Author Topic: Before 1700  (Read 3880 times)

Offline Madrabbit

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Before 1700
« on: Sunday 25 July 10 13:47 BST (UK) »
Hello, I am trying to trace the Cooper family who lived in and around Dublin, sometimes moving through Wicklow and Kildare. I have gone back to 1720, with the birth of Charles Cooper who went on to marry a girl called Mary. I am wondering how easy it is to find records before 1700 as a lot of websites don't have them.

Thanks for any help  :)

Offline shanew147

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Re: Before 1700
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 25 July 10 13:51 BST (UK) »
Not many parishes have records before the 1800s ... the dates vary from place to place. City records usually go back further. Which parishes are you researching ?

Many records (RC and CofI) for Dublin City are available on : www.irishgenealogy.ie/

Some parish records for counties Wicklow and Kildare are available on a pay website (www.irish-roots.ie).  I dont see where you are based, but if you are near Dublin you can check RC records in the National Library, and CofI records in the Representative Church Body Library.



Shane
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Offline Madrabbit

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Re: Before 1700
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 25 July 10 14:28 BST (UK) »
Hi Shane

Thanks for the response. I am actually in England so have to rely on the internet  ::). Although I feel a trip to Dublin coming on (purely for research purposes of course  ;D)

It seems that the generations I have found have switched from RC to CoI and back again many times so its hard to link them all together. The family always seems to spring back to Dublin so I'm looking through all the parishes I can find of both denominations.

As a side note, is there any particular reason why the denomination would keep changing? Thanks

Offline shanew147

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Re: Before 1700
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 25 July 10 14:50 BST (UK) »
...

It seems that the generations I have found have switched from RC to CoI and back again many times so its hard to link them all together. The family always seems to spring back to Dublin so I'm looking through all the parishes I can find of both denominations.

As a side note, is there any particular reason why the denomination would keep changing? ....

That is very strange - I've seen a switch once and rarely twice but never more than that. Are you 100% certain you are tracing the same family though all this ?

The main reason among my ancestors for conversion is for marriage. Another possible reason in earlier years is due to the penal laws when there was pressure to covert to Church of Ireland and some Catholics did this. I have seen a few cases where I believe familes reverted back to Catholicism when the Penal laws eased, or after Catholic emancipation.


Shane

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Offline Madrabbit

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Re: Before 1700
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 25 July 10 16:02 BST (UK) »
Shane, nothing surprises me any more with regards to my ancestors. To give a bit of research background, this all started because there is a family rumour that my Great Grandfather William Cooper (of Newbridge) was hung for murdering my Great Grandmother Annie, he apparently threw her into the canal upon which he worked as a Ranger in Bermondsey London. I have since proven this to be false and started finding some of Annie's family. She was descended from the Scottish Royal Family through Mary Queen of Scots, Robert the Bruce and so forth right back to the mythical kings of Sweden and Norway. William had been reviled by his children, it was my Nan who told my Dad about the murder after my Grandad died (I think she was trying to make excuses for his violent behaviour).

Anyway, I did read somewhere that many Catholics and non-conformists were buried in CoI graveyards and this gives the wrong religious information, whether this is true or not I do not know. All I do know is that most of my family can never make up there minds about anything. Ever. I am pretty sure that I have the right people, we all carry the same names through the generations, I share my name with 3 other living relatives (including middle names  :o). No imagination  ;D

Offline shanew147

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Re: Before 1700
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 25 July 10 16:15 BST (UK) »
........
Anyway, I did read somewhere that many Catholics and non-conformists were buried in CoI graveyards and this gives the wrong religious information, whether this is true or not I do not know....


I've heard this too - also Catholic (and Presbyterian) marriages sometimes took place in Church of Ireland churches in the early 1800s, I believe for legal reasons, as CofI was the established religion and this I ensured that the marriage would be recognized for inheritance etc


Shane
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Offline Madrabbit

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Re: Before 1700
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 25 July 10 16:24 BST (UK) »
Thanks for the help Shane. I know that Annie was a devout Catholic (just like her ancestors) so I always thought it would have been strange for her to marry into a strictly Protestant family. I'm not giving up on William and his family, I had a lot of Irish influences when I was growing up and am loving finding out about this part of my family  :)

 

Offline ClevelandOhioImmigrant

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Re: Before 1700
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 18 November 17 22:11 GMT (UK) »
Trying to reach Madrabbit:

I am a direct descendant of Charles Cowper (born 1802 Ireland, died Feb 1889 in Cleveland, Ohio) and Bedelia Bridget Stacey (born 1821 in England, died May 1892 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA). Charles left Ireland and came directly to Cleveland in about 1854 (when he was 52 years old). They had all but one of their children in Ireland; six children born in Ireland were living with them in the 1860 US census.

Thus our family history research overlaps, it would appear.