Daughters of Joseph Black

[Agnetta]

Tees  - no need for "sorry" - you've been a good help. Just to have my post noticed and replied to was great,not to mention verification of marriages ! All the best with your searches,and thanks again. Agnetta. (Betsy Harper)

[aghadowey]

Agnetta- just a note about possible burial places.
Many Presbyterian churches didn't have their own burial ground and therefore many Presbyterians were buried in Church of Ireland graveyards (because they had to pay tithes years ago they were entitled to be buried in parish ground)- some churches even have a 'Presbyterian' section. Most C of I churches keep a burial register but some rectors did not record Presbyterian burials. Also, some Presbyterian headstones were removed from plots after a while. Therefore, it is always worth checking in Parish graveyards even if your family were Presbyterian.
Most Presbyterian Churches did not keep burial registers but sometimes have a map of graveyard plots (which will not list people buried in the plot).
However, Presbyterians kept Communicants rolls. Communion taken twice a year and record kept of those who took Communion. If the church you family went to still has the roll- check for when Martha not longer appears (although she could have been ill & not out).

[Agnetta]

Hello Aghadowey. Thanks for that. That explains why they appear to have disappeared into thin air! Most Presbyterians in the Dugiven,Co Derry area,where I come from,are buried in Dungiven CofI graveyard,and not in one particular part either,and their burials are recorded in the church records. ( including a lot of my late husbands relatives) As you say - this may not have been the case in other churches,years ago.I shall have to see what I can dredge up from ALL the cemetries round about where Joseph and Martha were living.Thanks again - Agnetta

[liscoole]

Hi Agnetta

I read your message and am very interested in the marriage of Jane Black and James Irwin. I believe that James Irwin is somehow in my family tree. Do you know anything more about Jane and James? Do you know if they had any children?

My link is that I think James was the sister of Isabella Irwin, who married William Magee, a relation of my great great grandfather Benjamin Magee. I have been trying to find out where they came from and suspected the Derriaghy area, and your mail seems to corroborate this. James's father's name was also James and he had another sister in addition to Isabella, called Mary Ann. She married John Black on 5th May 1871. Did Joseph Black have any sons?

I would be interested to hear from you.