Rice, James family birth/immigration records

[rojolottner]

I am looking for confirmation of birth in Ballygowan, Down, Ireland for William Rice, son of James Rice and Sarah Stevenson (this information not yet confirmed) born May 4, 1819 according to his headstone.  He immigrated to either Canada or United States before September 1839 at which time he married Catherine Culp in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.  I show his father James birth somewhere in Ireland in 1790 and death in Michigan, USA in 1864.  His mother Sarah born in Ireland in 1786 and death 1860 but not listed where she died.  I am looking to confirm the information I have but have had no luck searching the Irish databases myself.  I am hoping someone here either already has the information on where to get the proofs I need or kind enough to find at least one record for me.  Thank you.

[Elwyn Soutter]

You'd need to rely on church records to find his baptism c 1819, assuming they survive. What denomination was he?

[rojolottner]

I do not know his denomination before marriage.  Catherine was the daughter of a Methodist circuit preacher and they lived in or near a community of Mennonites while in Canada.  That is the extent of my knowledge of his religious background. 

[Elwyn Soutter]

Ballygowan is in the parish of Killinchy. The following church records exist for that parish, for the era you are interested in:

Church of Ireland. Killinchy (Down diocese) Baptisms, 1819-77; marriages, 1825-45; burials, 1824- 76; vestry minutes, 1716-57, 1779 and 1800-1944; accounts, 1778-90, 1794 and 1809-33; preachers’ books,1824-73 and 1878-1947; printed list of rectors, 1637-1885.

Non Subscribing Presbyterian. Killinchy [Includes records relating to Killinchy Presbyterian Church prior to the setting up of the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church in 1835]

Baptisms, 1812-54; marriages, 1813-45 (with gaps); indexes to baptisms and marriages, 1812-54; marriage notice book, 1845-54; pew rent book, c.1785; accounts, 1781-1835 ; lists of names of heads of families and their children, 1841; printed list of stipend payers, 1881-2; typescript history of the church, 1835-1935; stipend and other accounts, 1875-6.

Copies of the above records are held in the Public Record office (PRONI) in Belfast. They are not on-line anywhere as far as I am aware. If you are unable to visit PRONI you would probably need to get a researcher to look them up for you.

[rojolottner]

Thank you!  That is a lot of information and greatly appreciate you putting all of that in here for me.  It looks like I'll have to pay a researcher to investigate for me as that would probably cost less money than a trip to Belfast from my home in Michigan, United States  .