Cock Fighting
The following is from the Belfast Newsletter dated Tue 3rd March – Fri 6th March 1778 and appears with permission of the Belfast Newsletter.
Cock-fighting
A Main of Cocks to be fhewn at Antrim, on the 14th of this Month, between the Gentlemen of Killead and the Gentlemen of Ballymena, for fifty Guineas the Main or odd Battle, and two Guineas each Battle, to be fought the week following. All Difputes to be decided by the Judges of the Pit. Antrim, March 3d, 1778.
1810 Antrim Sessions
The following is an extract from the Belfast Newsletter dated 12th January 1810 and is reproduced here by permission of the Belfast News Letter
COUNTY OF ANTRIM SESSIONS
Commenced at Carrickfergus on Monday last. The Civil Bill business occupied the Court from Monday morning, till Tuesday at noon; and the Crown business was then proceeded on, and ended on Wednesday night.
Francis Davis and Henry Dupre were indicted for an assault on Mr. M. Blair – found guilty, and sentenced to one months imprisonment.
J. Knox, for an assault on R. Tarburn, submitted; the Chairman having read the examinations, and finding the assault sworn to was of a very serious nature, after giving him an appropriate admonition, sentenced him to one months imprisonment, and to remain in custody till he procured security to keep the peace.
Alex. Garland and Samuel Smith, both of the Parish of Killead, were indicted for an assault on Sarah Donnelly; and it appeared from the evidence, that traversers, with many others, had seized prosecutor on the King’s high way, near Crumlin, and had forced her upon a horse, and taken her thus, with a drum and fife playing behind the horse, from thence through the town of Antrim, on the market day, and from thence to Magill’s Town, and by this means (as the party called it) drummed her out of the parish of Killead, on account of a report they alleged she had made respecting some people in that parish of a very extraordinary nature, and which, from motives of delicacy, and the feelings of the persons concerned, we decline to publish. Traversors were on the clearest evidence found guilty; and the Chairman, after expatiating at some length on the enormity of their offence, in the midst of a country heretofore quiet and peaceable, and by persons of a decent appearance, whose duty it was to protect, rather than commit such an outrage, particularly on a female – sentenced them to six months imprisonment.
1810 Yeomanry Promotions
The following extract is from The Belfast Newsletter dated Friday February 16th 1810. It is reproduced with permission of the Belfast Newsletter.
Yeomanry promotions
Killead Riflemen – Second lieutenant Robert Macauley to be 2nd Captain, vice James Macauley resigned.
Marriage – Dunlop/Moore
The following is an extract from the Belfast Newsletter dated 27th July 1810 and is reproduced here by permission of the Belfast News Letter
Married
A few days ago, by the Rev. Mr Alexander, Mr. William Dunlop of Antrim to Miss Jane Moore of Killead.
Marriage – Moore/Stitt
The following is an extract from the Belfast Newsletter dated 4th December 1810 and is reproduced here by permission of the Belfast News Letter
On Tuesday the 4th inst, by the Rev Mr Nelson, of Downpatrick, Mr. William Moore of Killead to Miss Isabella Stitt of Ballywarren.
Attempt at Murder
The following extract is from the Belfast Newsletter dated 25th April 1843 and appears with permission of the Belfast Newsletter.
The late attempt at murder, in Killead
Poor Thomson is still alive, but suffering great agony – His recovery is very doubtful. James Brackin, on of the individuals who was identified by Thompson, when he swore informations before Mr. Whitla, is still at large – Thompson thinks that a person named William Brackin was another of the men who so violently assaulted him; but he cannot positively state that he is correct in his opinion. It appears that a warrant has for nine months been in the hands of the Constabulary, for the apprehension of this person, who is charged with a felony; and that he has not yet been arrested, although constantly to be seen in the neighbourhood. James Brackin had been in the kitchen with Thompson, for a short time, on the evening in question; but he left it previous to Thompson’s going out; and it was on entering the stable, where the ruffians were concealed, that he was attacked. Brackin first struck him with a grape, and Phillips afterwards, with a stick, whereupon the latter asked him where were now his gun and pistol. From the injury the poor man here received, he became insensible, and is unable to tell what occurred for some time afterwards. On recovering the use of his faculties, he found himself lying in a ditch as before described’ and with great difficulty crawled into his own house, but was unable to get into bed. A handkerchief was knotted very firmly around his neck – About twenty shillings and his watch had been abstracted from him; but the key of the door remained in a pocket which, is supposed, was not searched. James Brackin is about twenty-one years of age; five feet nine inches high; gross made; very thick lipped; of a surly look; and wide visaged. His hair is a brown sandy colour; his front teeth are broad; and he speaks rather fast and thick. It is considered that the Brackins and their associates have, for years, been the perpetrators of many robberies, and other depredations, that were committed in this neighbourhood.
