calling all roots chatters - sending out an sos

[shaw1234]

I am trying to find out how i can get hold of birth infomation for

James Shaw
b.1855
ballymena
kirkinrola
Co. antrim

Fathers name James, fathers occupation weaver, religion presbyterian.

what I really want to know is James shaw's (b.1855)  mother's maiden name.

I have simply run into a brick wall....I cant order a birth certificate from the GRO in northern ireland (co's they don't go back that far), and I do not as yet have enough information to narrow down searches on emerald ancestors, and ancestryireland.com.

can anyone help? or point me in the direction of where I can get this birth infomation.

any help anyone can give will be greatly appreciated

many thanks

Marcus

[jason100]

Marcus,
            There is a site ifhf.brsgenealogy.com where you can search the birth records.  I just ran a search and there are a number of James Shaws of around that date  you can narrow the search to county antrim.  To see the actual detail you need to log on and pay.   It is 5 Euro for each.  They very often have the maiden name !

Good luck !

Regards,

Jason

[shaw1234]

thanks jason i'll give it ago

marcus

[aghadowey]

Before you start order certificates, etc. what other details on the family do you have?
where there any younger siblings born after 1864 (maybe their birth certificates will give mother's maiden name)
Have you checked the local church records to see if the records cover that date and there's a baptism for James?
Do you know the mother's Christian name? if so, you could do a parent search in IGI.

[margaretspearin]

Hi
It seems that Ballymena Kirkinriola was Rc Parish. Are you sure James was Prsespyterian ? There aws a James Shaw born in this Parish in 1837. I know the date dosnt fit with your date but maybe you will find a connection visit www.brsgenealogy.com to look at index of records for Antrim

All the best
Margaret.

[shaw1234]

2 replies in one

firstly thanks to jason for pointing out that website, however it turned out to be a dead end.

thanks anyway

2nd reply to aghedowey the one and only moderator -  unfortunately I do not know anything about any  their siblings, so thats a dead end, and as for the local church records...i'm not 100% sure its the right church, the information is based on the location of james marriage in 1876, which was in a registry office.

I'd like to check out proni or the presbyterian church's sometime in the future but the irish sea is in the way, and i'm not a good swimmer (ha ha) - being based in england its a bit tricky to get access - is there a bmd index for northern ireland like there is in england scotland and wales? at least if there was an index i might be able to narrow my search down a bit.

many thanks

marcus

[shaw1234]

hi margaret,

i'm getting so many replies so quickly, as soon as I have typed a response a new reply ha gone up - not that i am complaining - i just wish i could type faster!

Anyway i am not 100% sure this is the right townland or parish, as i said in an earlier reply it is based on the fact that my james married in 1876 in a registry office in ballymena  - i have that document infront of me.

it is quite possible that james shaw b. 1855 was from drummaul as that where he was living when he got married, i've not quite got my head around antrims townland's and parish's there seems to be alot of them!

I am pretty sure though that they were presbyterians.

thanks for your suggestions if i find a link to the 1837 james shaw i will let you know.

marcus

[aghadowey]

Just a few comments.

Many early Presbyterian baptismal registers only list the father's name or sometimes the father's name and only the mother's Christian name so if a church record does exist it may not help much.

This site has some area maps (although it's not complete):
http://ireland.kiwicelts.com/irishMap/ireMap.html

Here's a list of Presbyterian Church records held in PRONI (with earliest dates):
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fianna/county/antrim/antpres.html

[shaw1234]

Just a few comments.

Many early Presbyterian baptismal registers only list the father's name or sometimes the father's name and only the mother's Christian name so if a church record does exist it may not help much.

This site has some area maps (although it's not complete):
http://ireland.kiwicelts.com/irishMap/ireMap.html

Here's a list of Presbyterian Church records held in PRONI (with earliest dates):
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fianna/county/antrim/antpres.html

many thanks adhagowey

marcus