40 year mystery - Canada, British Army?

[Lisa in California]

…John’s possible father was buried in Derrygonelly Churchyard
1800-1814 Upper Inishmacsaint, Parish Extracts, Burials - Derrygonelly Churchyard
1812 16 February.   Ovens, Wm.   Age 29.  Townland: Corclune

…Derrygonnelly or Churchhill are probably the ones any Corracloon Methodists would have attended…

You are spot on with the church.


From my notes, possibly my John and his possible siblings:
Upper Inishmacsaint Baptisms
Year and date    Father            Mother                     Child     Residence
1803 Sept 11    Ovens, Wm.    Stinson, Elizabeth    Alexr.     Corcloon
1807 May 3       Ovens, Wm.   Stinson, Elizabeth    Anne     Corcloon
1811 June 23    Ovens, Wm.   Ovens, Elizth.           John      Corclune

I believe the above is included in another RootsChat thread, I’m only mentioning it here for thoroughness, not for checking…

My brother and mum have a DNA match with someone who has the following in their tree:

Alexander Ovens, birth and death unknown   [unknown wife]
    William Robert Ovens, born 1836, County Fermanagh, Ireland
    [m. Eliza Jane Gordon in 1873. Eliza born 1856]
         David Ovens, born 8 Aug 1897, Drumbockney, Fermanagh, Ireland

It is early in my search, but I’ve not yet found any details about this Alexander Ovens (the match does have additional details that I am omitting).  Of course, my brother’s DNA match might be with someone else in the person’s tree rather than with their Ovens ancestors but I thought it was interesting.

Added: I’ve not yet check his Ovens to see if they used the Irish naming pattern.

[UKgirl]

Fermanagh - Inishmacsaint Rectors 1622-1905

https://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/churches/inishmacsaint_rectors-alpha.html

1622-1905 INISHMACSAINT-RECTORS, CURATES, CHURCHWARDENS,
PARISH CLERKS SORTED BY NAME

1841      Ovens, Alex                             Churchwarden
1846       Ovens, Arthur                            Churchwarden
1866       Ovens, Arthur                            Churchwarden
1781       Ovens, Hugh                              Churchwarden
1829       Ovens, Hugh                              Churchwarden
1695       Ovens, John                              Churchwarden
1760       Ovens, John                              Churchwarden
1761       Ovens, John                              Churchwarden
1770       Ovens, Ptk.                               Churchwarden
1782       Ovens, Robt.                             Churchwarden
1845       Ovens, Robt.                             Churchwarden
1862       Ovens, Robt.                             Churchwarden
1863       Ovens, Robt.                             Churchwarden
1769       Ovens, Thos.                             Churchwarden
1804       Ovens, Thos.                             Churchwarden
1805       Ovens, Thos.                             Churchwarden
1781       Ovens, William                           Curate
1724       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1725       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1813       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1814       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1815       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1816       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1716       Owens (Ovens?), John               Churchwarden
1708       Owens, John                              Churchwarden

Helpful or not? No idea!

Presumably, these are CofI?

[Elwyn Soutter]

Fermanagh - Inishmacsaint Rectors 1622-1905

https://www.igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/fermanagh/churches/inishmacsaint_rectors-alpha.html

1622-1905 INISHMACSAINT-RECTORS, CURATES, CHURCHWARDENS,
PARISH CLERKS SORTED BY NAME

1841      Ovens, Alex                             Churchwarden
1846       Ovens, Arthur                            Churchwarden
1866       Ovens, Arthur                            Churchwarden
1781       Ovens, Hugh                              Churchwarden
1829       Ovens, Hugh                              Churchwarden
1695       Ovens, John                              Churchwarden
1760       Ovens, John                              Churchwarden
1761       Ovens, John                              Churchwarden
1770       Ovens, Ptk.                               Churchwarden
1782       Ovens, Robt.                             Churchwarden
1845       Ovens, Robt.                             Churchwarden
1862       Ovens, Robt.                             Churchwarden
1863       Ovens, Robt.                             Churchwarden
1769       Ovens, Thos.                             Churchwarden
1804       Ovens, Thos.                             Churchwarden
1805       Ovens, Thos.                             Churchwarden
1781       Ovens, William                           Curate
1724       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1725       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1813       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1814       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1815       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1816       Ovens, Wm.                               Churchwarden
1716       Owens (Ovens?), John               Churchwarden
1708       Owens, John                              Churchwarden

Helpful or not? No idea!

Presumably, these are CofI?

