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| Grandfather's Birth Cert, from Ballymena, in 2018. No. 113 is "Andrew Forsythe", paternal grandfather, born in Northern Ireland in 1876. |
The "Forsythes" with an "e" are the ones that live in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Without the "e" it's the Scottish Forsyth's.
The Forsythes with an "e" likely were forced out of Scotland or were "encouraged" out of Scotland and to Northern Ireland in the 17th or 18th Centuries. State-sponsored colonization, known as the Plantation of Ulster.
I may look further. Or maybe not.
Should we Forsythes with an "e" be allowed a Right of Return? To Ballymena in Northern Ireland? Or to Scotland?
For the Record. A summary of a longer convo. From Google's Gemini AI:
Family History Research Report: The Forsythe Family of County Antrim
1. Decoded Birth Registry Details (11 February 1876)
- Child's Full Name: Andrew Forsythe
- Date of Birth: 11 February 1876
- Place of Birth: Tullybane (Tullynewy), Civil Parish of Dunaghy, County Antrim, Ireland
- Father's Name: Thomas Forsythe
- Father's Profession: Farmer
- Mother's Name: Bessie Forsythe (formerly Stewart)
- Registration District: Clough (within the Superintendent Registrar's District of Ballymena)
- Informant: Matilda McCormack (Present at birth; signed with her mark
+, indicating she was illiterate; likely a midwife, aunt, or grandmother living in Tullybane) - Date Registered: 29 February 1876
- Registrar: John Wiley
2. Historic & Cultural Insights
- The "E" Ending: The spelling of Forsythe with an "e" heavily signifies the family’s transition into Northern Ireland and distinguishes this branch from the traditional Scottish Forsyth.
- Ancestral Ties: Both parental surnames (Forsythe and Stewart) are classic Lowland Scottish names, confirming a deeply rooted Ulster-Scots Presbyterian heritage.
- The Local Economy: Being a farmer in Dunaghy parish during the late 19th century meant dealing with the fallout of the Irish Land War. Andrew likely chose to migrate to Australia due to agricultural hardships, lack of land ownership opportunities for younger sons, or targeted recruitment by Australian colonies looking for experienced farmers.
3. Strategic Next Steps for Records Research
Step A: Uncover Andrew's Grandfathers (The Marriage Certificate)
To extend your tree back another generation, you need to find the marriage record of Thomas Forsythe and Bessie Stewart. This will explicitly name the grandfathers of Andrew.
- Where to Search: IrishGenealogy.ie (Free, official historic civil records site).
- Search Strategy: Search "Civil Marriages" using Thomas Forsythe and Bessie Stewart (or Elizabeth Stewart) in the Ballymena district. Narrow the timeline from 1864 to 1875.
- What to look for: The certificate will list the names and occupations of both fathers (Andrew's grandfathers) and the exact Presbyterian church where they wed.
Step B: Pinpoint the Exact Family Farm Plots
Because the family remained in the same parish for generations, you can find exactly which fields Andrew grew up on.
- Where to Search: AskAboutIreland.ie - Griffith’s Valuation (Free land records mapped between 1847 and 1864).
- Search Strategy: Look for Thomas Forsythe (or an older relative like a William or John Forsythe) in County Antrim, parish of Dunaghy, townland of Tullynewy or Tullybane.
- What to look for: Note the plot number. Use the website’s map overlay slider to look at the 19th-century plot borders directly over modern satellite Google Maps.
Step C: Track the Farm Succession
To see who inherited the family farm after Andrew left for Australia, bridge the timeline gap using the land revision tax records.
- Where to Search: PRONI Valuation Revision Books (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland).
- Search Strategy: Search their digital land books for Dunaghy Parish covering 1864 to 1910.
- What to look for: Look for the Forsythe farm plot. You will physically see names crossed out in colored inks when a relative passed away and a new family member took over the tenancy.
Step D: Discover Andrew's Australian Arrival
To close the loop on his migration story around the turn of the century, look for his ship logs.
- Where to Search: The State Archives of his arrival destination (e.g., NSW State Archives for Sydney or Public Record Office Victoria for Melbourne).
- Search Strategy: Look for "Andrew Forsythe" (or Forsyth) in passenger arrival indexes between 1895 and 1905.
- What to look for: Look for listings noted as an "assisted immigrant" or "agricultural laborer," which confirms he was recruited to farm Australian soil.
To keep tracking Andrew's path down under, let me know if you know which Australian state he first lived in or if he married in Australia.
