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Hello.

This may be a challenge as we have little information to start with...  We are looking for Ruth Ormsby who, we think, was born in Belfast in around 1820.  She later moved to New York state and married John Heckles. 

Any information you may have on birth, baptism, emigration documentation for Ruth specifically or hints on how to search Belfast/Irish records would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

-Matthew Heckles-

Thank you Berkley.  That record for John does seem a bit early...  However, we are going by citations from later in life (US census, obit).  We do not have any record of his birth.  Further, it does not seem as though there is a strong concentration of "Heckles" in the Whitby area (as opposed to Newcastle and other areas) so we feel that it is usefult o run down leads until they run cold.  Thank you for the renewed lead.  Thank you!

-Matthew-

Thank you again Clive.  This may turn out to be helpful!  It is so hard to do this kind of research from a remote location.  The service this website offers - connecting people to people who can do local research - is simply amazing.

Thank you again.

(I also posted this in another county forum so if I am not posting correctly please let me know and I will try to do better)

Hello.  I am new to family history research and to this site.  I am excited to learn about this resource and ready to learn from all of you!  Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide - since I am new, please don't assume I know anything .

I live in Delaware, USA and my father and I have traced the Heckles family back to John Heckles who appears in Saint Lawrence County in America in the mid-1830's.  He married Ruth Ormsby who was born in Belfast, Ireland around 1820.  They had a large family that includes the names: John, William, Hannah, and Charles (among others).  My line continues through John's son John (b. 1848) to his son John Charles (b. 1866) to his son John Sherman (b.1914), to his son Paul (b. 1949) to me (don't worry, we got back on track, my son is named John).  We have successfully traced the family history in American records quite well but have not been able to link John back to England.

We know John was born around 1808 and died in 1872.  We also have references that indicate that he was and "Englishman" born in "Yorkshire" and, specifically, in "Whitby".  We do not have any birth, baptism or migration records.  We do not have any record of his marriage to Ruth Ormsby either (thought that may have occured in Ireland or America - we do not know). 

At this point, the top of our family tree has a dead end with John Heckles.  I am hoping to connect that with a family tree that may have a branch from Yorkshire that dead ends with him at the bottom.  Any help you may be able to provide is greatly appreciated and any information I have can be shared. 

Thank you!