John Anderson was the son of William Anderson (1804 - 1892) and Sarah Fay (1804 - 1887) of Kells, Co. Antrim. I've already done an earlier post on the Anderson family of Kells/Connor, Co. Antrim, but this post details them further.
http://alison-stewart.blogspot.ie/2011/08/anderson-family-of-county-antrim.html
William Anderson, and his son John Anderson, were teachers and worked in a variety of schools south of Kells and Connor. I found reference to them in several records. From an 1851 report on National Schools, I discovered that William Anderson was the principal and sole teacher of Tildarg National School in Ballyeaston Parish. This school joined the National School system on 22nd August 1833, and William Anderson was being paid £16. 13s a year.
Also in 1851 John Anderson, his son, was the principal and only teacher of Ballybracken National School in the same rural area. The school joined the system on 4th November 1841, and in 1853 John Anderson was being paid an annual salary of £4 11s 8d. In 1850 Ballybracken School had 52 pupils.
Tildarg, Ballybracken and Drumadarragh are adjacent townlands, situated between Kells and Ballyclare in Co. Antrim.
In 1862 William Anderson was leasing a house and garden from William Todd in Drumadarragh. The Tithe Applotment Books of the 1830's don't show William Anderson; William Todd was there, however, leasing 26 acres.
Six years earlier, his son, John Anderson, married Jane Wilson Blain on 24th October 1856. From the certificate we learn that John, a teacher, was born in 1835, and was living in Drumadarragh, Kilbride, Co. Antrim presumably still at home with his parents. Closeby, as can be seen from Griffiths Valuation, was a school in Ballybracken townland where John Anderson was the principle and only teacher. On the marriage certificate we see that Jane Wilson Blair lived here in Ballybracken. She had been born in 1837 to William Blair, a weaver of Ballybracken, and to his wife Shusoneah Susan Willson. The witnesses to the marriage were J.S. Rainey and Samuel Ferguson.
The children of John Anderson and Jane Wilson Blain were:
⦁William John Anderson, baptised in Connor Presbyterian Church, Kells, on 28th March 1858. (he would later marry Agnes Keating in Belfast; they were the grandparents of our grandmother, Agnes Keating Wilson, who married our Dublin-born grandfather Bertie Stewart.)
⦁James Anderson, born 11th July 1860, and baptised in Connor Presbyterian Church on 7th October 1860.
⦁Sarah Agnes Anderson born 22nd December 1862, christened in Finvoy, Ballymoney, on 13th January 1863. She married James Barbour of Drumachose, Derry, and died in Manitoba on 28th February 1948.
⦁A daughter, Susan, was born to the couple on March 18th 1865 in the Templepatrick Registration District and was baptised in Ballylinny Presbyterian Church on 18th May 1865 - Ballylinny is in Newtownabbey south of Kells and close to Belfast. This child died of scrofula at the age of seven on 31st July 1872; her father, John, was present when she died at home at 59 Hardinge Street in the centre of Belfast.
⦁A third daughter, Ellen, was born July 2nd 1867 in Belfast - she possibly died in 1875, aged 8 and the death was registered in Belfast. Ellen had been named after her father's sister, Ellen Anderson Blair.
On a government sessions report into Irish schools, I came across a reference to John Anderson, a teacher of Carnmoney No.2 Boys' School in 1865. Carnmoney is in Newtownabbey where his daughter, Susan, had been baptised in 1865.
The Wilson family of Jane Wilson Blain, wife of John Anderson, teacher:
John Anderson's first wife, Jane Wilson Blain, had been born to Shusonneah Susan Willson (1800 - November 1873) and William Blain (1789 - 11th August 1882). Their children were christened in Connor Presbyterian Church:
⦁Hugh Blain, 29th April 1822 - 24th December 1876, married Eliza Service, the daughter of Thomas Service on 4th July 1861 in Ballyeaston. On 23 Aug 1865 they had a daughter, Elizabeth Blain, born in the Doagh region.
