Ballagan Farm, 1920

Ballagan Farm plays a big part in the history of my mother’s side of the family, the Camerons, throughout the last century. The farm is just outside Balloch, off the Stirling Road, on the way to Gartocharn.

Based on the age of my uncle Jimmie (the baby in the pram) I’m guessing this picture is from 1919/20. The Cameron Clan (and friends) assemble pre-ceilidh in the yard at Ballagan Farm. Somewhere, I have a bit of paper with everyone’s names on it and I’ll turn the unknowns into knowns but, for the moment, I’ll concentrate on the Camerons…

Back row (left to right) – unknown, unknown, John ‘Jock’ Cameron (1880- ), Lachlan Cameron (1877-1959), unknown, Donald Cameron (1883-)

Front row – unknown, Janet ‘Jessie’ Cameron, Jimmie Cameron (1916-1956), Janet Cameron (1876-1946), Jimmie Cameron (1919-1988), Sarah Cameron (1890-1971)

Lachlan is my grandfather, Sarah Clyde McErlane (married name Cameron) my granny. They married in 1918. Sarah had been a domestic servant working at Ashfield House just across the road from the farm.

The pictured siblings (Jock, Lachlan, Donald and Janet) were all born in Kilmallie, Argyll just north of Fort William. These four were from a family of ten, the elder brothers and sisters born in nearby Ardnamurchan. Their parents were James Cameron (1837-1907) and Catherine Campbell (1840-1922). Gaelic was their first language, Presbyterian Highlanders.

The bulk of family migrated south in the late nineteenth century. By 1883 the eldest daughter, Ann Cameron, married name Ward (1862-1919) was living in Glasgow. In the 1891 Census Lachlan was in Lochgoilhead, Argyll; 1901 in Row (Rhu) Garelochhead, working as a Railway Surfaceman (another one in the family!). 

By 1907 we know they were in Ballagan Farm – the year that James died.

Daniel Baird - the man who bought Newtownstewart

The Stewarts

In the time of the O’Neills, the village that became Newtownstewart had been known at various times as Lislass, Lislap, Baile Nua & Baile an t-seancaislean.

Early years of the Plantation 1610 James Clapham (Clephan) was granted (bought?) the ‘Newtowne’ lot in August 1610. This comprised 3000 acres. In 1618 he sold out to Sir Robert Newcomen.

20^th July 1629 Newcomen’s son-in-law William Stewart became the local land-owner. The Stewarts (of course) gave the town its name.

In 1682 William’s son became a peer of Ireland with the title 1^st Viscount Mountjoy. His son married the daughter of Viscount Blessington in 1696.

This was the start of the Mountjoy-Blessington dynasty…

Newtownstewart sold

The second Lord Mountjoy and Earl of Blessington died in 1829, in severe debt. Parliament appointed a ‘Court of Commissioners’ to sell off any such estates and in 1848 Newtownstewart came on the market.

The sale, by public auction began in Dublin on 23^rd November 1846.

It involved almost the whole of Newtownstewart town and nearly every townland in the parish and, of course, attracted widest interest. Lot 1 e.g. comprised the townlands of Deerpark, Grange, Rakelly, Crosh holme and the town and townparks of Newtownstewart: in all 1,969 acres producing a rental of £1,307. Sold ultimately to Mr. Daniel Baird, merchant and magistrate of Derry, but a native of Tyrone, for £26,050. There was included another piece of land, making in all upwards of 2,000 acres and producing a present rent exceeding £1,400 a year but the Government valuation is worth £2,800 a year…sold together with the Town all the rights and privileges of Lord of the Manor (Ardstraw – Historical Survey of a Parish, John H. Gebbie 1968)

Daniel Baird

(Image from ‘The Maiden City and the Western Ocean’ by Sholto Cooke, 1961)

Baird was born in 1795 & brought up in Castlefin, County Donegal, where the family had a general store. He was married twice; his first wife was Mary Wauchob. They married in 1824 and had four children.

Mary died in 1837; Daniel married Barbara Delap in 1839. Daniel and Barbara had one daughter

Daniel’s career as a merchant and ship-owner began in the early 1820s and his success and wealth increased steadily throughout the next two decades.

Daniel became Mayor of Derry in 1847, the year he bought Newtownstewart. Up to that time he lived in a villa – Cassina - in the south of the city; in 1849 he bought a mansion in Derry known as Boom Hall.

Not only was Daniel Mayor of the city but he was, at various times, Chief Magistrate of Derry, Chairman of the Port and Harbour Commissioners and High Sheriff of Tyrone in 1854

Daniel Baird died on March 2^nd, 1862 at his home, Boom Hall.

His properties in the Newtownstewart area were passed down the family line until his descendant

Lt-Col. Charles Edgar Maturin-Baird (1899-1994) was required by the Irish Land laws to sell most of his property to the sitting tenants in 1932.

For more information on Daniel Baird see

https://landedfamilies.blogspot.com/2018/05/330-maturin-baird-of-boom-hall-and.html

A troublesome railway passenger

James Kirk (1841-1916) had an eventful career as a railwayman at Newtownstewart. Employed as a Surfaceman (track worker, p-way man) for the Irish North-Western Railway, James was called as a witness at the trial(s) of Thomas Hartley Montgomery, who was accused and eventually convicted of the murder of William Glass in the Northern Bank in 1871. More of this in a future posting.

By 1876 the INW had merged with the Northern Railway of Ireland and the Ulster Railway to form the Great Northern Railway. 

