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  • Irish Marriage

    I have just viewed a marriage entry on Scotlands People for my husband's ancestors.

    The register entry for Portpatrick, Wigtown reads:

    "Portpatrick 10th April 1803. William Alexander produced Certificate of Marriage of him the said William Alexander and Margaret Kelly dated at Milsile in Ireland upon the fifteenth day of January One Thousand Eight Hundred and Three years. Signed the the Rev'd Alex'r Greer, Min'r. of Milslile Which Certificate the Session This day Sustained."

    Has anyone come across this before ? William & Margaret went on to have at least 7 children at Portpatrick.

    I am presuming Milsile/Milslile is actually Millisle or Mill Isle, which is a village on the Ards Peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland.

    thanks

    Vivian

  • #2
    I have this one for 4 brothers who were baptised on entering Barham Workhouse.
    From my notes: In the margin of baptismal record, a note made by the minister at Barham to say, 'according to the certificate of the Rev J R Edgar transmitted to me July 26th' (1829).
    J R Edgar was the Vicar of Falkenham 1796-1842 and the Rector of Kirton 1820 -1842.

    Notes by the vicar are common in PR's sometimes in the margin or at the back of the book.
    Last edited by Katarzyna; 19-12-17, 08:57.
    Kat

    My avatar is my mother 1921 - 2012

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    • #3
      It might be interesting to find the entry in the Mill Isle PR, if it's available? Was that the bride's home parish?

      A long ways away, and a different time, but - I have a side branch ancestor in Arizona, and a couple of years later, his wife took the marriage cert and had it recorded in the California county records - both the parties were living in California at the time of the marriage, they traveled in order to marry in AZ.

      I guess it's a way of officially documenting the marriage in case of any future questions?

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      • #4
        Thanks Kat & PhotoFamily.

        I have no idea at this stage where William & Margaret came from originally. I believe the Millisle church was possibly Church of Ireland, so I will try & follow that up in the new year.

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        • #5
          Vivian,

          Nowadays the main ferry service between Scotland and Northern Ireland is from Loch Ryan to Larne or Belfast. However in the early 1800s it was between Portpatrick and Donaghadee in Co Down (close to Millisle). Portpatrick harbour is very exposed and inaccessible in bad weather so in the 1840s, the ferry service was moved to Loch Ryan.

          So in the early 1800s Portpatrick was awash with people travelling to and from Ireland. Irish couples whose parents opposed their marriage often eloped to Scotland to take advantage of the more generous marriage laws there. (In Scotland you can marry at 16 without parental consent). Everyone knows of couples going to Gretna Green to marry but in fact this happened all along the Scottish border and in Portpatrick. Here’s a list of Irish couples who married in Portpatrick:



          In this particular case it looks as though the couple didn’t need to elope, having married in Millisle but presumably either they were challenged as to whether they were really married, or felt the need to produce evidence, and their marriage lines were copied into the Portpatrick Kirk Session records. The Rev Alexander Greer was Minister of Millisle & Copeland Presbyterian church until about 1815 when he was succeeded by the Rev Hanna. (So it was not a Church of Ireland marriage). Over half the population of Co Down originated in Scotland and moved to Ireland in the 1600s, which accounts for the fact that Presbyterian was (and probably still is) the most common denomination in the county.

          Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, and thereafter she’d attend her husband's so you might find her baptism record in Millisle’s records. And you might find the grooms too. But not necessarily. He might have attended church elsewhere.

          According to the PRONI website Millisle Presbyterian has baptism from 1773 onwards but marriages only from 1845, and so it looks as thought the original 1803 marriage record may be lost. PRONI also has a list of elders of the church and members of the congregation for 1777. Might be useful to you. The records are not on-line and a personal visit is required to PRONI in Belfast to access them.
          Last edited by Elwyn; 03-01-18, 17:01.
          Elwyn

          I am based in Co. Antrim and undertake research in Northern Ireland. Please feel free to contact me for help or advice via PM.

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          • #6
            Elwyn,

            Many thanks for the detailed information regarding the background around the marriage & Rev. Greer, and the details of the ferry service between Ireland & Scotland.

            Your helps is much appreciated.

            Vivian

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