Where must I look for William Watters?

[Schatzi]

I am looking for the birth details of a William Watters (Waters).
On the England census of 1911 he says his birthplace is "Ard's Tyrone Ireland".

I can find an Ards in County Down and
an Ard Bo or Ardboe in County Tyrone - which I think is correct.

I know nothing about Ireland. Which is most likely the correct option? Would an Irishman call Ardboe Ard's?

[Elwyn Soutter]

There’s a townland of Ards in the parish of Aghaloo, Co Tyrone. That could be it.

Here’s Ards in the 1901 census. (No Watters).

https://www.census.nationalarchives.i.../Caledon/Ards/

When was he born, and what denomination was he, and I’ll see if I can find anything more?

[Schatzi]

He was born round about 1835 and I think you have the right place. The family were Presbyterians.
He married a Sarah Jane Sally.
I have a record of the births of three of his children:
Elizabeth 18 August 1868
John 10 November 1870
Sarah Jane (called Sarah Ann) 16 July 1865
all in Caledon, Tyrone, Ireland. I know he had 9 children in Ireland 7 of which survived to adulthood.

[Elwyn Soutter]

William Watter’s marriage to Sarah Jane Sally was registered in Dungannon, Co Tyrone in 1853 Vol 5, page 624.

If you order a copy of that certificate you should get both fathers names, their occupations, townlands and other information which may help you trace back. Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church (which will normally be on the certificate) and so that would be the place to look for her baptism and that of any siblings.

Birth registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864, so you won’t find a birth cert for any children born 1853 to 1863.

There are 2 Sarah Jane Watters born in 1865. One registered in Lurgan Vol 1 , page 692; the other in Armagh city , Vol 11, page 71. (I’d go for the Armagh one as Ards is within that civil registration area).

For Elizabeth there’s a birth in 1868 in Armagh city, Vol 11, page 49.

For John there’s a birth in Armagh city 1870 Vol 16, page 48.

You can order a photocopy from GRO Roscommon for €4 per certificate. Put the place, year, quarter (where there is one), volume & page number on the application form (anywhere). https://www.groireland.ie/ You have to post or fax the form to them but they will e-mail the copy certificate to you if you wish. Put “please e-mail to…..” clearly on the top of the form.

For births in the years 1853 to 1863, you’ll need to rely on church baptism records. To do that you need to know which church they attended. Presbyterians in Ireland don’t use the parish system and the one they attend is a matter of personal preference, and not always the nearest to where they live. There are 3 in the general area. One at Ballymagrane (baptisms start 1851); another in Caledon (baptisms start 1870) and a third at Minterburn (baptisms start 1829). None of those records are on-line anywhere so far as I am aware. However copies are held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. However a personal visit is generally required to access them.

I had a look at Griffiths Valuation for Ards, as well as the subsequent revaluation records. I didn’t see the Watters family there. That could be because they had or it might be because they lived in a small cabin of too low a value to be listed in Griffiths. Was William an agricultural labourer or similar?

[Schatzi]

Thank you. I have been looking mainly via ancestry.uk without knowing how things work in Ireland and you have been very helpful. I will order the certificates!

Yes. William was a labourer. I can find him on the 1881 England Census but not on the 1871 England Census so the family must have moved from Ireland to Barrow-in-Furness some time between these dates.

Thank you for all the help on the Irish side.

[Elwyn Soutter]

Being a labourer explains why I can’t find him in the Irish valuation records. That’s not unusual. Apart from his a marriage, the births and any baptisms, he probably hasn’t left much of a paper trail in Ireland.

Agricultural labourers often rented for just a year at a time, and then moved. If you find any new townlands (addresses) for him, eg from the marriage certificate or from children’s births, let me know and I’ll see if there’s any record of him.

There won’t be any record of his move to Barrow. That’s just a domestic journey and no records are kept of passengers etc. You just have to work out when he moved by reference to last child born in Ireland and first appearance in English records, as you have already done.

[Schatzi]

Thank you. You have been a real help!

[Schatzi]

There is one clue I forgot to mention because I had given up on it but it may be of some help. William Watters had a daughter Isabella. On the England Census of 1911 she states her place of birth as Tullableety Tyrone Ireland. I have Googled this place but with no luck. Spelling of course may be an issue but the hand writting is very easy to read. Any ideas?

[Elwyn Soutter]

Placename spelling alters all the time in Ireland. That’s Tullyblety in Griffiths Valuation. It’s an agricultural townland of 328 acres, on the modern Tullybleety Rd, which is about 3 or 4 miles from Aughnacloy. No sign of the Watters family there in 1860 either, I am afraid. Again because they will have been in a very small cabin, of insufficient value to make it into Griffiths. The move from Ards to Tullyblety (or vice versa) fits with the pattern I mentioned, for agricultural labourers to move about a bit.

If you are looking for Ards, the modern Dromore Rd runs through the middle of it. Just off the A26 Rd from Aughnacloy to Caledon. It’s about half a mile from Tullyblety.

Few of these places are significant to come up on Google. They are small agricultural areas with just a handful of occupants. You can however find them using the map facility on Griffiths Valuation. Search under place name.

https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffi...on=placeSearch

[Schatzi]

Thank you for this I have not used Griffiths for this.