The “McCabe Report”

BEATTYs AND GARRETTs IN COUNTY DOWN IRELAND

1700S AND 1ST HALF 1800S

RESEARCH REPORT March 2004

 THE BEATTY and GARRETT  FAMILIES -

ANNAHILT - DROMARA – HILLSBOROUGH AREAS, COUNTY DOWN, IRELAND

March 2004

INTRODUCTION

The present research comprised the ongoing investigation into your ancestors of the Garrett Family and the investigation into your ancestors of the Beatty Family. Where possible source information located during the previous research undertaken into your Garrett Ancestors was not transcribed again though there may however be some duplication.

THE SURNAMES GARRETT – BEATTY

The surname Garrett – per previous research. The surname Beatty also Batie/Betty and other variants spellings. (see pages from Black’s Surnames of Scotland posted to you).

THE SEARCH AREA

The present investigation was primarily focused on the following townlands –

Ballycrune

Ordnance Survey Maps 21 and 22, County Down, 608 Acre 2 Rood, 35 Perch, Barony of Lower Iveagh, Lower Part, Annahilt Parish, Lisburn Poor Law Union

Ballykeel Edenagonnell

Ordnance Survey Map 14, County Down, 240 Acre 1 Rood 18 Perch, Barony of Lower Iveagh, Upper Part, Blaris Parish, Lisburn Poor Law Union.

Ballykeel Ednagonnell

Ordnance Survey Maps 14 and 21, County Down, 221 Acre 1 Rood 29 Perch, Barony of Lower Iveagh Upper Part. Hillsborough Parish. Lisburn Poor Law Union.

Ballylintagh

Ordnance Survey Maps 21 and 22, County Down, 684 acre 3 Rood 5 Perch, Barony of Lower Iveagh, Lower Part, Annahilt Parish, Lisburn Poor Law Union.

Ballyworfy

Ordnance Survey Maps 14 and 21, County Down, 583 Acre 3 Rood 11 Perch, Barony of Lower Iveagh, Upper Part, Hillsborough Parish, Lisburn Poor Law Union.

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Cluntagh

Ordnance Survey Maps 21 and 22, County Down, 1010 Acre 3 Rood 1 Perch, Barony of Lower Iveagh, Lower Part, Annahilt Parish, Lisburn Poor Law Union.

Drumlough

Ordnance Survey Map 21, County Down, 1092 Acre 1 Rood 36 Perch, Barony of Lower Iveagh, Lower Part, Dromore Parish, Lisburn Poor Law Union

Edenacollo/Edencullo

Not listed

Magheraconluce

Ordnance Survey Maps 21 and 22, County Down, 571 acre 3 Rood 4 Perch, Barony of Lower Iveagh, Lower Part, Annahilt Parish, Lisburn Poor Law Union.

Mullaghdrin

Ordnance Survey Maps 21,22,28,29, County Down, Barony of Lower Iveagh, Lower Part, Dromara Parish, Lisburn Poor Law Union.

Tullynore

Ordnance Survey Map 21, County Down, 314 Acre 2 Rood 30 Perch, Barony of Lower Iveagh, Upper Part, Hillsborough Parish, Lisburn Poor Law Union

Source; General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies

Of Ireland – Based on the 1851 Census of Ireland.

Alexander Thom, Dublin 1861.

THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION

The enclosed Report is arranged in chronological order. The sources examined during the present research range from The General Valuation of Rateable Property in Ireland (Griffith’s Valuation), through Tithes, Wills, Voters/Freeholders and Church registers, Civil Registration of Deaths (selected) and the records relating to the Downshire Estate, County Down.

THE DOWNSHIRE ESTATE

The Estate of the Marquis of Downshire – the Hill Family of Hillsborough, County Down – is divided into separate individual estates each identified by a given name. The area where your Garrett – Beatty Ancestors resided formed part of the Kilwarlin Estate. The Kilwarlin

Estate records comprises an extensive archive including hundreds of Leases, Lease Books, Ledgers (the latter cover the period 1726 to 1823 records information about leases), and Rentals

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The Kilwarlin Estate records particularly the Lease Books and Ledgers, ( large bound Volumes) record given information pertaining to particular townlands, leases, tenants and rents (note; actual rent amounts not copied by Jmcc). The contents of the Estate Volumes vary in that information recorded in a given Volume may or may not be recorded in a subsequent Volume. In certain circumstances the names of particular townlands are not recorded in some Volumes but are in other Volumes; Personal information pertaining to individual tenants relating to Leases, ages, terms, and observations are recorded in some Volumes but not in others. It was therefore  necessary to undertake a fully comprehensive examination of the primary documentation pertaining to the Kilwarlin Estate including Leases.

KILWARLIN ESTATE LEASES

These Leases are mainly pro forma (though there are some Leases which are written on skins) documents the contents of which are supplemented by handwritten information pertaining to individual tenants, terms, conditions and Heriot. The latter was originally a military feudal service consisting of weapons/military equipment restored to the Lord on the death of his tenant. This subsequently became a heriot service due upon a special reservation recited in a grant or lease of lands.

Heriots were originally paid in kind – for example two fat Cajuns – but was subsequently levied at the death of a tenant as a monetary amount. In estate rentals notations can be found which denote payment of Heriots and such information may also name the deceased person. which can be invaluable particularly if there no other source by which death information may be obtained.

Many of the Kilwarlin Estate Leases include a small area map which pinpoints the actual location of the property under Lease, the road system and the names of some individuals who resided in the area immediately adjoining the property under Lease. Such notations can include other family members who were residing in the same locality.

The Kilwarlin Estate Leases also record terms and conditions concerning the construction of dwelling houses, barns, outhouses and the planting of trees.

