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Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Posted: 7 Jun 2015 4:58AM GMT
Classification: Query
My 2x Great Grandfather William Humphreys born about 1816 in Eniskillen, Ireland. married Mary Phair about 1838. William emigrated to Canada sometime before 1854 and Mary and their 5 children were lost at sea traveling to meet William. I would like to know anything about MaryPhair and would also like to know the names and birthdates of her 5 children.

Re: Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Posted: 13 Jun 2015 6:25PM GMT
Classification: Query
You should be able to find parish records if they exist. There are two sources for
information of this sort Northern Ireland: www.emeraldancestors.com and www.rootsireland.ie
both however, are pay websites. Roots records collected directly from parish records and local sources. I don't see any specific Parish of Enniskillen, and possibly nothing early enough for their births but you might catch the marriage and the children. But worth the money just to see what's there.

This is early for Irish records, so many destroyed.

Census substitutes:
www.genealogy.nationalarchives.ie Tithe Applotments 1823-1837 throughout Ireland
(can have some parishes in some counties missing and other not there at all)

www.askaboutireland.ie 1845-1864

21 Phair's. in Fermanagh 1862 , so much later than the usualy 1850's, but same for most of
Northern Ireland.
1 Parish Galloon
12 Aghalurcher
1 Kinawley * PLU Enniskillen
1 Magheracross * Enniskillen
2 Enniskillen - James (could be same person with 2 properties) * Enniskillen
1 Derrybrusk * PLU Enniskillen
3 Killesher * PLU Enniskillen

There are 50 some Humpheries by 1862 and only 1 in the Parish Kinawley matching the Pharis.
However, there are two Humpheries in the Poor Law Union of Enniskillen 1 William in the
Parish of Cleenish and James Parish of Devenish. A Poor Law Union was an area of 12 miles and would cover all parishes, villages, townlands within. Later became the Civil Registration District as well after 1864.

Generally but not always if the couple come from two different parishes the marriage took place in the bride's parish and sometimes first children would be born their at their mother's, mothers home. They
would live in the husband's parish.

P parish birth will give father's name and mother's maiden name, a marriage only both of the father's are usually listed.

Enniskillen has a long history. It was a town and civil parish in Co. Fermanagh, chief town, a borough and market town. Diocese Clogher.

www.irelandxo.com/group/enniskillen-fermanagh
www.ballynagarrick.net/ulsterancestors

www.census.nationalarchives.ie 1901/1911 and recently added fragments of census from the years 1821-1851, results depends on survival of these records from the Four Courts Fire 1922.

I found no records.

I looked through other sources, no marriages early enough except those that died in Ireland.
If you have records showing Mary and children lost at sea or should think of the possibility
that William just left and never returned and he probably remarried. That happened a lot, more than you can imagine.

Was the marriage 1838 or Mary Phair's birth occurred that year. Generally irish men marriage about age 25, so about 1841. If Mary was born 1838 she would of been 3 at marriage? women generally married about 20. If marriage in 1838 she was probably born about 1818?

Annette Code
Canada

Re: Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Posted: 13 Jun 2015 10:25PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi Annette,
Thanks for all this info. I have been researching the Mallaby's for some time now and now I have turned to looking at the Grandmothers. Margaret Humphries married my 2nd Great Grandfather, and I have started looking into her family history and this is my first look into Irish records. My Great Aunt Rhoda was the family historian and she passed on to me all her notes about the family history. William Humphreys is listed as having married Mary Phair but no dates or places are given. The note says: "William was married twice. His first wife, Mary Phair and their 5 children were lost at sea. They were on their way to meet William in Canada." William did marry in Canada to Ann Priestley somewhere around 1855 and they had 7 children one of which was my Great Grandmother Margaret. What you say about William leaving Ireland and never returning may well be true, perhaps he never married and didn't have those 5 children. As my aunt passed away a number of years ago, I have no way of finding out where she got this information.
As William was born 1811 or 1816, I would suppose Mary was born around the same time so 1818 would sound feasible.
I will start looking through the site you have sent. Once again thanks so much for all this info. I'll let you know if I find anything.

