David Adams and Hannah Robert - last seen Coleraine 1831

[Kate B]

My ancestor was John Adams, born about 1824, in Ireland.  On his Scottish 1883 death certificate his widow named his parents as David Adams and Hannah Robert. 

I found them on the Coleraine Presb Church Congregation list of 1831 as:
Families Omitted
569. David & Hannah Adams - town - Thomas, Ann, William, John, Alexr.

John married Jane Allan in Coleraine Church on 17 Jan 1846.  He gave his residence as Commons (Long Commons, Coleraine?) and his father’s name as David.   

John and Jane had 3 children, all born “Ireland” between 1849 and 1857, and 4 children born in Glasgow, all born between 1857 and 1866, according to the Scottish censuses.

I can’t trace John’s parents or his siblings BMDs in Ireland, nor in Scotland.

ADAMS is such a common/popular name in Ulster, and they keep marrying into the Gaston families – but none appear to be mine.

Any help in finding the family, especially David and Hannah, or even John’s siblings, would be greatly appreciated.

[Kate B]

I think I’ve found Hannah on the Griffith’s of 1861/62.

A Hannah Adams is listed at Lisnasoo, Grange of Dundermot, Co Antrim.

I know my Hannah was born about 1800, married David about 1820, had their children between 1820-1830 and was last seen on a Presby church list in 1831 in Coleraine. 

I think she must have died between 1861 (Griffiths) and before compulsory registration (1865?), cos I can’t find her on any online search websites.

So now I’m wondering:

If she died in Lisnasoo, what are the nearest Presby churches and/or churchyards in the area?
Would the local church or cemetary have records of her burial?

(Cross posting this to Co Antrim page)

Thanks for reading.....

[aghadowey]

Here's the link to the ANTRIM thread you've just started-
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,475604.msg3349803.html#msg3349803

Lisnasoo townland is in Ballymena Poor Law Union and would come under Ballymena registration district in the civil registration index.

I searched the index for a possible death (starts 1864) but nothing in Co. Antrim that fits your Hannah.

Lisnasoo is a considerable distrance from Coleraine and the Adams family were listed as living in the town in 1831 so they might not be listed in Griffith's Valuation (only head of household listed).

[Kate B]

Thanks aghadowey.

Started this off on the Derry board cos of the Coleraine info but then Lisnasoo comes under Ballymena, so thought I should post it under Antrim!

I wonder if David had died (or left Hannah!) pre-Griffiths –either in Coleraine or Lisnasoo – which left Hannah as head of household. The Griffiths is the first time I’ve seen the name Hannah Adams – and I’ve been searching for 8/10 years!!

Can’t find Lisnasoo on any maps.  I understand its quite near Clough, which is only about 20 miles away from Coleraine??  Do you think that would have been too far to move to, in those days?

Thanks for looking for Hannah anyway. 

[aghadowey]

The best information you have at the moment is Coleraine. What does John's marriage certificate give for his and his father's occupations? who are the two witnesses?
Twenty miles was a considerable distance (my grandfather's grandparents lived about 9 miles from each other and a family account written in 1920s says that it was a consuderable distance). However, it's not impossible. What does worry me more is why your Hannah Adams (living in a town in 1831) would have been listed in Griffith's all those years later with 2 others having over 38 acres of land (and there's also a John Adams in the same townland with even more land).

Added- checked 1911 census for Adams in Lisnasoo and there is one family there-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Dundermot/Lisnasoo/120137/
Also in 1901-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Dundermott/Lisnasoo/928938/

[Kate B]

John Adams and Jane Allen’s marriage took place on 17 Jan 1846 in Coleraine Church, Parish of Coleraine. Co. Derry
John Adams, bachelor, labourer, (full); Residence: Commons -- and Jane Allen, Spinster, (full);
Residence: Watts Town.
Groom's father: David Adams. Bride's father: William Allen.
His X mark. Her X mark.
Married in the Parish Church according to the rites and Ceremonies of the United Church of England & Ireland, by license, by James O'Hara, Curator, in the presence of John Dunlop (signed) and John (His X mark) McAlees.

On the GRIFFITHS VALUATION : 
•   William Allan of Ballysally, Coleraine
•   Thomas Adams of Long Commons, Coleraine.
•   Rev James O’Hara, Coleraine and Suburbs
•   John Dunlop of Watts Town, Coleraine (Co Derry)



John and Jane moved to Scotland between 1854 and 1857, according to his childrens' entries on the Scottish censuses.

John's Scottish 1883 DC shows David’s occupation as “General Labourer, deceased”.

Thanks for the links to the Irish census 1901 and 1911.  I hope they’re *mine*!

[aghadowey]

Both the census records list Adams family as Presbyterian and the 1846 marriage was Church of Ireland but marriages usually take place in the bride's church.
Was hoping for an occupation that would be listed in early Coleraine street directories but labourers would not be listed in them.
Commons would be Long Commons in the town and Watt's Town is not far out of Coleraine.

[Kate B]

And as a labourer, would it be more likely for David to have moved the ?20? miles from Colereaine to Lisnasoo, for instance, to find work?

[aghadowey]

Possibly but in that even the family were probably unlikely to have farmed the amount of land listed in Griffith's Valuation.