ARMSTRONG family, Augher, 1800s

Marjerie Armstrong might be Catherine’s mother, or a cousin or sister in law perhaps.

I’d start by looking at the couple’s marriage certificate. The marriage was registered on 25.11.1875 in Dungannon registration area. Groom is Geo. Gilespie and bride C. Armstrong. 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 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

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. If you post a copy of the certificate (or full details from it) including townlands, fathers names and occupations, details of the church, parish and denomination, I’ll advise where the records are kept - assuming they still exist.

I had a look in the revaluation records for Augher to see if I could locate where the Gillespie family were living c 1876, in Augher. They are not shown. However numerous properties are marked “lodgers” so they could well have been staying in one of those, or with relatives. I also looked for any Armstrong households but did not see any. I suspect the families were labourers. They are hard to trace as they tended to move about a lot, and often lived below officialdom’s radar, only appearing in leases and rent records fairly infrequently.

http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/val12b.htm

Thanks so much, Elwyn - I do get the offices mixed up sometimes!  I appreciate your note that the registration was in the Dungannon district - I didn't know that and was getting nowhere.  I've now ordered the certificate, and it should come flying eventually, across the pond and the continent.   
As for Augher... it's possible the Armstrong family were only there for a while, and I need to be thinking much more broadly about where to find this family.  As it is, my GILLESPIE family seem to have roved from Belfast, over to Omagh, Newtown-Stewart, Augher, and by 1880 they're all (3 generations) over to Barrow in Furness!  Following jobs, I suspect, as you do as well.  Ah well, they were certainly hard-working people.  

Thanks for your help - much appreciated.  I'll keep on digging, and once the certificate comes, perhaps there will be another bread crumb clue to follow. 
- Celia
Vancouver BC Canada

Celia,

You don't need to buy the certificate (unless you specially want to). That's rather expensive. There is the option to view it on-line immediately for 2 pounds sterling. Use the NI direct site and choose the search marriages option.

Thanks again, Elwyn.  I was so certain this was correct I ordered the certificate... right names, right time, close enough place (the church was close to Augher)... 

And now that I'm looking at the certificate, I'm a bit dumfounded.  
It says that George Gillespie's father was William Gillespie... But I have an 1880 England Census (and later ones too) showing the entire Gillespie family from Ireland living in Barrow, all together in one home.  And George's parents are listed on the Censuses:  as JAMES & Eliza(beth) Gillespie, not William Gillespie.

Oh dear... I've walked back up the line so carefully, proving each step as I went.  But this contradiction is stopping me in my tracks.

It is slightly possible that George's father's name is legally "William James" and he went by James.  My grandpa, William John went by "Jack" [from John].  And Grandpa's brother Robert James was known as "Jim".  So there is some slight possibility there, but still...  

Back to the drawing board.  I'll have to dig through the Barrow deaths - James Gillespie b. abt 1821, seems to have died in Barrow around 1895 or so, while his wife lived at least another decade.  I'm going to have to reconcile this information, or start once more.  And over in England, Catherine Armstrong Gillespie died in 1923 in Barrow, George in 1941.  I might have to save more shekels for death certificates, if they are willing to release them to me. 

Well, there are always a few stumbling blocks to challenge us in genealogy research, aren't there?!  One has to love the ups and downs.  

Cheers again,
- Celia