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Looking for Granny

AntrimBallymoney (Antrim)

My name is Mark Hill. I live in Bloomington, Illinois USA. My great randmother was born in Balleymoney January 21, 1876. Her name was Mary Curry Cunningham. Her father was Robert Cunningham and her mother was Nancy McBride. The family emmigrated to the USA in 1890. My great grandmother Mary then met and married my great grandfather Wesley Marshall. The Marshall side of the family came to the USA much earlier in approximately 1750. I know they came from Ireland also,but have very little information except for the names. Brothers William and Thomas Marshall both came to the USA from Cork. I have no other details. Any help would be appreciated.

IrelandXO member

4 replies

Robert Cunningham?s marriage to Nancy McBride was registered in Ballymoney in 1875, volume 16, page 208. If you order a copy of that certificate you will get information with which to research further eg their addresses and fathers names.

You can order a photocopy of the certificate from GRO Roscommon for ?4.  http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Apply-for-Certificates.aspx

You have to download and print off the form. Then either post or fax it back to them. There?s no e-mail option. If you want them to e-mail the cert to you, tick the relevant box. Put the reference details on the form (anywhere). Don?t worry about leaving some boxes blank. As long as GRO have the location, name(s), year, quarter (where there is one), volume and page number they should find it.

Tradition was to marry in the bride?s church (which will be on the certificate unless it was a Registry Office marriage). That may be the place to look for the bride?s baptism and that of any siblings.

What looks to be Mary Cunningham?s birth was registered in Ballymoney in 1876 Vol 1, page 163.

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

Copied from Ballymoney (Cork)

Since I gave you the marriage information two years ago, a new website has come on-line which will enable you to view the marriage certificate immediately, and for less money. So you don’t need to send off for it, unless you particularly want to.  I can tell you that the marriage took place on 10th December 1875. You can view the original certificate on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

If you then post details of that marriage on this site, I’ll see if I can tell you where they were living. What I particularly need is the groom’s occupation his townland (address), his father’s name and occupation. Likewise for the bride, if you are interested in her origins too.

By the way, in case you weren't aware, the Ballymoney that your couple came from is in Co. Antrim (not Co. Cork where this message is posted). They are at opposite ends of Ireland. Nearest airport to the Antrim Ballymoney is Belfast.

Elwyn
Saturday 30th January 2016, 04:12PM - See more at: http://www.irelandxo.com/ireland/cork/ballymoney/message-board/looking-…
 

IrelandXO member

Elwyn,

Here is the certificate i received for the wedding of my ancestors in 1875. I am having trouble reading some of it but i did learn the names for my 3 grat-grandfathers. James Cunningham and John McBride. Not sure how much those names will help. Also learned they were married in a Presbyterian church. I can't quite make out where they were living, or where the church was located. Take a look and see what you think. Maybe this can help someone else roo.

Thanks as always.

IrelandXO member

Mark,

The certificate records that Robert Cunningham, labourer, lived at New Buildings and was the son of James Cunningham who was dead in 1875. The bride was Nancy McBride of Secon, the daughter of John McBride a labourer. A witness to the marriage was Andrew McBride (the bride’s brother perhaps?). The marriage took place in Ballymoney 3rd Presbyterian church which, rather confusingly was at one time also known as Ballymoney 2nd Presbyterian church and also as St James. It’s baptism and marriage records start in 1835. The church still exists today. Here’s it’s website:

http://www.stjpresbyterian.org.uk

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church so if you want to research Nancy’s background eg looking for her baptism and that of any siblings, I’d start with that church’s records. There’s a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast.

There are 3 townlands named Seacon in the Ballymoney area. Seacon Beg, Seacon More and Seacon Lower. I looked at the revaluation records for each for the years 1867 – 1885 but did not see a house listed for John McBride (or any other McBride). That would suggest either that the family didn’t live there long, or that they or Nancy lodged with someone else, or that they had a house of too low a value to be recorded by the Griffiths clerks.

There are 2 townlands named New Buildings (North & South). I checked them for the same years but also failed to find any Cunningham households. The reasons are likely to be the same as for Nancy.

http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/val12b.htm

You will at least have some knowledge of the general area where the couple resided when they married. You can see where each townland is located using the maps on the Griffiths Valuation site:

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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