Rick,
I realise I missed the link to the 1831 census. Sorry:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Loughinshollen/Desertmartin/Lecumpher/3/
The name has been mistranscribed but if you look at the original it was Hays. And he was living in Lecumpher. The 1831 census of Derry is really the only part of the 1831 census that has survived. Reportedly it was out of the Public Record Office for some reason or other when the building was burned in 1922.
Here’s a link to the marriage of John Barclay & Eliza Hayes in 1884:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Loughinshollen/Desertmartin/Lecumpher/3/
Certificate shows she was the daughter of John (deceased). Here they are in the 1901 census:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Brackaghslievegallion/Durnascullion/1533720/
and 1911:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Londonderry/Brackagh_Slieve_Gallion/Durnascallon/614410/
1874 marriage for Martha J Hayes to Archibald Bradley:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1874/11243/8123126.pdf
Probate abstract: Letters of Administration of the personal estate of Archibald Bradley late of Gulladuff County Londonderry Farmer who died 17 December 1894 at Ballymacombs were granted at Londonderry to Robert Hayes of Lecumpher in said County Farmer the Attorney of the Widow.
The term “Letters of administration” for Archibald’s estate tells you he died intestate. So no will.
Tithe applotment records for 1827 list George Hayes farming in Lecumpher:
https://www.irishgenealogyhub.com/derry/tithe-applotments/desertmartin-parish.php
It looks to me as though the farm was split into 2 sometime between the 1831 census and Griffiths (1859).
D3632/B/39/8 at PRONI is a lease dated 1827 for George Huey of Lecumpher. That might be a misreading of George Hays. The lease itself is closed (probably too fragile) but is on MIC617/15.
There is another lease to George Hays of Lecumpher in November 1854. Also closed but available on MIC617/15. Likewise a lease of same date to John Hays. So maybe 1854 was when the farm was split.
Lease dated 6th Jan 1877 to John Hayes of Lecumpher is on MIC617/15. Also to Thomas Hayes and another to Robert Hayes both dated 29th June 1877.
D3632/G/5/2/2 (Draper’s agents) is on-line on the PRONI e-catalogue and mentions Robert Latimer of Lecumpher. Including:
“Rowley and John Rowley, Miller, Moneymore to Edward Lawford Esq. They will continue to observe the instruction that each individual tenant seeking assistance to emigrate should have their case considered by the Court of Assistants.
'... Seeing as we do a wonderful move in many of the inhabitants to get off to America and knowing the vast advantage it would be to the estate to get as many families away as possible and amalgamate the farms ... we took the liberty of mentioning that if a few hundreds of pounds were at our disposal we could benefit the estate to a great extent.'[8 Mar. 1847
Rowley and John Rowley, Miller, Moneymore to Edward Lawford Esq. 'We overlooked replying to a portion of yours of the 19th ult. respecting your allusion to our wishing to have a few hundred pounds at our disposal to assist persons to emigrate. In our letter of 2 March to which allude we did not mean to purchase the interest of the tenants out, who were anxious to emigrate, but only to assist them to procure their passages when the purchase money of their farms would not enable them to get away. We stated that after the arrear of rent was paid and more or less of small debts, that too often the sum left was not sufficient to pay the passage money. We also stated that we only intended to advance to each individual tenant a sum not exceeding £10 or £15 except in special cases.'
'In your letter of the said 19 March you state "that the Court were surprised at finding from the memorials of those tenants who have that object in view, that out of 18 there were only 5 who had not already disposed of their lands and consequently the enlargement of farms which you so very properly advocate would only be assisted in those 5 cases and however desirable it may be to get rid of the families of the other 13 applicants the same principle does not apply".'
'In reply to this we beg to say that out of the 18, 9 have or are about disposing of their farms which 9 farms have or are to be amalgamated with other farms and the houses either at present down or are to come down. 4 others lost their farms at the squaring of the townlands in 1842 and other farms were enlarged at that period by these 4 farms being amalgamated with them and these 4 families have squatted down upon the estate. We took the liberty of recommending some assistance being given to them as they were unable to pay their passage to America. The remaining 5 of the 18, 4 of the farms were disposed off to sons of tenants where we could not get them amalgamated and the 5th was the son of a tenant who with his wife and family settled with his father and we recommended that the land should be sold and that all should go to America. We hope that this account of these 18 persons will be satisfactory to the Court. Any that we have lately recommended for assistance to carry them to America it is perfectly understood that their farms are to be amalgamated and their houses to come down...' [12 Apr. 1847].
Rowley and John Rowley, Miller, Moneymore to Edward Lawford Esq. 'We send by this post two packages of memorials on the subject of emigration containing 26 in number. We are sorry to say that the freight for passengers to the United States of America has risen considerably which we fear will debar some of those families leaving this country who have been allowed grants from the Court of Assistants. There is one in particular we would take the liberty of drawing your attention to. Robert Latimore of Lecumpher, when he applied for assistance in November last the passage money was much lower. He has a tolerably large family (the number just now we do not recollect) but unless the Court kindly give him further assistance he cannot get out of the country. £10 was granted to him by your letter of the 19th March and it would take at least £10 more to get him away'.
'We have great pleasure in being able to inform you that when sickness and death in their most appalling shapes are widely spread through many portions of our land there is not one case of fever throughout the length and breadth of this estate'.[28 Apr. 1847].”
Note: The Drapers were one of the London Livery companies who had invested in developing Co Derry in the 1600s. The “Court of Assistants” was their term for their management board.
Check the Registry of Deeds records for the late 1700s in case there is a 3 lives lease for the Lecumpher farm. That often gives ages and relationships.
If going to PRONI for the first time, take your passport in order to get your Reader’s Ticket. Issued at reception, takes 2 minutes and valid for 10 years. It’s free.
