Ballyvollen Townland, Camlin

Death Notice – James Smyth

The following is an extract from the Belfast Newsletter dated 15th September, 1829 and appears with permission of the Belfast Newsletter.

Died. Lately at Pigeontown, parish of Glenavy, where he had gone for restoration of health, Mr James Smyth, of Lisburn aged 40 years. For upwards of twenty years he had acted as clerk in the Marquis of Hertford’s office. In this situation he conducted himself with such honour, integrity, and faithfulness, as merited and obtained the unqualified esteem of those with whom he was connected. A widow with a very numerous family, remains to deplore the loss they have sustained by his premature death.

Freehold Registration, 1830

The following is an extract from The Belfast News Letter dated 6th April 1830 and is used with permission of The Belfast Newsletter.

The following names are taken from a list of persons applying to register their Freeholds at the next General Quarter Sessions of the Peace to be held in Belfast.

No. 34

Name and Residence of Applicant: Daniel Keeland Ballyvolin
Description of Freehold, with the names of Barony and Townland in which situated: Houses and land, Upper Massereene, townland of Ballyvolin
Yearly Value to be registered: £10

Freehold Registration, 1831

The following is an extract from The Belfast Newsletter dated 30th September 1831 and is used with permission of The Belfast Newsletter.

The following names are taken from a list of persons applying to register their Freeholds at a General Quarter Sessions of the Peace to be held in Belfast on the 24th October, 1831.

No. 159

Name and Residence of Applicant: William McNeice, Ballyvollen
Description of Freehold, with the names of Barony and Townland in which situated: House and land, Upper Massereene, town land of Ballyvollen
Yearly Value to be registered: £10

Oakman v Harcourt

The following is an extract from The Belfast Newsletter dated 18th March 1865 and is used with permission from The Belfast Newsletter.

County of Antrim
Record Court – Yesterday

Chief- Justice Monahan came into court at ten o’clock, and continued the hearing of Record Cases.

John Oakman and others v William Harcourt.

This was an action of ejectment on the title. The farm in dispute is situate in Upper Malone, near Belfast, and is known by the name of Myrtlefield. It contains 18a 1r 13p and was subject to a yearly rent of £28. The lease was for three lives, one of whom was still alive. The original proprietor was Wm. Oakman of Pigeontown, near Crumlin, and by him it was settled on his daughter, Susanna Oakman, her heirs and assigns, on the occasion of her marriage with Wm. Shoebridge. The issue of marriage were two children, both of whom emigrated to America when very young, and are since reported as dead. The mother also died, and William Oakman, the present plaintiff, was appointed a trustee for his sister’ children, and in that capacity he sought to eject William Harcourt, who was merely a nominal defendant. After the death of Susanna Shoebridge her husband again married, and the issue of the marriage was a son named John McCaghey Shoebridge. The question arose who was the legal heir – whether it was the present plaintiff, or his elder brother, of John McCaghey Shoebridge.

The jury, by his lordship’s direction, returned a verdict for the plaintiff for £14 rent. The point of law in dispute was reserved for discussion in the Court of Common Pleas, for which purpose execution was stayed till the 1st May next.

Landed Estates records

Sir Richard Wallace – Consolidated Final Notice to land owners and occupiers. 24th October 1877

I have been given copies of printed landed estates records still in possession of local families.

Unfortunately they have "seen better days." I have transcribed as much of the document as possible.

