Harrison, Rev. Michael (d.1765): Memorial inscription

[akilpatrick]

Hello:
If someone has a copy of the Ordnance Survey Memoirs, vol. 9, for North Antrim, I am requesting a look-up, please, of the memorial inscription for the Rev. Michael Harrison, vicar of Culfeightrin and Ramoan, who died in 1765. I believe the transcription is on or near page 108.
Cheers,
Alison Kilpatrick
Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

[WeeHugh]

Alison,

This is what I copied down from the tablet in the corner of Ramoan church (presumably moved from the old church when it was demolished):

HERE LYETH THE BO
DY OF THE REVEREND
MICHAEL HARRISON
LATE VICAR OF CUL-
FEIGHTRIN & REMOAN
WHO DEPARTED THIS
LIFE, OCT^r THE 25^th 1765.
AGED 77. YEARS.

The ^ indicate superscript.

He was my GGGGGGfather: are you also a descendant?

[akilpatrick]

Hello, Hugh:

Thank you very much for this transcription.

I am not a descendant, but I had thought that one of my fourth cousins was. However, he believes that his ancestor is the Rev. Arthur Harris of Lisburn.

Just out of curiosity, have you traced the parents of the Rev. Michael Harrison? I thought this Rev. Mr. Harrison might be related to the Harrison clergy of Lisburn Cathedral.

Cheers,
Alison

[WeeHugh]

Alison,

Forgive me if you get multiple replies: my so-called provider keeps cutting me off.

My great-uncle thought Michael was a son of Hugh, domestic chaplain to the Rt Rev. Edward Smyth, bishop of Down & Connor.  He also reckoned there was a Lisburn connection, but it remains conjecture.

Incidentally, the memorial tablet is surmounted by arms that look like three shaggy dogs sejant but must be he demilions rampant that figure in the arms of several Harrison families from Yorkshire and Westmorland.

_______ Hugh

[akilpatrick]

Hello again, Hugh:

Recently, I found a snippet in Google Books, of an entry for a Michael Harrison in Alumni Dublinenses...whereupon, I wrote to Trinity College in Dublin (TCD), asking for a transcription. The response did not consist of a transcription, but provided the following details from the entry:
- Michael Harrison entered Trinity College on 10 June 1707, aged 19. [This dates this man's birth year to 1688, as does the memorial tablet for your 6X grandfather.]
- His status in College was a Sizar. [According to a definition given by Wikipedia enwikipedia.org, "a sizar is a student who receives some form of assistance such as meals, lower fees or lodging during his or her period of study, in some cases in return for doing a defined job".]
- His father was John, "Ephippiarius" (a saddler).
- Michael was born in Lisburn, and his schoolmaster was a Dr Clark in Lisburn.
- Michael earned his BA in Spring 1711 and his MA in Spring 1714.
The [items within square brackets], above, are my notes.

Regards,
Alison

[akilpatrick]

There was a significant family of the Harrison surname associated with  Lisburn and with the cathedral there. For example, a daughter of Edward Harrison 1644-1700 (son of another Michael who d.1683) married Dr Jeremy Taylor, Lord Bishop of Down. There are numerous references to this particular Harrison family online and in Google Books.

I did wonder whether the Rev. Michael Harrison of Ramoan was related to that lot. However, I wouldn't have expected him to have a status of sizar at TCD, but rather of pensioner.

The following may serve only to confuse the matter further: in addition to the Alumni Dublinenses entry for Michael Harrison (1688-1765), the librarian at TCD sent me this information about one John Harrison who entered TCD on 2 October 1685, age 20:
- his father was James, "Generosus de Neaghan in Com. Dunensi" (i.e., a gentleman of Neaghan in the county of Down).
- John was born in Neaghan, co. Down.
- his status was sizar [Alison's note: so, a student could be a sizar and also the son of a gentleman...].
- his schoolmaster was Mr Harvey of Lisburn.

Upon completion of his studies at TCD, John Harrison attended Trinity College Cambridge from 1689-90, where his status was pensioner. You can search for this entry in the online version of Alumni Cantabrigienses at http://venn.csi.cam.ac.uk/ACAD/search.html. The entry states:
Harrison, John.
Adm. pens. (age 22) at TRINITY, 01 Feb., 1689/90, from Trinity College, Dublin [Ireland].
Adm. there, 02 Oct., 1685.
S. of James. B. at Loghlin Island, Co. Down, Ireland.
School, Lisburn, Lisnagarry, Co. Antrim (Mr Rob. Harvey).
Migrated to Corpus Christi, 1690.

But, the question does arise: was this John Harrison, in fact, the father of the Rev. Michael Harrison of Ramoan? Also, was there any connection between John Harrison of Lisnagarry and the line represented by Michael Harrison d. 1683, mentioned in my first paragraph above?

My advice would be to borrow a copy of Alumni Dublinenses, or borrow a microfilm copy of it through an LDS family history centre, and study all of the entries for Harrison.

I have summarized all the references that I have found, to date, with respect to Michael Harrison d.1683 in a Word document and would be happy to send that to you.

Regards,
Alison

[WeeHugh]

Dear Alison,

Thanks for your trouble.

My address: (*)
best
_____ Hugh

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[WeeHugh]

Dear Alison,

Thanks: I'd already discovered the saddler's son at TCD.
I agree that a sizar is less probable, but not impossible.

A Lisburn connection is a tempting straw to grasp, as it could explain how Michael's son Hugh (1741-1786) of Churchfield near Ballycastle met his wife from Ballinderry.

I tried to tell you my eMail address but it was censored.

best
_____ Hugh

[akilpatrick]

Hello, Hugh:

I believe you can send me your e-mail privately via your message box, here in RootsChat.

Yes, I agree ... while tempting to grasp, that is why we have to find multiple bits of corroborative evidence in this research before making any claims.

Cheers,
Alison