LOOKING FOR NEWRY BIRTH C1818 - John Gibbons Mathews

[jaybelnz]

For 10 years or more I have been looking for a birth record for my great great grandfather JOHN GIBBONS MATHEWS, born Newry c 1818. (This approx. year of birth has been calculated from census records).  Have no idea whether he was born in County Armagh or County Down!

John and his known sister siblings were married in Church of Ireland in Dublin, so a Protestant family.

His father was Henry Maxwell MATHEWS ESQ. And his mother's name was Sarah,(from her burial record)  but no knowledge of her maiden name.  I've tried Gibbons for her as well, but no joy there.

John married Mary Jane Fleming, daughter of David Fleming, and their marriage record shows David Fleming as An Officer in the Royal Irish Artillery.

I have no mother or birth record for Mary Jane FLEMING either, although census info states she was born in Portarlington, and calculates out to her also being born C1818, as her husband John was.

I have tried to get hold of his military record,  he was a Sergeant of Lancers in the 12th Royal Lancers, but those records are apparently stored in some Archives at both Nottingham and Manchester Universities.  Another one of my posts (I think on the Military board), has a post with details of where some 12th Lancers and other regiments records are held. But apparently not indexed or digitised.   I got this this info from GRO Website.

These two birth records, or lack of them, are my major block to getting back any further with my Mathews Ancestry, so if anyone can help me with births, I would be forever grateful.  Over the years I have built up a great life story for this couple, they have led a very interesting life, but it would be great to know who their Mum's were and their birth dates!

Thank You
Jeanne   

[glensman]

I am sure that you are aware that civil registration of births did not begin in Ireland until 1864.  So you have mostly then to rely on Church Records.  If John was COI then the next step is to check what records are available. These vary greatly.  For instance PRONI has records on microfilm for St.Patrick's/St. Mary's from 1804.  Coverage is patchy with a gap for 1818.  It does seem to have an index for baptisms dating from 1784 and of course there are other churches in the area.  See:

http://www.proni.gov.uk/guide_to_church_records.pdf

[glensman]

It would also be worth looking at Ros Davies' excellent website which covers County Down.  She has lots of references to Mat(t)hews records including some in Newry:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/M/Matthews.htm

[jaybelnz]

That's great, thank you Glensman! I was just looking at the other link you gave me, and have saved it into my iPad kindle, so can browsie through it while I am sitting on the train!! 

So now I'll take a look at the new link.

Ta    Jeanne