Hello to all, I'm new to Rootschat today and new to any research in Ireland, but this looks like a friendly place so I thought I'd try my luck! I've done plenty of genealogy in England and Wales, but I'm lost on starting in N Ireland - hope some kind souls can help my naive questions.
Having gulped and paid the fee to see some records at the Ulster Historical Foundation, I've discovered my great grandmother, Margaret Petty, born in Belfast 12/05/1865 to Charles and Mary Petty. Charles was a shoe/bootmaker/cordwainer from Yorkshire, and the couple had their first two children, Margaret and Jane, in Belfast, then moved back to Yorkshire. Still have no idea how they met as I have found no marriage in the UK and no marriage to a Charles Petty in the UHF! The UHF birth records give me two separate reference to Margaret's birth (unsure why), and differ as to address: one states 27 Derry St, and one 27 Berry St. I've asked the UHF if one is a transcription error, but I'm wondering if anyone can shed any light? Both entries list this as townland/parish "Urban 3" - I see Berry St seems to exist still quite centrally (now siding a shopping centre in Belfast?) but I see also mentions of a Derry St. online, so I can't exclude either. Can anyone suggest which is more likely for Urban 3?
Charles remained a shoemaker in Belfast while he was there, so, bearing in mind he might have had a shop, would Berry Street be the most likely address in 1865? Is there any chance any other records would survive for their possible marriage in Ireland just prior to this, or of the existence of trade records? I've found an IGI record, but this adds no information. English census records indicate they only stayed in Ireland after marriage until about 1869.
Secondly, one of the certificates indicates that Margaret's mother Mary's maiden name is listed as "ORORKE". She was born about 1846. I'm lost on how to trace her back further... I'm clear that "O" is akin to "Mac" for the Scottish, a clan/family association for grandfather's name etc., but would for instance such a name be easily listed elsewhere as O'Rorke, Rorke, O Rorke, and would variants like Rourke, Roark etc. be still common in the 1840s-60s - would for instance her father and mother quite possibly call themselves by one of these variations? Doing a little reading it's clear that the O'Rourke's traditional ancestral home is from Cavan etc., and Mary's parents may not of course have been born in Belfast. Being embarrassingly ignorant of Irish names myself, could anyone hazard a guess for me at the mobility of such names in the early 19th century?
Sorry to sound so clueless - very new to Irish genealogy. Please be kind to my rather dim questions!
