Clarence Hooper Charters of " Glendona", Gobrana , County Antrim

[Lazarus]

Clarence Hooper Charters b 15 ,Jan 1829 Gobrana , came to Australia C1860.
He married 20 Feb 1878 St Peters Eaglehawk Victoria , Madeline Sarah Hendy.
My grandmother Georgina Ann Charters b28 Nov 1878 Raywood Victoria was their only surviving Child.

I am advised that CHC had a previous marriage in Ireland C1853 to an Elizabeth Cunningham.
Elizabeth must have died as a young woman.
They had children 1854 Mary Ann , Thomas 1856 , George 1857 and Clarence Hooper (2) 1859.
Both Mary Ann and her brother Clarence came to Australia 1871 on "Western Empire".
Thomas and George must have died young.

I am trying to find details of the first marriage and what became of Elizabeth( Cunningham) Charters and the two sons Thomas Cunningham Charters and George Cunningham Charters.

Mary Ann Charters = John MacPherson and Georgina Ann Charters = John Charles Wyatt , Isuggest were half sisters.

With thanks

[glensman]

I can see that you have been searching for Clarence for some years and that although one can easily find references to James and Adolphus of Glendona, Clarence is a different matter.

If he married in Northern Ireland in 1853 and assuming that he was Protestant, then his marriage record should appear on: https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk/  I have been unable to find it.  I am sure that many of the other regular posters have also had a search for it.  So this means either that his marriage was not registered; or was mistranscribed; or happened in a R.C Church; or happened outside N.I.

The key then is to find a church record and of course the marriage would traditionally have been in the bride's church.  So in turn the key would be the home place of Elizabeth.

Sorry not to be of more specific help.

[aghadowey]

Submitted family tree here (would need to be verified)-
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:9MTV-CH8

[Lazarus]

Thank you very much aghadowey.
I am able to confirm this data and can add to it.

Clarence Hooper Charters is my great grandfather on my mothers side.
However I am trying to flesh out his Gobrana origins including his first marriage to Elizabeth Cunningham.
What became of her and children Thomas and George is unclear.
Daughter Mary Ann Charters did come to Australia with another brother ( Clarence Hooper 2 ).
Should I accept that earlier records are missing.( including his first marriage ).

I have evidence that parents James Charters 1794-1861 and Anne Skelton lived at "Glendona" Gobrana with their family. Apparently James was an Army Captain but I cannot find any record of his military service.

With thanks.

[TheWhuttle]

Well argued/positioned Glensman!

----
The LDS information was submitted by Ron Coleman.
So, it will originate from the McKINNEY studbooks, which he filmed in 1975.

William Fee McKINNEY was an amateur genealogist based at Sentry Hill, Ballycraigy, Carnmoney in the 19th/20thC.  He garnered his information from (some of) church records of Carnmoney and Templepatrick, backed up by conversations with locals.
[Unfortunately, he did not record the sources of the individual records/conversations.]

Ron captured all the data in to an LDS gedcom database.
He updated it over the years from information supplied by interested parties.

Details have all been published out through the familysearch.org website.
Ron is still with us, and will respond to queries.
I'll PM his EMail contact to you.

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My research on another Camlin family might help direct your search for the marriage ...

James WHITTLE farmed at Thistleborough, Ballyshannaghill, Camlin.
Later, he was in business (linen trading) at Muckamore (with world-wide contacts).

His son Francis WHITTLE was overseer of a plantation on Jamaica, but returned to look after Castle Upton at Templepatrick for ~20 years in the early 19thC, acting as local J.P. He had an illegitimate son whilst abroad (brought back).  He married in Marylebone, London in 1812.

His legitimate son, Latimer WHITTLE, lived at Muckamore.  His spouse was a STEEN (probably of the local mill owning family on the Clady near Muckamore), who was originally a KELLY.  They married at Coylton, near Ayr in Scotland, on 20-SEP-1847.

[Speculation: Horse racing was THE gentleman's sport in those days, so perhaps they had gone over the water to the racing at Ayr.  Trainers from there might have attended the annual horse-trading fair (biggest in Ireland) at Oldstone, near Muckamore.
However, it was much easier to get married at short notice in Scotland - they gave only 2 days notice! (presumably with appropriate fee - c.f. Gretna Green?).
Also, the Scottish clan KELLY hail from the North-West coast of Ayrshire, and are Protestant.
Five of the Undertakers in the Plantation of Ulster were CUNNINGHAMs, all from Ayrshire (as were MONTGOMERY and HAMILTON, in the earlier migration), though all five were given grants of lands in Donegal.]

So, look ye to scotlandspeople.com?

