Shauna,
Griffiths Valuation for Kerneyhill in 1862 lists James Adams farm. It was plot 4 in the townland and was 32 acres. (So a comfortable living by Irish standards). Nearby on plot 1 was Thomas Hugh Adams with 35 acres and Mary Adams had a one third share in plot 5 which was a 48 acre farm. These farms are all beside each other and it’s highly likely they were all related.
The farms were all near the intersection of the Rathkeel and Moorfield Rds outside Ballymena. The area is still farmland today. Hilly upland farms of mixed quality land. Very similar to farmland in Ayrshire and southern Scotland, which is where most of these farming families originated in the 1600s.
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch
You would get a detailed description of the Glen in the mid 1830s from the Ordnance Survey Memoirs. These were a description of the land, customs and situation of the inhabitants drawn up by the army (essentially for taxation purposes) but they provide an excellent description of everyday life, and often name lots of local families. I don’t have a copy of the description of Glenwherry. But PRONI in Belfast should have a copy and the local studies section at Ballymena library may also have a copy. (Each parish gets about 20 pages so you might want to pay them to copy them for you).
Looking at the Valuation revision books, I see that plot 4 changed from Robert Adams to James in 1874 (often indicating the farther had died). It then changed to Sarah Adams in 1902, again suggesting her husband had died. By this time the farm is shown as being shared with Mary Jane Adams. Sarah changes to James in 1914 and there are several changes to Mary Jane’s part. The farm is still in James name in 1929 when that series of records ceases. (There might be Adams there today. I can see from the will abstracts there were some there in the 1950s).
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/searching-valuation-revision-books
3 Adams households in Kerney Hill in the 1901 census:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Glenwherry/Kerney_Hill/939335/
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Glenwherry/Kerney_Hill/939338/
This last is your immediate family:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Glenwherry/Kerney_Hill/939340/
1911 census:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Glenwhirry/Kearneyhill/122734/
Your family:
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Glenwhirry/Kearneyhill/122737/
Note that Sarah Gault and Robert Adams had 6 children, all of whom were alive in 1911. Let me know if you need assistance in locating their names and dates of birth.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Glenwhirry/Kearneyhill/122738/
A number of your family signed the Ulster Covenant in 1912. (Search under mid Antrim constituency). Some spelled their address as Carney Hill others as Kerney. It’s the same thing. You can see their actual signature son the covenant document. And it obviously tells you about their politics; at least insofar as Home Rule was concerned.
http://apps.proni.gov.uk/ulstercovenant/search.aspx
Your family were Presbyterian so they may well have attended Glenwherry Presbyterian church. Their records start in 1845. There’s a copy in PRONI on microfilm. They are not on-line anywhere so far as I am aware. There are 2 Adams gravestones in Glenwherry Presbyterian graveyard:
Erected By John Adams Of Kernyhill. In Loving Memory Of His Children Francis, Died 2nd Oct. 1900, Aged 10 Years. James. Died 29th Oct. 1900, Aged 19 Years. Thomas Hugh, Died 1st Nov. 1900, Aged 23 Years.
Erected By Hugh Adams, Maxwells Walls. In Memory Of His 4 Children. 6 Graves North.
Here’s some probate abstracts to give you some additional data. These are taken from the PRONI will site:
Letters of Administration of the personal estate of Agnes Adams late of Kerneyhill County Antrim Widow who died 23 July 1879 at same place were granted at Belfast to Mary Jane Adams of Kerney hill Spinster a Child.
The above probate file was destroyed in the 1922 fire and all that remains is the abstract.
Probate of the Will of Robert Adams late of Kerneyhill County Antrim Farmer who died 25 May 1897 granted at Belfast to Sarah Adams, the Widow
Probate of the Will of Matilda Adams late of Kerneyhill County Antrim Spinster who died 7 October 1912 granted at Belfast to James McMaster M.D. and Robert White Farmer.
Probate of the Will of Sarah Adams late of Kerneyhill, County Antrim, widow, who died 26 December 1911 granted at Belfast to James Adams and John Adams both of Kerneyhill, County Antrim, farmers. Effects: £187 0s 0d.
Probate of the Will of the late John Adams, Kerneyhill, Co. Antrim, Farmer, who died 25 April 1919, granted at Belfast 1 September 1919 to Robert Boal, Solicitor. Effects: £76 5s.
Adams John of Kearneyhill Glenwherry county Antrim retired farmer died 25 February 1953 at Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast Probate Belfast 4 February to Alexander Adams retired farm worker. Effects £342 5s.
The above wills should be in PRONI in paper format. They’ll copy them for a fee or you can go and look at them yourself.
Probate of the Will of Mary Jane Adams late of Kerneyhill County Antrim Spinster who died 2 February 1903 granted at Belfast to Matilda Adams Spinster.
Above will is on-line on the PRONI wills site.
