Author Topic: I am trying to find a Robert Burnett,born in an Asylum  (Read 1060 times)

Offline Bellarosa70

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 22
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
I am trying to find a Robert Burnett,born in an Asylum
« on: Monday 04 November 19 23:27 GMT (UK) »
I am trying to find a Robert Burnett,born in an Asylum circa 1800.  No information on Mother. His son was Andrew Burnett born 1843 in Drung  Donegal married Catherine Harbison from Derry.
Robert obviously wasn't an inmate as he was born there. How do I find records of asylums anywhere in ireland, and would his birth be registered. I have tried every source and cannot find records of his birth anywhere. Hope someone can help me.

Offline Elwyn Soutter

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,525
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ancestor searching
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 00:05 GMT (UK) »
Robert’s birth c 1800 wouldn’t be registered anywhere because birth registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864. You might find his baptism but to do that you would need to know where he was baptised.

I assume this is Andrew in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Redcastle/Drung_continued/1186235/

Drung near Redcastle is in the parish of Moville Upper. I note the family was Presbyterian. Moville Presbyterian church only has records from 1833 onwards so if the family were there in 1800 (as is quite possible) then there are no records to search. There's a copy of the church's records from 1833 onwards in PRONI. They are not on-line anywhere so far as I am aware.

I don’t know where the nearest asylum would have been in 1800. Probably Londonderry. There are records for the Londonderry Lunatic Asylum in PRONI (HOS/17/7/1A).  Minute books of the Governors of the Asylum. They appear to start in 1829.
Elwyn

Offline Maiden Stone

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 7,226
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ancestor searching
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 00:08 GMT (UK) »
Civil registration of birth began in Ireland in 1864.
Have you found his baptism?
Where was the asylum?
Cowban

Offline Bellarosa70

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 22
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Ancestor searching
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 07:38 GMT (UK) »
I have no more on him.His son was born in 1834, so he would have been born before then and before civil registration started.  I have no idea how many mental asylums there are
In Ireland. I know many o f them were closed in the last hundred years. So would I ever get a birth record on him?  There is no record of even his marriage.


Offline aghadowey

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 51,354
    • View Profile
Re: Ancestor searching
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 08:26 GMT (UK) »
I doubt if "Robert Burnett,born in an Asylum circa 1800." is correct as Londonderry Workhouse didn't open until 1839.
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Londonderry/
Looks like the earliest records are the Board of Guardian ones (start 1839) but they rarely give details of inmates.

You can see here how close Drung is to Derry city.
https://www.townlands.ie/donegal/inishowen-east/moville-upper/redcastle/drung/

However, Drung comes under Inishowen Poor Law Union so Inishowen would be the local Workhouse and it was formed in 1840 and opened 1843-
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Inishowen/

The history of Irish workhouses is worth reading-
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Ireland/
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline aghadowey

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 51,354
    • View Profile
Re: Ancestor searching
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 08:34 GMT (UK) »
I have no more on him.His son was born in 1834, so he would have been born before then and before civil registration started.  I have no idea how many mental asylums there are
In Ireland. I know many o f them were closed in the last hundred years. So would I ever get a birth record on him?  There is no record of even his marriage.

There will be no birth certificates before 1864. For earlier dates you might get a church baptism if you are lucky. In order to find church records you need a location and religion then check what records survive and where they might be available (not all records are online).
Civil registration of Catholic marriages started 1864 and non-Catholic ones, including Registry Office, started in 1845. Before those dates you need to look for church records as for baptisms.
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline aghadowey

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 51,354
    • View Profile
Re: Ancestor searching
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 08:43 GMT (UK) »
... His son was Andrew Burnett born 1843 in Drung  Donegal married Catherine Harbison from Derry.
...
Marriage of Andrew Burnett & Catherine Harbison took place 1870 in 1st Newtownlimavady Presbyterian Church-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1870/11368/8174222.pdf
Here's Drumramer townland where the bride was living-
https://www.townlands.ie/keenaght/drumachose/drumramer/

There are 2 townlands in Donegal called Drung- here's the other- also in Inishowen P.L.U.-
https://www.townlands.ie/donegal/inishowen-east/clonca/malin/drung/

For reference here are the family in 1901 & 1911-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Donegal/Redcastle/Drung_continued/1186235/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Donegal/Redcastle/Drung/496363/
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline aghadowey

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 51,354
    • View Profile
Re: Ancestor searching
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 05 November 19 08:47 GMT (UK) »
Just found another post of yours- errors there but perhaps you've found the details by now.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=544781.msg5701075#msg5701075

Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!