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Foster/Johnson/Marshall

Tyrone

My gr.gr.grandfather John Foster, born abt 1806 in County Tyrone, married Ann Johnson, (born about the same time and location), sometime before 1827, but search as I may, no records have been found of the marriage. Also, Margaret Foster, born abt 1825, no location found as yet, married Richard Marshall on Oct 2, 1846 in Carnteel, Clogher, Tyrone. Groom's father: William Marshall, Bride's father: John Foster.

Both families came to Canada, John & Ann Foster in 1831, and Margaret & Richard Marshall in 1850, and both settled very close together in the same area of Quebec.Through Ancestry's DNA, I match to descendants from the either Margaret Foster and Richard Marshall, but I believe it is through Margaret. Therefore, I think Margaret is perhaps a sister or niece of John Foster, as if she were his daughter, why would she have been left in Ireland at only about 6 years old.

Any help solving this would be greatly appreciated,

Ron Oakley

ron_oakley

5 replies

Ron,

Statutory registration of marriages started in Ireland in April 1845.  So that accounts for the marriage between Margaret and Richard being found fairly easily. Prior to that you are dependent on church records, not all of which have survived and not all of which are on-line. So that accounts for John & Ann’s marriage being harder to find. The relevant records may not be on-line or they may be lost.

You don’t say what denomination the 1846 marriage was. Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church (which will be named on the marriage cert unless it was a Registry Office ceremony). So which church was that? Also what was her townland and her father’s occupation according to the 1846 marriage certificate? (That may help locate the family in other records).

Looking at the surviving records for the Carnteel area, Carnteel Church of Ireland (COI) has marriages and baptisms from 1805. However there is also a COI church at Ballygawley whose pre 1845 records were lost in the 1922 fire in Dublin. The Presbyterian church at Aughnacloy has baptism and marriages from 1812 onwards but there are significant gaps in both. Clogher Church of Ireland has baptisms from 1763 and marriages from 1777, again with some gaps. Fivemiletown COI has baptisms and marriages from 1804. Carntall Presbyterian has baptisms from 1819 and marriages from 1829.

Copies of all the above surviving records are held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. They are not all on-line though and a personal visit is required to search them.

I’d be cautious about your expectations of a pre 1845 marriage. Usually all the record contains is the couples names and their 2 witnesses. No parents names and often no townlands etc.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks Elwyn,

The Foster's were members of the Church of England when in Canada, which I think would be the Church of Ireland for their marriages. I found Margaret Foster's marriage record online on the LDS site, but have been told that even if I order the film, it won't show the father's occupation.

Guess this connection will remain a mistry.

Ron

ron_oakley

Ron,

Your information about what to expect on the 1846 marriage certificate is incorrect. It will normally record the groom and both father’s occupations. You can view the original certificate 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.

The marriage certificate will also tell you which specific church they married at (unless it was a Register Office ceremony). Let me know which church and I’ll confirm the availability of earlier records.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Someone gave me the following: Oct 2, 1846, Church of Ireland, Carnteel (Diocese of Clogher), District of Dungannon, County of Tyrone.  Bride: Margaret Foster, daughter of John Foster. Groom: Richard Marshall, son of William Marshall. No occupations were given to me, but I suspect they were both farmers.

I hoped to locate the marriage of John Foster (perhaps Margaret's brother or uncle) to Ann Johnson around 1826, as first child born abt. 1827, but no idea where in County Tyrone it might have taken place. I wondered if his father was also John Foster.

Sorry, that's all I know,

Ron

ron_oakley

Ron,

You may have to dig into your pocket and pay £2.50 (sterling or about CAD$4) to see the marriage certificate, rather than just a summary of some of the information (which is what someoje has given you from a pay to view site) if you want to get the most out of your research, such as establishing the fathers occupations for certain. I gave you the contact details in the post above.

Knowing what the fathers did matters in terms of searching the right land records. Most farmers are listed in Griffiths, but agricultural labourers, weavers, servants etc are often not listed. And so on.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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