Matchett Heritage - Armagh County

[Armagh_Matchetts_Barnetts]

I am a Matchett descendant. My great-great grandmother/grandfather, Sarah Ann Matchett and Robert Barnett, were married in Armagh County in 1854. Attached is a copy of the marriage certificate; I do have a certified copy as well. My long-lost Matchett relatives lived in the vicinity of Cloncore and Ballynary in 1854 and were textile weavers and farmers by trade.

I am looking for help to expand my knowledge of the Matchetts into the early 1800s, 1700s and beyond if possible.

 

[Wexflyer]

I am a Matchett descendant. My great-great grandmother/grandfather, Sarah Ann Matchett and Robert Barnett, were married in Armagh County in 1854. Attached is a copy of the marriage certificate; I do have a certified copy as well. My long-lost Matchett relatives lived in the vicinity of Cloncore and Ballynary in 1854 and were textile weavers and farmers by trade.

I am looking for help to expand my knowledge of the Matchetts into the early 1800s, 1700s and beyond if possible.

Isn't this posted in the wrong place?

[Jon_ni]

The image has been posted in the right county too, but not the question https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=211243.msg7521705#msg7521705 just the web link would have been fine.

Matchett is a common surname in the Tartaraghan / Montiaghs / Aghalee area. Tartaraghan parish records exist from 1825, but retained locally in the church, not online (St. Paul's church was consecrated 1819 replacing a former one of 1713). Montiaghs (Ardmore) was built 1785 but registers commence 1822 (offline).
http://rootsireland.ie/armagh/online-sources.php
As common for Irish research the chances of "expanding my knowledge of the Matchetts into the early 1800s, 1700s and beyond if possible." is unlikely. Brownlow estate records eg rental books and some leases exist in PRONI but are extensive, time consuming and have to be consulted hands on. They will only list the head of house.
The Famine, as elsewhere, affected the area and many died or emigrated in the 1840's.
A search for deaths of the fathers post 1864 is possible in the civil records as is looking for marriages of siblings with the same father also in Lurgan District and a check of Griffiths Valuation 1864.

[Armagh_Matchetts_Barnetts]

Thank you. I am new to RootsChat. Your insight into my question is appreciated. I am planning on a trip to Armagh County [from the USA] later this year, perhaps I can find burial sites of long-lost Matchett's or Barnett's. My stay will be about two weeks, I hope two weeks will be ample time to gain traction with research or even meeting a living Matchett or Barnett.

[Jon_ni]

You will certainly find Matchetts, including a Richard on FAG in St Paul's, Tartaraghan
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/263036832/richard-matchett and on Billiongraves
https://billiongraves.com/cemetery/St-Pauls-Church-Tartaraghan/300906
Also in Milltown https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178718312/richard-matchett
https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/IRL/ARM/Tartaraghan/MilltownStAndrew
Cloncore being here and Clonmakate nearby
https://www.townlands.ie/armagh/oneilland-west/tartaraghan/tartaraghan/cloncore/

Matchetts can also be found in Drumcree (Portadown) and Lurgan.
There will be many more interred without headstones eg my gt-gt-grandmother from Lurgan was a Matchett whom I suspect was illegitimate and invented a father Henry on her marriage 1875 in Lurgan, no memorial for her sister, or her mother 1890/91; she was interred in Belfast 1916 in a plot purchased by a daughter & her husband but the headstone not erected till 1958 when the next generation were interred in it.

Note on your 1854 marriage Robert and Sarah marked X rather then signing. That was used by the GRO to gather statistics and chart the improvement in education annually and through the decades. Not as accurate as eg the 1901 & 1911 census which asked if could read only, could read and write, or neither. If the latter they could not read an inscription on a headstone.
In 1854 26% of men and 43.6% of the woman signed the marriage registrar by marking X. In 1864 it was 61.4 & 49.7. 1880 73.8 & 69.1 and 1890 79.6 & 79.1 (equal now for both sexes) reflecting the establishment of National Schools, and supposed compulsory attendance.

[HughC]

There's no such thing as "Armagh County".

The only Irish counties with names in that form were King's County (now Co. Offaly) and Queen's County (now Co. Laois).