Your post is a real eye-opener for me, Annie. Thank you! Until now, I've been treating PRONI's Guide to Church Records as the "Bible" of all remaining records for a congregation. Now, checking the list for Ballygawley Presbyterian (Errigal Keerogue) it lists the Birth and Marriage records available on microfilm, with no mention that the Session books are still in existence and in local custody. How did you ever track down this gem? Jeanne Towle Manitoba, Canada > From: Annie Crenshaw <crenshawannie@gmail.com> > > To: cotyronelist@list.cotyroneireland.com > Cc: > Bcc: > Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2025 08:33:24 -0500 > Subject: [CoTyroneMailingList] Question re 'seat ownership' (CoTyroneList > Digest, Vol 1799, Issue 1 > Question re 'seat ownership' (CoTyroneList Digest, Vol 1799, Issue 1) > > I've seen seat or pew holders' lists in County Tyrone's Protestant church > records, and as others can tell you, and you can also find information > on-line and in guide books, it was a way to generate income for the church > -- to pay the minister, for maintenance of the church buildings and > graveyard (if there was one), etc. Social rank was a common seating > arrangement: the most prominent families had pews closest to the pulpit. > > For instance, in Ballygawley Presbyterian church records, in the "Session" > books (not microfilmed by PRONI, but held locally by church officials), a > "Roll of Communicants" of the 1870s-1880s listed designated seat numbers > and names. Helpful genealogical details might be included. Here are > excerpts: > > Seat #9. Andrew Wiggam, Andrew Wiggam (son), Mary Wiggam, Wm. Duff, Andrew > Walker - Scotland, Robert Wiggam. > Seat #12. William Hadden - Dead ["William" crossed out, and "James" > written above that name], Mrs. Hadden (mother). James Irwin - dead, Sarah > Irwin. Widow Oliver, Thomas Oliver, Catherine Oliver, Jane Oliver - May > 1875 Mrs. Downe. Sarah Oliver - May 1875, Left. > Seat #13. Richard Robinson - dead, John Wiggam, Mrs. Wiggam - America. > Alexander Downs, Mrs. Downs - America. Margaret Stephenson - dead. > > Note: The parentheses are in the original ledger, not my additions. The > square brackets are mine. > > Annie C. > > >

Hi Annie, You have once again helped us all - thank you! Pat > On Aug 21, 2025, at 5:38 AM, Jeanne Towle via CoTyroneList <cotyronelist@list.cotyroneireland.com> wrote: > > Your post is a real eye-opener for me, Annie. Thank you! > > Until now, I've been treating PRONI's Guide to Church Records as the "Bible" of all remaining records for a congregation. > > Now, checking the list for Ballygawley Presbyterian (Errigal Keerogue) it lists the Birth and Marriage records available on microfilm, with no mention that the Session books are still in existence and in local custody. > > How did you ever track down this gem? > > Jeanne Towle > Manitoba, Canada > >> From: Annie Crenshaw <crenshawannie@gmail.com <mailto:crenshawannie@gmail.com>> >> To: cotyronelist@list.cotyroneireland.com <mailto:cotyronelist@list.cotyroneireland.com> >> Cc: >> Bcc: >> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2025 08:33:24 -0500 >> Subject: [CoTyroneMailingList] Question re 'seat ownership' (CoTyroneList Digest, Vol 1799, Issue 1 >> Question re 'seat ownership' (CoTyroneList Digest, Vol 1799, Issue 1) >> >> I've seen seat or pew holders' lists in County Tyrone's Protestant church records, and as others can tell you, and you can also find information on-line and in guide books, it was a way to generate income for the church -- to pay the minister, for maintenance of the church buildings and graveyard (if there was one), etc. Social rank was a common seating arrangement: the most prominent families had pews closest to the pulpit. >> >> For instance, in Ballygawley Presbyterian church records, in the "Session" books (not microfilmed by PRONI, but held locally by church officials), a "Roll of Communicants" of the 1870s-1880s listed designated seat numbers and names. Helpful genealogical details might be included. Here are excerpts: >> >> Seat #9. Andrew Wiggam, Andrew Wiggam (son), Mary Wiggam, Wm. Duff, Andrew Walker - Scotland, Robert Wiggam. >> Seat #12. William Hadden - Dead ["William" crossed out, and "James" written above that name], Mrs. Hadden (mother). James Irwin - dead, Sarah Irwin. Widow Oliver, Thomas Oliver, Catherine Oliver, Jane Oliver - May 1875 Mrs. Downe. Sarah Oliver - May 1875, Left. >> Seat #13. Richard Robinson - dead, John Wiggam, Mrs. Wiggam - America. Alexander Downs, Mrs. Downs - America. Margaret Stephenson - dead. >> >> Note: The parentheses are in the original ledger, not my additions. The square brackets are mine. >> >> Annie C. >> >> > ================================= > Send a Message to the List - cotyronelist@list.cotyroneireland.com > List Archive - https://list.cotyroneireland.com/empathy/list/cotyronelist.list.cotyroneireland.com > Join the list by sending an email to - cotyronelist-subscribe@list.cotyroneireland.com > To receive the Digest version, send an email to - jamckane@gmail.com > Unsubscribe by sending an email to - cotyronelist-unsubscribe@list.cotyroneireland.com > =================================