Oliver connections to
Tullymore – ongoing detective work.
According to a lease of 1766 granted by Joseph JOHNSTON, John OLIVER resided at Tullymore, Co. Armagh and his occupation was that of Linen Draper. Although the townland was mapped in the 1830s showing 62 acres within its bounds, the lease in 1766 was actually for 77 acres. It may be that the 1766 lease relied on different map boundaries and also included all of the bog, which was partly in the townland of Tullymore but mostly in the townland Ballyrath, to the west. This is just an uneducated guess. I don’t know enough to say exactly how the borders were redrawn in the interim. The Callan River is on the eastern border between Tullymore and Umgola and there was a millrace just to the west of the river. Presumably this millrace powered the Tullymore mill owned by Joseph JOHNSTON - the one mentioned in the lease.
There was also a John OLIVER of Tullymore whose will was probated in Armagh in 1772. I have no further information at present.
A second John OLIVER was interred at the Church of Ireland, Parish of Armagh on February 9, 1806 (I need to go back to the St. Marks archives to be sure which church. I suspect the Cathedral). Interestingly, the residence was given as “Tullymore Sturgan”. I have no idea what the second word means. There is also a record that a will was probated in Armagh for a John OLIVER in 1806, but I have no further information on this will either. It is also possible that he was a brother or cousin of David OLIVER from the nearby townland of Ballyrea. At least their interests in leases around that time seem to frequently overlap.
Connected to the occupation of Linen Draper, it is interesting that the 1796 records of flax growers have the names of four OLIVERs in the Parish of Armagh: Mary, Joseph, James, John and Anthony. Again, I would suspect there is a connection.
A generation or so later, Joseph Oliver Esq.(1764-1837) of Tullymore was a subscriber to Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Map of Ireland. It was published in 1837, the year of Joseph OLIVER’s death (the source for this death – Belfast Newsletter). His will was probated in 1837 and he was described as “Gent”. For a transcription of the will see: http://www.user.dccnet.com/s.brown/documents/1837OliverJosephWill.htm . I do not yet have the probate record. It would appear that this Joseph OLIVER was also a linen draper and his house was substantial enough to be included along with five other houses in Lewis’s description of Co. Armagh in A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland as a “principal seat”:
The principal seats are the Primate's palace;
Ballynahone, that of Miss Lodge; Beech Hill, of T. Simpson, Esq.; Tullamore, of J. Oliver, Esq.;
and those of J. Simpson, Esq., and J. Mackey, Esq., at Ballyards.
I believe that this
Joseph OLIVER was an uncle of our ancestor Benjamin OLIVER who was the father
of Eliza OLIVER, wife of Sir Thomas JACKSON. I also believe that he was most
likely a son of David OLIVER of Ballyrea, not the son of our first John OLIVER
of Tullymore. But I need to caution - we are in the territory of hunches and
probabilities here, not proof.
By the time of the
1864 Griffiths Valuation of Armagh, there were no more OLIVER family members
recorded as being resident at Tullymore. Whether this was a result of death,
emigration, financial misfortune or else no extant male line - it is too early
to speculate. As far as Joseph goes, I only have the record of one child – John
Elliot OLIVER and he died aged 19. For what it is worth, the 1989 Ordnance
Survey Map shows no buildings left standing in this townland, but I have yet to
walk the area myself to see with my own eyes. I would love to take a few
photos.
In the ordnance
survey map done about the time of Joseph OLIVER’s death, a couple of other
features are worth pointing out. Just to the west of O’Neil’s mound in the
southern tip of the townland is “Mr. POOLER’s[1]
burying place”. Interestingly, I have run into a Mr. POOLER in connection with
Tullymore before – but not with respect to the OLIVERs. His leases were with a
Robert JACKSON who may or may not fit in with our line of JACKSONs from Urcher,
Parish of Creggan, Co. Armagh.
