RootsChat.Com
Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Antrim => Topic started by: FionaMcDonald on Sunday 18 February 18 14:04 GMT (UK)
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I am aware that there is a Ballyvoy townland near Ballycastle, in Culfeightrin Parish. However, I have some 1880s Harbison/Harbinson marriages at Kilbride Presbyterian Church, Doagh, where one or both parties residence was given as Ballyvoy townland. I am wondering if a townland in Kilbride (or a neighbouring parish) has changed its name, or had an alternative name? Advice appreciated please.
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Brides usually marry in their Parish, so Groom can be from anywhere!
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Thank you for your reply. I am aware of that and all parties were from the immediate area.
I now see from other Rootsweb posts that Ballyvoy was also known as Duncansland, and am thinking that's not too big a phonetic stretch from Douglasland, which is recorded on several death certificates in that family.
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Hi Fiona,
I think the other name that Ballyvoy may be connected with is Ballywee. Gilby may have posted on this at some point as he has a lot of interests in this area. I have been searching some of his emails and have found one reference which is about the relationship of Ballyvoy to Holestone.
"I thought it clarified the distinction between the Ballyvoy Demesne and the Holestone Demesne"
I do know that we were looking at a Bryson family, members of whom were at Ballyvoy and Holestone, Ballynoe and Ballywee and Ballybracken.
My notes show Duncansland and Ballyvoy listed together. I think I remember seeing a map in which the Ballyvoy townland may have been split into two parts with possibly McVickersland in between but cannot be sure I am remembering the right townland.
Cheers
Linda(NZ)
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Just looking at Ballyvoy on http://www.placenamesni.org/index.php
Are there 2 townlands of same name? Neither in Kilbride Parish.....
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Ballyvoy Lodge was the subject of the reference to the distinction between Ballyvoy Demesne and Holestone Demesne, so I assume they are fairly close. There was mention of Ballyvoy lodge possibly being the Dowager House for Holestone House. This was in relation to a Ferguson family.
I noted a post which referred to the will of someone known to be resident in Ballyvoy having the address Douglasland, so perhaps both Duncansland and Douglasland are in or are Ballyvoy.
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http://www.placenamesni.org/resultdetails.php?entry=18581
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The askaboutireland Griffiths valuation old maps show both Duncansland and Douglasland side by side just above the top of the Holestone townland where it extends into the yellowed portion of the map. Old Ballybracken Road divides the two.
There is no Ballyvoy shown in the Griffiths maps but Ballywee is adjacent and west of Holestone.
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Townland names have changed over the years. If you look at Penders Census c 1659, you will find plenty of townland names that are not in use today. There were alternative names for some, subdivision names for parts of some townlands and a wide variety of spelling variations. I have heard experts on Griffiths explain that the clerks tried to standardise the names a bit, and consequently some of the names start to disappear post Griffiths. Some of the subdivision names can be found on maps (as in the case of Douglasland for example) just not in the list of standardised place names use don Griffiths.
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Thanks to everyone who has contributed to an interesting discussion.
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Hi. As Linda mentioned, I’m also curious about Ballyvoy.
As far as I can make out it seems that prior to about 1800 a large part of Kilbride and the neighbouring parishes were lumped together in two large townlands known as Ballyvoy and Grange.
We’ve got a newspaper clipping from 1808 which has been passed down in our family and refers to “the Mansion farm of Grange” which at the time only contained 54 acres (i.e. the townland “Fifty Acres”). However, in the 1700s Grange included what is now Holestone townland which itself used to extend all the way down to the river (in the Grange of Nilteen).
Ballyvoy probably included Walkmill, Burnside, Owensland, Douglasland, Duncansland, the Kilbride (eastern) part of Ballywee, and presumably Moss-side and Strawpark in between.
I’m not sure about Walkmill and Burnside because I’ve got a 1764 source which suggests they may have been part of Drumadarragh. I’ve also got a copy of an 1812 map which shows what is now Owensland labelled “James Owens, Ballyvoy”.
Most of Kilbride parish was held by the Gillilands in the 1700s from the Marquis of Donegall (particularly John Gilliland who died in 1789). Neither John Gilliland or his brothers had any children, so the land passed to their nephews William Owens (c1725-c1814) and John Owens (c1727-1806). William apparently didn’t marry, but he did have a daughter Hester (d. c1796) who married Samuel Ferguson of Standingstone (d. 1793), so his share of the land was split up among the Fergusons.
Gilby
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Update to the above. I’ve just realised I have a copy of a 1770 map (PRONI D835/1/3/25) which shows the townlands of “Ballybrecan”, “Drimnadaragh”, “Rathshee” and Ballyvoy. I’ve compared this to the more recent Griffith’s map which shows that
Drumadarragh included:
Drumadarragh
Walkmill
Burnside
Ballyvoy included:
Owensland
Duncandland
Douglasland
Ballybracken included:
McVickersland
Ballybracken
Crawfordsland
I’m still half convinced part of Ballywee was in Ballyvoy at some stage, but the above is the clearest source I’ve seen for the old townland boundaries.