Maggie Surgenor

[sunic]

Hi,
I'm looking to find the birth or baptism of Maggie Surgenor sometime between 1850 and 1860, probably about 1857. The first concrete information I have is that she married Samuel Fawcett on 24 Jan 1879 at the Upper Falls Methodist Church in Belfast.  They were both of full age and Maggie was living at 30 Railway Street. Her father was James Surgenor. The couple have 3 children (Thomas 1879, William 1881? and John 1882) in Belfast before moving to Portsmouth in Hampshire.  They never returned (permanently) to Ireland.
I am inexperienced at Irish research.  Please can someone suggest how I go about finding the records?
Thanks
Sunic

[rathmore]

Thomas birth on family search

http://www.familysearch.org

Samuel and Maggie marriage on civil records
http://www.civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie

[aghadowey]

Civil registration of births in Ireland started in 1864 so for earlier dates you'll need to search for church records of baptism (not all church records survive and of those that do not all are online).

For reference-
marriage 1879- LINK
birth Thomas James 1879- LINK
birth William John 1881- LINK
can't see a son John or any other children born Belfast

[aghadowey]

1880 Belfast directory has Samuel Fawcett at 30 Railway Street but in 1877 directory 'Mrs. Sturgeon' is listed-
http://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/rcomplete1877.htm

Possibility to keep in mind-
Margaret Sturgeon, widow of James, died 1889 age 77- LINK
Maybe not- husband James' death- LINK

[sunic]

Thank you for all this, I'm very grateful for your help.  Ancestry had given me the births of the 2 boys but not John, (although the English censuses I have for him all say he was born in Belfast).  I looked at the links you posted to the deaths of James and Margaret Sturgeon, and I noticed that both had their births registered by their daughter Margaret McKie.  Assuming my Maggie is really Margaret, she was married to Samuel Fawcett by then, so maybe this is a different family?  Or am I missing something?  I wondered whether Maggie may have been baptised in the Upper Falls Methodist Church where she married.  Does anyone know if I would I be able to find the records for this church online please?   

[gaffy]

... Does anyone know if I would I be able to find the records for this church online please?

I am not aware of any online source. The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is the official archive for Northern Ireland.  It has 'A Guide To Church Records' which indicates where the records for the  Falls Road [Wesleyan Methodists] are (page 99 of the following link):

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Guide_to_church_records.pdf

[sunic]

Thanks.  It looks like they're at the Library only.  Long way to come on the off chance - one day hopefully!!