Ireland XO
Back to Message Board

John Finlay

TyroneDerryloran (Tyrone)

I'm not sure if I'm in the right parish or not. My great grandfather, John Finlay died in Cookstown, County Tyrone. There are no other names of places on the death certificate. He was living on Killymoon Street at the time of his death which was November 13, 1931. His widow, R Finlay was the informant on the death certificate. I'm trying to find out where he is buried and the name of his wife. Family lore tells me her name is Riah. She was the second wife of John and was married sometime after 1910 when is first wift died. At that time he was living in Lisburn and I have not found a marriage certificate for this second marriage. It is said that he went to Narva, Russia and that he second wife was with him. Perhaps he met her there? If there are any records from the late 20's or early 30's that would tell me where on Killymoon Streetthey were living in Cookstown. John was apparently a Mason and a fairly lengthy obituary was published for him which I have not been able to find. Perhaps it was published in a paper in Cookstown where he died.

Any information greatly appreciated

LibbyC

6 replies

Libby,

The revaluation records show John Finlay renting plot 34 in Killymoon St in 1924. His landlord was Ellen Mullan. The property was a house, outbuildings, yard and small garden. His property was between that of Robert Mayne and Joseph Houston.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni

You could try the street directories for 1924 onwards to see if John is listed. That should give you his house number. I don’t know of any on-line for that time period but there are copies in paper format in PRONI in Belfast. And if you looked post 1931, you might get R. Finlay’s name, assuming she stayed there.

The revaluation records only go up to 1929 but there is a further set of records in PRONI that take the information forward to the 1960s. These are only in paper format and are in the reference series VAL 3. They may show R. Finlay’s full name, assuming she became the tenant in plot 34, Killymoon St, after 1931.

Can’t help with an obituary but it might be worth checking back copies of the papers in Belfast Central Library to see if you can find it there. Likewise for his burial place. There’s no requirement to record officially where someone is buried but the funeral arrangements are often mentioned in the papers. Tradition in Ireland is to bury the deceased 3 days after the date of death so check the papers for 14th & 15th November 1931. Try the Belfast Newsletter.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Elwyn

Unfortunately I live in Canada so do not have access to the Belfast Central Library or to the PRONI to look up John's widow post 1931.  If I contact th Belfast Newsletter directly will they conduct a search on my behalf?

I do know that his widow returned to Belfast and was living at 71 Hollywood Road in 1967 according to my great uncle but I have not been able to confirm this.

Libby

LibbyC

Libby,

I don’t think Belfast Central Library will do look ups. You would need to get a researcher to go there for you.

PRONI will do simple look ups, but they are quite expensive. (They will give you a quote and you need to pay in advance). Again you might be cheaper getting a researcher to do it.

I have a 1960 street directory which lists Joseph Livingston, confectioner, at 71 Holywood Rd in 1960, so Mrs Finlay seems to have arrived after that date. Or she was lodging there and so not the main householder.

http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/images/1960BSD/1960strs%200193.jpg

Later street directories are in paper format in PRONI. They may give her full name, and the year she disappears from them might be a clue as to roughly when she died.

If you know she was alive in 1967, you could search for her death in GRONI. (GRONI keeps the birth, death & marriage records). Deaths after 1965 are not on-line and so again you need someone to go in person to do the search.  And you could also get someone to search to see if she left a will. The indexes to wills (called will calendars) are kept in PRONI, as are the wills themselves.

Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

 

 

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

 

 

Hello Libby!

Based on what I've read here, I suspect that you and I may be related. My Mom (born Jean Elizabeth Finlay), passed away a few months ago, and in going through a bunch of old documents, we have discovered a copy of the death certificate that you have referenced in your initial post. Jean's father was William John Finlay, born in Belfast in 1895 and died in Calgary Alberta in 1975. Among the documents we have here are letters, army records, and newspaper clippings, and just trying to figure how everything ties together. One letter, from my grandfather to a nephew named Michael, appears to list some details regarding John, a wife named Elizabeth who passed away in 1906, plus John's sons: Harry, Sam, Andrew, William, Ernest, and Thomas, plus 2 girls that died in infancy. 

Let me know if you would like a copy of this letter, it might help in your research.

Thanks!

Scott McKnight 

 

 

IrelandXO member

Hi Scott,

Yes indeed we are related. You are my 2nd cousin.  Sam Finlay was my grandfather. I've been researching the Finlay family for quite a while now and I think I'm making progress.  I believe that I have a copy of the letter you're referring to as it was sent to me by Michael Finlay.  I have been in touch with him as well regarding his father, Ernest Patrick Finlay.  I would love to have copies of any other documents, letters, pictures; anything you have relating to William and his family.  In the letter he states that he had a copy of the obituary for his father, John Finlay.  I would love to have a copy of that if you have it.  I've been trying to track down his second wife as you can tell from the previous posts.  So far I have been unable to find anything conclusive.  At this point I'm still not sure whether he married in Ireland or Russia and what his wife's name was.  The letter states that her name was Riah but I have not been able to find any evidence of a birth or a death.

If you would like me to share any information that I have, I would be more than happy to do so. I can be reached at libby-clarke@hotmail.com

Nice to meet you Scott.

Libby

LibbyC

 

Hello Libby!

I just sent you an email with a bunch of photos & documents, if you don't get it let me know, I may have added too many!

Scott

IrelandXO member

Reply

Reply
One image file up to 2 MB.