Emerald Ancestors Comber, Co Down Presbyterian records pre 1880

[TonyR]

Hi all, does anyone know if Emerald Ancestors (EA) have the Presbyterian church records for Comber, County Down?  EA just list St Marys COI for Comber, so I asked them if they had any Presbyterian ones but never had a response, which doesn’t fill me with confidence.

Anyway, I thought I’d ask the knowledgeable people on here to get a definitive answer.  Apologies if this question has been answered before – a quick search didn’t bring up any results.  Regards, TonyR.

[sam.b]

Have you any name/names/dates you are researching ?

You could also try: http://comberhistory.com/
Quite a few knowledgeable people contribute to it, and most local Comber people.

[TonyR]

Hi sam.b, for many years I have had a brick-wall with my G-Grandmother Mary Smyth and resigned myself to not knowing any more about her, unless I could find her baptism.  Info on her from her marriage & census; she was born between 1853 & 1858 in Comber, with a father William.  However three recent Ancestry DNA ‘matches’ to two different Smyth girls has reignited my research.

Margaret Smyth & the married Sarah Jane were lodgers in same house, so not recorded as sisters but I believe they are. Info on them from their marriages & census; Margaret born between 1863 & 1866 in Comber, Sarah Jane born around 1861 and father William.  A fourth Ancestry DNA ‘match’ with an Elizabeth Smyth born 1865, led me to her birth cert & in turn her parents 1850 marriage (source irishgenealogy.ie) both events in Comber.  Her parents were William Smyth & Sarah Jane Wright, with their marriage details – William age 36, father John a Labourer & Sarah Jane age 25, father John a Gardener.

So now I need to check the Comber Presbyterian records to find out if any of these Smyth girls are indeed sisters and that’s why I asked the question about Emerald Ancestors. In reality, I probably need to camp out at PRONI until they re-open, that way I can also find any Smyth siblings and maybe more about William Smyth's lineage, while also keeping an eye out for Sarah Jane Wright’s family.

Thanks for your interest & suggestion.  I regularly visit the site you mention, but they are a ‘History’ site not really into genealogy, but still a very good read if you have an interest in the town. (That said, I am trying to compose a question for them re why so many births were recorded as in High Street, Comber e.g. did the mothers go to Dr. Robert Henry of High Street or was there a 'midwife' located there.)

Regards, TonyR

[Flloyd_JW]

Tony - I know you are looking for Presbyterian records but RootsIreland.ie have Comber CoI and there is a Mary Smyth baptised in 1853 father William mother Sarah and there is a Mgt in 1862 same parents.  Might be worth checking it out - possibly same records as EA.

[Elwyn Soutter]

I am fairly sure you’ll need to go to PRONI for the Presbyterian records. I don’t think they are on-line anywhere. Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church so that may help decide which you need to start with. Comber 1st has baptisms from 1847, Comber 2nd 1852 (with a gap 1853 -1861), Comber NSP 1838 and Moneyrea NSP doesn’t appear to have any baptism records.

[TonyR]

Hi Flloyd_JW, thanks for the tip about RootsIreland.ie, it looks really promising. I cannot remember seeing that site before, else I might have solved this years ago! I did a quick search & could see Mary 1853, but not the Mgt 1862 you mention. I just need to devout some time to look around the website, before signing up to see all the information, will let you know how I get on.

Hi Elwyn Soutter, thanks for the info. I believe the Presbyterian Historical Society in Belfast have copies of the records in PRONI, but as you thought, they aren't on-line.

Thanks to you both again, your advice & interest is appreciated. Regards, TonyR.

[BallyaltikilliganG]

You have undoubtedly done a lot of work so its difficult to know what you don’t know already, and therefor I am likely to repeating things well known to you.
I’m at the risk of doing this because in 2004-5 as I was doing my family history  from Alton in England where I was looking after 3 children related to my wife with no chance of visiting Co Down, I started a Comber compendium in the form of a  a dictionary type index with each townland, village and and last names , even with Comber itself broken into streets , and added townland maps all of which I thought could be added to by anyone else as a side interest  which I rounded off by 2008 as I was answering queries on Gavin Wesson free ComberOnline.Org, which sadly  disappeared as Gavin moved on in life. Gavin introduced me to Desmond Rainey during 2008 who helped me no end. its now
downloadabe from Comber Historical Society about 30 megabits as a directory of Comber parish. its by no means complete. I still have much to learn now aged 85 !

