William Wilkinson, most likely b Antrim, early 1800s

[NZfamily]

Looking for any details for a William Wilkinson, father of James Wilkinson b abt 1837.
A lot of Irish documents were destroyed in the fire of 1922 in Dublin, however James Wilkinson's marriage certificate survives (m Elizabeth Harvey, Belfast, 17 Apr 1859). It can be found here:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/details-civil/6d4d1d3288820?b=https%3A%2F%2Fcivilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie%2Fchurchrecords%2Fcivil-perform-search.jsp%3Fnamefm%3Djames%26namel%3Dwilkinson%26location%3D%26yyfrom%3D1859%26yyto%3D1859%26type%3DM%26submit%3DSearch

It lists his father's name as William Wilkinson, labourer. No mother's name given.


Some trees on ancestry.com have James' father born abt 1809 or 1810. Ancestry.com has thrown up some hints, for example that William Wilkinson was baptised in Ballymoney parish, bap 5 Oct 1809; Father William Wilkinson, mother Mary Kain.

Another ancestry.com hint has a William Wilkinson marrying a Mary Anne Harrison in 1849, 12 years after the birth of James, so i doubt that hint is correct

Another ancestry.com hint has William Wilkinson's death date as 1875 in Belfast.


I cannot find any hints on findmypast.com or familysearch.org to match the above information


Can the above facts be proven as belonging to the William Wilkinson, father of James Wilkinson (b abt 1837)? Or is there another set of data that fit. James Wilkinson's baptism details do not appear to have survived.

James' death certificate from NZ, of which I have a copy, does not reveal any relevant information, apart from confirming that Elizabeth Harvey was his wife. It lists his fathers name as "unknown".



On another note, this article from the Irish times looks hopeful for the future of those lost records:
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/retrieval-of-irish-archive-lost-in-1922-fire-astounding-historian-says-1.4104963

[riannisuileabhain]

perhaps a brother of James?

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1857/09524/5452403.pdf

[Kiltaglassan]

A lot of Irish documents were destroyed in the fire of 1922 in Dublin, however James Wilkinson's marriage certificate survives (m Elizabeth Harvey, Belfast, 17 Apr 1859).

Please note:

All civil registration records (births, marriages, deaths) were NOT lost in the fire.

See https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/irish-records-burned.html

[aghadowey]

Another ancestry.com hint has William Wilkinson's death date as 1875 in Belfast.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1875/020637/7240373.pdf

[NZfamily]

perhaps a brother of James?

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1857/09524/5452403.pdf

thanks for that riannisuileabhain. It could well be.
This William Wilkinson has the profession of 'Carman' or 'Cabman' and on James' marriage entry in 1859, William's profession is given as "labourer". Are the two compatible in your reading of the records over the years? Or perhaps his occupation changed over the two years.
It is the same church though, St Anne's, C of I.

[NZfamily]

Another ancestry.com hint has William Wilkinson's death date as 1875 in Belfast.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1875/020637/7240373.pdf

thanks for that find aghadowey, I will file that away. Also, I see that this William Wilkinson was a "boltmaker" at the time of his death.

I'm told that his son James and their sons were employed in engineering / metallurgy in New Zealand after they migrated, so that may well fit. 

Still to ascertain if this William Wilkinson was actually the father of James.
What ways are open to link the two together, given that some of the C of I parish records do not exist.

[aghadowey]

I don't think there is any way at the moment to connect your James Wilkinson who married Elizabeth Harvey in Belfast to any other Wilkinson family when the only information you have is that his father William Wilkinson was a labourer.

[NZfamily]

I don't think there is any way at the moment to connect your James Wilkinson who married Elizabeth Harvey in Belfast to any other Wilkinson family when the only information you have is that his father William Wilkinson was a labourer.

OK many thanks for your assistance