). I don’t think either set are on-line anywhere but there are copies in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net
I looked for a likely death for both Alexander Stewart and Nancy in the Magherafelt area 1869 onwards. This looks to be Nancy’s death in 1872. (Alexander was the informant). I didn’t see his death though. May have moved away from the area.
Again thank you Elwyn, I'll look at the information I have on the Stewart's and try to make a plan for what to do next. The South African records were superb - I found two of Mary Skillen's sons and her own death details even down to their wills. Robert Skillen was listed as deceased possibly around 1919 but marked not known for definite on Mary's death certificate. I found nothing on Robert in SA but he was listed as a gold/ore miner on one of his daughter's wedding certificates so I believe that's why they went there in the first place. I don't understand the Irish record system yet but thanks to you I will try to navigate around now I have a starting point. Thank you again.