Research Help: Blackwood Family, County Tyrone
Hi! I'm new to Irish genealogy. I've tried my best, but could really use some help with this family: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/PMC3-18C
First, have I mostly learned all I can about Robert? Should I accept that finding the name of his parents or wife probably isn't possible? Would his residence on "George/George's Street" in Coagh be findable?
Second, Robert's will mentioned a grandson (perhaps Margaret's child?). Besides the 1840 statistical survey that listed Margaret, I'm stumped with both. Any ideas where to look?
Lastly, would it be reasonable to assume that this is Matilda's death record?: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGR1-J9MJ?treeref=KDSH-NJJ
Thank you so much for your time. Any help is appreciated!
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@GFre You have done some great work in compiling significant information about Robert Blackwood (PMC3-18C), his descendants and associated family.
With the dates you have worked back to (1800 to 1850) you are right at the limits of Irish documentation and records. What minimal amount of documentation that exist from before this time is at best fragmented, disjointed and inconsistent, if it ever existed in the first place.
Given the forementioned, I would not hold out much hope of finding details of Robert Blackwood's parents. The greatest potential could exist in a church marriage record for Robert and his spouse. If that did exist, it likely would not contain details of parents, but, on occasions, they are mentioned.
On the question of Matilda Blackwood (KDSH-NJJ) suggested death record, the 1869 death record you proposed would seem to refer to her, in all probability.
One source of information you may not have explored is Griffith's Valuation. See below……
https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch
Blackwood is a very unusual name in Ireland, and that is a good thing. In the Griffith's Valuation of County Tyrone there are only three people with the surname Blackwood, and one of them is your Robert, living in Civil Parish of Tamlaght in the town of Coagh.
Griffith's valuation provides excellent mapped information of properties and locations of dwelling houses. Unfortunately, we would appear to have lost some of this information for Coagh. In the Griffith's map below, Area 43 is the town of Coagh. And from the Valuation Of Tenements document, we can see that Robert's dwelling was property number 44 situated in the town on the Arboe Road. There likely was a detailed map, at one time, showing the location of each numbered property inside Area 43, however, searching is not locating this.
Hope this is of value, John.
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I did some quick looking around and found a possible mother of Margaret, wife of Robert. Joyce Leeson, born 5 Nov 1694, married in Jun 1721, Kevin, Dublin Ireland. This information was found in Ancestry.com and if you do not have an account it may cost you to view the items that were located.
I would also recommend you take a trip through FamilySearch Wiki on the Ireland pages and look through all the help available in finding, family genealogies, birth and death certificates among just a few choices.
There is also a starter series for those in Ireland starting with Church records and goes onto other beginner help projects.
Hope any of this helps you to get started.
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Thank you both for your help!
@John Curran, thank you for your kind words. I’m relieved to hear I’m on the right track and thankful to be able to set realistic expectations. Knowing that Blackwood isn’t a typical name in Ireland is quite interesting, and also gives me a bit more confidence when looking at records in that area. I very much appreciate the map from Griffith’s Evaluation as well! Seeing the neighborhood Robert lived in adds so much depth to his story. Thank you!
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Hello again. I found a record of what I think is William Conyngham leasing land to Robert Blackwood, a carpenter in Coagh.
Since Conyngham was leasing land in Coagh to the Robert Blackwood I've been inquiring about (who was also a carpenter), I'm guessing there's a family connection. Can anyone tell me if the date for this is 1742 or 1792? Since two dates are included, I'm not sure how to interpret it. Thanks!
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/search-pronis-ecatalogue
PRONI reference: D847/6/9A/2
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Hello @GFre,
I wouldn't consider that the leasing of land and buildings to Robert Blackwood by William Conyngham would construe any form of family connection. Leasing was the normal business practice.
During the "Plantation of Ulster" from 1609 onwards, most of the lands of County Tyrone were confiscated from the native Irish Catholic people by the English crown and granted to wealthy English and Scottish landlords. This was done with the condition that the new landlords would bring in English and Scottish Protestant settlers and lease their new lands exclusively to these people (Planters). Thus, driving out the rebellious and troublesome Catholic natives and in the process disempowering them by making them homeless and destitute.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantation_of_Ulster
In this area of County Tyrone and County Londonderry, George Conyngham from Scotland was the new landlord. He built for his family the impressive Springhill House and among other things, founded the village of Coagh in County Tyrone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springhill_House
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coagh
William Conyngham is the descendent of the original George and it was he who granted leases to Robert Blackwood.
An area you would likely find profitable to investigate is the other people documented in Griffith's Valuation in County Tyrone and County Londonderry with the surname Blackwood.
As mentioned previously, there are only three people in County Tyrone shown with the Blackwood surname, and these are all grouped in the same locality, close to where Robert lived. Also, there is only one person with that name in the whole of County Londonderry, and that person is your same Robert Blackwood. The village of Coagh is right on the border of County Tyrone and County Londonderry. Robert would appear to have his home in the village of Coagh, and a small field of one acre just outside the village in the townland of Tamlaght in County Londonderry.
These three Blackwoods, Robert, Margaret and James, are likely related. Investigating all three families may reveal some interesting discoveries.
Hope this helps, John.
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Hi @John Curran. Thank you so much for all of this information! I really appreciate learning the history of the area. It's also so helpful to have a research plan and lots of new leads. I will definitely investigate the other Blackwoods in Griffith's Valuation.
I realize now that my post was entirely unclear. My apologies. By 'family connection', I meant that maybe the Robert Blackwood mentioned in this 1742 document could be related to the Robert Blackwood (b. 1791) that I was researching.
Since my Robert Blackwood was also a carpenter from Coagh, and Griffith's Valuation said the lessor of his land was also Wm Conyngham, it gave me pause the two Robert Blackwoods could be related. Maybe the elder Robert was a father, grandfather, uncle, or some other relation. I was wondering on the date, 1742 vs 1792, thinking it might give some clarity on that. From what you said though, it sounds like the later year recorded may just be which lessors own the land 50 years later.
I very much appreciate all of your help and time! Thank you.
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Hello @GFre
Regarding the question on whether there was a likelihood of a relationship between the Robert Blackwood mentioned on the 1742 document and the Robert born in 1791. I would think it reasonable to assume that there was indeed a relationship. We don't have a census from the 1700's, but given that the Griffith's Valuation of the 1850-60's tells us that there were only three families in the whole of Counties Tyrone and Londonderry at that time, and that these two Roberts reside in the small village of only 100 to 200 people, a relationship is almost certain. as you suggest farther to son or grandson is probable.
This is a very rare name in the area, and it originates in Ayrshire, Scotland. Also given the trade is the same, the chances of there not being a relationship seems improbable.
Regarding that dates you mention, 1742 and 1792 being included in the lease document. Unfortunately, the link you attached took me to a transcription of the original document. An image of the original document would be valuable, if you have found one. The positioning of the dates on the page in relation to the other words may offer a little more insight into their exact meaning.
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Hello @John Curran.
I'm so thankful for all of your help! I've not only learned considerable amounts about my family tree, but found many leads that I wouldn't have otherwise considered or known about. It's also been very helpful to get advice on what is and isn't reasonable in my research.
It sounds like ordering the original document might be helpful to determine the year. I will look into that.
Again, thank you so much!
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