French

Janet,

This seems pretty similar to your previous enquiry. The family lived in Ballygrooby townland (not Ballygrooby cottage). Ballygrooby townland is an area of 691 acres on the outskirts of Randalstown. In 1901 282 people lived there in 68 households. See:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Randalstown/Ballygrooby/

Previous post on this family:

http://www.irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/message-board/french

What is it you would like to know that was not covered in the previous responses?

Just trying to find a connection, or if anyone else is searching the same French line. As my last email said we have no information on Robert Frenche's siblings or his mothers maiden name. The information you gave me at first was amazing. It does say on Robert Frenche's army records that his mother lived in Ballygrooby Cottage, that is why I refer to it that way. Now I understand that it is is townland, my apologies. I have contacted a pastor of a Presbyterian church in Randalstown. Hopefully there will be some help in connecting my French line.

Thank You for your time

Janet

I had posted three years ago for information on the French line. Now we are planning on visiting Ireland this fall. Any advise on what we should plan to do in located our family would be most helpful. My GG Grandfather Robert French, born 4 may 1858, Ballygrooby Randalstown. Elwyn helped me before.

Thank you

Janet Mcleod

Janet,

Looking at my post for 2016 it appears your French family probably farmed on plots 36 & 37.  Their exact location is not on-line, though it’s somewhere near Mulhollands garage. That’s just as you enter Randalstown from the Ballygrooby roundabout.

There’s a map in Ballymena Library Local Studies section (upstairs) which should show exactly where those plots were. (Ask for the Griffiths maps with the plot numbers for Drummaul parish). Once you have found where the farm was, you can then go to Randalstown and see what’s there today.

If the family was Presbyterian then all 3 of the Presbyterian churches in the town have graveyards. If the family were farmers then there’s a reasonable chance they will have had gravestones.

I had a look at the death records for the late 1800s. I noted a John French of Ballygrooby who died 16.12.1888, aged 84. He was a labourer and a widower. I have no way of knowing if he is your family, but obviously he lived somewhere near them:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1888/06162/4760946.pdf

I had a look for a Mary French death 1878 – 1901 in the statutory records but did not see one from Ballygrooby.

If you are looking for Robert French’s baptism, there are 3 Presbyterian churches in the town. The Old Congregation (OC) has baptism from 1853 onwards, the 2nd Presbyterian church has baptisms from 1850. The 1st doesn’t appear to have any early baptism records at all. There are copies of the first 2 sets of records in PRONI in Belfast where you can view them free, and without an appointment. (Taker photo id to get your reader’s ticket).

French families in Ballygrooby in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Randalstown/Ballygrooby/919672/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Randalstown/Ballygrooby/919697/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Randalstown/Ballygrooby/919715/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Randalstown/Ballygrooby/919716/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Randalstown/Ballygrooby/919721/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Randalstown/Ballygrooby/919722/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Randalstown/Ballygrooby/919729/