Yes those are Church of Ireland/ Church of England terms. A churchwarden was responsible for taking care of church property eg the Communion vessels, silver candelabra etc and for keeping order in the church. Normally a post given to someone well respected and trusted.

The information tells you Ovens were well established in the Inishmacsaint area for hundreds of years. Earliest record dates to 1695. But to be a church warden you had to be a respected member of the community. So probably a family that had been there a generation or two.  The Battle of the Boyne was in 1690. This list suggests to me that at least 1 Ovens family was living in Inishmacsaint before that.

 

[UKgirl]

When looking down the list of Church Wardens, each man only seemed to hold the job for a short time. So, presumably Alex Ovens could be a Farmer and a Church Warden.

e.g.
1840 Hall, Ed.
1840 Nixon, Hugh
1840 Read, George

1841 Johnston, Geo.
1841 Ovens, Alex.

1842 Wilson, Wm.

[UKgirl]

Elwyn Soutter:

What you have written is extremely interesting.

I suppose that Farmers came in all shapes and sizes? Some may have many acres, whereas others may just have a small-holding. Respectability and trustworthiness would be what counted the most, I suppose.

I find it a bit surprising that the Church Wardens seem to change every year, sometimes more than once a year. Maybe no-one enjoyed the job - too much responsibility?

[Elwyn Soutter]

Yes Church warden was very much a part-time task. Something you did in addition to your main source of employment. There were usually 2 churchwardens per church. If more than 1 church in the parish then you have 2 extra ones for each church. They are normally elected by the parishioners and provide the Minister with support and guidance as well as looking after the valuables etc.

I don’t know enough about the role to comment on the frequency of the changes, whether that was unusual. Possibly they needed to be re-elected annually. Not sure.

The average size of a farm in Fermanagh then was anything from 5 acres up to 50. More than that was unusual.  A lot of land in Fermanagh is low lying and wet. Not always of very good quality. There was little or no spare land in Ireland in the 1800s, making it difficult for farmers to expand and also for second sons to establish their own farms. That was one of the many factors that led to folk emigrating throughout that century.  People often think it was the 1840s famine that caused emigration but in fact people had been pouring out of the country all through the 1800s. All the famine did was speed it up a bit.

[Lisa in California]

Actually, I have a Vaus ancestor who was a church warden.  I posted a topic about church wardens.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=866589.0

There were very helpful replies!  In my ancestor’s church, the position rotated every two years or so.  Interestingly, I believe the DNA match gentleman had Nixon in his tree.  I’m going to pop over there to see if I am correct.

You both are amazingly helpful and very knowledgeable about where to obtain information, thank you. 

Be back after I check out his tree.

[Lisa in California]

When looking down the list of Church Wardens, each man only seemed to hold the job for a short time. So, presumably Alex Ovens could be a Farmer and a Church Warden.

e.g.
1840 Hall, Ed.
1840 Nixon, Hugh
1840 Read, George

1841 Johnston, Geo.
1841 Ovens, Alex.

1842 Wilson, Wm.

The man does have Nixon in his tree.  A Nixon descendant married an Ovens descendant in the 1920s.  Perhaps the families knew each other for generations?  Or, they were just two common surnames.

In his tree:
Hugh Nixon, born 1807, Ireland. Residence in 1864: Cleenish. (So not terribly close to my supposed ancestors.  Of course, he could have moved around.  Or perhaps the name was a common one and the church warden man was a different Nixon family.)

[To clarify, David Ovens’ daughter (David’s grandfather was possibly Alexander Ovens) married the great-grandson of the 1807 Hugh Nixon.]

[Lisa in California]

I’ve been trying to find the Robt and John Ovins mentioned earlier (they arrived in America in 1840).  I have not yet been able to find them living near each other and cannot yet confirm that John Ovins was or wasn’t my ancestor.

Church warden made me think of something else.  A John Ovens (looking at images, I’ve only seen J. Ovens - I don’t know where John was mentioned on the images) is found on Anc*try:

New Jersey, U.S., United Methodist Church Records, 1800-1970
John Ovens
Event Type - Membership
Residence Date - 20 June 1840
Residence Place   - Asbury, Warren, New Jersey
Religion - Methodist
Organization or Description - Record Book for Asbury Circuit

Anc*try’s results for John Ovens are from late November 1839 to February 1841.  Asbury is not near Newark or Jersey City where my Ovens were living in the 1840s.

I’ve never thoroughly researched the Asbury Ovens as I thought he was too far away from my John Ovens.  I will add this man to my list of things to research.

My family has been waiting for me.  I am very sorry for leaving but it is midday here and they already made plans.    Thank you both again; you’ve been so helpful.