Ballymena Armstrongs

[castlebob]

Hello All,
I'm searching for an actual source for the birth/christening details of SAMUEL ARMSTRONG born 1742 in Ballymena, supposed son of William Denus Armstrong & Margaret (nee Hamilton).
I've seen several trees with lots of detail on Ancestry etc, but can't find proof of dates, eg Parish registers & the like.
Can anyone help?
Cheers,
Bob
PS My DNA results show a match to this line.

[aghadowey]

Civil registration of births began in 1864 so there will be no 'birth' record. The most you can hope for is a church record like baptism. Finding such a record depends on what religion the family were, where they lived (a townland or at least the parish), the (probably but not always) nearest church of their religion and then checking to see if the church records still exist. If the family were Protestant you will need to know what denomination- most like choices are Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Reformed Presbyterian, Congregationalist, Baptist, Quaker.

[castlebob]

Thanks for the advice. I think they were Protestant as some of the research I've seen shows them in South Carolina, USA in a region dominated by the Presbyterian Church.
Do you have a rough idea what percentage of Irish records are traceable? I gather that many Scottish border info is unattainable for various reasons. I've been fortunate in my research in Bedfordshire as most records are intact.
Cheers,
Bob

[aghadowey]

Records available vary from area to area and from religion to religion. That's why 'Protestant' isn't really much help.
Civil registration of births, deaths & marriages start 1864 (Protestant marriages in 1845). Some churches have earlier records (but most Presbyterian Churches did not and still don't keep a burial register).
First complete census for Ireland is 1901 and 1911 also available. Some parts of 1851 census survive for Co. Antrim. Other areas have different portions of early census records.

[castlebob]

Thanks. I duppose if it was too easy it'd be no fun.
Bob

[aghadowey]

Is Samuel Armstrong the ancestor who went to U.S.? If so, and if he was Presbyterian check with the Presbyterian Church near where he lived as there might be a record there of membership in a former church. In Ireland Presbyterians have communion twice a year (May and November usually) and each church keeps a communicants lists with the names of members which took communion. If someone wishes to become a communicant in a congregation there are two ways- by profession of faith and by transfer of membership. In the latter case the person brings a letter (a sort of character reference) from their former congregation (usually signed by minister or clerk of session) to present to new congregation and the details are often written in communicants list (register).
I have seen several examples of these letters written in 1700s for people going from Ireland to U.S. or later from other places like Australia so it's worth trying local churches, local historical society or church archives in wherever they went in U.S.

[castlebob]

Yes, Samuel & his family were aboard the Earl of Donegal in Dec 1767. They had land grants (Sam 200 acres, his widowed mother, 100 acres) in South Carolina. Samuel died in 1809 in Abbeville, S. C. I got quite a lot of info via the Earl of Donegal Passenger List website.
Thanks for the advice.
Cheers,
Bob