William Cross and Margaret Marks (early 1800s)

[PeterCross]

I have recently made contact with a USA relation with whom I share a significant amount of DNA. She believes that William Cross and Margaret Marks were her 3g-grandparents. They may have married in Ireland or USA; and probably in a Presbyterian church.

Where would I find marriage records for the early 1800s?

Incidentally, as I have Cross ancestors from Tullagh More, near Stewartstown, County Tyrone, this would seem to be a good clue.

[Elwyn Soutter]

The short answer to your question about where to find records in Ireland is PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. Personal visit is required as their church records are not on-line.

Tullagh More is in the parish of Donaghenry. Donaghenry Church of Ireland has records starting in 1733 (with some gaps). Stewartstown 1st Presbyterian has records from 1814, Stewartstown 2nd 1827 (that church's records still held locally by the Minister. PRONI don't have a copy).

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church so not always the same church that a couple’s children may later be baptised in.

In 1901 Eliza Cross was Presbyterian, so that's likely the Cross denomination but a bride might have been Church of Ireland or just attended a different church to her husband.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Stewartstown/Tullagh_More/1732497/

Here’s a marriage for Jane Cross from Tullaghmore in 1851. It was at Stewartstown 1st Presbyterian, so that’s the most likely church for Cross baptisms but as I say, it doesn’t follow the couple married there. Though they might have done.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1851/09406/5407603.pdf

The rules do get broken though.

Letitia Cross from Tullagh More evidently chose not to marry in her own church and married in Desertcreat Church of Ireland (presumably her husband’s church).  There’s always one that breaks the rules:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1846/09306/5369520.pdf

Sister Mary Ann Cross chose Stewartstown 2nd Presbyterian:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1850/09386/5399862.pdf

Brother James:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1857/09527/5453649.pdf


Statutory registration of marriages started in 1845 in Ireland. Prior to that you have to search the church records in PRONI or wherever they are held.

[Kiltaglassan]

....as I have Cross ancestors from Tullagh More, near Stewartstown, County Tyrone

Tullagh More is in the parish of Donaghenry.

For information, here's its location-

https://www.townlands.ie/tyrone/dungannon-middle/donaghenry/stewartstown/tullagh-more/
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/5399914#map=13/54.5573/-6.7011

[eileenwilson]

According to the death certificate of William George Cross in 1912 in Philadelphia, the son of William Cross and Margaret Marks, he was born about 1843 in Philadelphia.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6WK-SZY

The 1850 US Census in Philadelphia shows the family with William & Margaret, both aged 35, and son William, aged 8, and another child, Margaret Brown, aged 2, in the household, along with a Hester Marks, aged 33, born Ireland (likely a sister to Margaret) and a Jane Watt, aged 70, born Ireland (perhaps a mother of either William or Margaret who may have remarried).

Interestingly, William Jr.  was baptized in the German Reformed Church of Germantown, born July 23, 1842, and baptized October 9, 1842.  It is part of the US Presbyterian Church records collection on Ancestry, so there may be a cross over in the records.

[PeterCross]

So, although she was born in Ireland, they may well have met and married in USA; and, therefore, it’s quite possible that she came from somewhere quite remote from Tullagh More?

[shanreagh]

So, although she was born in Ireland, they may well have met and married in USA; and, therefore, it’s quite possible that she came from somewhere quite remote from Tullagh More?

It was relatively common for there to be what they called chain migrations to the colonies and the US from towns/districts/neighbourhoods in Ireland.  An enterprising soul/s or family would make the move and then the word would come back that it was a good move.  Others would follow and go, for company & introductions to the same place/locality as the first ones.  The new social life would often revolve around those same families/acquaintances in the new country.

it might be that the male may have had a fondness for the daughter of a family back in Ireland and she & her family may come over or as you say they may have met and married in the new place. 

Not sure what you mean by some where 'quite remote from Tullagh More'.  In Ireland the most precise place you could come from would be the family's town land, followed by the nearest, often market town followed by the nearest well known town or city. 
So my family came from
Shanreagh townland
a few miles from
Limavady
and close to
the city of Londonderry.   

Tullagh More is a townland
https://www.townlands.ie/tyrone/dungannon-middle/donaghenry/stewartstown/tullagh-more/

It is 234 acres.

Stewartstown and Coal Island may have been close towns but as my family is not from there I would not know where they shopped/went to church etc. 

Griffiths Valuation 1859 has James Cross leasing 32acres apx from John Lindsey. James Cross then subleases house sites to Joseph and Bernard Vallaly
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01s5e/
https://www.townlands.ie/tyrone/dungannon-middle/donaghenry/stewartstown/tullagh-more/

I am not sure who is the she that you are referring to...is it Margaret Marks?

There are several Marks families living in Co Tyrone at the time of Griffiths in 1859, including a Margaret Marks who may be some relation. 

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01s5f/

[PeterCross]

By "remote", I simply meant anywhere in Ireland, but I take onboard your comment that they may well have known each other before.

Incidentally, I have now discovered a record of a marriage between a William Cross and a Margaret Marks in the Fourth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on 11th May 1835 ... at first glance, this looks highly probable.

I've also found reference to an online quotation from 1807 "...to repair 26 1/4 perches of road from Dungannon to Cookstown between Ranaghan mearing and William Cross's field." ... https://cotyroneireland.com/occupations/eastindiacompanypaidoccupations.html#:~:text=To%20Hon.%20T.%20Knox%2C%20W.J.%20Armstrong%2C%20W.%20Simington%2C%20%26%20C.%20M%27Cue%20to%20repair%2026%201/4%20perches%20of%20road%20from%20Dungannon%20to%20Cookstown%20between%20Ranaghan%20mearing%20and%20William%20Cross%27s%20field ...could this possibly be Wiliiam Cross snr, the father?