BEATTY FAMILY RESEARCH – SUMMARY OF PRESENT INFORMATION

The occurrences of the names of persons named Beatty/Betty in the search area are so prolific that a great deal of research time would be required in order to sort and correlate the information. As a result it is only possible here to refer to some aspects of Beatty recorded in the search area.

As of writing it is not known when the Beatty’s settled in the search area or where they may have migrated from (possibly Lisburn?). The first known Beatty who resided in the search area was a Richard Betty who, along with others, obtained a Lease for Lives dated May 1716 for lands situated in the townland of Ballyworfy (D/671/A1/10). The same source also records a Lease for lands situated in Ballyknock (sic Ballyknockan)dated 1739 which was drawn during the term of the natural lives of Henry Betty and John Betty, both sons of James Betty late (deceased) of Ballykeel Ednagonnell.

Although there is no positive proof, excepting family forename patterns, that the above named Richard Betty of Ballyworfy may have been the father of James Beatty of Ballykeel Ednagonnel of whom shortly. Inter related families of Betty/Beatty continued to reside in Ballyworfy, Ballykeel Ednagonnell, Ballycrune and other townlands until at least 1863.

The first known reference to James Beatty of Ballykeel Ednagonnell is recorded in the Downshire Estate Ledger dated 1726 – 1728 (D/671/A1/2). At this period James Betty farmed twenty nine acres two Rood of lands situated in Ballykeel Ednagonnell. This James Betty appears to have died in the mid 1730’s (this would certainly correspond to the above reference which described James Betty as late of Ballykeel Ednagonnell) because in the Downshire Estate Ledgers dated 1735 –1738 (D/671/A15 & 6) Agnes Betty, Assignee is recorded as the occupier of lands formerly occupied by James Betty in Ballykeel Ednagonnell.

The next important piece of information pertaining to the Betty Family of Ballykeel Ednagonnell is recorded in Downshire Estate Ledger dated 1745 – 1746 (D/671/A1/10) which records Richard Betty as the Lessee of the twenty nine acres two rood of lands (the same acreage as formerly held by James Betty, possibly the father of Richard?)  situated in Ballykeel Ednagonnell. This Ledger records a Lease to Richard Betty dated May 1732 which was drawn during the term of the natural lives of Richard Betty, Thomas Betty and James Betty (possibly the Lessee and two of his sons ?).

The above information is somewhat complicated by information recorded in Downshire Estate Ledger dated 1756 – 1758 (D/671/A1/25) which records Richard Betty as holding sixty five acres of land situated in Ballykeel Ednagonnell land which was held by Lease for Lives dated 1716 the lives being William Betty, John Betty and James Betty. From the 1770’s onwards the Betty/Beatty’s are recorded as farming a number of individual lots of lands situated in Ballykeel Ednagonnell (Per enclosed Report).

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Information subsequently recorded in the Downshire Estate records relating to various Betty/Beatty Families who resided in the search area illustrate persons so named who migrated to Glasgow, Scotland and or Comber, County Down. Some information relating to Beatty females who married others was also noted. These include  Jane Betty of Ballyworfy who married Francis Kerr, Glasgow and her sister Elizabeth married William Rainey, Ballyworfy ( See D.671/A4/18). Some references to Beatty’s who emigrated to America were also noted, per as follows -

John Betty, Ballyworfy. Lease dated 1 May 1758. John the Lessee was deceased by 1816.

His 1758 Lease was drawn during the term of the natural lives of his sons Joseph Betty, aged 13 in 1758 born c 1745. Joseph was alive in 1816 having emigrated to America about seventeen years prior to 1816 (c1799). The other life in the 1758 Lease was that of Joseph’s sibling John Betty who was aged ten years in 1758. He continued to reside in Ballyworphy until his death in November 1829 (D/671/A4/18).

The same source records the family of James Beatty of Ballykeel Ednagonnell. His Lease was dated 1 May 1774 and was drawn during the term of the natural lives of the Lessee

James Beatty – he was deceased by 1816, his son James Erwin Beatty aged 6 in 1774 (born c1780). The latter was alive in 1816 and in 1827 aged 42 and 53 respectively. This James Erwin Beatty emigrated to America some years prior to 1801. The other Life recorded in the 1774 Lease granted to James Beatty of Ballykeel Ednagonnell was Gawen Beatty aged 15 in 1774. The latter was alive as at 1816 and in 1827 aged 57 and 68 respectively. He was residing in Tullynore in 1830 and he died on the 22 July 1831. On his death the 1774 Lease which included lands situated in Ednacullo expired.

Note by Jmcc); In cases where Leases were drawn during the term of the natural lives of named person the Landlord or his agent undertook extensive investigations in order to ascertain whether such persons were alive or dead. This was particularly the case where persons named as Lives in a Lease emigrated to America. Such inquiries included contacting relatives who remained in Ireland and direct contact by letter with the actual emigrant.

In some cases involving a Life of a Lease who had emigrated the landlord or his agent obtained an affidavit from an overseas public notary stating that the person concerned was alive at a given date. Such precautions were necessary as a renewal fine was payable at the death of a person named as a Life in a Lease. Also if the last Life was deceased the Lease expired and a new one could be drawn.

This concludes this brief summary.

(Note; The registers of Annahilt Presbyterian Church from 1780 onwards contain much information relating to Beatty Families who resided in the search area. Per enclosed Report).

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 GARRETT FAMILY – SUMMARY OF PRESENT INFORMATION

The outcome of the present Garrett Family research proved to be disappointing in that little additional information was located. This despite extended investigations particularly in the Downshire Estate records.

The earliest record located in the search area which related to your Garrett Ancestors was recorded in the Kilwarlin Estate Ledgers dated 1761 to 1770 inclusive. (D/671/A1/27,28,29,30). Per as follows –