The 1877 estate map of Sir Richard Wallace showing part of Aghnadarragh and Ballyvollen

The 1877 estate map of Sir Richard Wallace showing part of Aghnadarragh and Ballyvollen

The 1877 estate map of Sir Richard Wallace showing part of Aghnadarragh and Ballyvollen

The 1877 estate map of Sir Richard Wallace showing part of Aghnadarragh and Ballyvollen

The 1877 estate map of Sir Richard Wallace showing part of Ballysessy and Ballyvollen

The 1877 estate map of Sir Richard Wallace showing part of Ballysessy and Ballyvollen

(Notice No.1, Map no 1 –Camlin…)
Landed Es…
Consolidated Final Notice….Owners and Occupiers.
In the matter of the Estate of Sir Richard Wallace, Bart, and M.P., Owner and Petitioner.
To all whom it may Concern.
The Landed Estates Court, Ireland, has ordered the title of the said Sir Richard Wallace to (amongst others) the towns, lands, hereditaments, and premises hereinafter mentioned to be investigated, and a Judicial Declaration made thereon, that the said Sir Richard Wallace has a good and sufficient title to the towns and lands of Aughnadarragh, otherwise…… Ballydonaghy (part of), Ballysessy otherwise Ballycessy (part of),… Ballyvollin, Gobrana otherwise Gobb (part of), Landgarve (part of)… 0 roods and 5 perches statute measure, and all situate in the Barony…… Parish of Camlin, and County of Antrim, all held in fee simple, and which….agreements for lease, rights of common, rights of turbary, rights of way, and other rights and casements set forth in the schedule hereto.
If any person alleges that he has any interest in said premises, not derived under said leases, agreements, or tenancies, or that his interest is incorrectly stated, or claims any right of common, or of cutting turf, right of way, or other easement affecting any of the said lands, and not admitted in the said schedule, or any objection to the boundaries as delineated on the said map, he must lodge his objection, in writing, with the Clerk of the records of the said Court, on or before the 22nd day of December next, otherwise his interest will be barred and concluded by said Judicial Declaration; and said map will be treated as conclusive and binding on all persons whoever. And such objection must be verified by affidavit, entitled as above, and sworn, if out of Dublin, before one of the Commissioners to administer Oaths in Chancery, and transmitted under cover, sealed with the seal of the said Commissioners.
And Notice is also given to the Owners and Occupiers of adjoining… that I have fixed Wednesday, the 16th day of January next, at my Char… Estates Court, Inn’s-quay, for the settlement of the Rental of said Prem… person interested is at liberty to attend.
Dated this 24th day of October 1877.
F.L. James McDonnell,…
(Seal)
Longfield, Davidson & Kelly,
Having Carriage of said Order.
62 Upper Sackville –street, Dublin; and Dungannon

Ballyvollen

Rights of Way, and other Easements, admitted to exist.
The right of the public to use the roads marked on the map "County Road" will be preserved in the Declaration of Title.

All such rights as at present exist in respect of the waters of the Glenavy River, which forms the southern and western boundaries of this townland, will be preserved in the Declaration of Title.

Number on map: unreadable
Tenants’ Names: unreadable
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £2 1s 6d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 2a 2r 1p
Tenure of each Tenant: Tenant from Year to year, tenancy commenced on 1st November.

Number on map: unreadable
Tenants’ Names: unreadable
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £14 0s 6d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 14a 3r 24p
Tenure of each Tenant: Lease dated 1st day of September, 1127 from Francis Marquis of Hertford to Henry Bell, for the life of William Ingram, or for the term of 21 years from the 1st November, 1811, at the yearly rent of £18 19s 10d., with 18s 11d. yearly for receiver’s salary; and at the additional rent of £3. 10s. yearly in case of assignment (save as therein mentioned) without the consent of lessor. The acreage given in lease is 12a.3r 20p.; the quantity here stated is taken from the ordnance surveyor’s report. The rent reserved by this lease has been reduced to the amount stated in rent column, which is the amount of rent and fees now payable for this holding.

Number on map: unreadable
Tenants’ Names: unreadable
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £16 0s 0d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 16a 0r 25p
Tenure of each Tenant: Lease dated 1st day of September, 1812 from Francis Marquis of Hertford to Daniel Mulholland, for the life of Susan Mulholland, or for the term of 21 years from the 1st November, 1811, at the yearly rent of £23 8s 3d., with £1 3s 4d. yearly for receiver’s salary; and at the additional rent of £5 yearly in case of assignment (save as therein mentioned) without the consent of lessor. The acreage given in the lease is 15a.0r 17p.; the quantity here stated is taken from the ordnance surveyor’s report. The rent reserved by this lease has been reduced to the amount stated in rent column, which is the amount of rent and fees now payable for this holding.

