Cassidy & Nelson of Maghera

[Robert]

Hi,
Looking for any info on any Cassidy and Nelson families from the area. My 2 x great grandparents were Patrick Cassidy and Annie Nelson who were born c1855 in Maghera. They were (or at least Patrick was) catholic.

I have been lucky with the Cassidys as I found more children born to Patrick's parents Nicholas Cassidy and Isabella McGurk. They were married 1843 in Draperstown and then had children between 1846-50 in Dunmurry and Cahore before moving to Maghera by 1854. (There is a baptism of a Patrick in 1852 in Maghera area to a Patrick Cassidy and Bell McGurk, I guess it may be my Patrick with the father's name been wrong on the baptism record)

I have not had any luck with the Nelsons. Annie's parents were Robert Nelson and Margaret Jane Black. I can't find a baptism for Annie or for any other child to this couple or a marriage for Robert and Margaret. I guess she may have been illegitimate. I see there are quite a few Nelson families in the area and the name Robert appears in a few of them. I think most of the Nelsons/Neilsons in the area seem to have been protestant, so maybe she was christened in a different church from Patrick. Has anyone came across any info on the Nelsons in Maghera regarding Robert Nelson and Margaret Jane Black?

Thanks,
Rob

[aghadowey]

Looks like you might have posted about the Nelsons a while ago on another forum and said Annie's mother was Margaret Jane Black or Blackwood?

[Robert]

Hi,

Yes, have been looking for information on Annie for a while now, so thought to try this forum too. Blackwood seems to have been a mistake on a poor relief record in Glasgow as it appears to have been later scored out. The name Black was given as her mother's maiden name on Annie's marriage and death certificate.

Thanks,

Rob

[greeneyedgirl]

Hi, I was looking at the same birth record as you for Patrick Cassidy and believe that it is indeed his with transcription error. The reason why I tink ths is that Nicholas and Isabella twice before him and also with Patrick had Margaret McAfee as a sponsor to one of their children. The other two were Annabella & Catherine.
I also found a couple of rcords which may be helpful.

Deaths:
Nicholas Cassidy
died 17 Sept 1871
Maghera
76 yrs old
married
informant: Isabella Cassidy

Robert Nelson
died 1 July 1870
Tubermore
76 yrs old
married
informant: Ann Connery
* I'm not 100% on this one but he may have died someplace other than at home and it is before Patrick & Annie's marriage

Births:
Nicholas Cassidy
bap: 3 Sept 1788
Drogheda, co Louth
Roman Catholic
father: James Cassidy
mother: Mary Black

Robert Nelson
bap: 13 April 1795
Fahan Upper, co Donegal
Church of Ireland
address: Luddan
father: Thomas Nelson
mother: Mary

I looked around for the marriage of Robert & Margaret but did  not find anything. There are several wills for Robert Nelson on Proni that you might want to check out. Also on PRONI I found the following;

1766 religious census:
Robert Nelson
Magherafelt, co Derry
Established church

1740 Protestant Householders;
Nicholas Cassidy
Kilcronaghan, Loughinsholin, co Derry

* these may be distant relations

I hope something might be helpful, Kim

[Robert]

Hi Kim,

Thanks you very much for your reply. Yes, I also believe it is the correct baptism. Thanks for the other info too, the death certificate for Nicholas in 1871 is the correct one as it has the correct information regarding his age and occupation (he was an army pensioner). Not sure about the other info, but it definitely gives me something to work with.

Thanks again,

Rob