Henry family from Cookstown

[Paddyfrances]

I'm looking for the family of William Henry born abt 1856/7 in Cookstown.
He left Tyrone (date unknown) and married Sarah J Ewen in 1890 in Chester le Street in the north east of England.

The marriage certificate show his father as Alexander Henry - Farmer.
I tried searching the Griffith's Valuation Index and found an Alexander Henry in the Townland of Beltonanaen, parish Kildress.

There is a family story that they were a prominant family in Cookstown and that there is a Henry Street named after them.

I'm new to Irish genealogy and would really appreciate some help with this.
Thank you,
Patricia

[aghadowey]

Welcome to Rootschat.

There's a Will for an Alexander Henry but doesn't indicate an great wealth-
"Administration of the estate of Alexander Henry late of Beltonanean County Tyrone Farmer who died 27 December 1896 granted at Armagh to Thomas Henry Farmer." Effects £19 10s. Granted 10/2/1905.
www.proni.gov.uk

The Will wasn't probated for over 8 years but I can't see a death registered for an Alexander Henry in 1896/7.

By the time of the 1911 census there are a few Henrys in Beltonanean: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Tyrone/Ballynasollus/Beltonanean/860130/

[kingskerswell]

Patricia,
            The Record search section of www.familysearch.org only gives one marriage for Alexander Henry around that time. It was in Co.Londonderry but fairly close to the Co.Tyrone border and registered in Magherafelt.
              It was the marriage of Alexander Henry to Mary Henry on 2 Mar 1858 in Swatragh Presbyterian Church.

Regards

[aghadowey]

Patricia,
            The Record search section of www.familysearch.org only gives one marriage for Alexander Henry around that time. It was in Co.Londonderry but fairly close to the Co.Tyrone border and registered in Magherafelt.
              It was the marriage of Alexander Henry to Mary Henry on 2 Mar 1858 in Swatragh Presbyterian Church.

Regards

Both Alexander Henry and Mary Henry gave Curlecky as their residence in 1858. See here for Swatragh Presbyterian Church records:
www.magheragenealogy.com/presbyterian_church_records

[Paddyfrances]

Thank you all for the replies to my posting, they are really appreciated.

Could I ask one further thing, please.

William Henry was a staunch orangeman, does anyone know if there were Orange Lodges in the Cookstown area and would they keep records of past members?

Thanks in anticipation,
Patricia

[eddiekelso]

Hello Patricia,

There are a number of Orange Lodges in the Cookstown area, but if you don't have a record of the Lodge that William was in, your best bet is to email the Grand Lodge of Ireland, giving as much detail as possible, including dates - website link:

http://www.grandorangelodge.co.uk/history/index.html

- go to contact page for email address.

Requests for family history information about orangemen are often published in Grand Lodge's newspaper "The Orange Standard".

However, I should say that it is unlikely that Lodges would have records pre-1890, but you never know ....

Best wishes,

Eddie Kelso

[IrishNovocastrian]

Hello Patricia

I believe I am probably related to the Henry family you describe. I have an Alexander Henry (1788-1865) on my family tree - I share autosomal DNA  with two of his decendants.

The 1851 England census shows "my Alexander"  as residing in the civil parish of Birtley, in the ecclesiatical parish of Chester-le-Street, County Durham. The record shows that his wife's name was Maria. His children James Henry (age 19) and Margaret Henry M Clennel (sic) lived at the same address. Margaret's married name was actually McClelland. James later married Bridget Cairns.

They all moved a few miles north to the south banks of the river Tyne some time after 1851. They are shown in the 1861 census as living in a village that was known as Felling Shore to the east of Gateshead town centre. Felling Shore was part of the civil parish of Heworth.

My tree shows that Alexander died in July 1865 in Gateshead, which was the Births, Marriages & Deaths  Registraation district for Felling Shore village and Heworth civill parish. Gateshead was part of the old County Durham and is now a sizeable town in the relatively new county of Tyne and Wear.

In 1851, Irishmen Willliam Henry (age 34) and Robert Henry (age 24), who were probably brothers, lived in Felling Shore. Was your William born in circa 1817? This William might be much older than your ancestor.

The majority of my Henry ancestors came from from the civil parish of Kildress, to the west of Cookstown in County Tyrone, Ireland. Some came from other parishes in and around Cookstown (e.g. Derryloran) and one came from the nearby small town of Stewartstown. They were all Protestants and it would not surprise me if many were Orangemen.

It will be nice to hear from you if you think I've identified the correct Alexander.

Michael

[IrishNovocastrian]

Patricia

I've just realised the errors in my last post. My ancestor is not the Alexander you're looking for, but perhaps your Henry ancestors were related to him. The name Alexander, the Chester-le-Street, Kildress and Cookstown connections all look too good to be coincidental.

Michael

[IrishNovocastrian]

Particia

There is a Henry's Lane in Cookstown. You can take a virtual drive along the lane on Google Maps.

Michael