from the free http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/down/tithe-applotment-books/comber-parish.php#.VPAjYEt5kYU.
the originals are deposited with PRONI which just contain one line entries with possible taxation listed on home and land 
Smith, Robert-Townland: Crossnacrievy Year: 1835-Comber-Down
Smyth, James-Townland: Magherascouse Year: 1835-Comber-Down
Smyth, John-Townland: Cattocks Year: 1835-Comber-Down
Smyth, Robert-Townland: Ballykeel Year: 1835-Comber-Down
Smyth, Robert-Townland: Monearea Year: 1835-Comber-Down
Smyth, Simon-Townland: Ringcreevy Year: 1835-Comber-Down
Smyth, William-Townland: Monearea Year: 1835-Comber-Down
griffiths valuation includes just 
Smyth   William   Clontonakelly   Comber   Down which is very disappointing

lateral thoughts sometimes Presbyterians were buried in Church of Ireland graveyards
 graveyards exist at Gransha Secessors and Moneyreagh Non Subscribing Ros Davies offers free look up for both and St Marys C of I

Checking the Presbyterian records held in PRONI and listed in their downloadable Guide to Church Records , which might save others repeating
N.S.P.  Comber Baptisms, 1838-1904; marriages, 1838­ 45, 1848 and 1850-1971; notes on deaths, 1920-66; committee minutes, 1863-1911 and 1915-64; brief sketch of the history of the congregation, written c.1880; annual reports, 1866-1913.
N.S.P. Moneyrea
Marriage notice book, 1845-58; marriage notices, 1989-91.
Trust deeds relating to the church, 1719­ 1875.
P. 1st Comber
Baptisms, 1847-70; marriages, 1845-71. Marriage notices, 1883-1918.
P. 2nd Comber
Baptisms, 1852, 1862-71 and 1873­ 1921; marriages, 1845-1908.
Marriage notices, 1882-1900.
R.C. [Comber parish forms part of the Roman Catholic parish of Newtownards – see under NEWTOWNARDS]
I haven’t listed their microrecords  references or their new digital transcriptions under preparation .

comparing the above with listing with Ros Davies  Church records, I spotted the North of Ireland FHS (www.nifhs.org) has Gransha baptisms 1821-1921 & marriages 1822-1921 & deaths 1820-1846 & burials 1854-2000 ;graveyard attached,

you will have searched favourite Co Down website, but I checked under Smith just in case http://www.rosdavies.com/SURNAMES/S/SmythLW.htm  and there are14 matches for Smith did you find anything spelt that way

 there are 125 records for Smyth civil births recorded under ‘district’ Newtownards which includes comber see https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/civil-perform-search.jsp?etc etc     Presumably similar for Smith
 
I did an index for Comber area in census 1901 and 1911 but didnt get permission to reproduce so didn’t offer to comber society otherwise my interest waned
I never checked for Andrws family records preserved privately or commercial thegirls mentioned might have had jobs within that employer range

good luck onwards and hope you are not caught in the queue outside the PRONI or https://www.ancestryireland.com which reminds me has free indexs examples to. 
just for Smyth
Irish Birth/Baptism Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down, c. 1660-1930   5599 results
Pay-Per-ViewIrish Marriage Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down, c.1660-1930   5783 results
Pay-Per-ViewIrish Death/Burial Records – Co. Antrim & Co. Down, c. 1660-1998   1344 results
Pay-Per-ViewNorthern Irish Gravestone Inscriptions   292 results [no Comber found]
Pay-Per-ViewBiographies of Members of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800   11 results
Free
Database Name   No. Records
FreeGraveyards in Ulster   0
FreeMembers’ Research Interests   52 results [ no mention of Comber]
I encourage you onwards

[TonyR]

Hi BallyaltikilliganG, that's an awful lot of info you've provided, it must have taken you ages to do. I have seen some of the sites you mention e.g. the very helpful Ros Davies, Griffiths valuation, etc so thank you for your time and interest.

Talking of time, it's a bit hectic for me at the moment and I will have to set some time aside & be in the right mindset to search the RootsIreland.ie website that Flloyd_JW pointed out to me. I need to get my 'moneys worth' when doing this, so have to compose my research notes beforehand, so as not to miss any avenue. As well as the Smyth girls mentioned earlier, I shall have to look for any of their siblings, plus try to uncover Sarah Wright and her family. I also have my Johnston family to watch out for, especially James born around 1858 and who knows where that will lead.

When I've done all that, I will post back with all the successful matches I've made, before having to lie down in a darkened room to recover. Thanks again for your time, it's much appreciated. Regards, TonyR