Henderson in Down and Tyrone

My Hendersons are descended from Joseph Henderson and Martha Hamilton who married before 1810.  Very frustratingly we haven’t been able to establish whether the family were from County Down or County Tyrone, (and am seeking to establish which is correct),  as the records that we have been able to access for their children, both in Australia and the USA, are conflicting.  Their son Robert gives his place of birth as County Tyrone, whilst son Hugh cites County Down (after crossing out Tyrone) as his place of birth on their US naturalisation records.  Son Joseph, who migrated to Australia, gives conflicting places of birth on his own sons' birth certificates citing County Down on one and County Tyrone on another, but County Tyrone is given as his native place on the ships passenger list at the time of Joseph's immigration to Australia.  (It may be that Joseph and Martha are both from County Down and moved to County Tyrone when their children were young.)

The Griffiths Valuations list a Joseph Henderson (or two of them) with properties in Glaskerberg East and Glaskerberg West, Aghaderg, and a Joseph Henderson with a property in Shore St. Holywood, Holywood in County Down.  A Joseph Henderson is listed in Drummond, Clonfeacle, and another in Gortinagin, Drumragh, in Tyrone.

The Tithe Applotment Books for Ireland have 2 listings for a Joseph Henderson having a joint share with a James Dougherty in farmland in the townland of Glentown, in the parish of Urnesy, Donegal, Tyrone.   Both listings give them a joint share in half of a 56 acre 3 rood and 28 perch/pole piece of arable land in   The other half of the land was shared by John Gwynn, Robert Anderson and Joseph Love.  This is the only listing for a Joseph Henderson in the Tithe Applotments for either of the counties of Tyrone or Down.

Joseph and Martha’s children were:

• John Henderson,  born 2nd May 1810; married a Melrose.
• Joseph Henderson, born July 1812; married Mary Jane Rennie 15 Jul 1840 Tyrone, Ireland; migrated to Australia 1841; died 11 Apr 1904, Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
• James Henderson, born C1815; migrated to Pennsylvania, USA 1833-1834; married Sissan Hayes; died 1851 – 1855 Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA.
• Hugh Henderson, born C1817-18; married Sarah C 1840, Ireland; migrated to Pennsylvania, USA 1845; died 5th Nov 1890  Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA.
• Elizabeth Henderson born Jun 1822; migrated to Pennsylvania, USA 1850; married Joseph Anderton Jun 1868 Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA; died 22nd Oct 1901 Rochester, Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA.
• Robert Henderson, born 5th April 1825; migrated to Pennsylvania, USA 1st Aug 1842; married Sarah McCollough in 1844; died 23rd Aug 1900 Holt, Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA.
• William Henry Henderson born 28th May 1830; migrated to Pennsylvania, USA 15th Nov 1846; married Isabella McMaster on 18 Nov 1850 Pennsylvania, USA; died 1914 Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA.
• Mary Martha Henderson; married David McNamima  before 1839 in Ireland; migrated to Pennsylvania after 1841; died probably before 1850, Pennsylvania, USA.

Joseph appears to have stayed in Ireland, probably until after the death of Martha, and migrated to the USA after 1880 and  lived with his daughter Elizabeth in Rochester, Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA.  He died in 1889.  Considering his eldest child was born in 1810 he would have been born about 1790, so would have been close to 100 years old at the time of his death.

I am descended from Joseph Henderson and Mary Jane Rennie/Renney/Rayney so I am interested in learning any information about who Mary Jane's Rennie family were as well.  At present all I know about her is that she was born 1814 – 1816 in County Tyrone and that her father was probably a farmer (the informant on her death registration didn’t know her parent’s names but gave her father’s occupation).  As stated above, she and Joseph were married 15th July 1840 in Tyrone. 

I am most interested in finding baptisms for both Joseph and Martha, as well as a marriage for them.  If anyone can help with baptisms for their children, or details of their marriages,  I’d greatly appreciate this as well.  I’d also love to hear from anyone else who is interested in/related to this family.

Thanks,

Andrea Fitzgerald