⦁Andrew Blain, 2nd February 1824 - 15th May 1887, married Margaret Gordon in Ballyeaston on 23rd December 1853. Margaret's father was Robert Gordon. Andrew Blain was appointed the executor of the will of Elizabeth Gordon of Ballyrobert, Templepatrick, when she died in 1875. Andrew Blain at that time lived in Ballywalter, Ballylinney, just south of Templepatrick and close to Ballyrobert. Elizabeth Gordon named her two sons as Robert and James Gordon, and her daughter as Annabella Gordon. The son of Andrew Blain and Margaret Gordon was Robert Andrew Gordon Blain (1854 - 1841) who married Isabella Stewart (1860 - 1930) the daughter of Alexander Stewart. Robert Gordon Blain and Isabella moved to England, and he was recorded aboard the 'Alaunia', arriving at Quebec on 28th August 1925; he gave his place of birth as Ballybracken, next to Drumadarragh. HIs wife, née Isabella Stewart, had been born in Drumballyroney, Co. Down.
⦁Eliza Blain, 2nd February 1827 - 24th February 1910, married James Rainey of Umry, Clonkeen, Co. Antrim.
⦁James Wilson Blain, born 21st December 1829. He married, in 1874, Eliza Gleghorn. She may have been a member of the Gleghorn family of Potters Walls, just north of Antrim town, and 10 miles west of Drumadarragh/Ballybracken. In 1872, a James Gleghorn of Potters Wall made his will and named a daughter as Eliza.
⦁William John Blain, born 29th July 1833, possibly married Jennet Jones in Templepatrick on 16th January 1857.
⦁Twins Jane Willson Blain and Shusonneah Blain, born 14th February 1835.
Shusonneah Susan Wilson's brother, James Wilson, lived in Ballybracken next to Drumadarragh. James died on 1st April 1869 leaving a will:
'...I allow the sixty five pounds twelve shillings I owe Hugh Blane on foot of an I.O.U....to be paid out of my property...I allow my sister, Elizabeth Rennie (ie: Rainey), the sum of ten pounds...and if any of it is unpaid at the time of her death, the remainder is to go to her son James...
...I allow my niece, Jane Wilson Anderson, the sum of fifteen pounds...and if she should die before it is all paid, the remainder is to go to her son James..
...I will and bequeath to Hugh Blane all my property...I nominate and appoint the said Hugh Blane, my nephew, and his brother, Andrew Blane of Ballywalter (ie: Ballylinney), executors...'
James Wilson's above will was witnessed by Ephraim Wilson and Archibald Wilson of Maxwells Wall, Antrim. This Archibald Wilson also held land in Carncome, which immediately adjoins Maxwells Wall, both townlands being midway between Kells and Ballybracken/Drumadarragh. Griffiths Valuation of 1862 shows a strong cluster of Wilsons farming here, and this is possibly the origin of the Wilson family of Shusonneah Wilson. The other Wilson farming there in 1862 were Speir Wilson, John Wilson, Hugh Wilson, John Wilson (distinguished from the other John Wilson by the word 'Big' after his name), James Wilson (distinguished from the other James by the word 'Ross', possibly his mother's fmaily name), and James Wilson.
As can be seen from James Wilson's 1869 will, his sister, Elizabeth Wilson, married a Rennie or Rainey.
The Todd Family of Drumadarragh:
Jane Wilson Blane, who married the schoolmaster, John Anderson, died in about 1870, and John remarried. His second wife was Eliza Todd, the daughter of William Todd of Drumadarragh. In 1862, Griffiths shows this farmer leasing 66 acres, in Waterheadstown, Drumadarragh, and subletting a house to John Anderson's father, the schoolmaster William Anderson.
William Todd died on 13th February 1877, leaving a will:
'...I leave to my wife, Margaret, ten pounds a year for her maintenance while she lives out of the interest of my money and a free residence on my farm...
..., I leave all my interest in my said lands, with all stock and crop, which may be thereon, and any farming implements and household furniture to Robert Todd and William Todd, sons of my late son Robert, in equal shares...
...It is also my will that my daughter-in-law, Sarah, widow of my late son Robert, shall be entitled to reside in the dwellinghouse on my farm and be suitably supported out of the profits of my lands, provided, and so long as, she remains unmarried and attends to the welfare of my said grandchildren and the management of my farm and, otherwise, in all respects, conducts herself to the satisfaction of my executors.
I leave to the daughters of my late son, Robert, the following legacies, namely to Margaret, one hundred pounds, to Annie, one hundred pounds, and to Sarah Jane, one hundred pounds...
...I leave to my son, William, twenty pounds, to my daughter, Margaret McCauley, otherwise Todd, twenty pounds, and to my daughter, Eliza Anderson, otherwise Todd, twenty pounds, which three legacies shall be payable at the end of one year from the time of my decease....'
