Hi,
Anyone know anything about the genealogical context of the FAIRLEY family of Lisburn and/or Boardmills, Co. Down in the early 18thC?
I am especially interested in a William FAIRLEY.
He might be the William FAIRLIE, deceased, whose effects were sold off by Henry BELL in Lisburn in late Dec 1750.
[Belfast Newsletter Index, Doc ID 53452.]
http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/cgi-bin/belfst/Search.cgiHe might be the William FAIRLIE to whom the lease was renewed in 1752 for the Market Square site on which the 1st Lisburn Presbyterian Meeting House was situated .
[Presumably a member of that congregation.
Seems feasible, the name sounds Scottish.]
http://www.lisburn.com/books/presbyterianism_lisburn/presbyterian1.htm#CHAPTER%205He might be the William FAIRLEY, gent of Lisnatrunk (a townland just E of Lisburn) to whom, in 1737, Lady Middleton leased the watermill at Boardmills, with 12 acres of land, the grist of four townlands, of half of Killaney and of the lands in Drumra for £15 a year.
[Boardmills is a small village between Lisburn and Saintfield.]
Earlier, by Act of the Irish Parliament of James II in 1689, a "Hugh Fairley of Boardmil" had a judgement of treason recorded against him, also the forfeiture of land and goods, for favouring the cause of William III.
[He must have had some political or military status to get so noticed.
He may be WF's father.]
http://www.lisburn.com/books/1-2-boardmills-killaney/killaney.htm---------
My interest in William FAIRLEY is that he is stated as being the brother-in-law of James WHITTLE.
[In JW's Will, signed 18-APR-1735, proved 14-MAY-1735.
Overseers: William TATE & John MARTIN
Witnesses: J? MARTIN, Isabel SAYERS and Jonas SHAW
Ref: Page 14594, Will proved in Irish Prerogative Court
Box 9, Tenison Groves Collection, PRONI
On LDS microfilm 258496, Families Thwaites-Wood]
James' wife was named Jane.
I am trying to establish her surname.
She may be WF's sister, so a FAIRLEY by birth.
[Alternatively ...
... WF may have married a (YTBD) sister of JW;
... WF and JW may have married two sisters from another family.]
JW was to be buried in Lisburn Churchyard.
[Presumably (?) surrounding the Cathedral.]
JW's residence was "Lisburn Road, Co. Antrim".
No town given.
It may simply have been nearby to Lisburn town.
In 1720 a JW is in Old Warren and Knockmore townlands to the SW.
[Ref: PRONI MIC/664/1 Hertford & Wallace estate records
pps 25 & 43.]
JW instructed that his holding in Camlin parish be sold.
His wife sold "all parcels of lands" (totalling 103A 3R 16P Scotch Cunningham Measure) in October 1736, to Patrick FERGUSON, a tanner from Belfast. Amount not recorded.
[Ref: Deed, Memorial No. 61440.
Summarised on page 27of Transcript Book 88.]
Witnessed by William TATE and Hans CAMPBELL, gents of Lisburn, and Francis JOY, gent of Belfast.]
The land was situated at Ederaowen. This area beside Lough Neagh lying between the Glenavy and Crumlin rivers and includes the townland of Ballyshannaghill (Ballyshannochy) where the later Glenavy WHITTLE family farmed at Thistleborough.
The Lisburn family's issue consisted of:
Dr. John WHITTLE (d. 1747)
= (01-MAY-1735) Dorcas PRICE (no issue)
James WHITTLE
Violet WHITTLE
I have found a Violet b. 1699 and a John b. 1700, both with father James WHITTLE in the baptismal records,.
[Ref: Page 14892, 1st Lisburn Presbyterian Church Records
Baptisms 1692-1700, Marriages 1688-1696
Box 9 (?), Tenison Groves Collection, PRONI
On LDS microfilm 258497, Surname W & Antrim County]
However, son James (expected b. 1701-1705, say) is proving elusive.
[Ref: Index to baptismal records, 1692-1715, held by the church.
Looks like I'll have to travel over to NI to study them in detail,
at Church House or PRONI.]
I am 95% sure that the Lisburn WHITTLEs are the previous generation to the Glenavy ones, linked through son James.
The Glenavy family start with a James WHITTLE.
He married Mrs. Elizabeth DONALDSON in 1726 at Glenavy.
He married a Mrs. CAMPBELL later.
She already had a son, Hans CAMPBELL.
It looks like the first wife was the Elizabeth WHITTLE who died suddenly in 1728. She was wife of James WHITTLE of Lisburn, soap boiler. She was a CAMPBELL by birth.
[Ref: Page 14594, Connor Will,
signed 08-MAY-1728, proved 16-MAY-1728
Box 9, Tenison Groves Collection, PRONI
On LDS microfilm 258496, Families Thwaites-Wood]
People from "Glenevie" are listed in the 1st Lisburn Pb records.
The Lisburn JW is mentioned in the Session Book, so obviously took his religion seriously.
The later Glenavy JW was co-warden (with GORMAN) at St. Aidan's CoI. I understand (from Bob FOY, thanks!) that it was quite common for Pb folks to do this if their Meeting House was not nearby.
I suspect that William FAIRLEY will turn out to have been involved with politics.
[Glenavy James WHITTLE was (supposedly) the only Liberal member of Dublin City Council (so, an alderman) at one time. The PRICE family were MPs for Downpatrick, Saintfield and Lisburn in the Dublin parliament, so may have "energised" JW in that pursuit.]
Any/all help greatly appreciated.
Ta,
John
