William John Moore and Lavinia McBeth of Archill

Here’s a marriage for Samuel Moore & Mary Murphy in 1861 which makes it fairly likely that you have the right parents for William John Moore:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1861/09619/5488487.pdf

William John was born before the start of statutory birth registration (1864) so you need church records to find his baptism. Judging by the 1901 census he was Presbyterian. Do you know which church the family attended?  Presbyterians in Ireland didn’t use the parish system and the church they attended was not always the nearest to where they lived.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Magheracreggan/Archill/1722491/

Most of the Presbyterian records for that area are not on-line but there are copies in PRONI in Belfast. If you are unable to go yourself, you could employ a researcher. Researchers in the PRONI area: http://sgni.net

Samuel Moore in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tyrone/Bomackatall/Ednashanlaght/1722682/

In 1826 the tithe applotment records list William Moor and partners farming in Ednashanlaght:

https://cotyroneireland.com/tithe/longfieldwest.html

Griffiths Valuation for 1859 lists 5 Moore farms in the townland. Samuel Moore was on plot 2 which was a combined total of about 13 acres. Next door on plot 3 was John Moore with a total of about 12 acres and next door again on plot 4 was Jane Moore (probably a widow) with just over 8. On plot 5 Hugh Moore had just over 2 acres and on plot 6 was Andrew Moore with just under 23.

Some probate abstracts (the wills themselves are in PRONI, save for Samuels’ which is on-line):

The Will (with one Codicil) of Samuel Moore late of Archill County Tyrone Farmer who died 5 January 1887 at same place was proved at Londonderry by David Watson (Junior) and Mathew Boyd both of Drumlegagh and Robert H. Moore of Drumclamph all in said County Farmers the Executors.

Moore Andrew of Ednashanlaght county Tyrone farmer died 23 December 1930 Probate Londonderry 30 January to James F. Gamble J.P. Effects £8.

Moore Margaret of Ednashanlaght county Tyrone widow died 14 February 1932 at Tyrone County Hospital Omagh Probate Londonderry 23 March to John James Love farmer. Effects £293 2s. 9d.

Moore William of Ednashanlaught county Tyrone farmer died 3 May 1935 Probate Londonderry 18 July to James F. Gamble farmer. Effects £29.

The Valuation Revision records for Archill show William Moore as being on plot 3a in the townland. That was a house and just under 18 acres, so presumably someone was farming it. William bought the freehold in 1912 under the Land Act.

According to the maps on the Griffiths Valuation site, plot 3a was on what is now the Magheracreggan Rd. It straddles the road not far from a forestry plantation. It’s fairly easy to identify on Griffiths maps.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

According to the 1911 census, William John’s house had 7 rooms, 4 windows at the front, a roof of tiles or slate, the walls were brick or stone and there were 6 outbuildings for animals and machinery.

I have no idea who lives there now (and there isn’t an easy way to find out). When you are next in the area you could knock on the door. 

Can’t help with the relationship between William John & Beula. You would need to go back a couple of generations in the church baptism records, but they probably don’t go that far.

Elwyn

Wow Elwyn - thank you very much for all your hard work and useful information. It was great to wake up this morning and it was all there.

The Samuel Moore who died in 1887 was Beulah's Father and his Will lists all his children with Rebecca Scott that I found in the Civil Registration records. His father was Hugh and "our" Samuel's was William. It is likely that William and Hugh were brothers. "Our" Samuel died in 1910 at Castlederg with his son Samuel at his side and Mary died in 1921 in the presence of Samuel's wife Maggie. I don't know when or where William John or his wife Lavinia died. Is this something my cousins could find out and how could they do that? William John does not appear to have left a Will.

I don't know what Church the family attended, but my cousins might and perhaps they may be able to check the Parish Register, although one is now resident in England.

I did find a Samuel Moore farming 56 acres from the Marquis of Abercorn in Archill, but it appears he may have sublet land to others. I think this would have been Beulah's father. I think "our" Samuel (or William John) may have ended up at Archill because of the Mary Murphy connection. Her father was Samuel, so will have to check the Griffiths Valuation to see where he farmed. The William Moor farming at Ednashanlaght in 1826 is probably "our" Samuel's father.

Thank you for finding Plot 3a - that does seem right on the button and I will check that out and it is a great piece of information to have.

The Moores at Ednashanlaght are probably relations of Samuel/William John Moore, but I have not come across these names, so will have to check out.

Thank you once again for your invaluable help.

Ann

Ann,

I see 3 possible deaths for William Moore in the Castlederg registration area. One on 3.5.1935 aged 77, another 25.10.1938 aged 93 (probably too old) & 10.2.1946 aged 83. I couldn’t see a death for Lavinia in that area but there is one of about the right age in Belfast on 24.3.1966 aged 85. Could she have gone to stay with relatives in Belfast? You can view the original certificates on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option: 

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate. 

I agree that I don’t see a will for William John (or Lavinia). That doesn’t mean they didn’t leave one, just that it didn’t require probate. With low value estates or where all the assets are movable, or where financial institutions are content to release the deceased’s assets without probate (as some do) the executors can wind the estate up without probate. In such cases the will never makes it to PRONI.

There are Presbyterian churches at Drumquin, Killeter, Ardstraw, Castlederg 1st, Clady, Douglas, Drumlegagh (2nd Ardstraw), 1st & 2nd Newtownstewart (once 2 separate churches, now combined).  All within travelling distance of Archill.

Elwyn

Thank you Elwyn, you are an absolute treasure. I will check back with my cousins to see if any of this jogs a memory. For me, 1935 looks likely for William, but all dates are before they were born, I don't know about any Belfast relatives but, again, I will check with the cousins and they may remember Lavinia's death.

Thanks once again,

Ann

Ann,

I probably should have said that whilst William Moore was a common name, Lavinia Moore was not. There were only a couple in 50 years, so if you don’t get any information from your relatives, you might want to  look at the 1966 death on the offchance.

I also looked at newspaper site to see if there was a death notice in one of the N. Ireland papers to go with her death but I did not see one.

Elwyn

Thank you for the dates of death to look at. 10 February 1946 is correct for William John Moore and 24 March 1966 is correct for Lavinia Moore. I have found death notices in the newspapers for both of them. William John died at home at Archill and Lavinia died in hospital in Belfast.

I have also found photographs of the Baptismal records of the 1st Castlederg Church and the family of Samuel Moore and Mary Murphy are in there, including their first born, William John Moore which is not online. There are also other Moore families in Ednashanlaght featuring in these records and they are probably related. So, this was a lucky break and more work to do to work out the relationships.

I also found an Auction Notice for the land inherited by Samuel Moore, son of Samuel Moore and Rebecca Scott at Archill and Drumlegagh dd 1909. We are currently investigating what happened to that land.

Your efforts have been invaluable and I thank you once again.

Ann