Dunbars of the parish of Blaris

Chris,

I assume this is your family:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Lissue/Gortnacor/1002091/

I note there were 3 Dunbar households in the townland in 1901. You would expect them all to be related.

You enquire about an index with parish records. Unfortunately there is no such index and not all the surviving records are on-line.

Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church, and thereafter she’d attend her husband’s (assuming they were from different parishes or denominations). So though the children may be baptised in Aghalee Church of Ireland, the marriage may have been elsewhere.

The records for Aghalee are on-line on the rootsireland site (subscription). They contain baptisms 1810 – 1900, marriages 1811 – 1843 and burials 1811 – 1874. The records for Magheramesk appear to be consolidated with those for Aghalee.

The records for Blaris are not on –line (at least not those for the 1800s).

 There are copies of both the Aghalee/Magheramesk records (starting in 1810) and Blaris (starting in the 1600s) in PRONI, the public record office, in Belfast, They are not on-line and a personal visit is required to view them.

Looking at the GRONI site, I see 3 James Dunbar marriages between 1845 and 1849. None was in the Lisburn area though. So possibly the couple married before 1.4.1845. (If the age on Jane’s death cert is accurate, she was born c 1817, so could have married any time from about 1837 onwards. (Though you say Margt born 1848 was the eldest, perhaps there were earlier children who died).

Griffiths Valuation for 1862 lists Alexander Dunbar senior on plot 5 (a 1 acre farm), James Dunbar on plot 6a (another farm with 1 acre). He was also subletting a house (6b) to Thomas Dunbar. Nearby on plot 10 was Alexander Dunbar jr, renting an 8 acre farm. Those properties today are near the Halfpenny Inn on the Derrynahone Rd.

Often in Griffiths a mention of snr and jnr indicates father and son.

The revaluation records show plot 5 change to John Dunbar in 1886. Plots 6 are merged in 1886 when Jane Dunbar takes over, and Alexander junior left plot 10 between 1863 and 1880 but was not replaced by another Dunbar. So your family appears to have been on plot 6.

In addition to the will for Alexander who died in 1871, PRONI also have 3 other Gortnacor probate files for John (died 20.6.1904), John (died 11.2.1939) and Robert (died 25.10.1929). The first John’s will is on-line. For the other two you either need to go to PRONI or pay them to copy the documents for you.

The tithe applotment records for Aghalee in 1834 don’t list any Dunbar households. However it’s possible that your family were there but with no land and so consequently were not listed. They rented later from the Marquis of Hertford. You could search in PRONI for Hertford estate papers to see if your family were listed as tenants prior to 1862. If you can't get to PRONI yourself, you may need to hire a researcher. There is a list on the PRONI site.

Thank you for your reply Elwyn.  Yes, the census record you referenced is the correct Dunbar family.  The three spinster sisters of Robert Dunbar seemed to have raised several of his children after his first wife died in 1895.

I am really impressed with what you were able to learn from Griffiths.  I had referenced the site as well, but need to learn how to make better use of it.  I found a marriage record for an Alexander Dunbar marrying a Esther Hull in 1849 in Gortnacor, Blaris.  I assume this would be the younder Alexander as the will on PRONI would have belonged to someone born earlier.  Interestingly, the marriage record says that Alexander's father was Thomas.  The other transfers of property you mentioned match up with what I already know about the family, which makes me think I'm on the right track.

You have given me much to think about.  I hope that someday I can come back for a visit.

Thanks so much,

Chris