RootsChat.Com
Ireland (Historical Counties) => Antrim => Ireland => Antrim Completed Look up Requests => Topic started by: charlotteuk on Wednesday 21 March 07 11:19 GMT (UK)
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I was given this information from church records by a kind person who had visited St Mary's, Ahoghill for her own research:
"25 Oct 1879
Charles Graffin, Castletown to Jane Darragh. Witnesses Patrick Scullion & Catherine Kennedy"
I then found what appears to be the same marriage on the UHF database except it is incorrectly dated as 25/10/1979 (their records don't go that far)
I have been unable to get a marriage certificate from the GRO and have just had results of an independent check that confirms the record is not in the index.
I would like to know why the record is not in the index. Is it because some of the records were destroyed in 1924 or is the date incorrect? As it was a Catholic marriage would they have had to have another "legal" ceremony on another date which would be recorded in the index. (I'm sure I've heard of that happening somewhere in the past!)
Thanks
Charlotte
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The most likely explanation for a 'missing' marriage, if the date and place are correct, is that one or more of the names are wrong in the index. Also, keep in mind that corrections are often entered in the index later.
If Charles and Jane were both Catholic they probably got married in a Catholic Church- usually the bride's. They would not have had to go elsewhere for a 'legal' ceremony.
I was given this information from church records by a kind person who had visited St Mary's, Ahoghill for her own research:
"25 Oct 1879
Charles Graffin, Castletown to Jane Darragh. Witnesses Patrick Scullion & Catherine Kennedy"
It is possible that the UHF entry is from the church records not the actual register.
If the above information is all that was in the church records it might be that the priest recorded the marriage but it actually took place somewhere else. The actual marriage register would give more information like occupations, fathers' names & occupations, residence at time of marriage, etc.
Sometimes the district Registrar can be very helpful about locating missing marriages. Probably Ballymena would be the one for Ahoghill. Lately some N.I. offices have made a printed index for brides and for groom which can be helpful.
Have you tried contacting the church to see if someone there knows anything about the marriage?
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Thank you aghadowey for your interesting explanation.
I have wondered about the marriage taking place in Ahoghill as both my grandfather and his older brother were born in Casheltown, Portglenone. Also, I did write to the church last year but had no reply.
Do you know if there is a website for the Ballymena registrar or where I can find contact details?
Thanks
Charlotte
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Ballymena does cover both Portglenone & Ahoghill.
Ballymena Borough Council, 'Ardeevin', Galgorm Rd., Ballymena, Co. Antrim BT42 1AB
phone: 028 2566 0352
e-mail: personnel.services[at]ballymena.gov.uk
P.S.- marriages usually, but not always, took place in the bride's church.
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Thanks again aghadowey, I shall try contacting the Ballymena office tomorrow.
Charlotte
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Charolette,
Do not know if this marriage registration is any interest to you:
On 20 April 1878, Alexander Darragh married Eliza Graffin in the Ballymena Registrars Office in the parish of Kirkinriola in the district of Ballymena, Antrim.
Some people did not register the marriages during this period. My great-grandfather's sister did not register her marriage and it was in 1898!
Kind regards,
Tees
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Hi Charlotte,
I have tried all the possible variations on your couple's surnames and still could not come up with their marriage registration on the Emerald Ancestors site.
It looks very likely that you would have to enquire at the local registry office to see if they can come up with the marriage.
It is possible that the couple got married in the church and stop at that point.
Kind regards,
Tees
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Marriages that were performed in churches were still sent in to the Registrar quarterly and were then recorded (sometimes incorrectly) in the indexes. It is a different procedure than for births and deaths were it was usually the responsibility of the family to register the event. Over the years there are certainly births and deaths which are 'missing' but whenever I have been unable to locate a marriage either the date of place I had was wrong or the name(s) were wrong in the index. Sometims searching through the book for the quarter, and then district, will locate a 'missing' marriage.
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Hi Tees and aghadowey
I had already come accross the registration for Alexander Darragh which I had "set aside" until I can prove any family link there, but thank you anyway.
I contacted the Ballymena registrar and have had a reply saying "this marriage is not recorded at Saint Mary's, Ahoghill on 25th October 1879."
Which leaves me confused as ever as both the UHF and another (non-professional) researcher both found the record at St Mary's Ahoghill! I suppose this does mean it was incorrectly recorded at the Registrar's.
Thanks both for your help
Charlotte
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Hi aghadowey
After all my attempts to find my gr.grandparents marriage without anyluck, I've just made a surprising discovery!!
After you had said that the date could be wrong I decided to do a search for more Graffin births at UHF and have found the following:
Ahoghill, Birth & Baptism 25/12/1879, Charles Graffin,Roman Catholic, Father: Charles Graffin, Mother: Jane Darragh
I think this probably means it was unlikely that the marriage took place on 25/10/1879! I had seen this birth listing before but had ignored it as it was before the date I had for the marriage.
As a bonus the priest has kindly added a note on Charles's own marriage details at the bottom of the page! I can't believe my luck here - I had thought that my grandfather only had 3 brothers!
Thank you so much- as I would never have questioned the original marriage date if you hadn't suggested it could be wrong.
Charlotte
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Charlotte- it's so nice when 'missing' things turn up.