Ireland XO
Back to Message Board

Thompson - Agnes, Mary Ellen

Samuel Robinson and Agnes Thompson -seeking birth certificates and a death certificate for Agnes. I have searched extensively on www.irishgenealogy.ie, ancestry.com, FamilySearch, and FindMyPast. Samuel Robinson (father Andrew Robinson) married Agnes Thompson (father Robert Thompson) on 1 Jan 1902 in Banbridge, Parish of Dromore, Co Down. They lived in Ballyclare, Dunamoy, Rashee and Larne. Samuel died 3 Jul 1968 in Belfast, aged 93 according to his death certificate, which would suggest his birth was about 1874. I have a birth certificate for him, with a father Andrew Robinson and a mother Sophia McClure, who married in 1872 in Ballymena. Agnes was born about 1875 – 1901 IRL census. She was aged 26 and unmarried in 1901, living with her father Robert Thompson and mother Ann Jane (Scott.) I cannot find a birth certificate for Agnes Thompson or a death certificate. She died before her husband as his death certificate says he was a widower. Children of Samuel and Agnes Thompson. I have birth printouts from www.irishgenealogy.ie for the children. Anna Mary, born 1902; Andrew, born 1903; Edith, born 1903; Georgina, born 1907; Mabel, born 1909; and Samuel, born 1911. Living grandchildren of Samuel and Agnes Thompson do not have any information about their actual birth dates and do not know the death date for Agnes. Agnes died at home at Invergordon Terrace, Glyn Road, Larne before 1968. It is thought that both would be buried at Gardenmore Presbyterian Church, Larne.

george.sye@gmail.com

7 replies

George,

This looks to be Agnes’ birth on 25.11.1873 in Aghnatrisk:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1873/03177/2165234.pdf

I noticed a sibling Moses Graham Thompson born 24.12.1871.

There’s a death for an Agnes Thompson in Larne on 4.7.1965, aged 87 on the GRONI site. That looks pretty close. Have you investigated it?  (Bear in mind that many people born in the 1800s didn’t really know how old they were and ages on death certificates were often just guesses. Errors of up to 10 years for someone in their 80s would be pretty common).

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn
Thank you very much. That seems to be Agnes’ birth. This ties in with the 1901 census and the marriage of Agnes in 1902. Thanks for finding the sibling Moses.
I will explore the suggested death date for Agnes.

Both my grandfathers married a bride with the surname of Thompson.

Samuel Robinson married Agnes Thompson, residence Drumanockan, father Robert Thompson, farmer, in 1902 in Banbridge, Dromore Parish.

Edward Victor Sye married Mary Ellen Thompson, residence 102 Ravenhill Road, Belfast, father Robert Thompson, coachman, in 1903 in Belfast. 1901 census shows her at 102 Ravenhill Road.

Family stories insist that the two Thompson women were sisters as both had a father named Robert Thompson. That skewed my research for quite some years, until I separated them out using information in the 1901 IRL census.

Mary Ellen Thompson – 1901 census – born about 1882 in Down – I cannot find a birth for her yet. Her father Robert Thompson’s wife in 1901 was Sarah.
Mary Ellen Thompson’s siblings were Sarah E, b cir 1871; Florence, b cir 1885; Mabel, b cir 1887; Albert Edward, b cir 1890 and James Alexander, b cir 1895 (1901 census)

Thank you for taking the time to help. I am a little bit further forward and hopeful of making more progress.

George

george.sye@gmail.com

George,

The couple you are looking for appear to be Robert Thompson and Sarah Gorman, nee Collins. They married in Belfast in 1867. Sarah was a widow aged 20.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1867/11501/8229003.pdf

Here’s her first marriage:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1864/11597/8267822.pdf

There’s a possible death for William Gorman in Belfast 1866 aged 23.  William & Sarah appear to have had 1 son:

Edward James Gorman b 25.12.1865 Belfast

Then Sarah & Robert had the following children:

Robert b 30.10.1872 Donaghadee

Samuel 5.5.1875 Belfast

William 11.4.1879

Ellen 17.6.1881

Flora 29.5.1884

Madelin 25.10.1886

Albert 21.4.1889

James 14.4.1894

 

(All born Belfast save for Robert). So your elusive Mary Ellen appears to have been named simply Ellen, at birth anyway. The 1911 census says they had 10 children, all of whom were still alive then, so there are 2 more children I didn’t find.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Down/Ormeau/Ravenhill_Road/216647/

Ignore the house number 89 in Ravenhill Rd. That was the enumerator’s private numbering system. The postal address was 102. (You can confirm that by clicking on the additional pages option on the census).

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Sorry for the delay in replying. There was a lot of information to deal with. I have downloaded all the marriage and birth registrations you listed. Thanks very much for that.

The two missing children, both born in Belfast are:
Thomas John born 1.5.1868
Sarah Elizabeth born 10.7.1870 (she was in the 1901 and 1911 census with her parents.)

There are still two mysteries from the 1901 census.
Florence – this could be Flora
Mabel – this could be Madeline

On the 1901 census for Robert Thompson and Sarah 10 children were born and 10 were living, so the family is now complete.

I named the message board Robinson, but really should have named it Thompson. Can I edit it so that anyone looking for messages about Thompson can see these messages or would a keyword search bring it up?

george.sye@gmail.com

Adding to my previous message. I have searching on irishgenealogy.ie for the birth of Robert Thompson born 30.10.1872, but have not been able to find it. Are you able to give me a link to the source please?

george.sye@gmail.com

George,

Here’s the link to Robert Henry Thompson’s birth. It was registered late, in the following year in fact, which is probably why you didn’t find it.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1873/03215/2178931.pdf

I am quite sure that Flora and Florence are the same person. Flora is a common shortened version of Florence. Mabel/Madeline I have not come across before but the age in the 1911 census ties in pretty well so is probably the same lady.

If you go into “My Ireland” and then select “My Messages” you can edit previous messages (and the message title).

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn

Once again thank you very much for the link and for your advice.

George

george.sye@gmail.com

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.