Irish in Co Durham

[founder]

Hello, I have heard from hundreds of people over the years stating that they do not know what part of Ireland their ancestors came from.

The census so often just stated "Ireland" and the marriage cert. gave no help.

In Roman Catholic parishes pre1871 ish.....a lot of them asked for addresses of Fathers and witnesses.

From the parish of Felling Co Durham....1870 a grooms father was recorded from Ireland..... parish name and Co Armagh!

Well worth looking into the original parish registers!

Good luck!

[aghadowey]

Great advise to find where in Ireland a family might have come from but to actually search for people in Ireland you really need a more exact location- parish or even better the townland.

[founder]

As I said parish and County is recorded.

[Mr J T Arthur]

Unfortunately Fr John Kelly and his successor Fr Thomas Carroll at St Patricks, Felling were an exception to the rule. Up to 1856 the registers were recorded on plain paper when most priests gave additional information including the addresses of the bride and groom's parents. In 1856 new books were issued which restricted the amount of information that could be entered for each entry. Apparently the first Felling marriage register commenced 21st December1849 and continues right through up to the last entry dated 8th January 1884. I have a copy of all 700 entries where all 32 Irish counties get a mention. If anyone has a problem with the priest's phonetic rendering of place names I am willing to help.

J.T.A.

Hello, I have heard from hundreds of people over the years stating that they do not know what part of Ireland their ancestors came from.

The census so often just stated "Ireland" and the marriage cert. gave no help.

In Roman Catholic parishes pre1871 ish.....a lot of them asked for addresses of Fathers and witnesses.

From the parish of Felling Co Durham....1870 a grooms father was recorded from Ireland..... parish name and Co Armagh!

Well worth looking into the original parish registers!

Good luck!

[Billy Fish]

Unfortunately Fr John Kelly and his successor Fr Thomas Carroll at St Patricks, Felling were an exception to the rule. Up to 1856 the registers were recorded on plain paper when most priests gave additional information including the addresses of the bride and groom's parents. In 1856 new books were issued which restricted the amount of information that could be entered for each entry. Apparently the first Felling marriage register commenced 21st December1849 and continues right through up to the last entry dated 8th January 1884. I have a copy of all 700 entries where all 32 Irish counties get a mention. If anyone has a problem with the priest's phonetic rendering of place names I am willing to help.

J.T.A.

Hello, I have heard from hundreds of people over the years stating that they do not know what part of Ireland their ancestors came from.

The census so often just stated "Ireland" and the marriage cert. gave no help.

In Roman Catholic parishes pre1871 ish.....a lot of them asked for addresses of Fathers and witnesses.

From the parish of Felling Co Durham....1870 a grooms father was recorded from Ireland..... parish name and Co Armagh!

Well worth looking into the original parish registers!

Good luck!

Is there a James Frain married to Hannah Green in 1881 by any chance. All I have is that they were married in Gateshead District but Hannah was born Felling. James was originally Roscommon but no further detail than that.

[Mr J T Arthur]

Yes, it was one of three marriages that took place 15th January 1881 by the then parish priest Fr Thomas Carr who didn't provide as many details as Fr Kelly during an earlier period.

Entry as follows:
James Frain of High Felling son of Mathias and Bridget Frain of Coxhoe
to
Hanna Green of High Felling daughter of John and Jane Green of High Felling.
witnessed by: Daniel and Mary Fitzpatrick both of Sheriff Hill.

You may be interrested in one of the other marriages of the same day as James acted as a witness as follows:

Patrick O'Neill of Felling Shore son of Patrick and Rose O'Neill of Felling Shore
to
Alice Connolly of Felling Shore daughter of Thomas and Margaret Connolly of Felling Shore
witnessed by: James Frain of High Felling and Anne Burns of Low Felling.

I have some notes on a Frain family from Ireland who lived at Tow Law if you think there is a connection.

J.T.A.

[No-one]

In some places there was no Catholic Church until the 2nd half of the 19th century. St Godric's RC Church in Durham City, for example, was built in the 1860s with Irish money.

Prior to that some Catholics used other churches - my Irish Catholic ancestors were married in St Oswald's Anglican Church in Durham in 1847. However I've yet to find the baptism records for their two sons, John Loftus (b c 1850) and Martin Loftus (b 1851), so wonder which church they used for that.

Sadly there are very few clues to help us identify the birthplaces of our Irish Durham ancestors, so Founder's suggestion of seeking out RC parish records where they exist, is a good one.

With best wishes

Moni

[Mr J T Arthur]

Moni,

You do not say where your Loftus ancestors were living at the time. If it was close to Durham City though, the first church baptismal registers to search would be St Cuthbert's R.C. Durham City.

Good luck,
J.T.A.

[Billy Fish]

Yes, it was one of three marriages that took place 15th January 1881 by the then parish priest Fr Thomas Carr who didn't provide as many details as Fr Kelly during an earlier period.

Entry as follows:
James Frain of High Felling son of Mathias and Bridget Frain of Coxhoe
to
Hanna Green of High Felling daughter of John and Jane Green of High Felling.
witnessed by: Daniel and Mary Fitzpatrick both of Sheriff Hill.

You may be interrested in one of the other marriages of the same day as James acted as a witness as follows:

Patrick O'Neill of Felling Shore son of Patrick and Rose O'Neill of Felling Shore
to
Alice Connolly of Felling Shore daughter of Thomas and Margaret Connolly of Felling Shore
witnessed by: James Frain of High Felling and Anne Burns of Low Felling.

I have some notes on a Frain family from Ireland who lived at Tow Law if you think there is a connection.

J.T.A.

Great stuff, thanks J.T.A.

Certainly didn't have James' (my g.grandad) parents before, I'd always assumed he'd come across from Ireland by himself. Only problem now is I can't seem to locate Mathias and Bridget anywhere in the North East before or after this date!
The 1901 Census has James (born Roscommon abt 1835) and Hannah living in Newcastle with a lodger called Robert Green (Uncle to their kids) so this would seem to validate it's the right family.
Their are quite a few Children including John who was born before the marriage.