Coroner’s Inquest — Kilpatrick
The following is an extract from the Belfast Newsletter dated Tuesday 2nd April 1861 and is reproduced with permission of the Belfast Newsletter.
Coroner’s Inquest – Thursday last, an inquest was held by John Jellet, Esq., in the parish of Killead, on view of the body of a man named Kilpatrick. From the evidence it appeared that the deceased had been seen somewhat the worse for drink, but able to take care of himself, on the evening of the preceding Monday, about eight o’clock. On Tuesday morning he was found, apparently sleeping, in a cart, in the shed of Alexander Robb, of Ballytweedy. Robb was unable to awake him, and sent for the deceased’s brother, who refused to come. The deceased remained in the cart during the entire day; and, strange as it may appear, was allowed to remain there without assistance during the entire following night! On Wednesday morning he was found dead. The jury returned a verdict that death had resulted from drunkenness and exposure to cold; and they added a remark that proper care had not been taken of the deceased when first discovered. The coroner expatiated in severe terms upon the gross neglect and inhumanity of Robb and the deceased’s brother; and regretted that the law did not permit the jury to return a verdict of manslaughter against the partied – a finding to which they had felt very much disposed – Ballymena Observer.
Pauper Lunatic returned to Antrim
The following extract is from the Belfast Newsletter dated Thursday 18th July 1861 and is reproduced with permission of the Belfast Newsletter.
Antrim Petty Sessions July 17th 1861
(Before Geo. J. Clarke and T. Montgomery, esqrs.)
Extraordinary Case.
A person named Whiteside was brought up before the magistrates as a dangerous lunatic. It appeared that he was originally from Killead, but had been residing for several years in Greenock, Scotland. He was committed there by the magistrates as a dangerous pauper lunatic, and in order to get rid of the expense, the authorities there shipped him to Ireland, and sent him to custody to Antrim. There being no magistrate then at home, he was forwarded to Toome to the nearest magistrate, Mr. Butler, R.M., by whom, for want of a second magistrate to adjudicate, he was remanded to the Petty Sessions of Antrim on this day, and thus came before Mr. Clarke and Mr. Montgomery. It appeared that, when the Greenock authorities got him landed in the bride well in Antrim, they left him there and returned home. There was no person to sustain any charge against him, nor was there any person to take charge of him. The magistrates did not know what to do, and, having remanded him for another week to the bride well, they sent up all the documents to the law adviser at Dublin Castle.
Right to the presentation of the parson
The following is an extract from the Belfast Newsletter dated 31st July 1861 and appears with permission of the Belfast Newsletter.
Richard Wm. Whalley v The Right Hon. John Viscount Massereene and other.
This was an action of quare impedit, o try the right to the presentation of the parson to the parish of Killead, near the town of Antrim, in this county.
The pleadings were framed under the old system and it appeared that the plaintiff is a gentleman of fortune, resident in the County of Wicklow, and is the eldest son and heir-at-law of the celebrated Mr. Whalley. The plaintiff avowed that, in 1778, Clotworthy Earl of Massereene, being seized of the advowson of Killead, presented the Rev. John C. Skeffington as clerk thereto; that on June 12th 1793 that earl conveyed the advowson to Wm. Whalley, Esq., in fee; that said Wm. Whalley conveyed the same to Bernard Ward, clerk, who, in 1801, regranted same to Mr. Whalley; that the church being vacant by the death of the said John C. Skeffington, John Earl of Massereene usurped the right and presented the Rev. Bernard O Doran thereto. In 1815, the Rev. Mr. Doran having died, Chichester Earl of Massereene again usurped the right, and presented the Rev. Wm. G. Macartney thereto; that the said William Whalley died seized of the advowson, and devised same to the plaintiff in fee. The church being vacant by the death of the said Rev. Wm. G. Macartney, the defendants hindered the plaintiff from presenting thereto. Other counts averred the devise from William Whalley to the plaintiff of the advowson, being for like instead of in fee, and that plaintiff’s title is as heir-at-law of William Whalley. The plaintiff has presented the Rev. Skeffington Thompson to the living.