Number on map: unreadable
Tenants’ Names: unreadable
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £16 8s 6d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 20a 1r 8p
Tenure of each Tenant: Lease dated 1st day of August, 1836 from Francis Charles Marquis of Hertford to Dolway Bell, for the lives and life the said Dolway Bell, John Bell and Robert Bell, at the yearly rent of £47 17s., with £2 8s for receiver’s salary. The acreage given in lease is 18a.3r 4p as in this townland. This lease includes 38a 2r 36p of the lands of Aghnadarragh (being tenancy No 7 in that townland, and there as 38a 0r 8p). The amount stated in rent column is the proportion of rent and fees payable for the portion of this townland thereby demised. The quantity here stated is taken from the ordnance surveyors report.

Number on map: unreadable
Tenants’ Names: unreadable
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £7 1s 0d & £6 1s 0d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 12a 2r 14p
Tenure of each Tenant: Tenant from Year to year, tenancies commenced on 1st November. These tenants hold in common, but pay their rents separately.

Number on map: unreadable
Tenants’ Names: unreadable
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £14 7s 6d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 11a 3r 34p
Tenure of each Tenant: Tenant from Year to year, tenancy commenced on 1st November. The amount stated in the rent column includes the rent payable by this tenant for his holding of 3r 2p in the townland of Ballyvorally, being tenancy No 2 therein.

Number on map: unreadable
Tenants’ Names: unreadable Higginson
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £5 13s 3d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 7a 7r 1p
Tenure of each Tenant: Lease dated 2nd day of March, 1801 from Francis Marquis of Hertford to William Gordon, for the life of William Gordon the younger, or for the term of 21 years from the 1st November, 1800, at the yearly rent of £4 19s 1d., with 4s 11d. yearly for receiver’s salary; and at the additional rent of 19s. 9d. yearly in case of assignment (save as therein mentioned) without the consent of lessor. The acreage in the lease is 7a.2r 20p.; the quantity here stated is taken from the ordnance surveyor’s report. The amount stated in rent column includes 4a 11d for receiver’s salary, 5s 3d for tithe rent-charge, and 12s interest on loan of £15 advanced by the owner for drainage, and all of which is payable for this holding.

Number on map: 5a
Tenants’ Names: Robert Higginson
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £4 0s 0d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 6a 2r 1p
Tenure of each Tenant: Tenant from Year to year, tenancy commenced on 1st November.

Number on map: 5b
Tenants’ Names: Robert Higginson
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £25 5s 4d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 28a 2r 13p
Tenure of each Tenant: Lease dated 1st day of November, 1830 from Francis Marquis of Hertford to John Higginson, for the lives and life of Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandrina Victoria, Prince George of Cumberland, and Prince George of Cambridge, a…the yearly rent of £24 0s 7d., with £1 3s. yearly for receiver’s salary.The acreage given in the lease is 26a.3r 10p.; the quantity here stated is taken from the ordnance surveyor’s report. The amount stated in rent column includes £1 3s for receiver’s salary, and 1s 9d for tithe rent-charge, payable for this holding.

Number on map: 6
Tenants’ Names: John Oakman
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £170 6s 6d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 146a 2r 21p
Tenure of each Tenant: Tenant from year to year, tenancy commenced on 1st November.

Number on map: 7
Tenants’ Names: William John Ingram
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £28 3s 0d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 22a 1r 4p
Tenure of each Tenant: Tenant from year to year, tenancy commenced on 1st November.

