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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: brighteyes on Tuesday 08 July 14 15:00 BST (UK)
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I have been searching for the maiden name of my gr-gr-grandmother and could use some help. Her daughter, Ellen Wright, (b. 1849) was my gr-grandmother, daughter of John Wright who married Edward Hall in 1868 in Armagh, Ireland. It is possible that Ellen's mother was also named Ellen, but I'm not sure. I also don't know if she came from Armagh; its possible she came from Cty.Down. I have found an "Ellen Gardiner" but, can't be sure that she's the one. Can someone tell me where to look further to find Ellen's mother? I have Ellen's marriage certificate to Edward, that states her fathers name, but not her mothers. I also don't know if Ellen had any siblings or I would be searching with them in mind! Any help is greatly appreciated!
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Have you tried the Roots Ireland website?
http://www.rootsireland.ie/
Unfortunately you have to register and purchase units to view records. However I have just done a search for an Ellen Wright born 1849 (plus or minus 2 years) -- with a father's name of John - in both Down and Armagh.
Only one result appeared for an Ellen Wright baptised in 1849 - father's name, John Wright - in County Down. It will cost 25 units to view the actual transcribed record.
Wright isn't a name that is hugely Irish -- I wonder if John was in the British Army and was stationed in Armagh or County Down. Both these counties have a military history. What was his occupation at Ellen's marriage?
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John Wrights occupation (according to Ellen's marriage certificate) was 'master builder', but he was already deceased at the time she married in 1868 in the Shankill Church of Ire. (She was Catholic, Edward was not).Ellen told my grandmother that she attended the Sacred Heart School for Girls in Belfast, so that is why I sort of gravitated toward County Down. I thought John might have been from Scotland, but not sure where I got that from. So you see my dilemma? Thank you for helping me! I appreciate it!
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Yes -- Irish research can be a bit of a nightmare -- very frustrating.
Do the witnesses at the marriage give you any clues -- ie - do any of them look like they could be siblings? If they do -- that might help in finding the correct parents, in that there would be 2 baptisms to check for, looking or the same mother and father.
In addition -- Ellen is likely to have named one of her daughters after her mother, which is worth bearing in mind.
Irish Newspapers are available on Find My Past -- but again it is a subscription site. I wondered if John might be mentioned as a Builder. I am sure there are Irish trade directories somewhere on a free site -- but I can't just think which one. If you could find a John Wright, Builder in one of those - you could concentrate on that location, to see if his marriage occurred there.
If I can think of the directory site I will let you know -- but it's a long shot at best!
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Possible but doesn't say Where in Ireland
WRIGHT, John
Marriage
Wife: Eleanor LEATHEM
Marriage Date: 7 Jan 1847
Recorded in: Miscellaneous, Ireland
Collection: Civil Registration
Husband's Father: John WRIGHT
Wife's Father: James LEATHEM
Source: FHL Film 101288
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John Wrights occupation (according to Ellen's marriage certificate) was 'master builder', but he was already deceased at the time (1) she married in 1868 in the Shankill Church of Ire. (2) (She was Catholic, Edward was not).Ellen told my grandmother that she attended the Sacred Heart School for Girls in Belfast,(3) so that is why I sort of gravitated toward County Down. I thought John might have been from Scotland, but not sure where I got that from. So you see my dilemma? Thank you for helping me! I appreciate it!
I have read your question and there are several things that 'confuse' me, maybe not confuse, but makes me want to clarify and possibly throw a few ideas your way
1 Shankill Church of Ireland, are you assuming this is Shankill Road Belfast......... Shankill Parish Lurgan Co Armagh, a very large church which stands or used to stand at the town of Lurgan town, well still stands there but now it is on a traffic island in Lurgan's one way system.
This may or may not be YOUR Shankill Church
2 Lurgan ( and Portadown, Craigavon) are well known in the past and now as very mixed communities ( religious wise) My first trip to Northern Ireland was a a 6 year old to a RC and Protestant marriage in Lurgan
3 Belfast is in County Antrim
Will have a look and be back ;D
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Right I am back ;D ;D
Now 'IF' I am correct and it is Lurgan and there are plenty of Wrights in Lurgan from way back then one of the best websites and 100% free and built/managed by local and very good researchers as well as published authors/lecturers in local history and family history is http://www.lurganancestry.com
I will let you search the records on there, fingers crossed it is Lurgan as at least you have access to lots of records and hopefully you can find what you are looking for.
The below is only relevant if you find Lurgan is the right place
If it is then just in case you need to know anything additionally Lurgan was built in 1647 ( I think) Lurgan Castle was built/owned by Lord Brownlow including the Lurgan estates, lake http://www.brownlowhouse.com/about-history.htm and there was and still is a big connection to Grantham Lincolnshire , search Belton Stately Home of Lord Brownlow, you will find lots of Lurgan peoples ancestry go back to Nottinghamshire/Linolnshire
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Thank you so much for the help re: Ellen Wright and her mother. Yes, she was married in the church in Lurgan, and I will check out the Lurgan site you mentioned. Unfortunately her marriage certificate doesn't name anyone, other than the fathers names, which only added to my problem. I have seen a 1841/51 Irish census that has Wright families, but I don't think they are mine. Ellen and Edward did have 6 children, 2 of them girls (Edith + Agnes) so I can search with those names in mind too. One of her sons was my gr-grandfather, Alexander Davison Hall, which I always thought sounded like a 'family' name, but I've searched for it with no luck. I guess I'll keep looking! Again, thank you all for the help.