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HARPER/CLARKE FAMILIES,STRABANE,CO.TYRONE

TyroneCamus (Tyrone)

I'm searching for the family of Rosanna CLARKE,my 2x Great Grandmother,from Strabane,Co.Tyrone,Ireland.She was born C1830 in Strabane,and died in Ballarat,Victoria,Australia in 1908.Her parents were John CLARKE and Martha HARPER also from Strabane.I believe that the HARPER family originated from the Townland of Townparks of Strabane,Camus Parish-source Griffiths Valuations.(I really can't be sure which Parish and Townland John Clarke's family came from as there are so many Clarke families in Co.Tyrone.)Rosanna emigrated to Geelong,Victoria aged 22 on the ship the "James Foord" in Dec.1852.She married John PRESTON from Islip,Oxfordshire in 1854;they had a large family of 12 children and settled near Geelong,Victoria.I would love to learn more about Rosanna Clarke's family in Co.Tyrone.Anyinformation would be welcome.

IrelandXO member

3 replies

Rosanna’s birth was before the start of statutory birth registration (1864) and so you’ll have to rely on church records to find her birth. You don’t say what denomination she was but if she was Church of Ireland then Camus baptism records start in 1803, Methodists in 1822 and Presbyterian in 1828. Copies of each of those sets of records is held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. The records there are not on-line and a personal visit is required to view them.

If you think you have found your family in Griffiths (late 1850s for Co. Tyrone), then you can follow through to see when they vacated that property using the revaluation records (which are on-line for Northern Ireland):

http://apps.proni.gov.uk/Val12B/Search.aspx

If they were still there after 1864, then you can search for death certificates on the GRONI site. 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.

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Dear Elwyn,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

Rosanna Clarke was Episcopalian which I believe was the Church Of Ireland??? I will just have to wait until the records come online as it's unlikely that I will be visiting Ireland anytime soon.

I will try the link for her family in the revaluation records for Strabane,Camus parish as you suggest.

I feel it's most likely  that Rosanna Clarke was an orphan before 1852 when she emigrated to Australia but I will keep an open mind on this.Thank you for the GRONI link.

Many thanks once again,

Margot.

IrelandXO member

Yes, Episcopalian is the Church of Ireland.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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