Adding more detail to an ancestor's life in Newtown Limavady

[pennymercer127]

James Mullin and Rachel McDavid/McDavitt were the parents of at least six children born at Newtown Limavady between c1819 and 1832. According to Australian marriage and death certificates of the children, James was a butler and/or a farmer. I know that James died sometime before 23 November 1855. The family seems to be Protestant.

I'd really like to find out more about James and Rachel, such as where they lived, who James might be working for, whether they had other family in Newtown Limavady.

Where do I look to fill in more about their lives?

Penny
Melbourne, Australia

[kingskerswell]

Hi,
   The 1831 census for Co. Londonderry shows three families headed by a James Mullin in the Limavady district. The census gives very little information but only one of the families was Protestant, the other two being Roman Catholic. The Protestant family consisted of three males and four females and they lived in the townland of Ballycastle in the Parish of Aghanloo which is about three miles north of Limavady. As a boy I also lived in this townland.
See http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

Regards

[aghadowey]

Were the children born in Ireland? When did the family go to Australia?

Is it possible that James' occupation was beetler/farmer rather than butler/farmer?

Drumgavenny Lower beetling mill near Limavady

[pennymercer127]

James Mullin is described as:

1855 - a farmer on Margaret's marriage certificate, and "the late James Mullin" in the newspaper notice.
1856 - a butler on James and Sarah Jane's marriage certificate
1858 - a butler on John Michael's marriage certificate
1859 - a farmer? (hard to read) on William and Eliza's marriage certificate
1879 - a farmer on Charles' death certificate
1901 - a surveyor on Margaret's death certificate

I've checked the two saying he's a butler and am sure they don't say beetler. Would many homes in Newtown Limavady have a butler at that time?

The children went to Victoria, Australia at different times between 1840 and the mid 1850s.
                  
James Mullin = Rachel McDavid/McDavitt   
.....   Charles Mullin Born: c 1819 in Newtown Limavady. Arrived in Victoria c 1840. Died: 20 Jan 1879 in Violet Town, Victoria, Australia
.....   Daughter Mullin (The newspaper notice of Margaret's marriage referred to Margaret as "the youngest daughter of James" - no other information known. May have stayed in Ireland.)
.....   John Michael Mullin Born: c 1829 in Londonderry, Ireland. Arrived in Victoria before December 1858.
.....   Margaret Mullin Born: c 1831 in Newtown Limavady, DRY    Arrived in Victoria October 1853. Died: 11 May 1901 in Violet Town, Victoria.
.....   James Mullin Born: Between 1830 - 1832 in Newtown Limavady. Arrived in Victoria 21 July 1855. Died: 1915 in Parkes, NSW
.....   married Sarah (Sally) Jane McElwee  Born: Before 11 Mar 1830 in Drumachose, Newtown Limavady, DRY. Baptism: 11 Mar 1830 in Drumachose, Newtown Limavady, DRY. Died: 01 Apr 1921 in Parkes, NSW
.....   William Mullin Born: c 1832 in Newtown Limavady, DRY. Arrived in Victoria 21 July 1855. Died: Aft. 27 Feb 1860.
.....   married Eliza McElwee, sister of Sarah Jane. Born: Before 11 Nov 1832 in Drumachose, Newtown Limavady, DRY. Baptism: 11 Nov 1832 Drumachose, Newtown Limavady, DRY Married: 13 Jan 1859 in Carlton, VIC. Died: 28 Nov 1913 in Ballarat, VIC

[JACK GEE]

Hello Penny,
 I live about 30km from Violet Town and just happen to know the lady that looks after the records at the Violet Town Cemetery.
Would you like me ask her if there are any details of the two Mullins buried at Violet Town?

Jack Gee

[pennymercer127]

Thanks Jack,

That's a kind offer. I have the death certificates of both Charles and Margaret, who was a Mrs Linard when she died. What I've never found is a definite record of William Mullin's death. I suspect he died in Violet Town in the early 1860s, but his death does not seem to have been registered.

Cheers,

Penny

[JACK GEE]

ill see what i uncover.

cheers
Jack

[pennymercer127]

kingskerswell, thanks for you help.

I've had a look at this: https://www.townlands.ie/derry/keenaght/aghanloo/ballycastle/

but I can't picture what this townland would be like, so wondered if, with your local knowledge you could briefly describe it. Is it all farmland? Is there a village? Industries? Is there a large home that might have had a butler?

Cheers,

Penny

[kingskerswell]

Penny,
          Ballycastle townland is just under 300 acres of land, bordered on the west by the River Roe and in the east by the lower slopes of the "mountain" Binevenagh. In the 1800s it was all farmland, owned by the Marquis of Waterford, a landlord who lived elsewhere but seems to have been a good landlord. It was all farmland but in the second world was an aerodrome was built on the southern end but that has now reverted to farmland. In 1858 there were about 5 farmers who rented the land from the Marquis as was normal in Ireland at that time. The farmers had about 15 labourers' houses on their land.
         You can view the land using Street View of Google maps.  Dowland Road passes through the middle of the townland and it joins the Aghanloo road  at a cross roads opposite Freehall Road. This crossroads is near the middle of the townland.
   The nearest large house where they probably had a butler is at Drenagh about two miles away from Ballycastle. It is likely that a butler would have lived in the house or on the estate.

Regards