28
Ireland / Re: Samuel Cowan
« on: Saturday 21 March 20 23:27 GMT (UK) »
oops
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29
Ireland / Re: Samuel Cowan
« on: Saturday 21 March 20 19:47 GMT (UK) »
I'm really grateful to have access to the site (especially the images!) but if I were to make a suggestion (apart from suggesting they go easy on the robot thing), it would be the option to enter the parents' names!! 
30
Ireland / Re: Samuel Cowan
« on: Saturday 21 March 20 19:24 GMT (UK) »
Forgot to say any with Returns Page No don't have Images at moment but will have eventually.
Also....Right click on 4 or 5 names, Open in New Tab to check them
Much easier/faster!
And you don't have to prove you're not a robot half as often!!
31
Ireland / Re: Samuel Cowan
« on: Saturday 21 March 20 19:23 GMT (UK) »The witnesses to the Boyd/Ferguson marriage are James Ferguson and William RutherfordSeems like that James marriage is a good candidate for a brother of Samuel - If Alexander was about 40 in 1845, he may well have been first married by 1825... I'm guessing he also had a son John (no doubt other children as well) Of course, I realize that there is a lot of speculation involved here, but I like having information to disprove if not prove better than nothing at all!!!
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1858/09548/5461701.pdf
Thought it might be a James but wasn't sure ;-)
James Ferguson ?
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1849/09367/5392455.pdf
I wonder if there is a list of ministers in the area (a John Ferguson, perhaps). I was told the Fergusons of my family started out Ch. of I. but because of some issue around a burial that angered (Alexander?) they switched over to Presbyterian... really not sure just when that happened or which family members it affected (again, this is based on my great-aunts incomplete accounts)!
32
Ireland / Re: Samuel Cowan
« on: Saturday 21 March 20 15:15 GMT (UK) »
(modified) Oh! I just realized I had been passing over records that had N/R because I was assuming that they were incomplete transcripts that wouldn't be as helpful given that I don't have a lot of information to begin with - my mistake, clearly because the records are often viewable and the info is there.... I will be a little more vigilant... I've already found a few more records now...
33
Ireland / Re: Samuel Cowan
« on: Saturday 21 March 20 15:07 GMT (UK) »
Yes, I have been using the browsing by area function - focusing on Lisburn and Downpatrick for these families but I think I get lost in what I have done or not - or maybe I just missed them... some of these names are fairly new discoveries for me!
34
Ireland / Re: Samuel Cowan
« on: Saturday 21 March 20 14:32 GMT (UK) »
I'm impressed and grateful. I'm not sure why I couldn't find those records on my own! Thank you!
PS (modified)Bonus: Susanna Ferguson's cousin, Alexander long appears on the same page. ;-)
PS (modified)Bonus: Susanna Ferguson's cousin, Alexander long appears on the same page. ;-)
35
Ireland / Re: Samuel Cowan
« on: Saturday 21 March 20 13:57 GMT (UK) »
Thanks again, dathai, for taking the time to look these up. Your searches are very effective! It would seem that I still haven't quite got the hang of this site, although I did find that two of the Long daughters married Cairnsduff brothers! Also that Selina's husband Robert remarried in 1881 - The year that Selina died after 2 yrs of ill health.
Given that Alexander Ferguson isn't particularly an uncommon name, my only concern is the marriage record to Christina states that Alex was a bachelor; it isn't inconceivable that there were two Alexanders in the same vicinity - cousins perhaps. But I guess the fact that they "both" had fathers named Alexander makes that much less likely! Still, odd that the younger Alex wasn't designated a widower for the marriage to Christina, since he already had a child... but then I suppose civil records aren't as intimate as church records. Sorry - just trying to work through the logistics!!!
You mentioned that Mary was the mother of Susanna. This would make sense if Alex married Mary in 1875 and also that the son Alex, born around 1891, was the son of Christina if Alex married her 1888, after Mary's death in 1885. I was unable to locate the birth record for either Susanna (1877) or Alex Jr. Were you more successful or did you extrapolate on the basis of the two marriages?