[Lazarus]

Very interesting TheWhuttle.
I was not aware of the McKinney work.
This may explain why there is a lot of missing detail.
I am not familiar with some of these locations ( I live in Australia ).

If I am able to contact Ron he just might be able to assist me.
I thank you sincerely for your interest.

[TheWhuttle]

Hopefully, he will be able to help distinguish in which church the children were baptised.

The townland of Craigarogan was part of Templepatrick Parish.
http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/single_layer/i8.php?lat=&longt=&dum=0&sheet=51,56&mysession=2424896018732&info=&place=&county=ANTRIM&placename=CRAIGAROGAN&parish=TEMPLEPATRICK&country=Ireland&union=&barony=BELFAST,%20LOWER

The obvious candidate is the CoI congregation in Templepatrick.

Adolphus CHARTERS was a Worshipful Master of Orange Lodge 227 at Glenavy.
Such institution was very much an Anglo-Irish affair in those days.
[His name derives ultimately from the great Protestant hero of the 30 Years War in Europe.
 http://www.glenavyhistory.com/brotherhoods/lol_227.php
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavus_Adolphus_of_Sweden
 http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/gustavus_adolphus.htm .]

Not sure how much of the Templepatrick CoI records McKINNEY managed to capture.
[He got short shrift from the CoI Vicar at Carnmoney who was suspicious of his motives, so only granted him access to a small subset (Correction: ~20%  500 names) of their records!]

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Connection between Glenavy and Mallusk? - The PAKENHAMs.
They owned townlands in a continuous string from the shores of Lough Neagh in the West right up to Ligoneil on the outskirts of Belfast in the East.
[The family was (and still is) based at Tullynally in Co. Meath.]

The major works lying on the Southern boundary of Craigarogan townland, adjacent to The Grange of Mallusk, was known as Mount Pakenham. This is the most likely place for your ancestor to have worked - perhaps as an overseer - an apt position for men of military bearing.
[Directly opposite "The Trench" from whence the uprising in Co. Antrim erupted in June 1798.
 The canon they used had been hidden under the Pb Meeting House in Templepatrick.
 The Yeomen burnt the village to the ground in retaliation.]

Another major works, Hyde Park, lay nearby  firmly within the Grange of Mallusk.
N.B. It featured a Methodist Meeting House.

Also there were works at the hamlets of Craigarogan and Roughfort themselves.
http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/single_layer/i8.php?lat=&longt=&dum=0&sheet=51,56&mysession=2425065086902&info=&place=&county=Antrim&placename=%3Cb%3ECraigarogan%3C/b%3E&parish=Templepatrick&country=Ireland&union=&barony=Belfast,%20lower

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The CUNNINGHAMs had a large presence in Killead and Muckamore (where there is a substantial memorial).  The famous Waddell CUNNINGHAM (international trader, privateer, would-be slaver) hailed from these roots.

The name was adopted by the McGREGORs as one of their aliases when their surname was proscribed by King James.

Because of its similarity to many Irish surnames, it was also adopted by many Irish septs:
MacCUNNIGAN (Co. Donegal);
KENNIGAN (Co. Monaghan);
KINAHAN (present-day owners of Castle Upton);
COONAGHANS (Lisburn, Co. Antrim, and Co. Derry);
CONAGAN (Co. Armagh);
MacDONEGAN --> MacCONEGAN, Co. Down.
[Ref: Ulster Surnames, Robert Bell pp47-48  ISBN 0-85640-405-5]

This supports the possibility of an RC connection.

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IGI has an Elizabeth CUNNIGHAM being married in Belfast in 1854.

Capt. Jock

[Lazarus]

Thank you for your considerable contribution Capt.Jock.
I am still working my way through what you have given me.

You mention Adolphus Charters being Worshipful Master of Orange Lodge at Glenavy.
I can tell you he came to Brisbane Australia on "Royal Dane" arriving Sep 1869.
He was 31 years in Queensland, probably in the company of his brother William after whom Charters Towers was named. William became Gold Commissioner.
Unfortunately his body was found on the Townsville beach July 1899. I don't think it was ever determined if his death was the result of an accident or suicide.

I have assumed any records still accessable may be with the C of I.

I also understand there might be a substantial monument for the Charters family at Muckamore.

Thank you for the insight into the various locations and presence of Cunninghams.
I note the IGI has Elizabeth Cunningham married in Belfast.

I am hoping that Ron Coleman might be able to help me.

Rex

[TheWhuttle]

The records of Templepatrick CoI covering the period of your interest are all captured on a single microfilm - Ref. "MIC 1/82" - at PRONI in Belfast.