The defendants pleaded that Chichester Earl of Massereene, being seized in fee, presented the Rev. Wm.G. Macartney to the living; and, on the death of the earl, his only daughter and heiress-at-law, Harriett, became seized, and on her death, the defendant became seized, and conveyed to the defendant, John Carlisle, the right to nominate to the next vacancy; and the church becoming vacant in 1858 by the death of Mr. Macartney, the defendants, Viscount Massereene and John Carlisle, presented there to the Rev. Roger Bickerstaffe, who was inducted therein on the 14th January, 1859.
Mr. Ferguson, Q.C., in stating the plaintiff’s case said that shortly after the grant was made in 1793, Colonel Whalley, the granter, went to travel on the Continent, and was taken prisoner in common with other Englishmen, by order of Napoleon Bonaparte, who detained him in durance vile till after the peace of 1815, and it was during that time that the Earl of Massereene, taking advantage of his absence, had presented to the living.
A large number of deeds and other documents were put in.
Mr. Joy, Q.C., then proceeded to address the jury for the defendant. He said he had never witnessed so barefaced an attempt to dispossess parties from property which they had enjoyed peaceably and quietly for more than two generations, and which they believed to be their rightful property. The advowson was worth five hundred pounds a year, and was it to be supposed that it would have been permitted to remain in abeyance for such a length of time? It would not have been claimed if the right had existed. The deed of grant stated that it was made to old Mr. Whalley by the then Lord Massereene in consideration of the love and affection which he bore him, and there was no consideration of any kind whatever mentioned, and the jury must presume that the advowson had been reconvened to Lord Massereene, although the deed could not be produced. Supposing the deed of 1793 had been executed, it had never been acted on, but that the Massereene family had exercised the right in that question.
Documentary evidence was then given on the part of the defendant.
His Lordship, in charging the jury, said that the main question for them was, whether there had been a reconveyance to Lord Massereene; and seeing that the reconveyance by Mr. Ward to Mr. Whalley was on the 1st April, 1801, while Lord Massereene had exercised the right of presentation on the 8th July in the same year, the jury were at liberty to find upon the evidence that there had been a reconveyance to Lord Massereene in the interval; and were equally at liberty, if they thought fit, to find that there had not been such a reconveyance.
Mr. Ferguson, Q.C., took exception to the latter part of the judge’s charge, on the ground that, as the action had been brought within the time fixed by statute, the jury were not at liberty, without distinct evidence of the fact, to find that any deed of reconveyance had been executed.
The jury, after consulting together for nearly an hour and a half, found that Mr. Whalley had not reconvened, and fixed the damages by consent at £250 – half a year’s value.
His Lordship, on the finding as to the registration of one of the deeds, directed a verdict for the defendant, with 6d costs.
Counsel for the plaintiff – Messrs. Ferguson, Q.C., Law, Q.C., and Harrison. Attorney – Mr. M.C. Magan. Counsel for defendants – Messrs. Joy, Q.C., Kernan, Q.C., and May. Attorneys – Messrs. Meade & Colles.
Theft of Sheep
The following is an extract from the Northern Whig dated 18th July 1867
Sheep Stealing.
On Tuesday night, a respectable farmer, residing at Killead, lost four ewes and seven lambs from his field. On missing them in the morning he set out for Belfast, and tracked them for some four miles from his house. Having arrived in Belfast he gave information to the police, and the detectives are now on the "look-out" for the missing property, and it is to be hoped their efforts may be attended with success, as there is little doubt that the sheep were stolen from the field.
Death Notice — Sarah Nelson
The following extract is from The Northern Whig and Post dated 22nd August 1867.
Deaths
Nelson – August 12, at Finnard, Newry, Sarah, relict of the late John Nelson, Killead, County Antrim.
Killead Farmer Drunk in Waring Street
The following extract is from the Belfast Newsletter dated 18th October 1867 and appears with permission of the Belfast Newsletter.
Belfast Police Court – yesterday.
Drunk in charge of a horse and cart.Andrew Robb, a farmer from Killead, was brought up, charged with having been drunk in Waring Street the previous day, while in charge of a horse and cart.
Sub Constable Evans proved the offence.
As the prisoner was a stranger in town, and had never been proved guilty of a similar offence before the Bench merely fined him in 5s and costs.
Mr Craig – Tariff Reform and the Budget
The following extract is from the Belfast Newsletter dated 21st January 1910 and appears with permission of the Belfast Newsletter.
Meeting at Dundrod.
Another meeting, held in Dundrod Orange Hall, was presided over by Mr. William Higginson, J.P., and there was a large attendance, Mr. Craig, who was accompanied by Mrs. Craig, spoke at considerable length on Tariff Reform and the Budget, and showed that it was impossible for Mr. Clow with any sense of consistency to describe himself as a Unionist. A vote of confidence in the candidate was carried in a very enthusiastic manner. Subsequently Mr. Craig addressed a third meeting at Killead, where he also met with a very encouraging reception.
