Sinclair and Walsh lineages

[Pam Downes]

ToshaSinclair - your post from yesterday headed "Lost on Sinclair Lineage in Ireland" was exactly the same as the first post in this thread. Duplicate threads are not allowed as they can lead to people wasting their time re-finding information which has previously been found.

I have therefore moved that post to this thread (it's now post #10).

I have also moved this thread from its original place in the 'Introduce yourself' forum to the General Irish Family History forum which I think is a more suitable location for it. If, however, you think another forum would be better, then the thread can easily be moved to that one; just ask.

[Elwyn Soutter]

ToshaSinclair,

If you are looking for Emily’s baptism, then it might be worth checking Finvoy Presbyterian’s records. (They start in 1843). Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church. There’s a copy of those records in PRONI in Belfast. They are probably not on-line anywhere so you would need to go yourself or pay a researcher.

Statutory birth registration did not start in Ireland till 1864 so you won’t find a birth certificate for Emily or Richard.

You say you can find no records on Mary & Alexander. I’d suggest the 2 deaths in 1897 and 1903 are most likely Richard’s parents. They appear likely to have married pre 1845 (which is when statutory marriage registration started) and so tracing their marriage will be difficult. The records may not have survived and if they have they probably aren’t on-line. The same problem exists for their baptisms.

Bear in mind that almost all the pre 1901 Irish censuses have been destroyed and there are not a huge range of other records left to check. I had a look at the Valuation records for Drumnafivey (where Alexander died) but he is not listed so he was probably just lodging with someone there. A shoemaker is unlikely to leave a will so no help there either.

[Elwyn Soutter]

If your information is that Richard was born in Stranocum then you should search baptism records in that area. The family was evidently Presbyterian (going by the 1901 census anyway), so likely churches in that area are Ballymoney 1st Presbyterian (records from 1817); Ballymoney 2nd (1835); Trinity (no baptism records); Drumreagh (1864); Garryduff (no baptisms) & Roseyards (no baptisms). The surviving records are held in PRONI in Belfast.

Regarding likely Scottish ancestry, that seems almost certain. Sinclair is a Scottish name, the family was Presbyterian (a Scottish denomination) and they lived in Co Antrim. At least 50% of the population of Co Antrim has Scottish ancestry having arrived in very large numbers in the 1500s and 1600s.