Cheers
Given that Alexander Ferguson isn't particularly an uncommon name, my only concern is the marriage record to Christina states that Alex was a bachelor; it isn't inconceivable that there were two Alexanders in the same vicinity - cousins perhaps. But I guess the fact that they "both" had fathers named Alexander makes that much less likely! Still, odd that the younger Alex wasn't designated a widower for the marriage to Christina, since he already had a child... but then I suppose civil records aren't as intimate as church records. Sorry - just trying to work through the logistics!!!
You mentioned that Mary was the mother of Susanna. This would make sense if Alex married Mary in 1875 and also that the son Alex, born around 1891, was the son of Christina if Alex married her 1888, after Mary's death in 1885. I was unable to locate the birth record for either Susanna (1877) or Alex Jr. Were you more successful or did you extrapolate on the basis of the two marriages?
Cheers
36
Ireland / Re: Samuel Cowan
« on: Friday 20 March 20 21:30 GMT (UK) »
It was just a normal subletting arrangement. If I lease some land which has say a house and several cottages on it, I may live in the main house and sublet the cottages.
That makes sense. I just don't want to assume anything because I am really not very familiar with life in Northern Ireland in the 19th century!
I don’t know exactly where your Black family lived or their occupations, but if they were farmers then most farms had some labourers cottages.
My great-aunt tried to provide me with as much family history as she could remember (this was back in the 80s - and she was born in 1898) Her father was the son of Samuel Ferguson who left NI with his young family before 1881 - they settled in Workington (CUL) The Black reference is vague but I've learned to never discard family stories... I wrote down that somebody's wife was Agnes Black, daughter of Sir Black. And I think Samuel had a brother or uncle who was a minister. So as you can see I am just trying to piece together a few very indistinct pieces of a puzzle!
The farmer (who would normally be leasing himself) would sublet those cottages, to anyone who needed them. Sometimes widows but often to labourers. The labourers sometimes paid their rent in cash, sometimes by an agreed number of days work a year on the farm and sometimes by a mix of the two. Labourers weren’t needed much on farms in the winter so generally weren’t offered permanent work. Today we’d call them GIG economy workers. In the winter months the labourers would often do weaving work if not needed by anyone else, which gave them extra income.
[/quote] Yes, and James Boyd was a weaver so it would also make sense he would just rent a house. In Ballymurphy he rented from a William Black who rented from the Marquess of Downshire. I'm wondering if the John Boyd, who also rented land from the Marquess was close family to James Boyd. One day I'll make it over to Ireland! Maybe then I will be able to figure things out more easily! In the mean time, these bits and pieces of information help me understand the social landscape a little better. THanks for you input!
That makes sense. I just don't want to assume anything because I am really not very familiar with life in Northern Ireland in the 19th century!
I don’t know exactly where your Black family lived or their occupations, but if they were farmers then most farms had some labourers cottages.
My great-aunt tried to provide me with as much family history as she could remember (this was back in the 80s - and she was born in 1898) Her father was the son of Samuel Ferguson who left NI with his young family before 1881 - they settled in Workington (CUL) The Black reference is vague but I've learned to never discard family stories... I wrote down that somebody's wife was Agnes Black, daughter of Sir Black. And I think Samuel had a brother or uncle who was a minister. So as you can see I am just trying to piece together a few very indistinct pieces of a puzzle!
The farmer (who would normally be leasing himself) would sublet those cottages, to anyone who needed them. Sometimes widows but often to labourers. The labourers sometimes paid their rent in cash, sometimes by an agreed number of days work a year on the farm and sometimes by a mix of the two. Labourers weren’t needed much on farms in the winter so generally weren’t offered permanent work. Today we’d call them GIG economy workers. In the winter months the labourers would often do weaving work if not needed by anyone else, which gave them extra income.
[/quote] Yes, and James Boyd was a weaver so it would also make sense he would just rent a house. In Ballymurphy he rented from a William Black who rented from the Marquess of Downshire. I'm wondering if the John Boyd, who also rented land from the Marquess was close family to James Boyd. One day I'll make it over to Ireland! Maybe then I will be able to figure things out more easily! In the mean time, these bits and pieces of information help me understand the social landscape a little better. THanks for you input!