Amongst the executors and witnesses of William Todd's will was Robert Blair, who was related to John Blair who married John Anderson's sister, Ellen Anderson in 1856. Before moving on from the Todd family of Drumadarragh, I'll mention two other wills. James Todd of Drummadarragh died on 15th March 1885, leaving a will, in which he names his wife as Sarah Todd, and a sister as Agnes Todd. Also mentioned was his son James Todd, who was to inherit the farm in Drumadarragh, his son Hugh Todd of Adelaide Street in Belfast, a grandson James McCrorey, a daughter Sarah who was married to W.J. Rainey of Belfast, a daughter Mary McCammond, and a granddaughter Ellen McCammond.
On 10th September 1894, the younger James Todd died and also left a will which stated that his sister, Ellen McCammond, was living with him. Her son was named as James McCrorey. He also mentioned his aunt, Agnes Todd, and his sister Sarah Wilson Rainey, who had earlier been mentioned in the will of her father in 1885. This Sarah Todd had married James Wilson Rainey (1850 - 1921), the son of a Rainey and a Wilson.
The Blair Family of Drumadarragh:
Eleanor/Ellen Anderson was the sister of the teacher, John Anderson, and the daughter of William Anderson and Sarah Fay. Born circa 1830, she married John Blair, the son of Andrew Blair of Drumadarragh, on 10th July 1856.
Ellen Anderson and John Blair, a gardener, lived at 1 Newington Avenue in Belfast.
Griffiths Valuation of 1862 shows up two Andrew Blairs in Drumadarragh, one leasing 19 acres and the second leasing 41 acres; John Blair was present too, leasing a house only, as was Hugh Kernohan - a James Kernohan family married Janet Blair, the daughter of Andrew Blair.
There was also a major clustering of Blairs in the Ballycor area of Ballyclare, three miles east of Drumadarragh, and these may well be related.
Andrew Blair the Elder of Drumadarragh made his will on 7th May 1884. He appointed as his executors Thomas Cunningham, a teacher of Drumadarragh, and his son Robert Blair of Drumadarragh. He left his farm, which he held under Colonel Langtry, to his son Robert who was living with him. A Samuel Blair was one of the witnesses, along with the teacher, Thomas Cunningham. Probate was granted 1st August 1884.
The son of the above Andrew Blair, Robert Blair of Drumadarragh, died on 12th February 1900; he left a will in which he bequeathed his family lands of about 50 acres in Drumadarragh to his trustees; they were to let out the farm and sell off the stock, crop etc., and, after paying outstanding debts, etc., they were to give £5 to his nephew, Andrew Kernaghan. They were to pay the balance to Robert's unmarried daughter, Jane Blair, who, should she marry with the consent of the trustees, was to get the farm. If she was to die without heirs, then the farm should pass to his nephew Andrew Kernaghan.
Andrew Kernaghan/Kernohan had been born in Co. Antrim in 1871 to James Kernohan and Janet Blair, the daughter of Andrew Blair. A Hugh Carnaghan was born in Belfast in 1873 to James Carnaghan and Jenette Blair, probably the same couple.
Janet Blair was the sister of the above Robert Blair, and of John Blair, gardener of Newington Avenue and of Andrew Blair, shoemaker, who died on 16th April 1897 died at the home of his brother, the gardener, John Blair of 1 Newington Avenue, Belfast.
Jane Blair of Drumadarragh died on 1st February 1897, and left a will in which she mentioned her sister, Jennie, the wife of James Kernaghan/Carnaghan/Kernohan, and her nephews William and Robert Kernaghan. She also named her brother, John Blair, who was named as one of the executors, and a cousin, Agnes Hill, the widow of the shoemaker, Alexander Hill, whose daughter was Jennie Fulton; another cousin was named as Margaret Todd, spinster. The witnesses were Samuel Blair and Andrew Kernaghan.
John Blair, gardener of 1 Newington Avenue and husband of Ellen Anderson, died 27th November 1901, and left everything to his two daughters, Jane and Sarah Ellen Blair. His will was executed by his brother-in-law, the auctioneer Joseph Anderson of 30 Vicinage Park, who was another son of William Anderson and Sarah Fay of Drumadarragh. Joseph Anderson also proved the will of John and Ellen Blair's daughter, Jane, who died at 1 Newington Avenue on 17th May 1907. She left her trinkets, gold watch and wearing apparel to her sister, Sarah Ellen, her Irish crochet collar to a Mrs. Broomfield of 9 Carlingford Terrace, Drumcondra, Dublin, her India gold embroidered cosy to a Mrs. Jane Roberts of 308 Springfield Road, and her furniture to her mother Ellen Blair, along with a £16 annuity.