Number on map: 8
Tenants’ Names: Arthur Ferris
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: £12 8s 1d
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 18a 1r 5p
Tenure of each Tenant: Lease dated 2nd day of March, 1801 from Francis Marquis of Hertford to Charles Ferris, for the life of William Bell or for the term of 21 years from the 1st November, 1800, at the yearly rent of £12 5s 6d., with 12s 3d. yearly for receiver’s salary; and at the additional rent of £2 11s. yearly in case of assignment (save as therein mentioned) without the consent of lessor. The acreage given in the lease is 18a.0r 30p.; the quantity here stated is taken from the ordnance surveyor’s report. The amount stated in rent column includes receiver’s salary, and 10s. 2d. for tithe rent-charge payable for this holding.

Number on map: 9
Tenants’ Names: Robert Kennedy, representative of John Dawson
Gale days: 1st May & 1st Nov.
Yearly rent: –
Quantity of land. Statute measure: 16a 0r 35p
Tenure of each Tenant: Lease dated 28th day of January, 1854 from Richard Marquis of Hertford to John Dawson, for the term of 99 years from the 1st November, 1853, at the yearly rent of £66 6s 2d., with £3 6s 4d. yearly for receiver’s salary. The acreage given in the lease is 17a.0r 25p as in this townland, and 42a 2r 37p in the townland of Ballyvorally, being tenancy No 5 therein, and there stated to contain 45a 2r 33p; the quantities here stated are taken from the ordnance surveyor’s report. The rent payable for this holding is included in the amount of £69 12s 6d., set opposite this tenants name at said holding in Ballyvorally.

Townland totals:
Yearly rent – £321 15s 8d
Quantity of land Statute measure – 324a 0r 32p

Thunderstorm damages Pigeontown house

The following is an extract from The Belfast Newsletter dated 25th July 1888 and is used with permission from The Belfast Newsletter.

Glenavy

During a terrific thunderstorm which passed over Glenavy the house of Mr. J.G. Oakman, of Pigeontown, was struck by lightning. The electricity caught the chimney, unroofed part of the hose, severed the gable-end, and smashed the spouting, but passed off without further damage.

Auction at Pigeontown

The following extract is from The Lisburn Herald, February 12, 1898

Pigeontown, Glenavy.
Auction.

I have received instructions from Mr. William Ingram, Pigeontown, who is giving up farming, to sell by auction, on the premises, on Saturday 12th February, 1898, at one o’clock.

One 4 horse power threshing machine; in good order, by Scott; churning machine, only a short time in use, by Young; Ploughing plough, grubber, one 6 Bull harrow, one 8 bull seed harrow, drill harrow, saddle harrow, turnip barrow, and pulper, outside car, box cart, in good order.

Terms – For Threshing and Churning Machines 4 months credit on approved Bills. Remainder cash. Purchaser to pay 5 pr cent. Auction commission.

George Wilson, Auctioneer and Valuator, Glenavy and Crumlin.

When the wail of the Banshee filled the air
The Digger recalls the superstitions that surrounded life in the country

JAMES Boyle, writing in 1838, as part of the Ordnance Survey memoirs had visited the Parish of Killead and stated the lower orders are "generally superstitious and implicitly believe in ghosts, fairies and enchantments."

Over 50 years later the then rector of Glenavy Parish Church, the Rev. Charles Watson, assured readers in his 1892 publication ‘Glenavy Past and Present’ that "there is almost an entire absence of the superstitious; fairies are never seen, the banshee never cries, and not a house is said to be haunted…"

Rev Charles Watson and wife Jane (nee Finlay)

Rev Charles Watson and wife Jane (nee Finlay). He claimed in 1892 that there was "almost an entire absence of the superstitious" within his parish at Glenavy

In a book The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries’ published in 1911, and written by Walter Y. Evans-Wentz there are references to some interesting material submitted by a Mr. H. Higginson of Glenavy at the request of Major Berry in Richill Castle. I would think this was most likely Henry Higginson, one of the Rev. Watson’s parishioners, who resided in Glenville at that time. Mr. Higginson had collected several stories from the area.

