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Cheers for your help Peggy.

That is definitely a 'Wm'. The line underneath denotes a contraction. I have seen exactly the same format on other Registry documents for various Williams.

The dramatic writing style is just the authors style of cursive.

Cheers,

M.

Hmmm. Confusing. So John Barron Spence emmigrated to Canda with William Jr and his wife and obviously has his mothers maiden name as middle name. Seems pretty clearly their son. Odd that his fathers name was listed as Ivan on his death certificate. I wonder what that is about. J would certainly be more convenient.

Important to remember Andrew's dob is estimated as I don't have any birth or baptismal records yet.

He could be William Sr's Youngest or one of William Jr's eldest as there is a cross-over apparently. I wonder if William Sr had two wives, only the church records will tell.

I just came across this btw:

https://www.planningni.gov.uk/index/policy/development_plans/devplans_az/lisburn_llpas.pdf

search 'Spence'.

There is a Rath in Maghaberry known as 'Spence's Fort'. About 12 miles from Dundrod and very near the Magheramersk clan.

Thankyou all for the valuable info.

Peggy, I agree with you re the stated link between all of these families. Someone did build a tree linking three familes. 1. Templepatrick Spences. 2. Ballykennedy Spences. 3. Magheramesk Spences.

I came across this as I researched the Ballykennedy clan, which I had researched early on because I had been focusing on William John Spence candidates in and around Belfast. I splt them out and did the usual GRO checks for each of them.

I have seen examples in other branches where some LDS researchers have made a habit out of making erroneous links. When I have contacted those who have published these trees they tend not to respond which raises my suspicions. I find it quite frustrating. I try to properly reference all my finds.

That said it is still plausible they could be connected considering the size of familes back then and proximity. Maybe someone else has done all of this before. Completing the desktop research will be important hopfully supported by genetic research. I am going to order a FamilyTree DNA pack to take part in the various family research projects hosted on that website. Aside from the link to your Spence family established via Ancestry DNA test I also share the Haplogroup Group with William Spence Snr via the Spence project on FamilyTree (I have my Haplogroup from 23andme).

I will be back in Belfast in a couple of weeks for a wedding. While I won't be able to dedicate much time to record hunting I might try to steal an hour or two test this hypothesis. Looking at Templepatrick and Dundrod Presbyterian records (Dundrod being the closest Presbyterian Church to Tullyrusk.

Best M.

Hmmm. That is odd. As you say some records must exist or else the marriage record would not have survived. It is possible they handed them all over to PRONI. Maybe the Minister is just tired fielding genealogy requests. As custodians of important family information I feel the various denominations could do a much better job on this front.

Do you happen to know the PRONI record reference?

Just to let you know there is another Spence family dating back to the same era in the nearby townland of Ballykennedy. I have fully worked up that family tree as far as available records go. William Snr's contemporary would have been Alexander Spence. He died young in the 1840's. We know of his existence because his wife Margaret referenced him and cause of death on the 1851 Census  for this townland which remarkably survived the Four Courts Fire.

In tracing that line I discovered one of Alexanders sons Samuel was quite fastidious, leaving lots of records. Alexander had another son called William John (who never married) but nevertheless is a potential candidate as my ancestor's father. I have not been able to establish a genetic link with this line as yet but I have not discounted them given their proximity to the Templepatrick link.

With regard Samuel's fastidious nature he referenced where Alexander was from previous to Ballykennedy townland in his mothers Death notice. Tullyrusk townland. I checked the Tithe Applotment Book for Tullyrusk Parish and there he is in 1826 but not 1834. Interestingly two John Spences are also listed. I am thinking one is a brother, the other his father maybe.

No Spences are listed in the Tithe Applotment Book for Ballykennedy townland or indeed Killead Parish in the 1820's. None are listed in Templepatrick or Ballymartin Parishes either. Looking at all the Parishes to the east, west & south of our area of interest in Antrim the Spence family is represented in Blaris, Derriaghy, Magheragall, Magheramesk (largest concentration) and Tullyrusk (second largest concentration) Parishes. To the north in Antrim there is a large cluster in Ahoghill and a few in Ballyclug Parish.

It could be the Spence family was not long established in Templepatrick Parish as indeed they were not in Killead Parish.

It is my desire to research all of these leads but for the moment I have focused on those leading south west. Reversing Alexanders direction of travel. It leads us toward the Lagan Valley. For the moment I suspect the Ahoghill and Ballyclug families are not linked.