W. William Austin, b. 1688

[JudyLea]

Family lore is that this maternal ancestor was from Londonderry, but we haven't yet proven that.  He married Ruth Bryant, b. 1692, and they brought their family of several children to America in about 1725.

Will appreciate any info that can help us find his family in Ireland.

[Christopher]

Hello JudyLea,

There are three items you require when searching for Irish ancestors.

1. Denomination.
2. Parish
3. Townland.

You'll have to rely on Church records as civil registration in Ireland was not introduced until 1864. Non Catholic marriages were registered from 1845 onwards. When registration for BDMS started in 1864 some people didn't bother with the registration for a few years after that date. Keep your fingers crossed that church records still exist.

Christopher

[aghadowey]

Depending on where the family settled in America there may be more information there than there will be in Ireland. Most church records here in Ireland will not go back far enough to search for the family.