|
Deed |
Date |
Townlands |
Notes |
|
580-211019 |
1777, Jan 27 |
Armagh, Cavanacaw Co. Armagh |
Robert JACKSON, Linen Draper & George ROBINSON of Cavanacaw ...John POOLER executor of Samuel KNIPE late of Ballymatran? All hard to read and not central enough to transcribe. One of the witnesses was James McCULLA. Eleven townlands were involved- may deserve a second look. |
|
173-888672 |
1799 Mar 2 |
Tullymore Ballycrummy, Armagh City Co Armagh |
POOLER to JACKSON A Meml of a Deed Poll or Instrument in ??? of bearg date of 2 day of March 1799 between Jno Pooler of Balleercrummy in the Parish and Co of Armagh Gent of the one part and Robt JACKSON of the City and County of Armagh Esq of the other. ....transfer to Robt JACKSON ... all that the town and lands of Tullymore Situated in the Parish and Co. of Armagh ... in the presence of Stephen Armitage... witnessed by Jno LONG of Armagh and Maria JACKSON of Armagh .... |
Of interest is that this Robert JACKSON was also a Linen Draper and so
would have had close connections with his contemporary John OLIVER. JOHNSTONs
and JACKSONs were also connected with the linen trade in Co. Monaghan as were
the OLIVER family. There is also a key lease transcribed in the Deed Books for
1774, October 31:
In this
memorial David OLIVER of Ballyrea, Co. Armagh leases to Robert
JACKSON of Armagh City, Co. Armagh the part of Creevy, Co. Monaghan where
the Corn Mill is situated along with the rights to all tolls for
a sum of ₤350.
WITNESSES: Thomas JOHNSTON of Armagh & James NEILSON of
Ballyrea. These leases
need to be looked at again.
A second Memorial of a Deed #523-426-346117 between WELSH & OLIVER on June
15,1800 mentions the townlands of Tullymore as well as the townlands of Tullysarren,
Co Armagh & Drumflugh [which was most likely in Co. Tyrone]. In this lease
we learn of a Robert WELSH who was a miller at Tullymore, and a John OLIVER who
was a farmer at Tullmore. A second John OLIVER was a resident of Tullysarren.
Meml of an
article of agreement Bearing Date the 5th day of May 1800 & made between Robt WELSH of Tullymore Parish & Co
of Armagh Miller of the one part and John OLIVER of Sd
Townland Parish & Co. Farmer of the
other part. Whereby the Sd Robt WELSH for the Considn in
the Sd article Named did Demise Grant & to / / /
let unto the John OLIVER all that Mill & farm in Tullymore ...rent of [ponds]36 15 shillings sterling... witness by Tobias
MAGUIRE of Drumc??ow , parish of Clonfealle, Co of Armagh. John OLIVER of
Tullysarren, Parish & Co of Armagh & witnessed by Tobias MAGUIRE of
& the Revd James WHITESIDE of Drumflugh, Parish
of Clonfeagle, Co. of Tyrone....
NOTE: I suspect that I have a transcription error with respect to “Tobias MAGUIRE” being from Armagh. Drumflugh. It is more likely: Parish of Clonfeacle, Co. Tyrone. The WHITESIDE reference is significant as a few years later there is a deed of marriage settlement which references a marriage between John OLIVER and Catherine WHITESIDE which had already occurred sometime before 1803 December 1. DEED: 563-124-374649 John OLIVER to Catherine WHITESIDE:
Deed of Marriage Settlement made this first day of decd in
the year of our Lord 1803 Between John OLIVER of Tullymore in the County of Armagh Gent of
the one part Catherine OLIVER otherwise WHITESIDE wife of the said John OLIVER
of the Second part of the Rev Jas WHITESIDE of Drumflugh in the County of
Tyrone of the third part. Whereby after rectg that a marriage had been some
time ago been solemnized between the said John and Catherine and that the Sd
John had not then made any provision or served any jointure for his wife in
lease she Should Survive him the Sd Indentr Witnessed that the said John OLIVER
ford? In Condn of the sum of ₤100 portion of the Sd Catherine to him in
hand ???? the receipt wherof is thereby acknowledged Did Grant ???
