RootsChat.Com
Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Antrim => Topic started by: Fiz on Sunday 19 July 09 17:16 BST (UK)
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Looking for information on the French family.
Only information I have, courtesy of 1911 UK census is that my Grandfather named Thomas French was born approx 1880 in Rathmore, County Antrim.
He had two brothers, names not known. I believe all three brothers left home around the same time, two went to England and one to USA. Their father's name was Alexander, mother's name not known.
Thomas married my Grandmother in 1911 in Derbyshire, he was then aged approx 31yrs.
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Irish Birth Index you can get off LDS site
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#start
Rathmore itself does not seem to be unique in Antrim/Belfast
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Rathmore is a Townland in the Parish of Donegore to the East of Antrim itself, just fields and hedges and a few modern homes. I'm told that there are several 'Frenches' living in the area, maybe they are distant relatives, another line of enquiry for me to pursue.
Thankyou for your interest.
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1911 census for Co. Antrim has a French family in the townland of Rathbeg that might be related-
www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search
PRONI have Thomas French, Rathbeg listed in Will extracts (www.proni.gov.uk)
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found 2 marriages a bit early but you never know
Alexander French to Jane Moore civil Reg at Belfast 4/9/1854
H/F father William French
w/f/ William Moore
Alexander French to Annie Smith civil Reg. at Drummaul Antrim 1/7/1862
H/F John French
W/F/ James Smith
audrey
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Thankyou Audrey, much appreciated.
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Have you tried getting a copy of your grandfather's birth certificate ? There should be one if he was born about 1880.
You can order certificates on line from the General Registry of N.Ireland. It would indicate his mother's name and his place of birth.
Have you checked the 1901 census for Ireland for French's living in Rathmore at that time. Unfortunately, at present I think the census is only available on microfilm.
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You can check index to civil registration for Thomas French's birth (if at Rathmore it comes under Antrim registration district.
See here for hints on getting best results from your searches-
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,357532.0.html
And here options for ordering certificates-
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,383526.0.html
There are quite a few Frenches in IGI (www.familysearch.org) including a submitted, not extracted, record for Thomas French, son of Thomas and Jane (Irvine), born 1849.
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Thanks, but Thomas' father was called Alexander. Have tried birth records to no avail.
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If your Thomas French was born c188 (going by age at time of marriage) then his birth should have been registered but he might have been registered without a Christian name being chosen ('male' on certificate) or originally given another name/names and birth was registered that way.
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Thanks, that's a thought, I did wonder if his birth records were destroyed by the 1922 fire? as I believe happened to so many. My next step, I think, will be to try Churches local to Rathmore/Antrim for any baptism records, it's just knowing where to start.
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No civil records (brths, marriages, deaths) have been destroyed but he's either 'hiding' under another name, has been mis-indexed or somehow wasn't registered.
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You mentioned a William French in your search.
I'm looking for a William French father of William French b1816 in Co Antrim.
William jnr spent some time in Oldham in England, married, and returned to Ireland about 1840/1841 where a daughter Mary was born. He was back in England in Oldham by 1856 where he remained until his death in 1880.
William Jnr - nailmaker and William Snr - labourer.
Does any of this overlap with your search?
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I am looking for a Mary Margaret French who married John O'Rawe. They lived in Drummaul parish Randalstown where they had 5 children before relocating to Belfast and having at least 5 more. I have yet to find a marriage for them, but first known child born 1875 in Tannaghmore, so I assume they married just before that. Unfortunately Mary died before 1901 census, probably in 1891 in childbirth with her tenth known child. There seem to be a few Frenches still in the area. I would be interested in anyone who may have a connection or any help with tracing the marriage. Thanks
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I live in Randalstown and can confirm the FRENCH name is common locally. There are definitely French gravestones in the First Presbyterian churchyard, and I think in the OC and second Presbyterian churchyards too.
You could try the Randalstown Historical society to see if they can put you in touch with anyone locally who may have more information.
www.communityni.org/organisation/randalstown-historical-society
Elwyn
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Elwyn
Thanks for the link. I'm pretty certain both John O'Raw(e) and Mary Margaret French were born and perhaps married in Drummaul Parish. Their first 2 children were born in Tannaghmore and next 3 in Sharvogues. However all 5 were baptised in St Joseph's Hannahstown, so maybe they married there too. No idea what religion Margaret French was, but John and all the children were Catholic.
Thanks again for the link
karen
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I recall (from OSNI map) that there is a "French Park" in the suburbs of Randalstown ...
[In Ballygrooby townland, to the SE, near to the station ?]
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That sounds like it could be the location of "Frencheston" referred to on at least one of the gravestones in Drummaul.
I read somewhere on the net (but of course, now can't find the reference link for you) that the French family surname was established in the Randalstown area following the Anglo-Norman invasion.
I would appreciate any local information on that.
And any suggestions of who to contact regarding births/deaths/marriages in the parish between 1750-1850.
Would these records be at PRONI?
Thanks
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For births, deaths & marriages 1750 - 1850 you have a choice. Protestant marriages 1845 -1850 will have been recorded with the GRO but otherwise no statutory records will exist for any other event. So you'll have to rely on church records.
From this chain it appears that the French families in Randalstown were a mix of Presbyterian and Roman Catholic.
Catholic records are available on microfilm in the National Library in Kildare St, in Dublin (website : http://www.nli.ie/). Presbyterian records will be with PRONI and probably also with the church (note that there are 3 Presbyterian congregations in Randalstown - OC, 1st & 2nd). And you might also get extracted records on Familysearch.
Elwyn
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Roman Catholic records for Drummaul parish are available at PRONI.
Ref no MIC1D/70-71
Baptisms, 1825-81; marriages, 1825-84; deaths, 1837-48.
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Hello, I am just after finding this thread after searching for a Thomas French of Randalstown who was my great-great grandfather. His eldest daughter was Mary Elizabeth French who became Ridgway and lived from c1860-1929. I am Charlie Ridgway - the third generation in direct succession to hold the name. The two Charlie Ridgways before me held the middle name of French from that line. My eldest brother has the middle name French, but it seems the tradition of keeping it as middle name for males in our ramily will die out as his only son does not have it in his name.