Eliza Jane Busby

Kathleen:

Welcome to Ireland Reaching Out!

I will let our Northern Ireland expert assist you in more detail. However, I did look at the civil marriage records for both Busby marriages and both records show that the father of Maria and also Eliza Jane was Archibald Busby. Nor a firm guarantee without the mother's names but likely Eliza Jane and Maria were sisters.

By the way, I live north of Towson so about an hours drive from Crofton.

Roger McDonnell

College Hall aka Marrassit is a townland located a short distance west of the town of Killylea, and Drumgolliff townland is adjacent and to the north. (links to 1st Edition OSI Map). Killelea is a spelling variation for Killylea (PlacenamesNI.Org), all three are in the civil parish of Tynan, Co. Armagh.

St Vindic’s appears to be Tynan Church of Ireland parish church. (There are 2 other churches in the parish at Killylea and Middletown). The Tynan baptism, marriage & burial records start in 1686 (but with numerous gaps). Baptisms, 1686-1725 and 1806-97; marriages, 1683-1723, 1806-18, 1821-45 and 1886-1923; burials, 1683-1723 and 1806-97. There’s a copy in PRONI in Belfast.

I had a look in Griffiths Valuation of 1864 for John Short and Eliza Busby but did not see them living in Killylea or indeed anywhere in Tynan parish. I also searched for children born to parents of those surnames 1864 – 1873 (records begin in 1864) but there were none in Northern Ireland. So they may have moved away.  Usual places to look, eg in the 1901 & 1911 censuses, are England and Scotland. But they may have gone further afield of course. Did they follow Maria & John to the US perhaps?

I looked in the Griffiths records for College Hall and found a Robert Busby there. That was the only Busby household in the townland so he is presumably related to Eliza Jane. He was farming plot 13, a 41 acre farm. That farm today is off College Hall Lane, just outside Caledon.

Robert died on 20.12.1888, aged 74. So born around 1814.  Here’s his probate abstract from the PRONI wills site:

The Will of Robert Busby late of College Hall County Armagh Farmer who died 20 December 1888 at same place was proved at Armagh by James Weir of Kinnego in said County Farmer one of the Executors. Effects £656.

The will itself is also on the PRONI wills site and mentions his wife Jane, a daughter Elizabeth who has already been provided for plus son William who was ultimately to inherit the farm, other un-named children. The family appear to have given up the farm after Robert’s death as the land records show it reverting to the lessor. There are no Busbys in Marrassitt in the 1901 census. Instead they moved to Belfast. Here they are in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Clifton/Avoca_Street/960237/

From daughter Emily’s birth on 15.2.1876 at College Hall, I can see that Robert Busby had married Jane Allen. Their marriage was registered in Dungannon on 5.3.1862. That’s not available on-line free but 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 1862 marriage certificate should give you Robert’s father’s name and occupation, which you can compare with Eliza Jane’s to see if they were brother & sister.

This looks to be son William in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Clifton/Ballycarry_Street/144057/

William had married Henrietta Ferguson on 25.12.1901 in St Luke’s Church of Ireland, Belfast.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Clifton/Ballycarry_Street/144057/

Daughter Elizabeth married John Graham, a bottleblower, of 77 Hamilton St, St Helens, Lancashire on 2.12.1887 in Tynan Church of Ireland.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1887/10815/5944417.pdf

Jane Busby (widow of Robert) in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Dock_Ward__Belfast_Clifton_/York_Street/132144/

Jane Busby died 18.10.1921 in Belfast. Her daughter Maria Kane of 6 Mountview St was the informant so that gives you a clue on what happened to one of the daughters.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1921/05086/4395890.pdf

Looking back to the tithe applotment records for 1827, there were no Busbys farming in College Green then. The only Busbys in the parish (with land) was Archibald in Tynan and Archibald in Gortmaleg. (That could be the same Archie with 2 bits of land, or 2 different people of the same name. No way of telling from those records).

http://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/armagh/tithe-applotments/tynan-parish.php#.Wmm0lhR2ug0

Griffiths records for Drumgoliffe list Thomas Marshall senior farming there on plot 8 (19 acres) and Thomas Marshall junior on plot 9 (27 acres). Senior & junior in Griffiths usually means father & son. They are on the Ballymacully Rd today, near the Ulster Canal. The townland is adjoins College Green, which is to the south of it.

Still 2 Marshall farms there in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Armagh/Glenaul/Drumgolliff/

Probate abstract:

Administration of the estate of Thomas Marshall late of Drumgoliff County Armagh Farmer who died 12 January 1906 granted at Armagh to Margaret Marshall Spinster. Effects £667 10s.

Only 1 Marshall farm in the townland by 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Armagh/Glenaul/Drumgol…