Ulster Genealogy and Local History Blog

Local newspapers provide a rich font of information on regional history and give some insight into the daily lives of our ancestors. The Derry Journal was first published in 1772 and was first launched as the Londonderry and Donegal & Tyrone Advertiser. Below are a few snippets from the Derry Journal that are almost 200 years old and added commentary to give some context for the entries: Derry Journal 23 Sept 1828 Newtown Limavady cattle show - The Kennaght Branch of the North-West Society 5 Sept 1828: Prizes awarded - To farming servants for long and faithful service - first premium was awarded to Patrick McBride who has served under Mr William Scott of Mulkeeragh for 37 years; 2nd premium to David McKee who served Mr William Patton for 26 years. Note - many prize winners were listed in the article, many familiar names of local farmers all members of the Kennaght Branch of the NW Society. What is interesting here is the naming of farm servants - normally people who would not appea

Artikelly is a small village and townland one kilometer north-east of Limavady, which in the census of 2011 had a population of 360 people. The Haberdashers' company of London was granted this area in the plantation scheme but soon farmed out the land to the highest bidder Sir Robert McClelland of Bombay, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland and his main headquarters was located at Ballycastle (Aghanloo) but also a settlement was built at Artikelly. The village has quite an interesting history and was once a settlement of some prominence in the Roe valley in the seventeenth century. The Haberdashers' had their centre in the northern section of their estate where a castle was built at Ballycastle on a natural bank on what was Campbells farm (in 1983). The Haberdashers' built a linear village at Artikelly, one mile from the castle consisting of one street with two rows of thatched single-story cottages set in rectangular plots. William Babington opened an inn in Artikelly (before 161

 In the spring of 1968 Roy Orbison (the Big O) sang at the Regal cinema in Lurgan. Orbison was probably not aware that he may have been performing in his ancestral home, the place of  his roots in Lurgan, Co Armagh. Orbison (Orbinson) is a rare name in Ulster associated with the parishes of Shankill (Lurgan) and Donaghcloney the latter in Down and the former in Armagh, but both are very close to the town of Lurgan. Roy Orbison's putative ancestor, ' Thomas Orbison was born near Lurgan, Ireland about 1715, emigrated to America about 1740 and purchased a farm near Welsh Run now Franklin Co (then in Peter's township, Cumberland Co), Pennsylvania, where he resided until his death March 1779 ' (Source - Commemorative biographical encylcopedia of the Juniata Valley: comprising the counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, Pennsylvania, containing sketches of prominent and representative citizens and many of the early settlers; volume 1, 1897 Chambersburg, P.A. pub b

Tithe applotment books parish of Templemore, Co. Derry 1772-1793 Tithes were payments made to the Established Church of Ireland and were paid irrespective of religious affiliation (therefore resented by Catholic and Presbyterians who felt coerced into supporting the minority Church of Ireland). Very few tithe records exist pre-1823 when the Tithe Composition Act was formally introduced to regulate payments. It is fortunate that tithe applotment books have survived for the civil parish of Templemore (the city of Derry and Liberties). The records effectively record all tithe payers in the barony of the North West Liberties (to distinguish from the North East Liberties in Coleraine). Copies of the original tithe applotment documents can be found amongst the records of St Columb's Church of Ireland at PRONI reference MIC/1/291 Volume 24 = 1772-1778 Volume 25 = 1778-1884 Volume 26 = 1786-1793 These volumes contain the names of thousands of tithe payers in and around the city in the peri

 DERRY CORPORATION MINUTES, 1673-1901 (A GOOD SOURCE OF NAMES) Corporation minute books are useful for those who can trace their ancestry to the city and also give a useful insight into the running of an early embryonic council. The minutes are a gold mine for the local historian and shine a light into the development of the city over a 220 year period. Each minute book begins with the date of the meeting of the Common Council and a list of those members in attendance, the aldermen and burgesses of the city.  In the late 17th and 18th centuries, the city’s business life consisted of merchants and craftsmen such as butchers and bakers, tailors and shoemakers, smiths and saddlers, joiners and coopers. The minutes contain the names of many merchants and craftsmen who were granted freemen status. The jurisdiction and liberties of Lononderry city extended 3 miles in every direction (including the River Foyle east bank). Liberties meant the freedom to exercise one's craft or trade. No on

 Ballygowan is a townland of some 424 acres in the parish of Drumragh in Co Tyrone - It is locates south-west of Omagh on the main road to Irvinestown: In 1851 the whole townland was in the possession of Lady Charlotte Burgoyne (formerly Head) - she was the widow of Sir John James Burgoyne and she was his second wife. Sir John James Burgoyne died on 23 May 1838 in his 58th year after a short illness at his seat at Strabane. He had been agent of the Abercorn estate and provost of Strabane. The Land was put up for sale through the recently established Encumbered estates court. Establishment of the Land Courts By the mid-19th Century many of the large Irish estates in Ireland were in serious financial difficulty. Land owners found themselves legally obliged to pay out annuities and charges on their land, mainly to pay mortgages or ‘portions’ to family members contracted by marriage settlements and/or wills of previous generations. All of these payments had to be met, before the owner/ occ