Blains of Ballybracken:
John Anderson's first wife, Jane Wilson Blain, had been born to the Ballybracken weaver, William Blain and his wife Shusonneah Susan Wilson, and I wonder were the Blairs of Drumadarragh related to the family of William Blain? The spelling of family names at this time was not an exact science, so Blain could well be a variation of Blair.
A Hugh Blaine of Ballybracken died on 23rd April 1902, leaving everything to his wife, Elizabeth Blaine.
Both families married members of the Rainey family in this same area south of Kells, so I'll document what is known so far.
Elizabeth Wilson, the sister of Shusonneah Susan Wilson and James Wilson, married a Rainey and had a son, James Rainey.
Eliza Blain, the daughter of William Blain and Shusonneah Wilson, and sister of Jane Wilson Anderson, née Blain, married James Rennie/Rainey, the son of John Rainey, on 28th September 1852 in Kirkinriola, Antrim. James Rainey and Eliza Blain subsequently settled in the townland of Clonkeen in Drummaul, just outside Randalstown and also south of Kells. He appeared on Griffiths Valuation of 1862 leasing 19 acres in conjunction with a James Smith; also present in the same townland was William Rainey Senior and William Rainey Junior.
James Rainey witnessed the wedding of his nephew, William John Anderson, the son of the teacher John Anderson, to Agnes Keating in Belfast in 1877. A J.S. Rainey, possibly the same individual, also witnessed the wedding of William John's father, John Anderson, to Susan Wilson Blain in 1856.
The will of James Rainey, farmer of Half Umry and husband of Eliza Blain, left a will, dated 3rd Feb. 1892, which was witnessed by William Beattie and James Young:
'This is the last will of me, James Rainey, of Half Umry in the Parish and County of Antrim, farmer. I leave unto my wife, Eliza Rainey, an annuity of twenty pounds to be paid in equal parts of...my farms in Half Umry and Clonkeen in the parish of Drummaul by by two sons to whom I bequeath said farms, my farm in Half Urmy I leave to my son David and that in Clonkeen to my son John aforesaid...and also the sum of one hundred pounds sterling to each of his sisters, Jane, Maggie and Susan, such legacies to be payable if demanded two years after my decease...I nominate and appoint my wife, Eliza Rainey, and my son David Rainey executors of this my last will...'
Clonkeen is located immediately next to Gillistown, Randalstown, where there was a neighbouring settlement of Raineys. William Rainey of Gillistown died on 1st August 1875, mentioning a wife, Mary, daughters, Sarah and Margaret, a son, Hugh Rainey; he named, as his executor, William Rainey of Clonkeen, which seems to suggest a family relationship between the two families. Also, in 1907, Sarah Rainey of Clonkeen made her will, in which she mentioned her niece, Sarah Thompson of Gillistown.
John Anderson, schoolmaster, and Eliza Todd married in Belfast in 1872, but, shortly afterwards, they moved to Limavady, Co. Derry, where their four children were born:
A female, unnamed, born 18th January 1873.
Joseph Anderson, born 7th August 1874 at Ballarena, Derry.
Margaret Anderson born 7th April 1879 at Aughanlis, Derry. She died in Belfast in 1941.
Elizabeth (Todd?) Anderson born 1st March 1881 at Aughanloo, Derry.
All the above places are situated on the outskirts of Limavady, and close to Drumachose - Sarah Agnes Anderson, the daughter of John Anderson and Jane Wilson Blain, married James Barbour of Drumachose.
Eliza Todd, John Anderson's second wife, died on 31st March 1886, and John married a third time, to Margaret Mcmanus, in 1892. Margaret, his thrid wife, had died by the time of the 1901 census.
John Anderson died on 8th February 1903 at Aughansillagh, Derry, and the will was proved by his brother, Joseph Anderson, an auctioneer of Belfast. This was the same Joseph Anderson who had erected the headstone to their parents, William Anderson and Sarah Fay, in St. Saviour's Churchyard in Connor in 1892.