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Chasing the Whittons

ArmaghBallymore (Armagh)

Hello there,

I'm trying to trace my ancestoral Whitton line.

I have my great great grandmother Emma Whitten being born in Tandragee in 1845, the daughter of we believe William Whitten b.1815 and Elizabeth Bennett.

We also suspect there were two other sisters, Hannah and Lucinda who emigrated to Australia in the 1860's as their are some DNA matches with descendants of these woman.

Would anyone be able to shed any light on the Whitten family for me.

Kind Regards

Michael Hughes

IrelandXO member

7 replies

Statutory registration of births in Ireland didn’t start till 1864, and marriages weren’t registered till 1845, so for this family you won’t get marriage or birth certificates.  You may find a record of their baptisms and marriage in church records but you need to know their denomination to do that.

The local Church of Ireland has records from 1783, which include some Presbyterian baptisms for the years 1822-1831.

Clare Presbyterian has records from 1822, Cremore 1831, Tandragee 1835 & Tyrone’s Ditches from 1793. The RC records start in 1843.

The RC records are on-line on the nli site, but for the others you will need to go to PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast and look them up there.

If you think William & Elizabeth might have been alive in 1864 (when death registration started) you could also search for their death certificates.  Ideally you need to know his townland or occupation to be sure of finding the right one. Check Witten as well as Whitton as both spellings were common.

Griffiths Valuation for 1863 has a William Whitton farming in Mullaghglass and another William farming in Tullyhugh. Deaths around Tandragee should be registered in Banbridge.

I see a death for Wm Whitten of Tullyhugh on 30.11.1890, aged 75. He was a widower. Informant was his son in law Thomas Annett.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1890/06091/4738140.pdf

An Eliza Whitten died in 1871 aged 50. That certificate is not on-line free yet, so if you want to view it, you’ll need to pay. You can view the original certificate on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

The Will of William Whitten late of Tullyhue County Armagh Farmer who died 30 November 1890 at same place was proved at Armagh by Bessie Annett (wife of Thomas Annett) of Tullyhue one of the Executors. The will is on-line on the PRONI website. In it, he left everything to his daughter Bessie Annett. This looks to be her in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Tandragee_Rural/Tullyhugh/1021156/

Possibly her husband living nearby in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Tandragee_Rural/Tullyhugh/1021136/

1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Armagh/Tanderagee/Tullyhugh/332482/

The above family was Church of Ireland. I cannot say that it is your family merely that the information fits with what you have given so far. You would need to search the baptism records to see if you can find Emma and perhaps siblings.

Here’s another William Whitten born c 1832, in Mullaghglass. Again Church of Ireland.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Tandragee_Rural/Mullaghglass/1021105/

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi,

We also have a Whitton/Whitten mystery.  In a letter dated 1887 sent by Thomas Redpath (Cargans) to his sister Elizabeth Guinea (nee Redpath) in Victoria, Australia.  There is mention of their mutual cousin Lucy Whitto(e)n.  The question is we have not been able to establish the names of her parents ie. how is she a cousin to the Redpath children.  We also don't know the name of her Whitten husband.    

Griffiths Valuation 1847-1864 lists Lucy Whitten as the occupier of 7 Cargans being a house and land 7a 3r 25p with the immediate lessor being the Duke of Manchester. The rateable annual valuation was £6 for the land, 15 shillings for the house. From 1864 Lucy’s cousin James Redpath took over 7 Cargans and Lucy Whitten removed to 43A & 43B (previously occupied by John McCormack). This property included a house, office & land and the total rateable annual valuation was £11. She remained at that property from 1864-1892. During 1884 in addition to 43A & 43B Lucy Whitten took over the occupation of 44A & 44B (house, office & land) , 48A & 48B (land) and 49 (land) Cargans which had previously been held by her son John Whitten before he removed to Drumnaleg to take over his great uncle’s farm (see John and Jane Redpath’s story). So by 1884-1892 Lucy Whitten had also occupied the corner at Cargans Rd-Terryhoogan Rd 

There is a death registration for Lucy Whitten 1892 Banbridge District aged 74 years. She is buried at St. Mark's, Tandragee. In 1893 Robert Whitten took over as occupier of Lucy’s properties 43A, 43B, 44A, 44B, 48A, 48B & 49 Cargans. Robert Whitten, grandnephew of Jane Redpath (formerly of Glebe Hill who had also died in 1892 at Cargans) was the informant on and present at the death of his great aunt. We know that Lucy Whitten was Jane Redpath’s niece so Robert Whitten is also a descendant of this family. Robert Whitten was a farmer and never married. He could read and write but his sister Margaret who lived with him as housekeeper could only read. Charles Whitten (nephew) is described as a servant in 1901 and could read and write. Lucy Whitten (niece) also lived with Robert and Margaret. In 1910 Robert Whitten became the owner “in fee” L.A.P. of the Cargans properties listed above and remained the owner until at least 1930. N.B. Robert Whitten of Cargans died in 1937 aged 92 years and was buried at St. Mark’s Ballymore Parish Church on February 13, 1937. Charles Whitten of Cargans died in 1908 aged 25 years and was buried April 15 1908. Members of the Whitten family signed the 1912 Ulster Covenant/Declaration. John Whitten (Lucy’s son) farmed at 5A & 5B Drumnaleg (Glebe Hill) from 1884. From 1906-1915 John became the owner (“in fee” L.A.P.) of the farm on Glebe Hill and the farm was sold to John Black in 1915. By 1901 John Whitten was a widower. 

Regards, Heather Cook

Heather Cook

Heather,

When a woman is listed in Griffiths it normally indicates she was a widow.  Griffiths for Cargans was compiled in 1863 (the year is on the details page). So you can probably conclude that her husband died before 1863, and so before the start of statutory death registration. If the family were  Church of Ireland, you might find his burial details in the church records referred to in my previous post.

The only Whitten in Cargans in 1830 in the tithes was a Robert, so that might have been Lucy’s husband or perhaps his father. Again it might be worth looking at the burial records to see if you can work it out:

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/armagh/tithe-applotments/ballymore-parish.php#.WnA5XBR2ug0

PRONI has a document D1248/M/3 which is described as various maps of Terryhogan and Cargans from the years 1847 – 1860. Might possibly have tenants names on.

I would suggest that if you also study the church baptism records you may be able to work out who the various members of the family were. That’ll require a trip to PRONI though

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks for the reply Elwyn.  Unfortunately I won't be able to make the trip to Proni in the foreseeable future as we were in Northern Ireland in 2016 and have no plans at this stage to make a return visit (though would really love to).  So I guess our mystery Lucy Whitten will remain so until we are able to search those records.  Thanks again for the reply :)

Heather Cook

Thank you Elwyn,

I really appreciate this :)

IrelandXO member

Hi Michael,

I've sent you an email

Regards Heather

Heather Cook

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