Lookup request for George Smith born Antrim Born around 1827 father David Smith

[Loquitur]

Dear All

I discovered last year that I have a great great grandfather from Belfast having received his military records.  He was born in Belfast around 1827.  His father is listed as David Smith a mechanic. George served in the Royal Artillery and married in Norwich 1857. His military records name a part of Antrim called Shankhill.

Would much appreciate any lookup for George, David Smith and their family.

His military records lists that he served in Lisburn Antrim in 1847.

Last piece of information I have is that when George left the army the address given “Intended place Of residence: Durham Street Belfast” dated 13 April 1869.

I can’t trace his birth or any family information for his paternal or maternal family in Ireland and it’s been a dead end for 10 years.  An AncestryDNA test hasn’t yielding anything either.

Wonder if you are able to lookup for me and see if I can over come the roadblock?

[Loquitur]

He married Caroline Lemon of Norwich.

[Loquitur]

I haven’t been able to find out what happened to sister George or Caroline since he left the army 1869z

[aghadowey]

You've posted in ANTRIM COMPLETED LOOK UP REQUESTS so this thread could easily get overlooked but just click on "report to moderator" to get this moved to the main ANTRIM board.

Not sure that you are aware of how difficult your request is. Civil registration of births, deaths & Catholic marriages didn't start until 1864 (from 1845 for non-Catholic marriages) so it means looking for church records. Not all of them survive and of those that do not all are online. There is no central index to find baptisms or marriages. Usually only the Church of Ireland kept burial registers (again not online) and it's difficult to find gravestones unless you already have an idea where to check.

Probably your best clue at the moment is the “Intended place Of residence: Durham Street Belfast” dated 13 April 1869.
Looking at Google Streetview Durham St. looks to have been redeveloped (possibly after Belfast Blitz in WWII).
There are Belfast directories online but it's difficult to know exactly where George Smith intended to go without a street number. There is a Smith in the 1868 directory but that could be a co-incidence.
https://www.lennonwylie.co.uk/dcomplete1868.htm

[Loquitur]

Thanks

I looked into Durham Street about 4 years ago and to see if his father or family connection was on Durham Street. I also looked at the mechanic businesses to see if there was a family business but nothing turned up.

I have looked at church records around 1827 but absolutely nothing matching the two.

Kinda stuck - I wrote to GRO and they told me I needed to visit Belfast in person.

[aghadowey]

I'm not sure why you started a new topic today as I've now discovered one from March 1921 looking for help with the same George Smith-
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=846479.msg7135467#msg7135467

Kinda stuck - I wrote to GRO and they told me I needed to visit Belfast in person.

Possibly you mean PRONI which is the Records Office rather than GRONI (the Northern Ireland equivalent of the English GRO).

Elwyn (reply #2) already mentioned church records along with saying you'd either need to visit PRONI or get a researcher and he has already provided details from the 1868 Belfast directory (reply #4) which I looked up and posted today. Since you didn't have a denomination then and not all records are online I'm not sure how you "have looked at church records around 1827." Aside from that problem George's birthplace of 'Belfast' may mean the city (smaller than it is now) or an area outside of it.

I looked into Durham Street about 4 years ago and to see if his father or family connection was on Durham Street. I also looked at the mechanic businesses to see if there was a family business but nothing turned up.

Did you check the Valuation Revision books on PRONI's website to see how long that Thomas Smith was there or if any other Smith was head of household? A mechanic was more than likely working for someone, in a factory of example, rather than in business for himself.

There's also more details on your other thread from March 2021 which would have been useful to include here-
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=845971.msg7129673#msg7129673

[Loquitur]

Thank you for your response.

I could not find the previous post probably a lack of forum experience and my partial blindness.  As much as directness can be helpful it can also come across as rude.

Following on for the previous post, a researcher helped find George’s war records and things developed onwards substantially so I can find records that had alluded me for many years just not his birth or family in Belfast. That help provided documented evidence and I looked into Durham Street.

I contacted the records office in Belfast and they recommended coming to the office as the records were not all online. I still have the email somewhere.

I will look into all that you have said. If you need to be so aggressive in your help or outreach then perhaps best just not bother?