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James Knox Owner of Winderholme Village Sold in 1918

AntrimAghalee (Antrim)

Hello

My Great Grandfather James Knox, lived in Winderholme Villa for many years. I actually saw it 40 years ago and it was a grand place to be seen. Now after all these years, i wouldlike to perhaps find out more about him. I do not have alot of information on my great grand father, but am hoping someone can point me in the rightdirection that Imight start on this journey

Wenderholme Villa was situated just outside the village of Aghalee, in the country of Antrim. At the time , it was 3 miles from the Ballinderry Railway Station and 5 miles from Lurgan

Wenderholme Villa was a largefarm , havingapple orchards, fruit orchards, vegtables and hay fields for the cows. There were servants quarters in their own building separate form the estate houseand lots of buildings.

I do not know where he was born, died or what he did for a career

Any and all help will be great appreciated

Thank you so much in advance for anything youmight be able toshare with me

BIlly D

5 replies

Billy,

Could this be your ancestor?

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Aghalee/Masserene_Upper/203147/

Same family in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Aghalee/Aghalee/1002695/

It’s shown in Aghalee Village in the 1901 census, which as you say is about 3 miles from Ballinderry station.  The property was plot 40 in the Valuation revision records for Aghalee. It was a 23 acre farm. The records show John Knox’s name deleted in 1922 which roughly fits with it being sold in 1918. The new occupant was Robert Horner. The property today looks to be on the Ballinderry Rd near Aghalee House.

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hello Elwyn,

Thank you so much for your quick reply

You are bang on , as this is the correct person.

the farm was in fact 23 acres.

It would have been so nice to see mor ehistory, such as what he did as a career, where he ended up ini his final place, or any other family

 

 

BIlly D

Tracing forward in the 20th century can be difficult due to a lack of open records. Really you need to quiz surviving relations to cover that.  Do you not have some idea of where your gt grandfather went after 1918, and when he died?

This looks like Edith in 1911:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Island_Magee/Ballyprior_Beg/188245/

If you want to search for possible marriages for the children, you can do so on the GRONI site. They have marriages there up to 1943. You can view the original certificates 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.

I looked for wills for the main males but did not see any on the PRONI site. Perhaps they left Ireland? Can’t see Louis or Mary after the 1911 census. James senior had 8 children of whom 7 were still alive in 1911. He was married in 1879 to Sarah Sefton. Here’s a link to his marriage certificate.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1879/11064/8047883.pdf

The full list of children appears to be:

William born 18.6.1880

Alfred 24.5.1882

Eveline 3.3.1884

William 20.9.1885

Edith 6.6.1887

James 20.5.1889

Mary 13.4.1892

Louisa 20.11.1895

There were two Williams so presumably the first one died before 1885.

You could search the 1901 & 1911 censuses for the missing children. Likewise you can search on the GRONI or irishgenealogy sites for marriages. Note that the irishgenealogy records for Northern Ireland stop on 31.12.1921.

The 1911 census tells you James junior was a bank clerk in 1911, so that tells you something about his possible career.

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

 

It was Wenderholme and James Knox was a gentleman farmer but he seems to also have helped others on probate matters and was Chairman of The Lower Ballinderry Polling District and Sunday school teacher. Some of his children practiced and/or became qualified in the legal profession and most of the daughters became teachers and/or writers. The first William died 19/10/1882 and it was Evelyn (not Eveline). I suspect your Grandfather was James Charles Knox, Mr, Di**!  James Knox died 11/1/21 and Sarah Knox (nee Sefton) died 13/4/25. The last surviving child Mary Ethel died 19/11/63. I do not know where they resided after vacating Wenderholme.I suspect James was born in 1849 ( I know not where) and Sarah in 1857 (Lurgan).

 

 

haimregit@gmail.com

Sarah Sefton was brought up in Hoylwood. She may have been born there in retrospect.But her teenage Bible lists Lurgan. The Sefton Family were famous and wealthy. I'm petty sure they started a large Insurance company in the USA.

haimregit@gmail.com

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