John Shiels (variants Sheils, Shields)

[krytines]

Hello Everyone!  Am hoping someone might be able to help in finding a birth or baptismal record for my Great Grandfather John Shiels who was born June 21 1855 or possibly 1856.  Unfortunately I do not know where but I do know that his parents were Samuel Shiels and Margaret Martin and they were married in the Maghera Presbyterian Church in November of 1855 and seeing as that was possibly the same year as my Great Grandfather was born I thought perhaps his baptismal record would be there but it was not.  Is there any other Presbyterian Churches in that vacinity I could try.  I do not live in Ireland but am Canadian and therefore cannot search in person.  I have been trying to find out information about John for sometime have found some but cannot find a birth record.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank You!

[aghadowey]

Marriages usually take place in the bride's church and civil registration of births didn't start until 1964 but I'm wondering if John wasn't born a bit later that 1855/6? A marriage record from Ontario gives him born c1862-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2784-5LV

Other children-
Isabella (1865) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F55H-KDX
Thomas (1868) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPY5-RQ8
Martha (1870) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPBW-9PD
William (1872) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FR48-JTG
James (1874) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPT2-BRG
Letitia Jane (1876- Gorran is family's residence not father's birthplace)
   https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGNF-76L

... more to follow

[aghadowey]

Isabella (1865 Drumacrow)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1865/03556/2309275.pdf
Thomas (1868 Gorran)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1868/03445/2264802.pdf
Martha (1870 Gorran)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1870/03351/2228594.pdf
William (1872 Killykergan)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1872/03252/2191774.pdf
James (1874 Gorran)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1874/03141/2151716.pdf
Letitia Jane (1876 Gorran)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1876/03061/2121938.pdf

All the townlands (Gorran, Drumacrow, Killkergan are in the same area of Aghadowey Parish).

Now for churches- as marriages take place in the bride's church Samuel may have been Church of Ireland rather than Presbyterian. I've checked for baptisms in the following Presbyterian churches without any trace of the children- Aghadowey, Crossgar, Killaig, Macosquin (Englishtown), Moneydig (a bit far away). If Church of Ireland then St. Guaire's would have been the local church but pre-1870 baptisms don't survive.

Off to check a few more local resources (not available online)...

[aghadowey]

There is an online tree with probably at least 1 mistake- http://www.thetreeofus.net/7/192972.htm

Have St. Guaire's baptisms 1882- and nothing there.

[aghadowey]

Baptism (transcription) Robert Charles Shields 1859 (born 1855)- Churchtown Presbyterian Church-
http://genealogy.torrens.org/BannValley/church/TamlaghtP/Baptisms.html

This isn't near Aghadowey but perhaps they lived here earlier, Sheilds isn't often found in Aghadowey- more common Garvagh south to Maghera and east towards Kilrea.

[krytines]

Thank you so much for all your hard work aghadowey in looking up all these records for me I appreciate it so much.  It has been quite a mystery to me as I do not understand why John isn't listed with the other Samuel and Margaret Shiels family and also the fact there is a nine year difference between the year John was supposedly born and the first child Isabella.  I guess I need to do more researching unless there are more than one Samuel Shiels married to one Margaret Martin

[aghadowey]

Parents married 1855, son Robert Charles born 1855, John born c1862 (according to marriage record), then Isabella born 1865. There could be other children born pre-1864 but can't find Samuel Shiels listed in the Valuation Revision Books i n Gorran, etc. (www.proni.gov.uk)

[krytines]

Wow!  Many thanks Aghadowey!  How did you manage to find Johns Birthdate.  So obviously all the records I do have suggest 1855 or 1856 except one.  John Immigrated to Canada in 1907 bringing with him his wife Matilda Watton  Sadly Matilda died about 9 years after their arrival from pneumonia.  John then married another woman and on their marriage registration it lists Samuel Shields and Margaret Martin as his parents and his estimated birth year 1862!  I dismissed that date as being wrong as the other records I was able to find all said 1855 or1856.  It looks like I should have looked into that 1862 on the Marriage registration more closely but thanks to you the mystery is solved.  Again can't thank you enough!

[aghadowey]

I didn't find John's birthdate just that his (2nd) marriage gives him as born c1862. You need to check all possible Canadian records if you haven't done so already. What's listed as month and year of his birth in 1911 census?