William Smith

[pcjr]

Hello,
Was wondering if someone could look up the birth records for William Smith born about 1836 at Co Down, Bangor.  Parents were  Hamilton  Smith and Ellen Major/ Majory.

Also please can someone tell me where in relation  to Bangor Down is Cavan, I have come across a shipping entry for   William Smith aged 20 from Cavan in 1865.  " Greyhound"

William was married in 1864 to Ellen Jane Alexander she sailed for NZ in Jul 1865, so I was thinking if the above William might just be her husband, who may have come to NZ before her.

thanks
pcjr

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   The nearest part of the County of Cavan is about 60 miles South-West from Bangor in Co. Down "as the crow flies". The town of Cavan is even further away.

Regards

[TheWhuttle]

Hi pcjr,

Most folks from Ulster would use the name of the townland in which they were resident as their "address".

There is a Cavan townland in Co. Down, lying within the parish of Clonduff.
However, though closer than Co. Cavan, this is hardly adjacent to the parish of Bangor ...
http://applications.proni.gov.uk/geogindx/parishes/par071.htm
http://applications.proni.gov.uk/geogindx/down.htm

Capt. Jock

[pcjr]

Hello,
Since my posting of William, have discovered the following,
 William seems to have Cavin  as his middle name, which could be a spelling mistake also it could be Cavan.

Could he have been born in Cavan, Co Down, I get the feeling that the shipping entry from the Greyhound might just be William's who married Ellen Jane.

Many thanks for all the info, its been a great help
Thanks in advance
pcjr

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   Unsure if this is just repeating what you have already told us but I can find the marriage of a William Cavin Smith to Ellen Jane Alexander on 14 May 1864 in Trinity Second Presbyterian Church, Bangor.

Regards

[TheWhuttle]

Hi again pcjr,

OK, looks like a probable red herring on the geography.

'Twas fun chasing it through though.

I learnt that there is a "Cavan" townland within four counties in Ulster.
[Co. Antrim (Parish: Billy)
 Co. Armagh (Parish: Kilmore)
 Co. Down (Parish: Clonduff)
 Co. Tyrone (Parishes:Clogher, Donacavey, Killyman)]

Interestingly, Co. Cavan itself does not contain one, within any of its parishes.
http://applications.proni.gov.uk/geogindx/townsc1.htm

----
The CAVIN middle name might be a family name.
[Traditionally mother's maiden surname,
 aka maternal grandfather's family surname.]

Alternatively, especially if it was a "later" child, seeing as the family look like they were from the reformed (protestant) tradition, there is a possibility that it might be CALVIN, in celebration of the great French/Swiss religious reformer of the 16thC.
[Apparently, John CALVIN's family name in his entry within the baptismal records of the church at Noyon (north of Paris) is actually CAUVIN ... shhh ...]

Capt. Jock

[TheWhuttle]

... even more alternatively ...

The "Gavin" personal name (i.e not a surname) was common.
[An older spelling form was "Gawn".]

[pcjr]

Hello,

Does anybody know of any shipping/passenger lists  around 1864/5 leaving for New Zealand.
Had another look at the Greyhound list , but now I don't think its our William as his age is not right, the William on the list is down as 20yrs old our William was born in Co Down around 1838/9
parents were Hamilton  Smith and Ellen Major/Mcjury.

Thanks

[marchbank]

Hamilton and Ellen arrived at Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on board the 'Himalayan in 1867.

Citing this Record

"New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FST6-H2K : 8 August 2017), Hamilton Smith, 10 Feb 1867; citing ship Himalaya, Archives New Zealand, Wellington; FHL microfilm .

William arrived separately.