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Ah, I see.  I think there is something reassuring about seeing the original rather than the transcript, it's also a nice addition to the family history files.  That, combined with typical Scots miserliness, has so far prevented me from parting with the 5 Euros for the transcript online - terrible!

Thanks to you both for your replies.  That's great information.  I will see what I can do with it - presumably once I have the exact date of marriage (rather than just the year) I can place an order for a photocopy of the certificate/entry from GRO?  I've done this previously for a marriage in Belfast in 1872, however I understand that the 1849 marriage might be a single entry on a list of marriages rather than a certificate in its own right - am I still able to obtain a photocopy of this, do you know?

Thanks again,

Stephen

Thanks to you both for your detailed replies.  I have been thinking this over.  I have also come across a John Thompson born or baptised on 10/10/1828 in Carmeen, Co. Down, which seems to be about 2 miles from Newry.  His parents names were Hugh Thompson and Elizabeth Kelly.

A coincidence?  The parents' names are the same, and the place of birth 2 miles from Newry (as also stated on his wife's Poor Law application).  The year of birth is, however, 9 years earlier than I expected, and the denomination is Roman Catholic.

I looked at http://www.proni.gov.uk/guide_to_church_records.pdf for Clonallan, which is where I think Carmeen is having used some sites like Ros Davies' one.  Although the above is RC, if I am looking for other denominations, there are two things I wonder about.  The first is that on that link, it doesn't give any information about Presbyterian records for Clonallan - any ideas why?  The second is that for the Church of Ireland records for Clonallan (which I don't think would be much use anyway as baptisms only start from 1884, it seems earlier records were destroyed), it says "in local custody".  Does that mean you have to contact the local church and ask them for more information, or you have to actually turn up at the church to conduct a search of their records?

And by the way, just on the Jane English point, I know there were doubts raised before about whether English was the right maiden surname - which I originally gleaned from Annie Thomson's (MS Walker) death certificate (the informant being her son John), but English is also the MS Annie gave for her mother in her Poor Law application.

Thanks.

Hello everyone,

I've posted some messages on the forum before, however have finally made travel arrangements to visit PRONI next month for the first time.  I will have two days there, and am wondering what I can do to be as prepared as possible and maximise my limited time there.

I am researching a specific line of my family in Northern Ireland (have had much more success with my Scottish sides, I am based in Edinburgh).  I have included all the information I have on the Northern Irish line below, and would be very grateful if anyone can point out what I should be doing with this information when I arrive.  I have some experience of searching at NAS/Scotsland's People in Edinburgh, but not at PRONI.

I have the following information taken from the following sources:
 - John and Annie's marriage certificate
 - A Poor Law application made by Annie in Glasgow
 - John's death certificate
 - Annie's death certificate

John and Annie were born in or around Newry, Co. Down; married in Belfast; and then moved to Scotland shortly afterwards where they had children.  A Poor Law application made by Annie in Glasgow later states that John deserted her and was suspected to have gone back to Belfast; however presumably some form of resolution was found as both died in the same street in Glasgow.  The main first thing I want to find is the birth record for both John and Annie.  I have the following information only to work from:

JOHN THOMSON
Birth:  c.1837, "Camce, 2 miles from Newry, Co. Down" (no one seems to know where Camce is or was).  I have his parents' names.

ANNIE TEMPLETON WALKER
Birth:  1844-1852 (based on differences given for her age across various documents), Newry, Co. Down.  I have her parents' names.

Are computerised searches possible at PRONI, in the same way as the Scotland's People facility in Edinburgh?  Or do I have to sit and go through the microfilm?

My worry is that if I have to go through microfilm, Annie's potential birth dates in particular span an 8 year period.  I also don't know what parish or even townload John and Annie were born in.  I saw very helpful maps of townlands in the Newry area on Ros Davies' Co. Down website, however this suggests I could end up having a huge number of microfilms to have to go through, and I'm not sure how much 2 days' worth of research at PRONI will unearth.

Sorry for the long message - if anyone can give any points on how best to organise my research at PRONI when there, or what I can do with the above information to prepare in advance, I'd be grateful.

Thanks.

An extra piece of info - according to the 1881 Census, John and Annie's first son, John Thomson, was born in Glasgow in 1875, so it seems they came from Ireland to Scotland sometime between their marriage in 1872 and John's birth in 1875.