Bairds of Banbridge/Seapatrick

[Mr Farenheit]

Hi,

I'm having difficulty finding a grave/graves for my family, the Bairds.

I think they are originally from around Banbridge/Seapatrick but moved to Belfast c 1860, then returned to the Banbridge area sometime later.

If anyone knows of a grave in this area, CoI most likely, with the names James, Eliza, William, Margaret, Eileen, Samuel or Eleanor maybe they could give me a starting point for further research?

Much obliged!

[aghadowey]

Have you tried searching for death notices in the newspaper? sometimes they will list place of interment (especially if the notice was in a weekly paper and published after the funeral).

Don't forget to check for Wills- sometimes burial instructions are listed.

Added- might also be worth checking Belfast City Council's new Burial database- City Cemetery, Roselawn and Dundonald-
http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialrecords/

[Mr Farenheit]

Many thanks for that Aghadowey - Unfortunately I don't have any years of death, as no-one is left alive who could give me even an approximate year for their deaths, so I wouldn't really know where to start with newspaper death notices. 

There doesn't appear to be any wills either, having searched PRONI's will calendars.  I have amassed plenty of information about my family members' early lives but the trail goes dead from 1911 onwards, which is very frustrating.

Even my assuming that they are buried around Banbridge is a shot in the dark as there doesn't seem to be any recorded burials in the usual Belfast/Dundonald cemetries, even though most of my family were re-established in Belfast from 1900 onwards.  I was hopeful when the new search facility went online, but nothing at all turned up.  My hunch is that there is maybe a family plot somewhere outside Belfast where they all ended up and Banbridge is the most likely.

Any other tips most welcome.

[aghadowey]

You could search the civil registration index for the deaths- will give you a year (or quarter) to narrow down the dates.
http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails&c=fs%3A1408347

[Mr Farenheit]

Thanks for that link, although I have tried it before and there is no record of the deaths for the people I am interested in, namely William Baird born in Belfast in 1862 and still alive in 1918 in Belfast and his father, also William Baird born around 1835 in Ballykelly and still alive in Belfast in 1901 and 1911, although oddly not appearing on the 1911 census (his wife Margaret, whose death I also can't find, is, and listed as married, not widowed, for 50 years, so I assume he is still alive, just not at his usual address on census night).  None of the listings on the civil registrar match the birth dates or place of death, which is most likely Belfast, for these people.  It's all a bit strange!

[aghadowey]

The civil registration index only goes up to 1921 for Northern Ireland counties. It's unlikely that all your Baird family have been omitted from the index- birthdates on death registrations can be quite far off from actual year of birth or other records.

Have you searched for William Baird as W (first name) B (last name) in 1911 census?

[Mr Farenheit]

I did the W and B search, using his age, religion, married status etc., but nothing even close showed up but, funnily enough, I found William jr on the 1901 census by his initials as he was in the RIC at that time. 

Maybe the Bairds were particularly long-lived and all died after 1921!

I really appreciate you taking the time to offer good advice, by the way!

[Kernon]

Hi Mr Farenheit,
                          Joan Baird a Banbridge and District councillor can be contacted from the offices of the council, sorry don't have their number. She may be able to help

[sam cantley]

 Hi,
Have a look at the Banbridge section at http://www.raymondscountydownwebsite.com/

 Cheers,  Sam.