William Spence.Sarah McKane.c1844 marriage Ahoghill.Tullaghgarley,Moylarg.lookup

[Kira]

Good evening.
I have the following records using actual BMD's, however, i wonder if someone can find a marriage for William Spence (his father David SPENCE) to Sarah McKane (diff spellings obviously) circa 1840 possibly Moylarg/Tullaghgarley. Also a death of Sarah SPENCE 1858-1861.This is where l am stuck going back. 

Fortunately William Spence bn c1813 was a Watchmaker/Farmer/Weaver, depending on which of his child's marriage or death. The Watchmaker profession has enabled me to zero in on more definite matches. What steered me to the Moylarg/Ahoghill/Tullaghgarley area was where one of the sons decided to marry in Killymurris and stated his townland as Tullaghgarley, yet was living Port Glasgow Scotland. All of my Port Glasgow Spence's late 1880's stated born Ireland on census'.

This is what l have so far....
Parents William Spence and Sarah McKane
Son William SPENCE bn c1845 Ireland according to Scotland census'. His marriage certificate 1Jan1867 age 22 to Mary Jane BAMER in Port Glasgow Scotland.  Parents to SPENCE, William SPENCE clock and watchmaker, Sarah KING. William1845 died 1920 Port Glasgow Scotland in an accident .His death certificate states father William, as a Jeweller and mother Sarah MCKEAN.

Son Thomas SPENCE bn c1852 Ireland according to Scotland census'. His marriage certificate 14April1873 age 21 to Jane NEWTON in Renfrew Scotland. Parents to SPENCE, William, watchmaker and Sally McKING. Living Port Glasgow.

Son Robert SPENCE bn c1854 Ireland according to Scotland census'. He lived with his brother in 1881 Port Glasgow prior to marriage. His marriage certificate Killymurris 1st Presbyterian Ballymena, 20Jun1884 his age 'Full' to  Agnes RUSSELL. His father William SPENCE ,farmer. Roberts townland states Tullaghgarley. His death age 82 in 1936 Port Glasgow states father William SPENCE a Watchmaker and mother Sarah MCKEAN.

Son Joseph SPENCE bn c1858 Ireland. His marriage certificate 16Sept1879 age 22 to Elizabeth CORMIE in South Shields Durham England. Parent to SPENCE, William Spence, Watchmaker.
Joseph is my lineage. He moved to Port Glasgow Scotland 1880. CORMIE died and he married to a widow TOSH, ms GALBRAITH in 1889 Port Glasgow. Marriage certificate states father Watchmaker and mother Sarah McKean.
Joseph died 1928 age 70 Port Glasgow Scotland. Death cert. states father a Watchmaker and mother Sarah McKean.

My latest find on the William SPENCE bn c1814 is a marriage, his second, on 25Oct1861 to Mary Ann LINN, he of Moylarg Ahoghill, watchmaker,widower, age 47. LINN of Tullygrawley Ahoghill age 23!!! His father David SPENCE, a farmer. Married in the Register Office of Ballymena.
She died suddenly September 1865 per the Ballymena Observer 9Sept1865.

He is not done yet. Third marriage, William SPENCE age 52 bn1815 widower, a weaver, to Jane MEEK,widow (ms WORKMAN) age 37. Married 13March1867 Register Office Ballymena. He of Moylarg, Ahoghill, father David SPENCE,farmer. Jane of Drumrankin Ahoghill. His son Samuel born 1867 school records show father a watchmaker from Moylarg.
His death certificate 29Feb1888 age 76 bn1812 Watchmaker of Tullygrawley. His wife Jane, informant.

I would like to find Williams marriage to Sarah MCKEAN and her death circa 1858-1861 if anyone can help.
All these records show Ahoghill, Tullaghgarley and Moylarg area.

I did go on a big trail that didn't look like my line, following the names SPENCE/BOAL-Ireland. SPENCE/CARSON-Ireland. SPENCE/LOCKE-Ireland.Canada. circa 1860 and on. These had the McKANE names all around the same townland.
The CARSON line had a gravemarker showing Sarah SPENCE but her birth age was 1826. Also included the names BOAL and LOVE. This Sarah's father was William SPENCE, farmer. 

