George Nicholl/Nickle married Martha George

Here's the marriage record from rootsireland which has both fathers' names

Welcome, Col

Church Marriage Record for: George Nichole and Martha George

Date of Marriage:06-Jul-1852  Parish / District:BOVEVAGHCounty:Co. DerryHusbandWifeName:GeorgeNicholeMarthaGeorgeAddress:DeserttoghillDerryorkDenomination:PresbyterianPresbyterianOccupation:FARMERAge:Status:Widower (Male)Spinster (Previously unmarried)Husband's FatherWife's FatherName:GeorgeNicholeRobertGeorgeAddress:Denomination:Occupation:FARMERFARMERHusband's MotherWife's MotherName:Address:Denomination:Occupation:Witness 1Witness 2Name:JohnQuigRobertGeorgeAddress:Notes:

I couldnt find find any birth / baptism records for children of theirs I'm afraid

Col

Dianne,

Note that these families lived in Co Londonderry/Derry not Co Down (which is where you have posted your message).

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church which should be on the certificate, (unless it was a Registry Office marriage). That church may be the place to look for her baptism and that of any siblings. From Col’s information it was evidently a Presbyterian church. Not all Presbyterian records are on-line but most have been copied and are kept in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast. A personal visit is required to view them.

Bovevagh Presbyterian church records start in 1818 (with some gaps). There’s a copy in PRONI.

The bride was apparently living in Derryork in 1852. That’s a couple of miles north of Dungiven on the modern Gortnagross Rd. As a farmer you would expect her father to be listed in Griffiths Valuation. I looked in Griffiths for 1858. There’s no Robert listed but there is a Robin George. Robert and Robin are interchangeable so I’d say that’s likely her father. He was farming plots 11 & 12 which together amounted to a 65 acre farm. There was a John George living on an agricultural labourer’s cottage on the farm, so probably a relation.

You can follow through and see when the properties changed hands, right up to 1929, using the revaluation records:

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni

The 1901 census has this family:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Gelvin/Derryork_Large/1524499/

Same farm in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Gelvin/Derryork/904013/

The 1831 census just two George households in the townland, both headed by a Robert George. One has Robert George plus one female on the farm.  The other has Robert, 3 other males and 5 females. Both families were Presbyterian.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Keenaght/Dungiven/Derryyork/2/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Keenaght/Dungiven/Derryyork/6/

I found a couple of probate abstracts:

The Will of Robert George late of Derryork County Londonderry Farmer deceased who died 26 June 1871 at same place was proved at Londonderry by the oaths of Adam Magill of Cannish (Dungiven) Presbyterian Minister and John George of Derryork (Dungiven) Farmer both in said County the Executors.

The above will is on-line on the PRONI site. (Link given previously for the revaluation records). Martha Nicholl nee George is named in it, and got left 5 shillings, so this was her father. He was 86 when he died in 1871. His death was registered in Limavady. You can view the original certificate on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate. 

Another probate abstract showing the farm was still in George hands in the 1930s:

George Robert of Derryork Dungiven county Londonderry farmer died 2 February 1938 Administration Londonderry 14 February to John B. George farmer. Effects £1205 14s.

The address given for George Nicholl is Desertoghill. That’s not a townland, but a parish. I searched Griffiths for George Nicholl in 1859 and there’s just one in the townland of Killyvally. That’s on the modern Edenbane Rd, just east of Garvagh. 10 miles east of Dungiven.

Griffiths shows George farming plot 34 which was a 77 acre farm. Nearby were Andrew & John who are likely to be relatives.

Here’s George senior in the 1831 census at which time the family consisted of 3 males, 3 females (all Presbyterian) and 1 RC male servant.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Coleraine/Desertoghill/Killyvally/13/

The revaluation records show that George left the farm in 1866 and a different family took it over.

Thankyou so very much for your quick and informative reply...I am eagerly digesting all your info..Sould I repost to Derry?I am not very savvy!! when it comes to posting.!Thankyou again for info.

Dianne

If you need more information, I’d put your request on the Bovevagh board, with a link to this query, but my main point was to ensure you knew where the family actually resided, in case you were searching maps and databases in the wrong county.