Searched everywhere looking for parents and any information of Ancestors for William Murphy 1822 to 1879. He was married to Margaret Graham around 1850. He lived in Comber we know but may have been born elsewhere in Down.
I looked for William & Margaret’s marriage 1845 – 1860 but did not find it. Assuming it wasn’t an RC marriage, it should be in the statutory records if after April 1845. I suspect they married before April 1845. Pre 1845 records aren’t all on-line and so it would be a matter of searching likely church records in PRONI to trace it. And not all churches have records for pre 1845. So no guarantee of success.
William’s death on 17.1.1879. He was a blacksmith in The Square, Comber. Wm John Murphy of Comber was the informant.
Margaret was still alive in 1879. The only death in that area that might fit her was on 28.3.1896 in Court St, Newtownards. A widow aged 70.
William is listed in the street directory for Comber in 1877. It appears he ran a pub as well as being a blacksmith:
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/PT_C1877.htm
Probate abstract from the PRONI wills site:
Letters of Administration of the personal estate of William Murphy late of Comber County Down Merchant deceased who died 17 January 1879 at same place were granted at Belfast to William John Murphy of Comber Spirit Dealer a Child of said deceased.
William died intestate. His probate file was destroyed in the 1922 fire in Dublin and all that survives now is the above abstract (summary).
I found a marriage for William John Murphy, son of Wm Murphy blacksmith, on 19.3.1880 in Comber. Bride was Annie Robinson. Both resided in Comber. They married by special licence at Bridge St, Comber (ie a private house) perhaps because the bride had just given birth 3 days previously and wasn’t back in full health.
I see 2 children to the marriage:
Margaret 16.3.1880
William 13.11.1881
I think this is Annie and the 2 children in 1901:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Comber/Bridge_Street/1254090/
There is a tree on Ancestry that has this family (KM Murphy). It lists William and Margaret as having the following children:
Margaret 25.4.1845
William John 1.3.1847
James 22.5.1849
Robert 30.7.1851
Agnes 16.9.1853 - 1872
Samuel Henry 8.6.1857 - 1868
Mary 6.11.1860
This tree has William and Margaret marrying in 1850 in Comber. However there’s no record of that and given that they had been having children since 1845, I’d suspect that the information is not accurate. I think they married pre April 1845. This looks to be Margaret Murphy with her daughter Margaret in the 1901 census:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Down/Victoria/Earlswood_Road/1222031/
Margaret Murphy died 11.5.1902 at Earlswood Rd, Belfast.
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…
I wonder if this is William John Murphy in 1901:
His death was reported in the Belfast Newsletter of 5.10.1926 as being late of Comber and having died on 4.10.1926 at 86 Roslyn St, Belfast.
Elwyn
Thank you so much in spending so much time - I really appreciate it. That family tree is mine but I feel comfortable with all the names up to William and Margaret, but you have given me some more facts. Now I think my family were all protestant, and certainly my Grandfather was but you know, you have made me think. You have also made me think about the marriage date as you could be right and I focused too much on 1850.
That William John Murphy in 1901 is definitely mine...thank you ;-)
Kevin,
Judging by the census information, the family was Presbyterian (in Scotland they’d be Church of Scotland). So I’d be looking for the children’s baptisms in Presbyterian records. Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church (after which she would normally attend her husband’s). So the couples marriage and subsequent childrens baptisms aren’t necessarily in the same church.
In the Comber area, the Church of Ireland has records from 1683 onwards. The Non Subscribing Presbyterian church (Unitarian) has records from 1838, Comber 1st Presbyterian 1845, 2nd Presbyterian 1852. There are copies in PRONI, the public record office, in Belfast. A personal visit is required to access them. Access to the records there is free. This link explains what records exist, parish by parish:
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/proni-guide-church-records
If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net
Amazing... Thank you again so much and I can spend some more time on this at the weekend.