Killead Ploughing Society Competition
The following extract is from The Lisburn Standard, 11th February 1944.
Killead Ploughing Society
Record entry at CompetitionThere was a record entry at the Killead Ploughing Society’s annual competition held on Saturday on the farm of Mr. R.J.Wilson, Tully, Killead.There were 64 entries – 48 in the tractor classes and 16 in the horse classes, while there was also a very large number of spectators from all over the Province.
The judges were Messrs. David Pedlow, Lisburn; James Foreman, Lisburn; Hugh Gray, Finvoy; John Black and John Hart, Coleraine and James Morrow, Bangor.
Awards:-
Horse section – Open class 1 and Killultagh Cup – John Walker, Randalstown; 2. R.J. Andrews, Toomebridge; 3. J Pinkerton, Crumlin; 4. Harold Campbell, Crumlin. Confined – 1 and Gallaher Cup – Eric Dawson, Crumlin; 2. Thomas George, Kilcross; 3. John Graham, Dundrod; 4. W.J. Pedlow, Crumlin.
Turn-outs – 1 and Gallaher Cup – Kirker Porter, Crumlin; 2. Andrew Pinkerton, Nutt’s Corner; 3. John Graham, Dundrod
Tractor section – Open class – 1 and Erwin Cup – R.A. Erwin, Kilcross; 2. Robert Holland, Randalstown; 3. D. Stewart, Ballyhill;4. Arthur Harkness, Seacash; 5. Isaac Erwin, Randalstown
Confined – 1 and Fastol Cup – Joseph Price, Crumlin; 2. J Banford, Ballynure; 3. L. Gilliland, Ballyrobin; 4. E. Burnside, Grange; 5. O Gorman, Tully; 6 J. McCulloch, Randalstown.
Hydraulic ploughs – 1. J. Christie, Crumlin; 2. J. Gilliland, Ballyrobin; 3. R. McCosh, Randalstown; 4. S. Calvert, Dundrod; 5. Wilfred Gray, Dunadry.
Cup presented by York Street Flax Spinning Company for best work by a member of a young farmers’ club – Joseph Price, Crumlin. Oldest ploughman – John McPeake, Crumlin; Youngest ploughman – J. Mulholland, Glenavy.
Special prizes for best work by members of Crumlin Young Farmers’ Club – Joseph Price and John Price.
Mrs. Wilson, Antrim, presented the prizes. Votes of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were proposed by Mr. George Thompson, J.P., president of the Society and seconded by Mr. Hugh Minford, M.P.
45th Annual Ploughing Match
The following extract is from The Ulster Star dated 21st January 1961 and appears with permission of The Ulster Star.
Killead Ploughing Society
The 45th Annual Ploughing matchWill be held on Saturday, 4th February, 1961 on the farm of Mr. George Scott, Carmavey, Muckamore (by kind permission of Mr. William Rea)
Schedules may be obtained from the Hon. Secretary,
A.M. McFarlane, Gortnagallon House, Crumlin.
Killead Lady is UTV Compere
The following extract is from The Ulster Star dated 21st January 1961 and appears with permission of The Ulster Star.
Killead Lady is UTV commere
Miss Mary Morrison, whose family farmed at Killead, in County Antrim for more than 200 years, is the newest face on local women’s television programmes. She is assistant commere to Betty Ellis on the U.T.V. programme "Women Only."
Miss Morrison is a senior speech and drama lecturer at Stranmillis Training College, Belfast, and she is also a lecturer and actress. An "Old Girl" of Victoria College, she has acted with various drama companies, such as the Colchester Repertory, the Savoy Players, the Little Theatre and the Group Theatre.
For the past nine years she has lectured at Stranmillis, and has produced plays for the College drama society, including their prize-winning play "Romanoff and Juliet" in the Universities’ Festival two years ago.
Miss Morrison will be an adjudicator in the speech and drama section of Dungannon Music Festival in March and is on the drama committees of Northern Ireland Council of Social Services and C.E.M.A.
Prize Distribution and Film Show
The following is from The Ulster Star dated 18th February 1961 and appears with permission of the Ulster Star.
Killead Ploughing Society
The Annual Prize Distribution and Film Show followed by Dance
Will be held in Ballyhill Orange Hall, on Friday, 24th February, 1961 at 8 pm
Admission 4 shillings (inc. supper)