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King family of Fintona

TyroneDonacavey (Tyrone)

I have been researching sisters that migrated to Australia around 1840.  Anne (b. 1825), Ellen (b. 1829), Mary Jane (b. 1826) and Jane (b. unknown).  I have found records of marriage in Australia for Anne m George Small, 1842, Ellen m William Bridge 1846,  and Jane m Andrew Stewart 1841. Ann has a witness named William King on her marriage certificate.  A couple of the sisters mentioned Fintona as where they were from.  I checked the census (1901) and there were a King family 4 in Cumber (Fintona, Tyrone) who I suspect they may be related to (they are Presbyterian) and Ann married in a Presbyterian church in Australia.  Are there any King family still in Fintona?  Any help would be wonderful. 

IrelandXO member

3 replies

There are 3 people named King in Fintona in the current phone book. Search under BT78 as the address. http://www.ukphonebook.com

Fintona Presbyterian Church records start in 1836. There?s a copy in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast, and they are on the Rootsireland site (pay to view) where there are 12 baptisms and 7 marriages listed, involving people of that surname. (Search under the country genealogy option, and you can narrow the search to specific churches).

http://tyrone.rootsireland.ie/search.php

Griffiths Valuation for 1860 lists 4 King households in Cumber. Archibald with a farm and 68 acres (plot 1); James senior with a farm and 55 acres (plot 2); James jnr with a farm and 32 acres (plot 3) and Eliza with a farm and 33 acres (plot 4). All are off the modern Cavan Rd, a minor road off the B46, half a mile or so from Fintona.

A couple of probate file abstracts:

Full Abstract :

Administration of the Estate of Mary Anne King late of Ganvaghan Knutsford Drive Cliftonville Belfast Widow who died 12 December 1912 at Cumber Fintona County Tyrone granted at Belfast to John Alexander King Hardware Merchant.

Full Abstract :

King Richard of Cumber Fintona county Tyrone farmer died 24 December 1916 Probate Londonderry 14 September to Robert King shop manager. Effects ?282.

The files for the 2 abstracts are held in PRONI. They are not on-line.

Looking at the revaluation records, the King family seem to have disposed of the last of the 4 properties in Cumber in 1929, when Thomas King on plot 4, sold to a Mr Woods. It doesn?t appear there are any Kings farming there now. You may get some addresses from the 2 probate files.

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks for your help before.  More information has come to light and it looks like they are from Castletown near Fintona.  I am trying to ascertain if the sisters father came to Australia.  His name was William King.  His daughter's death certificate describes him as a miner.  I was thinking it was likely that he may have come to Australia as the region they were living in was a mining area, and there was a William King as a witness on Anne King's marriage, I thought it may have been a brother but can't find a record of a brother.  I am wondering if there are any mines in this region of Ireland and would there have been mining before 1841?  

IrelandXO member

 

There?s very little mining in Ireland. The country has few mineral resources, and almost no mining industries. (One of the many reasons why so many people had to leave the country). I am not aware of any mining in Tyrone in the 1800s. Huge numbers of Irish people went to Scotland and England though, where there were lots of mines, and so if William King was a miner, he may have acquired the skill there. He's unlikely to have learned it in Ireland.

Ahoghill AntrimIrelandXO Volunteer

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