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The Fairy Faith

The following is an extract from a book titled "The Fairy-faith in Celtic Countries" by W. Y. Evans Wentz, first published in 1911.

Evidence from County Antrim

"At the request of Major R.G. Berry, M.R.I.A., of Richill Castle, Armagh, Mr. H. Henry Higginson, of Glenavy, County Antrim, collected all the material he could find concerning the fairy – tradition in his part of County Antrim, and sent to me the results, from which I have selected the very interesting, and, in some respects, unique tales which follow :-

The Fairies and the Weaver – Ned Judge, of Sophys Bridge was a weaver. Every night after he went to bed the weaving started of itself, and when re arose in the morning he would find the dressing which had been made ready for weaving so broken and entangled that it took him hours to put it right. Yet with all this drawback he got no poorer, because the fairies left him plenty of household necessaries, and whenever he sold a web (of cloth) he always received treble the amount bargained for.

Meeting Two Regiments of "Them" – William Megarry, of Ballinderry, as his daughter who is married to James Megarry, J.P., told me, was one night going to Crumlin on horseback for a doctor, when after passing through Glenavy he met just opposite the Vicarage two regiments of them (the fairies) coming along the road towards Glenavy. One regiment was dressed in red and one in blue or green uniform. They were playing music, but when they opened out to let him pass through the middle of them the music ceased until he had passed by."

For Sale By Samuel Hillis

The following extract is from The Belfast News Letter dated Friday October, 16th 1942 and is reproduced by kind permission of the Belfast News Letter.

Sales By Auction
Bellbrook, Glenavy, County Antrim
(10 minutes walk Crumlin Bus at Metal Bridge)
Dairy cows, heifers, Bullocks, Horse, implements

Samuel Hillis, Esq. (who is retiring from Dairy Business) has instructed us to sell by auction on premises, Thursday 29th October, eleven o’clock.

20 young dairy cows (part springing near note, remainder full milk); 4 two year old Ayrshire Heifers with calves at foot; 10 pure bred and half bred Ayrshire Heifers 1½ and 2 year olds ready for service; two year old licensed Ayrshire bull registered in herd book; 10 heavy Free State bullocks 12 to 14 cwt., nearly finished;2 home bred heavy bullocks; 3 store bullocks; 4 weanling calves; farm horse 17 hands, good worker and quiet; Grade B sterilising plant with Martin Boiler and 100 gallons tank complete; 12 good twelve gallon milk cans; Ransome Chill plough; farm cart; set cart harness, fit 17 hands (new); metal roller; side delivery rake; turnip sower;2 cart wheels;6 pig feeders; garden roller; clothes mangle; sundries and scrap. Usual credit. No outside chattels allowed.

J.D. Marin & Co., F.V.I., auctioneers, 68 Chichester Street, Belfast and Lisburn.

"He used his gifts to help his fellow man"
William Calwell 30th July 1863 – 30th July 1953

I had reason to go and visit my maternal grandparents former homestead at Crew, Glenavy a number of years ago with my mother. The farmstead, which had been in the family for generations, had been abandoned in the 1960’s and sold to a neighbouring farmer.

Tumbling Paddy

The Tumbling Paddy at a disused farmstead at the Crew, Glenavy

We visited the derelict cottage and outbuildings and my mother recalled happy memories of her childhood as she passed from room to room in her former homestead. We wandered into the old barn and I noticed a strange farming implement hanging on the side of the barn wall. My mother informed me it was the "tumbling paddy" once used by my grandfather in the fields in the immediate vicinity of the farm. This was a hay collector that was harnessed to the horse. The wooden prongs gathered up every last bit of hay that was in the field. When the collector was full a chain mechanism was operated by the farmer and the hay would tumble from the rake into a mound.

I had mentioned my discovery to another local man and former neighbour of my grandfather. He recalled that there was a similar implement used in a bygone time which was referred to as the "Calwell" hay collector, invented by a man who he believed was linked to the Ballinderry area of Lisburn.

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