sell Assign Transfer and set over unto the Sd. Jas WHITESIDE his Execs
Admons and Assigns all that and those that part of the town and lands of
Tullymore in the County of Armagh Aforesd Containg by Estimation of 5 acres one
rood & 25 perches be the same more or less as held by the Sd John
OLIVER under a lease from Joshua McGEOGH of Drumshill in the County of
Armagh. Etc etc
Deed is
witnessed by John OLIVER of Tullycarrent in the County of Armagh father and Jas
WHITESIDE jr of Drumflugh in the Co of Tyrone Gent. [more not transcribed]
Now, just
to confound us and keep us humble, there are actually five different townlands
in County Armagh that are all called “Tullymore”. There is the one I have been
focussed on here in the Parish of Armagh - south east of Armagh City. Three of
the others are in the Parish of Eglish – in the western part of Co. Armagh –
and they are called Tullymore Agowan, Tullymore Etra and Tullymore Otra. Then
the fifth one is in the Parish of Kilmore to the east and slightly north of
Armagh City. The fifth one is easily ruled out as relating to these leases as
there is nothing in the letters or deeds that draws us there. The three in the
Parish of Eglish do deserve a second look because all three are arrayed along
the border with Tyrone where we know there were significant settlements of OLIVER
families whose financial means would suit the picture of the leases. More to
the point, we are best to be curious when we see John OLIVER from Tullymore
marrying Catherine WHITESIDE from Drumflugh, Co. Tyrone. Wouldn’t they marry
close to home?
The reason that I would discount this line of thought – at least for the moment – is because of the lease cited above from 1800 between WELSH and OLIVER. In that lease, both Robert WELSH and John OLIVER are described as being from “Tullymore Parish & Co of Armagh” and the lease is also witnessed by the father of Catherine WHITESIDE, “Revd James WHITESIDE of Drumflugh, Parish of Clonfeagle, Co. of Tyrone”. It seems that the pieces in this puzzle line enough for us to go with the probability that Tullymore, Parish of Armagh, Co. Armagh is the ticket.
The other compelling bit of evidence is the
cluster of townlands adjacent to Tullymore, Parish of Armagh that show up in
leases held by various OLIVER family members. They include: Creeveroe, Navan,
Ballyrea, and then the line of townlands that stretch alongside the road to
Monaghan and include The Kennedies, Ballynahone Beg, Lisbanoe, Balterran,
Enagh, Magharaville, Aghavilly, Killynure, Maghery Kilcranny and Brootally. To
this day, the farmer who owns Killynure rents fields in many of these same
townlands. To be sure, there is also an Enagh in the Parish of Eglish as well
as another townland called The Kennedies. There are also OLIVERS from Lislooney
in the Parish of Eglish which is close to both of these townlands – but the
likelihood (and we are talking circumstantial evidence here – nothing stronger)
is still that the Tullymore that is in many of the OLIVER leases is the one in
the Parish of Armagh.
Moving on with this assumption, it is worth looking at other leases. In 1804, another marriage settlement was recorded in the Deed Books, this time between Jane HAMILTON daughter of James HAMILTON of Tullymore and Joseph OLIVER of Ballyrea who would seem to be the son of David OLIVER. SEE: DEED: 567-358-381199 for more detail at http://www.user.dccnet.com/s.brown/documents/1804Oct31-JosephOLIVER-JaneHAMILTON.html
The next Tullymore mention is in 1811 when John OLIVER of Tullymore leased some lands of
Tullymore to Samuel OLIVER of Town & County of Monaghan for ₤100 (see
DEED: 640-359-440211). The Ballybay Presbyterian Church records
baptisms of three children of a Samuel OLIVER and Mary WILLIAMSON on 1835,
1837, and 1839. It would be productive to see if these two Samuel OLIVERs are
linked in any way as Ballybay is just south of Monaghan and also Ballybay First
Presbyterian is where Eliza OLIVER & David JACKSON were married in 1838.
My next
sighting is July 16, 1826 when Anne OLIVER aged 63 years of age (therefore born
1763) of Tullymore was interred in the Church of Ireland graveyard in the City
of Armagh. Perhaps she was the wife of John OLIVER. Interestingly, there is a
reference to the Belfast Newsletter of the death of Jane OLIVER of Tullymore on
July 18, 1826. It would be useful to look this one up.
[1] Maria BEATTIE also mentioned a possible POOLER in the 1901 Census of Tirearly, Parish of Lisnadill. This townland is at the northerly end of the townland and is close to Creeveroe & Navan, Parish of Eglish as well as Ballyrea, Parish of Armagh. This is deep into OLIVER-MOORE territory, hence worth pursuing.