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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Down => Topic started by: maria101 on Thursday 25 July 19 02:12 BST (UK)
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James and Mary immigrated on Indiana 1858, farmed at Doyleston. Lots about the family on P.Past but it is harder to find much about James back in Ireland. They married twice on 1st April 1841 on the same day, first in Killinchy Pres. Church then in Raffery (Is this an April Fool's joke? source Ros Davies surnames index. Killinchy and Raffery appear to be neighbouring townlands just south of Belfast.
It seems that the Watsons and Woods were tenant farmers and some may be in Griffiths Valuation but hard to pin down.
Would love to hear from any of their many descendants researching this family
Maria
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Hi you may be better to post this on the Ireland board
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/ireland/
Cheers Janette
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James and Mary immigrated on Indiana 1858, farmed at Doyleston. Lots about the family on P.Past but it is harder to find much about James back in Ireland. They married twice on 1st April 1841 on the same day, first in Killinchy Pres. Church then in Raffery (Is this an April Fool's joke? source Ros Davies surnames index. Killinchy and Raffery appear to be neighbouring townlands just south of Belfast.
It may be that it was entered into the registers of both Killinchy and Raffery - one of them coming from each parish.
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Just a feeble joke -It could be that it was easier for the couple to travel than elderly parents at that time. Thanks for your interest.
Maria
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"b.c. 1828; married Mary Watson 1 Apr 1844 at Raffrey Presbyterian Church & Killinchy Presbyterian on the same day; father of Elizabeth b. 21 Oct 1844 (d. 2 Jul 1930) & ; emigrated to New Zealand in 1858 with children Samuel 11, James 9, Robert 7, Hugh 6, John 4 , Matthew 2 & Esther 3 months (b. 1 Mar 1858 & bpt. Raffrey Presbyterian Church) ; other children born in New Zealand William b.c. 1863, Thomas b 12 May 1863 , Mary b. 9 May 1865 , Joseph b.c. 1867 & Andrew b.c. 1870"
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/W/Woods.htm
On the right ride of that entry is a link for email address of someone researching the family- have you tried contacting them yet?
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Killinchy and Raffery appear to be neighbouring townlands just south of Belfast.
The townlands of Killinchy and Raffrey.
https://www.townlands.ie/down/dufferin/killinchy/killinchy/
https://www.townlands.ie/down/castlereagh-upper/killinchy/raffrey/
KG
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I didn't notice Tom Watson in Down -thankyou very much.I shall definitely try him Have been relying on great- aunt Annie's info from years ago and early papers in Ellesmere where the Woods actually lived in Killinchy because NZCO actively encouraged Down families to emigrate -hardworkers -and Protestant! I assume they embarked at Belfast on the way from Gravesend. Finding more in Ireland is more difficult . 1841 census James son of a family in Grey Abbey but that seems too far away from Killinchy. Griffiths lists Samuel, renting land -but no house - and Robert Watson house only, Lord Dufferin.
Found another pair who married twice -could it be because the Presbyterian churches had split at the time?
So grateful for your tips. Maria
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Maria. There was a split in Killinchy Presby about that time and a second Presby church was formed in Killinchy in the 1840s but don't see how that affects Raffrey. Certainly never seen registration in two church registers before but will bear that in mind for future reference. I have looked up marriages in the register for Killinchy Presby in PRONI before and the marriage entry for 1841 will have listed the names of the fathers. If you don't have success with Tom Watson I will look the marriage up next time I am down there.
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Thank you so much - It is a puzzle and I hope to trace some descendants here who may remember hearing about this when I have done a bit more with the on-line Papers Past - news from the rest of the world took so long to get here and the local rags had plenty of space to publish lots of news about the doings in their communities. But there are puzzles here and I now need to dig deeper. Tom has not replied but the e-mail did not bounce back so I know it went somewhere. I thought of writing to the churches but it would be a huge help if you have a chance to look at the registers. If we knew the christian names of James parents it could help.
Maria
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1841 census James son of a family in Grey Abbey but that seems too far away from Killinchy. Griffiths lists Samuel, renting land -but no house - and Robert Watson house only, Lord Dufferin.
Found another pair who married twice -could it be because the Presbyterian churches had split at the time?
So grateful for your tips. Maria
Churches splitting shouldn’t lead to a marriage being recorded in two church registers. It should only appear in the church where the ceremony took place. In the Church of Scotland (a Presbyterian church), prior to statutory marriage registration, what you do find is that where a couple came from different parishes, the banns were read in both parishes and it’s the reading of the banns that got recorded in the parish register rather than the marriage itself. That system made it look as though the couple had married twice. However the Presbyterian church in Ireland didn’t normally use banns, so that’s unlikely to be the explanation here I think.
Remember that only a few fragments of the 1841 census survive, mostly as a result of extracts taken for pension applications. So chances are that the Greyabbey person is another family.
Where someone is in Griffiths with land only, they were either lodging with someone else (and so not listed in their own right) or they lived in a different townland, usually nearby. House only, in a rural area usually indicates the person was an agricultural labourer.
Robert Watson remains listed in Raffrey in the Valuation Revision records until 1883 when the house is noted as vacant.
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Your explanation makes sense. It was obvious that James Woods knew how to look after stock, plough, drive a team of horses etc. He started off as a drayman, carting shingle for roads and stone from a quarry for building the more substantial buildings. He was able to buy land at 2p an acre and in five years was breaking in his own farm with the help of his older sons. The move to the colony was a good one - he lost it all during a depression and drink became a problem -but his many children, 12 sons,(Francis 1860 missed out earlier) two daughters, mostly stayed there farming and did well -it was a great Irish community that all helped each other, socialised together.
Thank you for your interest
Maria
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Maria
I had a look at the microfiche for Killinchy Prebyterian in PRONI yesterday. I couldn't see a marriage for James Woods to Mary Watson certainly not on 1 April 1841. I did see two baptisms in Killinchy Presbyterian for children of James Woods and Mary Watson of Raffrey- for Samuel Woods born 14 May 1846 and baptised 22 May 1846 and for Robert Woods born 19 January 1849 baptised 4 February 1849.
The Reffrey Presby marriage records at PRONI only started from 1845
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Thank you so much Flloyd_JW. perhaps they may have moved seeking work ? between Raffrey and Killinchy and Elizabeth. b.1844, Jam John 1854 Matthew, 1856,1849, Hugh,1852, were christened in Killinchy. Esther b.1858 just before the left for NZ arrived here aged 3 months and was christened in Raffery 1st March 1858.You have filled in some gaps for me so I am grateful - so hard to get all the facts after so many years especially as I live so far away.
Maria
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Hi Maria,
I'm a descendant of James Woods and Mary Watson, also seeking more info about them.
They are my great-great grandparents. My connection is through the male Woods line: James-Andrew-Henry-Neville-me.
I think I've perhaps located the names of James' parents (John and Ann) and sister (Elizabeth), but the evidence isn't yet compelling. What I have found is these LDS records at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRQK-C91 and https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRQV-XSZ
It's the right month and year for James birth, but Aghalee is 30 miles from Raffrey/Killinchy where James and Mary got married.
Most of what I know or suspect is summarised here: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Woods-2613
If I find more, it will get posted on the Wikitree profile (and here if I remember!)
Cheers
Ross