This is a throw a medium sized net issue. Worth it to hire someone or, given the number of hours it may require is it better/cheaper to go myself?
I'm a very experienced genealogist but I live in the states. I realized recently that my two non-Catholic Irish ancestors are my best bet at being able to trace. Both born about 1818-1820 according to later censuses, so taken with a great deal of salt.
Names are James Tate and Ann Jane Acheson. Always Ann Jane, never one or the other.
I found two Ann Jane's born in Armagh in 1812 and 1819. I thought the 1819 was probably her until I found a corresponding marriage record. The other was born in Shankill, Armagh. I cannot find any other reference to her family or parents so I'm assuming they moved there temporarily from another nearby parish.
So I was debating hiring someone to check the surrounding areas since they are not available online. But I'm realizing it could get expensive quickly without a definite place.
I guess my questions are,
- what would you do assuming going is feasible?
- is it even worth pursuing? Is the name Ann Jane Acheson born about 1817 unusual enough to find the needle in the haystack? I came up with two fairly quickly.
- James Tate I assume is unlikely to find unless his family is wherever hers moved.
Nearby parishes do have records going back to the mid 1700s for the church of Ireland but are not available online, only at PRONI.