Impossible task :/

[tailz03]

I am trying to go back further in my family history but i seem to have hit a brick wall.

John Walter Rafferty was born around 1790 somewhere in Ireland. He married Mary born around 1796 and they had Thomas born 1822 all in Ireland. They then moved to Birmingham and had 5 more children. Can anyone find me any information about these three people? ive tried everything i can think of and im stumped! Thanks

[shanew147]

You need to know where in Ireland your Rafferty family lived to start a search - ideally the town, townland or parish. You also need to know what denomination they were so you can check for the correct records.

Note very few parishes have records before the 1800s.

see: Introduction to Irish Records
       My Ancestor came from Ireland - where do I start?




Shane

[tailz03]

On every bit of research ive found for the above people it all just says Ireland, no town, nada. From a year after Thomas was born right until the present day they lived in Birmingham so im ok with that side of things, just annoying i cant find out where in ireland they came from... :S

[shanew147]

Besides the location, you would probably need a bit more information to verify any possible records that might show up - e.g. do you know Mary's maiden name ?

It might be worth following up on the other children born in England - especially if any were born after the start of civil records there in mid 1837. At least with a maiden name for Mary you have a more 'unique' family - rather than just one of many Rafferty families.

Baptism records in England are also worth checking out if you haven't already done that - they can occasionally give you clues as to the family's origin.


Shane

[tailz03]

All children except James were born before 1837 and i havent been able to locate James's birth certificate. All i know is that he was born in Birmingham and according at all cenus's he was born in 1840 and was a bedstead ornamentor. (Married Lydia Truman)

[tailz03]

Oh i appear to have a 1881 census of Thomas which says that hes born in harthouse? where is that? i cant seem to find it :S thanks

[shanew147]

Harthouse doesn't sound familiar - in Ireland or England, it could be mis-transcribed.

Where did you find this record for Thomas in 1881 - i.e. can you give the address/location or census references ... maybe someone could check if it's an accurate transcription for you


Shane

[shanew147]

a quick search show two possible matches on the 1881 return - one in a Workhouse in Durham with an occupation of 'Colliery Labourer' and a place of birth of 'Ireland' and another in St Pancras, London with an occupation of labourer and birthplace of 'Scotland, Glasgow'..

of course with a surname like Rafferty, there could be other I've missed due to the possible variations in spelling....



Shane

     English census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

[tailz03]

 Oh i know where Thomas is In 1888 he is aged 40 and married to Mary in longton staffordshire. That is also where the name 'harthouse' comes from.

I think what you were asking for was RG11/ 2735/ 92 p 13;  ? Thanks