James had moved on to become a Night Watchman by the time he had this unfortunate encounter with an overcarried drunk, as reported in The Londonderry Sentinel, Saturday February 21, 1891

The Manor of Newtownstewart - 1852 map

Last year, while on an Ulster Historical Foundation Genealogy course, I ‘found’ a wonderful book of bound maps of Newtownstewart & the surrounding area in PRONI.

‘Maps of the Manor of Newtownstewart, in the parish of Ardstraw and County of Tyrone, the estate of Daniel Baird, Esquire. Surveyed by R. H. Nolan & Co. 1852’

The maps are beautifully hand-drawn and coloured. Each house in the town is numbered, with an index that tells us who was living in each dwelling place in 1852.

Names of interest / potential interest in the town for my family tree are:

27	John McCrossan	177	James McGlinchy
80	E McGlinchy	207	Patrick Donnelly
111	Mark Mullan	249	Hugh Tolan
115	Hugh O’Connor	260	Catherine McCrossan
117	M McMullan	283	James O’Connor
168	William McGlinchy

Plots of land outside the town have T. Connor, Hugh Tolan & J. Connor Senior (2 plots) as tenants

Main Street, Newtownstewart, in the early nineteen-sixties

A poem by Bridie Stankard, first published in History West Tyrone, Journal of the West Tyrone Historical Society (2007).

Most of the names in here are very much from my era and, of course, there’s a thrill in seeing my father’s name in print…

In the friendly town of Newtownstewart there’s a street you must pass through

And a hint or two I’ll give you if you’ve business there to do;

From McMaster’s to McDevitt’s it’s a shopping centre grand,

You will not find its equal in the whole of Ireland.

You can watch the model railway train and marvel how it works,

As you sip a cup of tea you’ll get in Frankie Kirk’s

His assistant, Miss Rose Bradley, will serve you with a smile,

Her pleasant courteous manner makes a visit there worthwhile.

If your car runs out of petrol, one more drop you cannot squeeze,

You will get her filled up quickly at Barney McNamee’s

And down the Castle Brae you’ll find that Barney’s not alone

There’s another petrol station manned there by Alfie Hone.

Wouldn’t it be just ideal if there would be a marriage

Between that petrol station and John McGlinchey’s garage?

For drapery and hardware and all kinds of useful goods,

No need to visit Omagh, just call into Francie Hood’s.

Whilst Mervyn Millar loads the feeding stuffs upon your cart

You can let his brother Bertie, book your cattle for the mart.

If you feel the flu you’re taking or lumbago splits your sides

You will find a cure for every ill in Hassard’s or McBride’s.

Beside the Back Street junction as you go through the doors

You will find a warm welcome in the New Reform Stores.

A friendly greeting then takes place between Drew Quinn and me

With Armour Beattie in the background to act as referee.

If you must attend a function, or a passing-out parade,

Drop in to Samuel Carson’s, get a suit that’s tailor-made.

A nylon frock, a jumper, or Parisian hat that tempts

Will be found by every lady in the shop owned by John Kemps.

Mincemeat, steak and sausages and even bullocks’ hocks

You will find them in profusion in that shop of Bob Kinloch’s.

Whilst Armstrong they tell me is doing a roaring trade

Although not long in business he’s already made the grade.

The Houstons and the Gallaghers are long established there,

Of pleased and happy customers they’ve merited their share.

To the friends you meet whilst shopping your troubles you can tell

Beside a cheery fire in the Abercorn Hotel.

And as for public houses where many a cold could kill

The number on the Main Street at five remaining still:

No need to look for pep pills or expensive monkey glands

Or travel to some spa resort in far off foreign lands.

Just stroll into the Central Bar a visit there will pay,

The sign outside announces you’ll get ‘Younger every day’.

To the bottom of the Main Street the men are all decoyed,

By the pleasant helpful lassies that the Roches have employed.

If you want to take a taxi, Crudden, Roche or Jack O’Neill,

Moorehead or Philip Harkin you’ll find ready at the wheel

They will reach your destination, deposit you with care,

And you’ll even find a bit of change left over from the fare.

If you want to give a party when your friends are gathered there,

O’Neill or Joseph Hamilton will soon supply your fare;

If you need more drinking glasses or pretty china delph

From Mr Hazlett’s large supply you can choose them for yourself.

And now that I’ve concluded, here’s my advice to you.

Support the shops of Newtownstewart if you be passing through.

If life’s troubles overcome you and like giving up you feel,

There’s an undertaking business carried on by Jack O’Neill!

International toy emporium

From the Ulster Herald, 14 December 1968…Tokyo indeed!

Finding the farm

Cassie O’Connor (1883-1951) was brought up with her maternal grandparents – Francis McCrossan (1826-1907) and Anne McCrossan (ne Mullan) (1826-1895).

c1860, when Griffith’s Valuation was carried out in our area, Francis (my g-g-grandfather) was already a householder in Glassmullagh.  

Using the Ask about Ireland website http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/#

I entered as much as I knew about Francis and found his details in a scan of the original document:

Here’s the (readable) detail:

The website then links you to the original map. I was looking for 2A / 2B, Francis' farm.

The map is great – you can zoom in to find what you’re after and there’s a slider where you can merge the map with its Google Earth image…

I struck gold!

Next step was to go out there to have a look…

Still standing…but it has gone downhill a bit since Google took their snap. Maybe with a lick of paint...?