Somervilles of Ballyhannon/Portadown

[Dav]

Hello I am trying to find a bit of info on Henry Somerville.
Henry was born about 1806 and died 19/11/1872 in Ballyhannon where he owned a farm.
Henry had a brother called George who lived in Ballydugan which I think is in county Down, also two brothers who were much younger ( they may have been half brothers) namely Sloan and Youngson.
Henry married twice firstly to a Hannah Thornton she died about 1852/1853, then to Caroline Brown in 1854 she died in 1900.
Henry had 7 children by Hannah, namely John b1838 d 1894, Joseph b 1840 d 1921, Simon b about 1842 d 1926, James, David Thornton b 1865 d 1925, Sarah d 1915 and Hannah died young.
By Caroline Henry had  7 children namely Annie b 1858 d after 1912, Edmund b 1860 d 1925, Hannah b 1862 d 1939, Ralph b 1864 d young, William b 1865 d after 1911, Henry b 1867 d young and Mary b 1869 d 1928.
Of Henry's children from Hannah Thornton I know the following, John went to Australia in the late 1850s, Joseph went to New Zealand in 1875 then to Australia in 1883, Simon stayed in Portadown married had children and died in 1926, James went to the USA pre 1871, David went to the USA in 1864, Sarah ( Sadie) married in 1869 to James Wilson, I think she died Portadown in 1915.
Henry's children by Caroline Brown I know the following, Annie married a James Wilson in 1878 in Belfast and died sometime after 1912 in Belfast, Edmund went to New Zealand in about 1890, Hannah married John Davison in 1882 at Seagoe and went to Canada soon after then to the USA, William married Mary Sleator in 1897 at Kilkeel County Down and then went to Manchester,
Mary married Alexander Chambers in 1892 at Banbridge County Down they lived on /owned?  a Farm  in Ballydugan in 1911.
Thanks
Dav

[TF13]

hi dav,
there are a couple of things which you might or might not know but i'll post them in case you don't.

the will's for henry and george are held by PRONI;
http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/search_the_archives/will_calendars/wills_search.htm
this is just an index but you can order a copy.there are maybe other mentions of the family in the will calendars or the e-catalogue.

the marriage of mary somerville to alexander chambers,12-may-1892,took place in gilford presbyterian church,parish of tullylish.the banbridge you have for them is just the civil district they got married in.

a possible marriage for simon somerville-mary jane fitzsimons,20-nov-1877,high street methodist church,shankill parish,lurgan.
reading between the lines i think you've looked at the 1911 census for the family in counties down and antrim but watch out for county armagh going online in mid july
if you have these already; then no harm done

tony

[KatC]

John Sommerville of Ballydougan might be a son of George.  John's family emigrated to upstate NY after John died.   George Somerville remained in Ballydougan and was married to a Rachel, but I could not find evidence them being brothers. 

I think Youngston's son William moved to Canada where he  married in 1885 to Fanny Rankin.  Youngston wife was Elizabeth Dynes says the Ontario record on-line.  She may have been Elizabeth Gilpin, widowed wife of a Dynes as I saw a marriage record with Richard Gilpin as a Youngston father in law.   I thought I had also seen Isabella Dynes  mentioned as a possible alternative name.  THere was also a daughter Elizabeth born December 03, 1867 and possibly the Youngston married in 1886 in Moira  is a son. 

John Sommerville  above had married Martha Dynes from my Dynes/Adamson family of Ballydougan.   If there is a connection between Dynes, I would love to know.

James Somerville Wilson, son of Annie Somerville was at Conlig and Duncairn Presbyterian Church as a minister says family notes.  Daughters Edith and Anna were teachers.  I have the Ballydougan Wilson tree and  it is on-line.
 
I have been trying to follow Somervilles and wondering if the Somervilles in Co. Armagh in 1901 were related.  I will sort through your letter and the census and see what develops.

[KatC]

Seagoe Marriage records have Pierce Sommerville and Margaret Slone of Seagoe marrying in January of 1827.  When Sloan Somerville b. about 1830  got married in 1852 to Ann Mathers, he said he was a loom warper living in Tullydugan and his father Pierce was a glass merchant.

 Also married in 1852 was George Somerville of Ballygargan born about 1822.  He married Ann Hopps of Ballyhannon and George also had a father Pierce. 

Pierce was probably dead in the 1860's when Griffith;s was published, but there is a widowed Margaret in Shankill.  Do you know if she is living with John who is also listed in Seagoe?  I can't reach the new site that lists that information. 

Are you thinking that Pierce and Henry were brothers and he took in Margaret's children after Pierce died?

George Somerville in Ballydougan in 1901 says he was born in Armagh about 1855 and John was born about 1862 in Down, married a Ballydougan lady and moved to Portadown by 1901.  If they are brothers, I gather that a father George must have moved to Ballydougan in the late 1850's.  Are you thinking this potential father George is the brother of Henry? 

