Robert Simpson from Antrim, Ireland

[mamajo]

I would appreciate any information anyone may have on my great-great grandfather Robert Simpson, born in 1816 in Antrim, Ireland, He married Grace McShea in Templepatrick, Antrim, Ireland. She was born in 1811 in Antrim. Their son, my great grandfather, Robert Emmett Simpson came to the United States in 1866, and settled in Arkansas. He was born in 1839 in Belfast, Ireland. I am at a dead end in my research.

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   Civil registration of Irish marriages did not start until 1845 and births until 1864, so for any information you will have to depend on church records where these exist.

Regards

[tina morana]

Welcome aboard!
Good luck with your search. I presume you have all the info you need about Robert in USA? Is this your tree listed in Anx?
Cheers
Tinam
family search give his birthdate as 19th May 1839 no more details, sorry

[mamajo]

Thank you both for your response. No, I do not have a tree posted, but I do have all the information from my Great-Grandfather down to me. I just needed to go back further with my Great-Great Grandparents.

[Elwyn Soutter]

From your information, the couple are likely to have married around 1838. You don’t say what denomination they were. Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, so in fact her denomination is the one that matters.

There are several churches in Templepatrick and the surrounding area. Copies of the surviving records are held in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. You may need to get someone to go and look those up for you.

I’d keep an open mind on Grace’s surname of McShea. That’s not a name common in Co Antrim. (There’s none in the 1901 census or in Griffiths Valuation c 1860). Bear in mind if searching the records that it may not be spelled exactly that way.

[mamajo]

Thank you for your reply. We are not sure if my great-great grandmother's maiden name was McShea or McShaw.On my Great-grandfather's death certificate her name was hard to read. Is McShaw more common?

[Elwyn Soutter]

Thank you for your reply. We are not sure if my great-great grandmother's maiden name was McShea or McShaw.On my Great-grandfather's death certificate her name was hard to read. Is McShaw more common?

No not really. There's 1 Shaw in Templepatrick in Griffiths Valuation. No McShaws.

[lmgnz]

I see there is a Robert Simpson in the Grange of Ballyrobert in Templepatrick in the Griffiths valuations of 1862. Would that be him? If so you can follow the changes of occupier of the property (29 acres) in the Revaluations available online o PRONI. You can also look to see who their neighbours were. Always a good check for spouses names. The only name I can see that is close to Shea is Rea. I have come across quite a few Reas when looking at my families who are in the same area.

You can also look for a will in PRONI.

Cheers

Linda.

My Templepatrick names include Graham, Lynn, Courtney, Wiley.

[mamajo]

Thank you, Linda. I'll check it out.