I am trying to find out where Renalston is in County Tyrone. I was advised my GGGrandmother Jane Rainey was born there in 1853. I cannot find any trace of this place and am wondering about the spelling. She was the daughter of James Rainey and Bridget Cullen and she later married John Conroy in Portadown on 4/2/1884 at St Patricks.I want to visit the area when I come to Ireland next year but cannot find a place by this name. Can anyone help?
Cheers
Josephine
My first thought is what else that might sound like. I tried Reynoldston on Google Earth and found one but that is in County Meath. You might try different names as possibilities. This is not an unusual occurrence. Both the accent and the lack of literacy can contribute.
We went to Tyrone this summer and the accent can be difficult for those not used to it and we weren't.
You might also contact the library in Omagh. They have a history room. It might have been a village that doesn't exist now or it might just be part of another area. The librarian there was very helpful.
Thanks for your response. I have sent an Email to the Omagh library to see if they can assist me as I am in New Zealand. Yes I wondered about the spelling. I found a place called Randalstown but it was in County Antrim.I just hope I have not been given the wrong County as well!!
There?s about 42 townlands ending in ?town? or ?ton? in Co Tyrone. The only two beginning with R are Rabstown and Riverstown. Nothing like Renalston.
You can see a list of townland names in Tyrone on the attached link:
http://www.cotyroneireland.com/townlands/townlands.html
The mention of Randalstown Co Antrim is quite interesting because the name Rainey is extremely common in that area.
It might be worth checking the marriage and baptism records for that parish (Drummaul) to see if the family are there. I don?t think any Drummaul records are on-line and so you would probably need to look them up in PRONI, Belfast where copies are held on microfilm. James Rainey to Briget Cullen sounds like a mixed marriage. I can?t see it in the civil indexes from 1845 onwards and that would suggest it was an RC ceremony (or before April 1845 when the records start). Do you know what denomination Jane was? If not, you would probably need to both check RC and the records for the 3 Presbyterian churches in Randalstown plus the Church of Ireland.
Thanks for all your help on my behalf. I have discovered it is Randalstown where Jane was born so will look into the Drummaul parish records you mention and see if I can find anything.Trouble is I am not sure of her DOB. Only worked out 1853 as she was listed as 54 years of age on her death certificate when she died in Glasgow 7/2/1908.The 1891 cesus had her as 43 and 1901 as 49 so discrepancys there. I am not aware of any mixed marriages. Jane and John Conroy were married at St Peters RC Church in Portadown in 1884.I believe(rumour) her mother Bridget Cullen's marriage to James Rainey was her second marriage. She had previously been married to an Edward Maglone and she had a daughter Ellen by her first husband.Wonder why she is not listed as as Bridget Maglone on the marriage certificate ?? I am excited to know the correct town she was born in so will persevere. Once again thanks for all your assistance. It's difficult even knowing a Parish from New Zealand so the help one receives is fantastic.
Don't be too concerned about ages because they can be off. The age on my great grandmother's death certificate was off by 11 years and she was born in and died in New York City.
Rootsireland has a baptism of a Jane Rainey to father James Rainey, in Randalstown RC church in 1851. Only snag is the mother doesn?t appear to be Bridget Cullen. All the same, you may wish to purchase the record to see who is listed.