Need help with Thomas HENRY, Ballymoney

[babywombat]

Thomas Henry is my great-grandfather.  I have information from a reliable family source that he was born 6th September 1877 and died 3rd August 1963, which is backed up by the will calendar.  All the records I can find of him (censuses, street directories, etc) have him living at 39 Queen St, Ballymoney and working as a pork butcher.

Thomas married twice, once to Matilda Foster Clyde in Dec 1898 and then to Elizabeth Maybin/Mabin  in Nov 1918.

I found some school records which stated that he resided at Townhead St and his mother was a servant.

Now for the mystery I'm trying to solve.  Thomas was illegitimate.  The family maintain that his father acknowledged him but we have no information on who he was.  Based on some educated guesswork (middle names of Thomas's children and the like), i think it may have been a Thomas Lyle Henry,born in Finvoy in 1858.  Of g-grandad's mother, there is no trace. 

If anyone can tell me anything about this part of my family i would be so grateful.  Or even just some ideas of where to look.  I don't live in NI but I've been to GRONI and rooted through all their records and PRONI and now I'm completely stuck.  My mother adored him so it would be lovely to find something for her sake.

Thanks!

Laura

[Elwyn Soutter]

The 1898 marriage certificate to Tillie Clyde gives Thomas’s father as Lyle Henry, labourer. The 1918 certificate to Elizabeth Maybin gives his father as Thomas Lyle Henry, farmer.

Can’t see a birth certificate for any Thomas Henry born 6.9.1877. What was his mother’s name, do you know?

Thomas in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Ballymoney__Urban__and_Ballymoney_Urban_District/Queen_Street/1009113/

And perhaps his father in 1901:

 http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/The_Vow/Maddydoo_or_New_Buildings/931752/

Probate abstract from PRONI wills site:

Henry Lyle of "Marathon" Ballymoney county Antrim no occupation died 2 March 1931 Administration (with Will) (limited) Belfast 16 June to William Beckett law clerk. Effects £80 13s. 7d.

[babywombat]

So sorry it's taken me so long to reply - no I have absolutely no information on his mother, she is really the one I'm after.  You have confirmed what I suspected regarding his father - thanks very much for looking.

Laura

[aghadowey]

Probate abstract from PRONI wills site:
Henry Lyle of "Marathon" Ballymoney county Antrim no occupation died 2 March 1931 Administration (with Will) (limited) Belfast 16 June to William Beckett law clerk. Effects £80 13s. 7d.

Ballymena Observer, 6 Mar.1931: SUDDEN DEATH AT BALLYMONEY On Monday morning Mr. Lyle Henry (75), Coleraine Road was found dead in his bedroom. Mr. Henry was native of [Stranocum?] district, where he acted landsteward for the ... [Ford-Hutchinson?] estate...

[babywombat]

See, now I'm puzzled.  GRONI online records have a Thomas Lyle Henry dying in Ballymoney / Dirraw on 12th November 1917.  There's a will calendar entry for a Thomas Lyle Henry dying 23 Jan 1918. Then there's the guy in your post.  So we seem to have several Thomas Lyle Henrys and I've now got no idea which one is mine!  I don't know how to link him to Thomas Henry my g-gdad.  Any suggestions?

Laura

[Elwyn Soutter]

Laura,

There’s not a lot in it with the 2 mens ages. Both were born around the same time. I would get copies of both wills from PRONI to see if the information in them assists.  Have you studied both death certificates?

The Thomas Lyle Henry who died in 1917 was a bachelor, and a farmer, and lived at New Buildings. So he looks to be the man in the 1901 census who I suggested could be the man you are looking for. The 1931 death is not on-line free and so you would need to pay to view it on the GRONI site.

The 2 marriage certificates indicate the father was 1 a labourer and 2 a farmer which partially fits with the 1917 death.  The 1931 death appears to have been for someone who was of independent means and who had been a land steward for a local estate.  That doesn’t fit so well.

Just to add a little, I noticed this lady who died in India but who was from Stranocum. I suspect she might be a relation of the Stranocum Lyle Henry. (Sister being the one that springs to mind). You might be interested in her will too.

Henry Rachel Jane Lyle of Borsad India and Stranocum county Antrim spinster died 21 March 1932 at former place Probate Belfast 26 October to Sara Lyle McElderry spinster and David Irwin justice of the peace. Effects £418 2s. 5d.

[aghadowey]

Henry Rachel Jane Lyle of Borsad India and Stranocum county Antrim spinster died 21 March 1932 at former place Probate Belfast 26 October to Sara Lyle McElderry spinster and David Irwin justice of the peace. Effects £418 2s. 5d.
There's a Rachel Henry School named after her in Borsad- founded 1925.

Could you give full details of that school record as I want to check a few local sources.

Have you contacted anyone related to the 2 wives in case they've heard any stories about Thomas Henry's parents?

[Cwellan CoDown]

The only Thomas born in Ireland on 6 Sept 1877 was a Thomas Cole in Kilkeel, but he was not Illigetimate

A search for Thomas Henry - shows 2 illegitimate births
1 in Armagh workhouse
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1877/03026/2108734.pdf

The other in Ballymena - although I can't find it on irishgenealogy, but it is on GRONI (can be purchased for £2.50)

U/1878/20/1004/12/273 Thomas Henry 22nd December 1877 Male  Ballymena(pre-1973 Q4)

[aghadowey]

The 1877 birth is on Irish Genealogy-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1878/02980/2091676.pdf

If his father's surname was Henry then likely registered under mother's surname- which is unknown at present.

Once the details from school records mentioned earlier at posted there are a few leads I want to follow through.