COX family Co. Armagh

Rheta,

I am no expert on Eilan Donan Castle save that I know it was completely destroyed by the Navy during the time of the Old Pretender (1719) when they found some Spanish soldiers garrisoned there. It lay a complete ruin until around 1911 when an entrepreneur re-built it. (The modern chocolate box castle is a 20th century replacement. Sorry). So I am not certain what early records may exist. Probably not many. The Cox family being Presbyterian does point to Scottish ancestry.

Hannah’s remarriage to George Stegg (note spelling) was on 8.2.1871 in Belfast so that dates William’s death to prior to that.

I see two possible deaths for William Cox. 1st Oct 1870 aged 66 and 21.9.1868 aged 40. (Ages were usually juts guesses in the 1800s). Both registered in Armagh. Neither is free to view yet so you will need to pay to see them to find out which, if either, is the correct one. 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 £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate. 

Belfast Newsletter of 16th May 1862 announced the marriage. Wm was Land Steward to Lord Gosford and Hannah was 2nd daughter to Clark Louden Esq of Dennismullen, Armagh.

One minor item. You mention the couple being married in 1862 by special licence. However there’s a civil certificate showing they married in Armagh register office (witnesses William Smith & Sarah Cox).:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1862/09622/5489245.pdf

There doesn’t appear to have been a church wedding.

There was a Sarah Cox death registered in Armagh on 10th June 1868, aged 36. You might want to look at it, in case it’s William’s namesake.

The Gosford estate papers are in PRONI so perhaps there may be mention of William there.

Marriage registration started in April 1845. If William’s first marriage was before that it will be much harder to trace. You need to search church records. Not all pre 1845 records have survived and of those that do, not all are on-line.  Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, so you can’t even assume it was Presbyterian. Death registration didn’t start till 1864 so you won’t find a death certificate for her either. Presumably she’s buried near Gosford Castle. I would try the graveyards near to Gosford Castle in case she has a gravestone. According to the Ulster Historical Foundation site there are 3 likely graveyards there: Mullaghbrack Church of Ireland, Markethill 1stPresbyterian and Markethill 2nd Presbyterian. (Many Presbyterians were buried in Church of Ireland graveyards so I would definitely check it).

Rheta,

Here’s a link to the marriage certificate for Hannah and George Stegg. Her address in 1871 was Newtownards, which is in Co Down. It confirms she was a widow (not a bigamist). The marriage was in St. Anne’s Church of Ireland in Belfast.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1871/11328/8157919.pdf

Hannah’s father Clarke Lowden is listed in Griffiths Valuation for Dunesmullan in 1864. He appears to have died in 1864 aged 64.

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

Here’s what appears to be thesame family in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Markethill/Dense_Mullen/1017787/

And that couple’s marriage in 1893:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1893/10597/5860436.pdf

Samuel’s father was Clarke Loudon (so Samuel was Hannah’s brother). Clarke Louden’s wife was apparently Elizabeth.  She died in 1890 and the Valuation records show the farm passing to Samuel in 1892. Informant for the death was her daughter Bella Louden.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_retu…

Regarding marriage by Special Licence, there were several different ways of giving notice of intention to marry. The most common was by banns, whereby your names were read out in church, normally on 3 separate Sundays. If bride and groom attended different churches then they would be read in both. If you were marrying in a Register Office (an option available from 1845 onwards) then the banns were pinned to a public notice board outside the building for a specified period before the ceremony.

However if you were in a hurry or if you didn’t want too much publicity, you could apply for a licence or a special licence.  If marrying in a Register Office, then an ordinary licence would suffice. (And that’s what the 1862 certificate mentions in this case). Special Licenses were normally for marriages away from the Register Office or church.  So if for some reason you couldn’t attend church or the Register Office or had some other compelling reason then you could apply for a special licence. So you’ll see special licenses for someone who married in a private house, a hospital or some such location. Where the bride was heavily pregnant and about to give birth, couples sometimes got a special licence. It was quicker, though more expensive, and also allowed a ceremony at home.

The Presbyterian church rarely used banns. (I have no idea what the theological reasons were). They mostly used licenses for marriages in church and special licenses (which only the moderator could issue, as you have discovered) for marriages elsewhere. But in this case the ceremony was in the local Register Office and according to the wording on the certificate was by licence, not by Special Licence. So the newspaper notice appears to be slightly inaccurate. I can’t suggest why.

Why did they choose to marry in a Register Office? Who knows? Register offices were popular for mixed marriages i.e. Catholic – Protestant, but Presbyterian & Church of Ireland couples rarely had issues about which church to use. Obviously atheists favoured a Register Office, as did Brethren. Brethren don't have anyone qualified to conduct a marriage service, and so they always use Register Offices. For her second marriage Hannah married in the Church of Ireland suggesting that was her denomination, by then anyway. (Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church.). She again obtained a licence for that marriage. You may note 2 of the other couples on the same page married by banns.

Garth,

Richard Cox is listed in the tithes for the parish of KIlmore in 1833, as is a Thomas Cox.

https://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/armagh/tithe-applotments/kilmore-parish.php

Both are gone by Griffiths Valuation (1864) and replaced by Philip (plot 47 - 74 acres) and John (plot 51 - 24 acres) Cox, suggesting both Richard & Thomas had died and been succeeded. Death registration only started in 1864 so deaths before that can be hard to trace easily. There might be a burial record and there might be a gravestone though.

Here’s Philip Cox’s marriage in 1858 showing his father was Richard, so that’s evidently the farm your Teresa lived on:

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/marriage_returns/marriages_1858/09554/5463925.pdf

Teresa married in Mullavilly Church of Ireland so that’s possibly the family church. Their records start in 1821. There’s a copy in PRONI in Belfast. They may contain her baptism and that of any siblings.

Philip died in 1883 aged 67:

https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/files/civil/deaths_returns/deaths_1883/06366/4826653.pdf

Letters of Administration of the personal estate of Philip Cox late of Derryhale County Armagh Gentleman deceased who died 19 May 1883 at same place were granted at Armagh to Mary Cox of Derryhale the Widow.

John Cox died in 1889. Probate abstract here. Will is on-line on the PRONI wills site. He left everything to wife Agnes.

The Will of John Cox late of Derryhale County Armagh Farmer who died 14 November 1889 at same place was proved at Armagh by Thomas Morrison of Derryhale Farmer the Surviving Executor.

Probate of the Will of Agnes Cox late of Derryhale County Armagh Widow who died 12 May 1897 granted at Armagh to Thomas Morrison and James Longhead both of Derryhale Farmers.

Agnes’s will is on-line and she directs the farm be sold after her death. No Cox farms in Derryhale by the 1901 census. Philip Cox’s farm was tenanted by Robert Carson by 1895.

Don't know where he fits into the family but PRONI hold a copy of the probate of the will of John Cox, Derryhale, Co Armagh. Dated 11th June 1844. D1253/11/16. Personal visit required to view it or pay PRONI or a researcher to copy it.