MUIR family - County Antrim

[aghadowey]

Finding a marriage that early could be a problem since civil registration of marriages in Ireland began 1845 (Protestant) & 1864 (Catholic). You don't mention what relgion the family might have been in Ireland but many church records do not survive for that period.

[stevenson]

Not sure if this is going to be of any help

I have an Alexander Moore married to Elizabeth Jane Porter Berry street  on the 20/03/1846

no other information

it was some information I took down from the linen hall library....just in case..so to speak

Steve

[IanM]

Thanks again aghadowey, 

I appreciate there are great difficulties getting much pre 1920's data from the Irish archives.  The further back you go the harder it gets (true of all countries sadly).

As far as the religion of the family I don't know for certain.  However at a guess I would say Protestant, for a couple of reasons...

First, with the name Muir I assumed the family were amongst the British Protestants that 'went' to populate that region of Ireland as a result of the settlement of Antrim in the later half of the 1500's , the Ulster Plantation of 1610 or they went to the area later.  However, a lot of Scottish Protestants were in that region. 

Secondly, the family has been Protestant for as long as anyone can remember, so it is likely that it was Protestant 200 years ago also.



Steve,

Thanks for the information, unfortunately I can see no obvious link at this time.



Ian

[aghadowey]

I appreciate there are great difficulties getting much pre 1920's data from the Irish archives. The further back you go the harder it gets (true of all countries sadly).

It not difficult to get information from start of civil registration although there are records which no longer exist. However, the information you are looking for is well before 1840s.

[Christopher]

Hiya Ian,

You've not mentioned the townland in which the Muir family lived. Griffiths Valuation of Co. Antrim which was conducted in 1861-2 lists the following in the Parish of Shankill in Belfast ...

William Muir, St. Ann's Ward, Townparks, Thompson's Court
William Muir, St. George's Ward, Townparks, Lemon Street
Spears Muir, St. Ann's Ward, Townparks, Townsend Street
William Muir, St. Ann's Ward, Townparks, Thompson's Court  
William Muir, St. George's Ward, Townparks, Lemon Street
Spears Muir, St. Ann's Ward, Townparks, Townsend Street

There were a large number of McIlroys in the Parish of Shankill.

The Belfast section of the 1852 Directory of Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory lists ...

Speirs Muir, bookbinder, 18, Boundary Street

There are ten listings for McIlroy in the 1852 Directory. There'd be no harm looking at earlier directories.

Christopher

[IanM]

Thank you Christopher.

Unfortunately the only information I have is that in the Census returns for 1841 (and later) Alexander, Ann, John and Alexander (Jnr) are all listed as being born in simply "Ireland".  From the marriage records of John I narrowed Ireland down to Co. Antrim and discovered the maiden name for his mother, Ann, to be McIlroy.

I am afraid that that is the extent of my knowledge on the family before they moved to Scotland sometime between 1830 and 1833.  I know nothing of any possible relations left behind in Ireland, no details of parents or siblings for Alexander or Ann and nothing about exactly where they lived.  This is what I am trying to discover.  I was shocked to discover that my immediate family line came from Ireland (I thought we were routed firmly in the Muir lands of SW Scotland) and would love to know more.

Ian