[Dav]

To Tony and KatC
firstly sorry in taking so long in getting back to you both and thank you for the info you both sent.
Tony you are right in that I have been looking at the 1911 Census of Down and Antrim, they have been helpful, but I am really hanging out for 1901 and 1911 Census of Armagh.
I have obtained the Will of Henry Somerville from PRONI, it was a fairly informative Will and confirmed George Somerville of Ballydougan was indeed Henry's brother, so I have now sent away for his Will, hopefully it will be as informative as Henry's Will.
The Simon Somerville marrying Mary Fitzimons is ours.
KatC thanks for the info you sent in both of your replies, I have been going through all my info on the Somervilles to see if I can make a connection with the John Somerville who married Martha Dynes, but I can't at the moment.
I do know that Hery Somerville and George Somerville were brothers both sons of a Pierce Somerville.
I know that George Somerville was firstly married to a Elizabeth Williamson and had 2 sons to her namely Samuel b 1843 and Benjamin b 1847 ( there may have been other children )
Samuel got married in Tullyish to a Sarah Joyce and had a couple of sons before coming to Queensland Australia, Samuel died in Queensland in 1879, his brother Benjamin also went to Queensland sometime before 1874 where he got married and then in the early 1880s he went to Melbourne where he died in 1912.
I think the George Somerville who married Rachel is George's son by his second wife Ann Hopps
The Pierce Somerville who married Margaret Slone in 1827 must be the father of Sloan Somerville and Youngson Somerville, but I am not sure how he is related to Henry and George, I tend to think he is either their father or he is their brother.
I have found a Pierce Somerville living in Ballydougan in 1759 and a Pierce Somerville of Ballydougan who's Will was proved in 1816 they could be one of the same of two individuals like father and son, I think they must be related to Henry and George, possibly Grandfather or Father.
Sloan Somerville married and had a daughter called Mary b about 1854 who married a John Tremaine in 1873 in Canada, but I haven't been able to find out anything else about Sloan Somerville.
Youngson married Elizabeth Dynes in 1855 and I know of 3 children namely William b 1856 who married in Canada to Fanny Rankin, Stephen b 1863 and died in Melbourne in 1943 and Elizabeth b 1867 and died near Melbourne in 1904.
( Your John Somerville could possibly be a son of Youngson hopefully the Will of George Somerville will confirm this or not )
I think Youngson Somerville then remarried to Elizabeth Emerson a Widow the daughter of Richard Gilpin on 12/07/1886 Youngson was described as a widower.
A lot of the Somerville's seemed to go to Canada, I find a Pierce Somerville in Simco Canada who was b 1798 and died in 1892? he is said to have been born in Tynan ( not sure if I have spelt that right ) County Armagh.

I hope you can follow my Ramblings.

Ps KateC I can't find your Ballydougan Wilson family tree online, can you tell me where to look.
Thanks
Dav

[KatC]

I sent you the information on James Wilson who married Annie Somerville.  Dates match within a year and my James and Annie also lived in Belfast.  They were back in Co. Armagh for the 1901 census, but I don't know where they eventually lived. 

If you talk to Jim, you might ask if your Somervilles went to Christchurch as Wilsons went there. 

Alexander Chambers was fairly old. Do you know if he were widowed?

[TF13]

I have been looking at the 1911 Census of Down and Antrim, they have been helpful, but I am really hanging out for 1901 and 1911 Census of Armagh.

i know the feeling dav!

tony

[william Pierce]

My grandfather was Edmund, one of the 18 children, of Henry and I could provide more information on his six children (one of whom, Helen, is still alive at 92), and their descendants, who live largely in NZ and Australia.

My father Edmund Reay died in 2000 at 90 and visited his aunt Annie (daughter of Henry) in Ireland in August 1937 and she provided him with four pages of notes on the family history as she recalled it. These are quite dense and I will need to figure out how to attach them as an image this being my first time on this site.

However her first paragraph may be helpful:
 
"Great grandfather, one of three brothers, Pierce, Jacques and George came from Warwickshire to buy horses from Ireland for the English army, and remained to settle in Ireland. The surname at that time was pronounced Somerelle although the spelling not known. The same pronunciation was retained off and on for some time afterwards and is still occasionally heard. They were french Hugenot stock, as were many of the progenitors of the Northern Irish where they were largely responsible for the development of the linen industry. Pierce (great grandfather) had issue: Henry (grandfather) George, Pierce, John, (never married) Joseph (died young) Anne, Jane, Betty, Mollie, Charlotte"

[william Pierce]

 
I presume the references to "great grandfather etc" I quoted must be from my father's perspective and not from Aunt Annie's from whom he obtained the information for these notes. She was Henry's daughter, and Edmund's sister, and must have been about 80 when my father met her as her daughters were in their 50's