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Keys family of Mullanboy and Fintona

TyroneDonacavey (Tyrone)

I have an interest in David Keys likely to have been of Mullanboy Tyrone, born abt 1780-1800.

David Keys may have first married someone named Margaret, surname unknown (shipping record for eldest son John Keys who came to New South Wales in 1849) 
Documentation for four other of David Keys' children who settled in NSW recorded their parent names as David Keys and Jane Foster (mother living at Dromore)
Thomas Keys baptised 1838* (the youngest son) was one of those who settled in NSW
George Keys (likely son) married at Fintona in 1848 and appears to have died 1848-1849
Foster Keys born about 1837 remained in Ireland and lived at Dromore where he died in 1901

Jane Foster (not Keys?) daughter of George and Elizabeth Foster married a John Donaldson at the Presbyterian Church Fintona in Dec 1842*
Witness John Keys is thought to have been the eldest Keys son who came to NSW in 1849 
John Donaldson died at Dromore in 1869 and Foster Keys of Dromore was present at the death
Jane Donaldson died at Dromore in 1876 aged 84 and Foster Keys of Dromore was present at the death

* Shared with me from a paid site that I can't access. 

While Jane Foster who married John Donaldson in 1842 appears to be the mother of Foster Keys, it is surprising that she married as Jane Foster rather than Jane Keys widow - does this mean she and David Keys didn't marry?  On Jane's death registration it doesn't actually state that witness Foster Keys was her son, but perhaps relationships weren't always recorded.

I believe David Keys had a brother Thomas of Mullanboy whose daughters also came to New South Wales - immigrants to Australia were asked to name any family members already in the Colony and cousin names have proven very helpful in determining relationships.

My problem is that I'm not able to find anything at all about the husband and father David Keys - where he was from and when he died, if he married twice etc.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Hopefully the detail provided will be of assistance, the family is likely to have been Presbyterian and I realise this could present problems. 

With appreciation

Glennys

Glennys Gow

3 replies

Glennys,

This looks to be Foster Keys in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Killyfaddy/Dromore__Middle/1726422/

Here’s daughter Edith Sarah’s birth in 1896 from which we know the mother was Margaret Foster.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1896/02159/1818547.pdf

Here’s their marriage in 1878 (Foster was a widower):

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1896/02159/1818547.pdf

Foster’s father was David Keys, a farmer. Foster Keys 1st marriage in 1860:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1860/09590/5477721.pdf

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church (after which she’d usually attend her husband’s) so these churches tell you the brides likely place of baptism but not the husband’s.

Valuation revision record for Dromore Middle shows the 2 plots there going from John Donaldson to Foster Keys to Jane Donaldson and then finally to Foster Keys again in 1879.

Relationships on death certificates aren’t always recorded. I looked for a will for Donaldson & Dromore Middle but the only 1 I could find was for one in 1957, so evidently the family were still there then:

Donaldson, John of Dromore Middle Clogher county Tyrone farmer died 27 December 1957 Administration Londonderry 20 February to James Donaldson farmer. Effects £191.

Can’t really say for certain why Jane Donaldson married as Foster not Keys. Some Presbyterian women did hang on to their maiden names. You see that quite often on Presbyterian gravestones eg “The burial place of Jane Smith wife of Robert Brown”.

The problem with David Keys is that he was probably born before local church records begin and he probably died long before 1864 when death registration began. Presbyterians rarely kept burial records and so unless he had a gravestone, there may be no record of his existence (or of his parents) to find.

We know he was a farmer. Most farmers in Ireland would have been listed in the tithe applotment records (compiled in order to tax land). The only David Keys in that area in the tithes lived in Drumgaw, parish of Lisnadill, Co Armagh. Could that be the correct person? I note that Foster Keys was born in Tyrone c 1845, so clearly David must have moved there by that year.

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/armagh/tithe-applotments/lisnadill-par…

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwyn thank you so much for your response and for going to so much trouble to check for me. It is as I thought, the timing for this family's records is all wrong plus the fact that they were Presbyterians doesn't help. I especially appreciate the Dromore Valuation Revision document, it certainly proves the link between Foster Keys, Jane (Foster) and her second husband John Donaldson. 

It is assumed that David Keys died between 1838 when the youngest child was baptised and 1842 when Jane (nee Foster) remarried - I am very lucky that someone was able to find transcripts of those two events so I at least have a clue as to what happened. 

Perhaps it was a tradition for some Presbyterian women to revert to their maiden surnames when they were widowed, their headstone tradition of adding maiden surnames is an absolute boon to researchers.

The record states that Foster Keys was 23 when he first married in 1860 and he was said to be 68 when he died in 1901, I figure he might have provided his correct age at the time of his marriage which means he was likely born around 1837.  Birth years for his siblings who came to NSW start in 1819 but they vary depending on which document you look at! 

Thanks again - most helpful.

Glennys

 

Glennys Gow

Elwyn thanks to your tip about the Valuation Revision Books I've been able to find a number of entries relevant to family - a wonderful resource I wasn't aware of.

www.nidirect.gov.uk

Glennys

 

Glennys Gow

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