Finlay ancestors

Libby,

I had a search of the birth indexes to get Henry/Harry’s mother’s maiden name. It appears to have been Elizabeth Stevenson/Stephenson. I noted William born 17.3.1895; Thomas 24.8.1898 & Ernest 26.1.1897. All registered in Newry. Parents marriage was registered in Lisburn 15.11.1884.

Henry’s marriage to Alice Frazer was registered in Belfast on 20.6.1913. Daughter Elizabeth Frazer born 12.3.1914, registered in Larne (whose registration area at that time included Carrickfergus). You can view the original certificates 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.

The PRONI abstract tells us that Henry lived then in Hollybank, near Templepatrick. That’s about 15 miles west of Carrickfergus. Hollybank is in the townland of Freemanstown, just outside Doagh village, and is/was a large house adjacent to a spinning mill. So I wonder if Henry had some connection to that mill? Looking at the revaluation records, I see a James Finlay with quite a bit of land in the townland. No mention of a Henry. Possibly he arrived after this set of records finishes in 1929.

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

I note that the mill was owned by the Millbrook Bleaching & Finishing Company, from 1917 onwards. If you search the PRONI e-catalogue you will find 10 references to the company. (The company papers were lodged there after it was wound up in the 1950s). They may contain documents relating to Henry but that’s just speculation as I don’t know for certain he was employed by them.

PRONI hold the probate file for Henry’s estate. (In paper format). He died intestate so there won’t be a will but you might get his daughter’s married name from the estate papers. You could also search for Alice’s own probate file, which seems likely to name her daughter. I can’t see it in the period from 1942 up to 1965 which is what the on-line wills site covers. So she may well have died after that. To search post 1965, you need to go into PRONI and look up the Wills Books, year by year.

I would expect Glentoran to have a historian. You could contact them to see what records they have of Harry’s football career. See:

http://www.glentoran.com

Libby,

You have a choice for getting statutory certificates prior to 1922. You can order photocopies from GRO Roscommon for 4 euros. In which case they need the location, year, quarter, volume and page number.  You have to post the order in to them but they will e-mail the cert to you. Takes about 10 days. Alternatively you can view the certificate immediately on the GRONI site for 2 pounds (ie half the price of Roscommon). You can then take a screen shot to record the data, if you want. Roscommon don’t have any post 1922 certs for Northern Ireland so for Henry’s death cert, you have no choice but to get it from GRONI. GRONI don’t offer photocopies. If you want a certified copy from GRONI it costs £16 (sterling) so I’d suggest viewing the cert on-line is better value.

Here’s the link to the PRONI e-catalogue. You can search on-line now and get the reference numbers for yourself. When you get to PRONI, you need to bring a passport or other photo ID to get a readers card. You can then order up to 5 documents at a time (using the reference numbers on the catalogue). The staff in the public search rooms will assist you.

http://apps.proni.gov.uk/DCAL_PRONI_eCatNI_IE/SearchPage.aspx

I did have a look at the town directory for Carrickfergus in the 1940s and saw that there were about 6 mills in the town at that time so if Harry was connected with any of them there may be other records to search in PRONI. Try “Carrickfergus + mills” to see what you can find at PRONI.