William Carrick of Drunachose on Flax Growers List

Linda,

The 1861 marriage certificate tells us that Samuel Carrick’s father was William, a farmer. The Valuation Revision records (on the PRONI site) show Samuel Carrick acquiring plot 7 which was just over 1 acre of land beside the schoolhouse between 1860 & 1863.

There’s a distinct shortage of records in Ireland in the early 1800s. The tithe applotment records were a tax on land, and so most farmers in the period they were compiled (1825 – 1835) should be in it. So if William Carrick was alive at that time then he ought to be listed. I have attached a list of all the Carricks in the tithes in the 6 counties of what is now Northern Ireland. You’ll see that there were only 2 in Co Derry. And only 1 of them was named William. He lived in Ballyavlin (Ballyvelin) Drumachose.

Carrick, Charles-- Townland : Artabrackey Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Carrick, Charles-- Townland : Ballyoran Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Carrick, Charles-- Townland : Mahon Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Carrick, Charles-- Townland : Selshon Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Carrick, Charles-- Townland: Ballantegart Year: 1833-Kilmore-Armagh

Carrick, James-- Townland : Devenney Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Carrick, James-Townland: Gorrin Year: 1832-Aghadowey -Derry

Carrick, Jane-Townland: Ballymacmary Year: 1827-Killead-Antrim

Carrick, John-- Townland : Ballymore Year : 1830-Ballymore-Armagh

Carrick, Thomas-- Townland : Richmond Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Carrick, Thomas-Townland: Clancore Year: 1834-Tartaraghan-Armagh

Carrick, William-- Townland : Drumaliss Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Carrick, William-- Townland : Foy Beg Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Carrick, William-- Townland : Richmond Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Carrick, William-- Townland: Derryhale Year: 1833-Kilmore-Armagh

Carrick, William-Townland: Steeds Road Year: 1827-Derryaghy-Antrim

Carrick, William, Jr.-Townland: Ballyavlin Year: 1826-Drumachose-Derry

I am not sure how deeply you have studied the 1831 census but there were 3 Carrick households in Ballyavelin then. House 3 contained Widow Carrick, with 1 male and 6 females (plus a servant). Also at that address but in a separate household was James with 2 males and 5 females, and next door in house 4 was William with 1 male and 1 female. These families lived beside each other and so are likely to be related. All were Presbyterian.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Kennaught/…

I’d hazard a guess that Widow Carrick was Samuel’s mother. The William in 1831 (which looks to me like a newly married couple with no children) might have been his brother.

The next important set of records is Griffiths Valuation which were compiled in Drumachose in 1858. They list John Carrick on plot 1b in Ballyavelin South where he had a house, offices (outbuildings) and a garden. However next door on Ballyavelin North he also had plot 2 which was 42 acres of farmland. So he seems to have inherited the Carrick lands in those townlands. The Valuation Revision records show that John was replaced by Marcus Gault on both properties between 1860-63. So the family were gone by 1863. I can’t say what the relationship was between John Carrick and the Carricks there in 1831. A son perhaps?

The 1740 Protestant Householders census (on the PRONI site) lists a James Carrick in Ballyavelin North, so the family were established there then. Likewise the 1766 Religious census lists a James Carrick. He was a dissenter (so almost certainly Presbyterian). That tells you the family probably originated in Scotland in the 1600s.

If you were Presbyterian, which church you attended was a matter of personal preference and not necessarily the nearest to where you lived.  The nearest churches to Ballyavelin appear to have been Derramore (records begin 1825), Drumachose (1837), 1st Limavady (1832), 2nd Limavady (1845) & Balteagh (1868). Several of those churches were operating for many years before that but sadly no records have survived. So if your family attend any of those churches, then prospect of tracing the line back before those dates is obviously tricky due to the lack of records.

Presbyterians generally didn’t keep death records and so tracing their deaths before 1864 (when stat death registration began) is pretty difficult. Farmers did often have gravestones though. You might find information from those.

There’s a tree on Ancestry (Carrick family tree – owner anchoredup) which comments that the family have DNA matches with Stirlingshire, and that William may have been born there. Being Presbyterian, with a Scottish surname and living in Co. Londonderry does undoubtedly point very strongly to Scottish ancestry. However the vast majority of Scottish settlers came to Ireland in the 1600s (by the 1700s they were leaving again) so, in my opinion, it’s more likely that William (born c 1770s perhaps) was descended from Scots from Stirlingshire rather than born there himself.

Elwyn,

You are amazing. I have seen some of this information before, but for you to compile it in a way that is understandable and makes sense, is wonderful. I really appreciate  you taking the time to do this for me. Thank you!

Linda