Alexander & Ann Somerville - Slavin Cemetary

Hi Linda

Re:  "Erected by Lowrey Somerville in memory of his children Margaret Somerville who departed this life October 16th 1849, aged 20 years, John Somerville who departed this life February 24th 1866 and William Somerville who departed this life July 6th 1870".

My 3x great grandfather was Lowry Somerville of Gortnalee. He married Eliza CARSON 1823 and together had 7 children - Eleanor (Ellen) (my 2x gt grandmother, married Alexander MILLS of Ardees Upper 1849 at Slavin Chapel), Margaret, William, Jane (married Thomas McBRIEN 1855 at Slavin Chapel), Christiana (married William WILSON of Bunnahone 1866), John, and Elizabeth (married John EARLS of Slavin 1873 Slavin Chapel).

Re:  "Erected by Alexander Somerville in memory of his wife Anne Somerville who departed 11 July 1835, aged 35 years". Alexander is my 4th gt uncle. He married Anne and they had 2 children born Drumenaghmore, Fermanagh - Margaret b.1826 and Alexander b.1827. Alexander is son of William SOMERVILLE (abt 1752-1819, buried Derrygonnelly) and wife Ann. Lowry SOMERVILLE is also son of William and Ann.

Janet Walmsley, Melbourne, Australia

I can provide more information on all these people if required.

Hi Janet (and Linda, if you are still following this thread),

Thank you for this, as it is the most useful thing I have found on these Somervilles in a long time. I am descended from William Somerville, farmer of Fassagh (c.1805-1893, died at Hanagh), and his wife Fanny, through their son David (1843-1900), who married Maria Stephenson in 1872, and David's daughter Annie Jane, my great-grandmother, who went to New York. I have been trying for years to work out how William fits with Alexander and Lowry, as the three of them farmed side by side at Fassagh and Gortnalee and I have always suspected they were brothers.

What I have found so far points two ways. A William was baptised at Inishmacsaint on 17 May 1807, son of Thomas Somerville and Margaret Watson of Drumbadmeen (Thomas married Margaret, daughter of Alexander Watson of Dromore, at Drumhome in 1792), and the 1796 freeholders list has both a Thomas and a William Somervill at Drumbadmean. So my William may be Thomas's son, or he may be a third son of your William and Ann, and Thomas and your William were clearly close relatives either way.

Would you be willing to share where the details for William (c.1752-1819, buried at Derrygonnelly) and Ann come from, for example whether the burial gives an age or townland, whether Ann's maiden name is known, and whether they had other children, especially a William, Thomas or John? It would also be really helpful to know whether you or anyone in your line has done a DNA test (Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA or GEDmatch), as my cousin's results are on GEDmatch and a comparison with Lowry's descendants could settle whether my William was his brother.

In return I am happy to share what I have, including Lowry's 1879 administration (granted to his daughter Jane McBrien of Roscor), the 1870 administration for his son William, Alexander's second family with Jane (including his son William who married Sidney Tichborne in 1874), and a lot of tithe, freeholder and burial records for Drumbadmeen, Drummenagh More and Fassagh.

Best wishes,

Kris

Hi Kris

Great to hear from you.

Like you, I too have been researching these Somervilles, trying to join the dots. I have a very large private Ancestry tree which I would be prepared to share. I also have a photo of William Somerville's 1819 gravestone which I can send you. Unfortunately I don't know his wife Anne's surname or their townland. 

I have tested my DNA at all the sites and have many Somerville matches, including at least one with a Fassagh address.

Would love to see what you might have too, particularly the information detailed in your last paragraph.

I look forward to pooling our resources.

Regards

Janet

Email: janetw34@gmail.com