Diving Into Irish Genealogy: Molly (Hunter) Fyfe

I haven't really done any work on the Irish side of my husband's family, partly because not a lot is known about that branch of the family, and partly because I'm not very familiar with Irish resources.  Ancestry, upon which I rely a great deal, doesn't have a lot of great records for Ireland, and the site that does, RootsIreland, had a very messy and expensive pay-per-use billing system the last time I checked.  However, it has switched to a more reasonably priced time-based subscription service, so I have purchased a one-month subscription to try it out and see what I can find.  I'm excited since Molly, or Granny Fyfe as she was known to Doug and I, was a special person to us both.  I have very fond memories of her. 

Granny Fyfe on her motorcycle

Here's what I know about our Irish ancestors.  My husband's grandmother, Molly Fyfe, was born Mary Stewart Hunter.  Her marriage record names her parents as John Hunter and Annie McCarter.  Family oral reports say that she had a sister named Sarah, that her parents both died when the children were young, and that she and her sister were raised by a couple who lived in Scotland.  Their birth home was near Bush Mills, Ireland, which is in County Antrim.  From her marriage certificate we can calculate that she was born circa 1904.   We know her birthday was April 2nd.  There is a database on Ancestry, "Ireland, Civil Registration Birth Index 1864-1968" which has an entry for a Mary Stewart Hunter being born between April and June 1904 in Ballymoney, Ireland, but it has no additional data (parent's names, for example, or exact birth date).  I can't find a corresponding record on RootsIreland. This is almost certainly her, though--the name (including middle name), time frame, and place are all correct. 

I have located what looks like Molly's parents' marriage information on my first series of searches, so that's an encouraging start!  Unfortunately it is extracted information, so I can't see the original record, which is a little disappointing.  However, here is what the record says.

Date of Marriage:  October 24, 1900. 
Place:  Ballyrashane, Co. Derry, Ireland (Ballyrashane is near the border between Derry and Antrim, and has at various times been in either county)
Husband:  John Hunter, Occupation Farmer
Wife:  Annie McCarthur (sic), Occupation Domestic Servant
Husband's father:  James Hunter, Occupation Farmer
Witnesses:  Hugh Hunter, Sarah Taggart

The record tells us that neither John nor Annie had been previously married, and that they both belonged to the Church of Ireland.  John's address is given as Park Ballywillin, and Annie's address is given as Beardiville.  Unfortunately, Annie's parents names are not given, and we don't know the relationship of Hugh Hunter to John. 

I also found the marriage record of Molly's sister Sarah Hunter.

Date of Marriage:  February 18, 1915
Place of Marriage: Agherton, Co. Derry
Husband:  Charles Frederick Bacon, Occupation Fisherman
Wife:  Sarah Hunter
Husband's father:  James Bacon, Occupation Fisherman
Wife's father:   John Hunter, Occupation Farmer
Witnesses:  William Shaw, Sarah Ann Hunter

Again, this is a first marriage for them both, and they are married in the Church of Ireland.  Both Sarah and Charles give their address as Heathmount Portstewart.  

On the National Archives of Ireland website, I also found an index of wills which includes a listing for John Hunter, Molly's father. His executors include a man named John Taggart (remember that a Sarah Taggart was a witness at his wedding).  Are the Taggart family friends or relatives?  



Hunter John [30] 14 January Probate of the Will (and one Codicil) of John Hunter late of West Park County Antrim Farmer who died 27 July 1906 granted at Dublin to David Huey M.D. and John Taggart Farmer.  Effects 247 19s. 6d.

 John's wife Annie Hunter left less than half of her husband's estate.  She has named the same two executors as her late husband. 

Hunter Annie [329] 6 May.  Probate of the Will of Annie Hunter late of West Park County Antrim Widow who died 10 March 1914 granted at Dubin (sic) to David Huey M.D. and John Taggart Farmer Effects 120 14s. 6d. 

There is also a record of the will of John's father James.

Hunter James [295] 19 August. The Will of James Hunter late of Park County Antrim who died 24 June 1889 at same place was proved at Belfast by Sarah Ann Hunter Widow and John Hunter Farmer both of Park the Executors.  Effects 401 9s. 3d.

The wills themselves can apparently be ordered from the Archives, but they're pricey.

Census records can be searched on the Irish Archives website.  Again, the information is transcribed.
I found Molly and her family on the 1911 census, which was quite exciting!  Notice that the Hunter family is now described as Presbyterian rather than Church of Ireland.  Annie, who would die in 1914, was apparently already ill, as there is a nurse in residence.  The ages allow us to calculate birth years.  The "extra information" on the census shows that Annie said she was born in Derry County, Ireland.

And here is the 1901 census, which shows Stewart Hunter, John's nephew, living with the couple.

John's brothers Thomas and Hugh are living close by in 1901.

In 1911 Thomas is no longer part of Hugh's household, but Hugh has a wife and children.  Could this Sarah Ann Hunter, 5 years old in 1911, could be the Sarah Ann Hunter who witnesses Sarah Hunter's marriage to Charles Bacon in 1915?  She would be quite young.  Or is there another Sarah Ann in the family somewhere? 

Although the age is slightly off, I believe this is the same Thomas Hunter, now living with another sibling in West Park, Beardiville.

If we look for Mary Anne Hunter in the 1901 census, it's not clear where she's living--she's marked as a "visitor" in the Mc Afee household.  It's possible that she's really living with Thomas and Hugh, or with other relatives.

Apparently much of Ireland's census information from the 1800s was destroyed during wartime.  I can't find anything earlier relating to this family.

Ancestry ("Ireland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1620-1911) has a birth record extract for John Hunter's brother Hugh Hunter.  Hugh was born on October 10, 1865, at Bushmills, Antrim, Ireland, to James Hunter and Sarah Ann Godfrey (FHL film number 101115).  RootsIreland does not have a corresponding record.

Finally, a bit of speculation.  There is a marriage record for a Stewart Hunter, a grocer in Coleraine, Derry,  marrying a Jane Andrews on July 17, 1849.  Could this be a relative? Stewart is certainly a name which has come down in the family.