Re: Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Posted: 14 Jun 2015 1:33AM GMT
Classification: Query
I started searching my husband's irish history when an obituary of his son, described him as having participated in the 1812 War supporting Britain/Canada against the US. He wasn't born until 1813 in Ireland. He and his brother, when infants (the brother died at sea born 1816) on their way to Canada with an uncle as they were orphans. Their mother didn't die until 1826 and the father remained alive! There is sometimes a grain of truth in family stories but what it might be I was never able to confirm.Good luck with your search.

Annette

Re: Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Posted: 14 Jun 2015 5:10PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 14 Jun 2015 5:11PM GMT
You don’t say what denomination William Humphreys and his wife were. However, based on the fact that nearly all the Humphreys and Phairs in Fermanagh in the 1901 census are Church of Ireland, I’ll make a guess and suggest they were that denomination (ie Anglican). You say William came from Enniskillen. Assuming he married there c 1838, then the bad news is that most of the Church of Ireland records for Enniskillen parish for that period have been destroyed. (In a fire in Dublin in 1922). This is what remains:

Extracts of baptisms, 1667-1789, marriages, 1668- 1794, and burials, 1667-1781; burials, 1879-1907 and 1941-50;vestry minutes, 1731-1920; copy deeds, 1796-9; select vestry minutes, 1871-80; register of church members, 1871 and 1946-50; preachers’ book, 1895-1928.
Extracts from baptism, marriage and burial registers, 1666-1826.
Printed copy of Old Enniskillen Vestry Book, with extracts of births, marriages and deaths, 1666-c.1797.
Extracts from vestry minutes, 1666-1912, which include some baptism, marriage and burial entries.
The remaining records are not on-line, but a copy is held in PRONI, the public record office, in Belfast. A personal visit is required to view them.

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church after which she’d attend her husband’s (assuming they came from different parishes). So it’s possible the marriage and the children’s baptisms are not in the same church, but without knowing the wife’s address, it’s hard to offer any further useful advice on where to search.

Re: Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Posted: 14 Jun 2015 5:34PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hi,
Thanks for the info. Our whole family both sides has always be Anglican. I haven't come across a Catholic or Protestant yet!!! So I imagine you are correct as I have no info on that either.
I am in Canada, so I think I will contact PRONI and see if there is any provisions for overseas requests for info. Thanks again.

Re: Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Posted: 14 Jun 2015 8:16PM GMT
Classification: Query
PRONI will do limited searching for you, but you may find their rates quite high. (Something like £15 per 15 minutes). You may find it cheaper to contact professional researcher. (There are lists on the PRONI website).

PRONI will look for simple events e.g. a known baptism on a given date e.g. May 1805. But they won't do a trawl over many years.

Re: Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Posted: 2 Jul 2015 5:43AM GMT
Classification: Query
I had quick look
from http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/fermanagh/tithe-applotment-...
Fair, James Tl: Mullynock Yr: 1832
The source has no Humphrey or Phair.
This a limited resource and only listed certain occupations – homestead, head of house. I grew up in Belfast where I met a Peter Fair. Phair is new to me.

So I gave myself an education by looking upthe name on www.emeraldancestors.com who have a free index it has many Phair marriages and Deaths but no births, which is odd to me.
heres the first three entries all marriages.
1845 William XXXX m Mary PHAIR Lisnaskea Fermanagh
1846 Alexander m PHAIR CatherineXXXXX Irvinestown Fermanagh
1848 Thomas PHAIR m Mary XXXXX Enniskillen Fermanagh

I would also check out www.familyhistory.org
Macloskie's Directory Of Fermanagh 1848 exists on https://www.findmypast.co.uk but I was unsuccessful in a quick search

I also searched for only one spelling of Humphery
hoping something new for you JimG

Re: Mary Phair and William Humphreys, Enniskillen, Ireland

Posted: 2 Jul 2015 6:09AM GMT
Classification: Query
Thanks so much for this info and sites I didn't have before. I'll check it all out in detail.
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