Thank you in advance
Kira


   

[Elwyn Soutter]

Death registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864, so you won’t find a death certificate for Sarah Spence. There’s a few gravestones for Spences of Tullygrawley on this website (Old Graveyard Ahoghill). However there are 2 Tullygs in the area and I can't say which they refer to:

http://www.thebraid.com/ancestor_search.aspx?surname=Spence&cemetary=

If Sarah has no gravestone then tracing her death will be challenging. If she was Presbyterian, then in general they didn’t keep burial records.

Sarah’s marriage pre-dates statutory marriage registration (1845) and so you would need to search church records for it. To do that you’d need to know which church she attended (tradition being to marry in the bride’s church). The records may not exist or if they do, they may not be on-line. The most comprehensive set of church records for that area is held in PRONI in Belfast. (Personal visit required to view them). I’d search churches in Ballymena, Ahoghill & Cullybackey.

Griffiths Valuation (1862) lists William Spence in Moylarg. He had plot 9(6)(c) on John Paul’s land.

https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch

You can use the Valuation records on the PRONI website to see when he vacated that property, and likewise search Tullyg’ for his home there. (Moylarg and Tullyg’ are adjacent so he probably only moved  a few hundred yards).

[Kira]

Thank you Elwyn for your reply and useful search information.
Also having  three Tullaghgarleys...Connor, Craigs and Ahoghill, keeps me on my toes.

It is frustrating about the registration start dates for Ireland but that's what makes it exciting when one finds a match! The thrill of the hunt for us genealogists.

I was fortunate in that my Joseph Spence1858 moved to Scotland as their certificates show so much information. I went through the census' for any male Spence born Ireland, living Port Glasgow Scotland in the 1881 census, ordered one of the children's birth certificates to ascertain when and where the parents married. I then ordered the marriage. Was costly but l eventually found 3 other brothers.

Was cheaper than flying from Canada.

If anyone is visiting PRONI, do they have a minute to look up Sarah Spence burial c1858-1861?
They were all Presbyterians. Her husband William Spence1813 died in 'Tullygrawley' Antrim

Kindest regards
Kira

[aghadowey]

If anyone is visiting PRONI, do they have a minute to look up Sarah Spence burial c1858-1861?
They were all Presbyterians. Her husband William Spence1813 died in 'Tullygrawley' Antrim

It's really not a matter of someone just going to PRONI and looking up Sarah's burial. If someone were to be able to do so then they would need to know 1) where to look and 2) that such records exist (or at least exists at PRONI).
Most Presbyterian churches didn't keep burial records and if there is no headstone then there's no record. Many Presbyterians would have been buried in the Parish (Church of Ireland) graveyard, especially if the Presbyterian church didn't have burial ground, and COI does keep records. However, I know of several COI burial registers that did not record Presbyterian burials (at least for a period of time) so again there might not be a record unless there is a headstone.
You can check PRONI's guide to church records to see what information they have on microfilm, what period it covers, etc.-
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/publications/guide-church-records

[Kira]

Thank you for that information Aghadowey. Onwards and backwards l go.
Kira

[Jon_ni]

Worth bearing in mind it also takes considerably more than a minute to do a 'lookup' of the parish records in PRONI, 5 mins to consult and locate the right microfilm, few minutes to fiddle & load and find you have it upside down, then skim through it stopping to read year and see if have got there yet & when you have, start to read the various pages. It is rather a pre-digital chore unfortunately in this digital age and PRONI is still only open to the public by appointment, with limited time-slots and earlier closing times.
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/research-appointments-proni

[Kira]

I appreciate your input Jon_ni.
It is time consuming along with not knowing which church or town to zero in on.

I volunteered many years for the Alberta Family History Society in Calgary visiting and documenting grave monuments and doing lookups, if l was in the 'area' of that persons search.
I also worked the library and helped many seniors that were not computer savvy, to navigate their way around the computer and our family history sites. The smile on their faces when they found something, made my day. I still remember it now.

I am hoping my posting will find someone that has the same lineage of mine, and are going to PRONI,  will help me.
I practically lived in the LDS libraries helping fellow genealogists and finding my interests, and had an awesome time in Salt Lake when we were able to visit back in 2009. Didn't want to leave!

One day l may be able to visit PRONI myself, and visit my ancestors villages and towns too.
Here's hoping l get a 'bite' on my post.

Kira