Monday 16 December 2013

PHSI adds 18th-century marriage register index

Members of the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland have a new resource to enjoy on the PHSI website: Marriages in Banbridge Presbyterian Church 1756-94.

The marriage register was kept during the ministries of the Rev Henry Jackson (said to be a relative of General Jackson, President of the United States), 1743-90, and the Rev Nathaniel Shaw, 1790-1812.

Most of the 306 entries in the register are described as “Purposes of Marriage” but were really proclamations of banns, which were never popular with Presbyterians. Almost all who were proclaimed were soon afterwards married so the book is effectively a register of marriages that took place.

The spelling of surnames in the register is somewhat odd: Mahallan is probably “Mulholland”, McCabbin may be “McKibbin” and McGumery is likely to be “Montgomery”. All the names recorded are of Scottish, Irish or English origin except for Junnaux (Juneau), which is of Huguenot origin.

The index has been produced from the RSAI transcript of the marriage register and has been used with permission from the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, from Scarva Street Presbyterian Church, Banbridge, and from Banbridge Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church.

More details of the resource.