I’ve decided to revisit my Irish forebears in an attempt to learn more about them before their life in New Brunswick–particularly my gg-grandmother, Annie Murphy Neill. This is a copy of the marriage bond signed by her husband Samuel Neill and Edward Durbin. Durbin does not appear to have been related to the family (he was born in England–the Neills were both Irish and his wife was not a Murphy or Neill before her marriage).
I realized that I had never researched the witness on this bond–who could easily just be a warm body or someone of significance. The difficulty is in reading the name.
My guess is that the last name is Drury, but the initials are more of a mystery.
This image came from the microfilmed copy of the marriage bonds at the Family History Library–obtained from the New Brunswick Provincial Archives.
In hindsight, I wish I knew whether the document that was filmed was the original bond or a transcription of it. I’m glad that I know where I got this record, but now I need to know where the “microfilmer” got it as well.
3 Responses
Looks like J H to me…
I agree with Ruth. The second initial definitely looks like a capital H, which makes the first letter look like a J.
The initials may be W C; maybe NC. however the last initial could be an “H.” Are there any other records available that list individuals in the area — census, perhaps to identify the witness?