Baptisms 1827-1908;
Marriages 1827-1935;
Burials 1828-1928;
Publication of Banns 1827-1866;
Vestry minutes 1826-74


Muckamore CoI records are also held at PRONI - Ref. "MIC/583/5" or "CR/1/75".
Baptisms, 1845-71;
Burials, 1848-1921;
Preachers’ books, 1842-56 and 1876-1975.

However, some still appear to be held in local custody:
[So you would have to write to the Vicar.]
Baptisms, 1872-;
Marriages, 1853-;
Vestry minutes, 1884-;
Register of vestrymen, 1870-1954.

Ref: http://www.proni.gov.uk/guide_to_church_records.pdf

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Distribution of surnames in Ireland (based on the 1890 census) can be seen from Matheson's Report at:
http://www.ancestryireland.com/family-records/distribution-of-surnames-in-ireland-1890-mathesons-special-report/ .

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There are 3 entries for CHARTERS within the Hertford Estate Rent Rolls of 1728.
[Hopefully the strings found are for the surname, and not for the legal instruments!]

The Marquesses of Hertford were the ultimate owners of the land in the vicinity (Manors of Killultagh and Derrivolgie) - the CONWAY-SEYMOUR family, originally from Conway in Wales, then from Ragley Hall, Arrow, near Alcester, Warwickshire in England - still there. Gave up all their Irish holdings in the early 20thC under the Land Purchase Acts.  It is likely that their early tenants were brought over by them from their mainland estates.]


Certainly James CHARTERS was at Glendona in 1835, selling off livestock, etc. by auction.
Ref: The Belfast News-Letter, Friday, October 30, 1835; Issue 10264

From (many) attempts at selling the place later, it appears that it was covered by a lease (for three lives) made granted by the Hertfords to George WHITLA commencing 01-MAY-1824.
Ref: The Belfast News-Letter (Belfast, Ireland), Thursday, February 22, 1872; Issue 55259


WHITLA is an Ulster-ised version of WHITLEY.
Aha, click.  "Mr. WHITLEY" appears against a house just North of Glenavy.
Ref: Taylor and Skinner Maps of the Roads of Ireland. Surveyed 1777
http://www.glenavyhistory.com/maps.php

Now, I understand that this family derive from one of three Cromwellian Adventurer captains, all brothers, who remained (like most of the army, due to lack of pay) in Ireland after the hostilities of the 1650s ceased.
[I read a while back that genealogists reckon that a substantial portion (40%?) of the present-day population of Ireland carry the genes of Cromwellian soldiers. Hmm, perhaps explains a lot ...]

One WHITLEY brother went to Co. Armagh, another to Enniskillen, and the third to Glenavy ....  Perhaps the CHARTERS also came this route?!


Hmm, there was a CHARTERS connection with Enniskillen.
Ref: The Belfast News-Letter, Friday, July 10, 1863; Issue 15601
CHARTERS vs. CHARTERS dispute.
Arguing over 37A land in Edernacurragh, 6mi from Enniskillen.
Junior branch of the CHARTERS family.
Plaintiff is minor dau. of late Revd. Jas. CHARTERS of Co. Wexford
Wm. CHARTERS d. 1826 (her gggf), granted land in Will of James King, Esq 1737.

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Understand that the town of Brisbane in W.A. was named by the first settlers to arrive there, such hailing from the Brisbane Glen (Noddesdale Water) up the back of Largs in Ayrshire.

Any connection to Ulster?
Yes, Capt. David BOYD, an illegitimate son of the powerful BOYD family of Kilmarnock, was granted land there, building his stronghold "Tourgill".  He accompanied MONTGOMERY in to the Ards in 1606, being granted lands near Mount Stewart (just SE of Newtownards), maybe bringing some tenants with him (we know of WHITLEYs in the area).
Later, Francis TURNLY, who was a factor for the Lords Londonderry at Mount Stewart, bought the townland of Ballycraigy in Carnmoney from the Earl of Donegal (CHICHESTER), developing the village and sponsoring the building of the Congregational Church there - possibly bringing tenants up there from Newtownards (such an origin is in our family history).
Its minister, Revd. David QUERN, was a great friend of his nearby neighbour in Ballyvesey - Mr. William Fee McKINNEY of Sentry Hill, who captured the information in its records (such original sources presently being "missing").
W.F.McK must have been able to look down from the hill side to Mallusk, Hyde Park, Mount Pakenham, etc.  His in-law relations, McGAWs, became big (huge!) sheep farmers (80,000 sheep on 52,000 acres) at "Kooba" on the Murrumbidgee river in New South Wales around 1878.  Thomas George McKINNEY, W.F. McK's son, died there aged only 30 in 1893 and is buried at Narrandera.

Small world?!