Searching for my 2nd maternal line great-grandfather, Charles Elder, Co. Antrim

[splitrail]

I am searching for my 2nd-great grandparents roots. Charles Elder, (parents unknown) born 1823, Ballymena or Ballymoney, Antrim Ireland. Emigrated to Ontario, Canada (unknown when) but likely sometime before 1846. Died 1889 in Cargill, Bruce Co., Ontario. All children born in Ontario. Married 1846 to Katherine/Catherine Ann Smythe, who may have been born in Quebec, Canada or Antrim. She was born in 1825 and also died in 1889 in Cargill, Ontario.

Could have been a brother of John Elder, (1818-1898), Ballymena, married to Margaret Stewart, (1828-1904), Co. Antrim. There are/were many Elders' and Smythe's in the Aboghill and Portglenone, Gortaheron, Toom Lower, areas but I have not been able to locate Charles.

I am a reasonably experience researcher and have searched in many of the usual sources, but unable to locate them.

Thank you for any help/suggestions you may provide.

James Noble

[Ashtone]

Could this be wife Catherine? Image is in French. Parents names look like Bernard Smythe and Mary McNamara, but the handwriting is difficult to read.

Name:   Catherine Smyth
Event Type:   Baptême (Baptism)
Baptism Date:   1832
Baptism Place:   Montréal, Québec, Canada
Baptism Church:   Basilique Notre-Dame; Montréal

[*Sandra*]

There is an ancestry tree but the same stumbling block as you have.  Nothing further on the Elder line unfortunately.  Shows a possible brother Henry Elder 1837 - 1905 Bruce Ontario  ?  (Is this yours or another researcher ?)

Sandra

[aghadowey]

Looking at John Elder & wife Margaret Stewart- their daughter Ann Elder married Henry Smyth and in 1911 census family's religion is 'Cullybackey Presbyterian Church.'
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Galgorm/Broughdone/120980/
The church has baptisms 1812-43 & 1848-1925, marriages 1818-38 & 1845-1919, Communicants' lists 1800-36 and seatholders & stipend payers 1821­-36 (on microfilm in PRONI, Belfast) as well as older records in Presbyterian Historical Society, Belfast.
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Guide-to-Church-Records-October-2019.pdf (page 168)
It's possible the Elder family didn't attend the same church as the Elders but certainly worth checking- have you searched the church records for this one and other local churches?

Added- deaths for John & Margaret-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1898/05833/4651698.pdf (Craigs townland near Cullybackey not Ballymena town)
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1904/05630/4583874.pdf (also died at Craigs)

Smyth household- unusual, but not impossible, that a 'farmer' would change residence-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Dunminning/Craigs/939865/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Galgorm/Broughdone/120980/

[splitrail]

To Hillhurst: Thanks you for your reply. I have seen this baptism document and as you say, it is very hard to decipher and also in French, which I cannot interpret. But I agree the parents do appear to be Bernard Smythe & Mary McNamara. I have not been able to find anything further on her parents other than a possible lead that Bernard was born in Cork, Ireland.

I have Catherine as being born in 1825, so the baptism was not done right away if this is her. Canadian census documents show her and Charles Elder as being married in 1846, at her age 21. They also show her as being born in Quebec, called Lower Canada at the time. So this is consistent with the location of the baptism and it is reasonable to believe this is Charle's wife.

These same census records show Charles as being born in Ireland and Protestant in religion.

[christieharris]

Hi James,

My 2x's great grandfather was also named Charles Elder but he was born circa 1857. I have DNA matches through that line from Ballymena but we cannot quite make the connection. If you have taken a DNA test, I would be interested to see if we are related.

[Janice M]

I'm surprised that none of these links were posted to your query. Thankfully James and I have been in touch on other forums. I am posting some of these links for the sake of others that are searching as well.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=79083.msg329305#msg329305

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=97213.msg415585#msg415585

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=649317.msg4958097#msg4958097

Anyone needing more information that both James and myself have gathered, are welcome to Private Message us.

Janice

[Janice M]

I should also have stated, that James and I are DNA matches, through the Elder Line, and not the Smyth Line, which we can tell by the relationship in our DNA.