Birth Place: Leaghretty, Armagh ?

I don’t recognise Leaghretty, either as a townland or a parish in Armagh. It could be Loughgilly corrupted. Worth looking at.

If Samuel Templeton was a farmer and alive in the 1830s he should be listed in the tithe applotment records. Most people with land were listed there.  There were some exceptions notably people farming on church land who were often exempt but most would be listed. There were only 3 Templeton farms in Co. Armagh in 1828-1834, in just 3 parishes. List below:

Templeton, George-- Townland : Farragh Year : 1828-Drumcree-Armagh

Templeton, Thomas-- Townland: Ballainen Year: 1834-Loughgilly-Armagh

Templeton, Widow - Townland: Ballainen Year: 1834--Loughgilly-Armagh

Templeton, William-- Townland : Terryscane Year:1833-Eglish-Armagh

No Samuel but there was a widow T in Ballainen (more often spelled Ballenan). Her husband might have been a Samuel. You might want to check the parish records for the above parishes to see if you can trace your family. You need to know their denomination.  I looked at the 1901 census for Armagh. There were only a handful of Templetons in the county. All were Church of Ireland save for 1 Brethren family (though they wouldn’t have been Brethren in the 1700s. The denomination was only established in the 1820s and didn’t really get going till the 1859 religious revival).

I’d focus on Church of Ireland and possibly Presbyterian records.  Loughgilly Church of Ireland has records starting in 1804. There is a 2nd church in the parish at Belleek but it’s early records were lost in the 1922 fire in Dublin. Mountnorris Presbyterian has baptisms from 1810 and marriages from 1804. Tullyallen Presbyterian has records from 1792.

Drumcree Church of Ireland has records from 1788. There is also a 2nd COI church in Portadown but its records don’t start till 1826. The Presbyterian church does not have any records before 1868.

Eglish Church of Ireland has records from 1803. The local Presbyterian church in Knappagh has no records before 1900.

There are copies of all the above records in PRONI (the public record office) in Belfast, save for Tullyallen Presbyterian where the only copy of the records is still held by the Minister. So you would need to write to him/her if you want to search them.

Henry is a more common surname in Armagh. A mix of RC, Church of Ireland, Baptist, Brethren, Presbyterian and Reformed Presbyterian. So take your pick.

There was only 1 McCandlish in Co Armagh in 1901 and she was born in Co. Down (she was Presbyterian). So that might make you wonder whether John Templeton’s marriage to Agnes McCandlish took place outside Co Armagh. Belfast perhaps.

Statutory birth registration didn’t start in Ireland till 1864. Prior to that you have to rely on church records. To do that you need to know the denomination and location and even then not all churches have records nor are they all on-line. It can be a bit of a needle in a haystack.

Hi Elwyn,

Many thanks for the response.

Yes both John Templeton and Agnes McCandlish were Presbyterian- at least their descendants were. I have two possible census record for them in 1851 Maybole and 1861 Maybole as keepers of a Boarding house in Maybole in Back Vennal St. They had about 7 children. 

Their daughter Sarah married a William Wallace and remained in Maybole and kept a sweet shop there. The rest of the children of the family immigrated. Henry to Colorado in 1851 (well documented in early pioneers there) and his older brother John to NZ in 1863 or so with many of the family following him.

 I will certainly look on ancestry for church records now that you have given some amazing pointers re places and churches.

I will certainly look in Co. Down records for Agnes McCandlish.  We have a portrait of her in her elder years so she may have had an artist staying at the boarding house.

I so appreciate the clues you have advanced for a follow up. Many, many thanks.

Glenice

I have just posted his history to Armagh County under John Templeton

Love to hear more gleniceb@orcon.net.nz

How do I find this record for John Templeton's father Samuel Templeton Born C1760 and died 1814 probably in Ireland. He was married to a Sarah Henry/Henrys.

It would be neat to confirm that this record matches the family. Many Thanks Glenice

Ireland, Indexes to Wills, Probate Administration, Marriage Bonds and Licences, 1591-1866

Is it possible that this will also doesn't exist?

All of the wills kept in the Public Record Office in Dublin were lost in the 1922 fire during the civil war.. Occasionally duplicates or transcripts have survived. In this case, the record says the will has not survived. Just this index record still exists, which was obviously kept elsewhere.

The modern common version of the townland is likely to be Ballenan, in the parish of Loughgilly, Co Armagh.

The PRONI index also lists wills for Alexander 1808 & 1812 (might be the same man with 2 grants) & Thomas 1814. Both from the same townland. Neither will has survived.