Tamlaght O’Crilly Lower Graveyard

John Armstrong of Moyagney was 67 years old when he died on the 11th January 1901. He was a quiet and unobtrusive man, who was both a carpenter and a farmer. His carpentry work brought him into contact with so many that, according to the media, “his friends and well-wishers were legion, as the funeral testified….it being attended by a very large concourse of all creeds and classes.” Many of his family were well established in the drapery business in England. Cardiac disease is listed as his cause of death, as well as anasarca in the final 2 months. Anasarca is the medical term for a condition that causes generalised swelling across the body. His brother James was with him at the end.

His widow survived him by 16 years. Elizabeth was 75 years old, when she died on the 17th September 1917. She had been suffering from senile debility. But ultimately, she was to succumb to bronchitis and lung congestion in the final week. Her son David Armstrong was with her at the end.

James Ballentine, 82 years old, a farmer, died at home, in Innisrush, of cardiac disease on the 16th November 1907. He had been suffering from heart problems for some 5 months previously.  He was a widower.  His son, John Ballentine, was present when he died.

Mary Essie Black was only 18 years old, when she died of pulmonary tuberculosis (consumption) on the 4th December 1911, at home in Ballymacpeake.  Her older sister (by three years), Nancy Jane Black, was with her when she passed. Evidently their brother Samuel set sail for a better life in the New World.

This is an intriguing headstone, one of the most fascinating in the graveyard.  Here lies one of the church’s earliest ministers, the Reverend Mark Bloxham.

It took some considerable time to identify all the words on the gravestone. One could never have imagined the history of this man, and the amount of material available about him.

Among other things, he was a budding poet (and published a book of poems), and his father was Lord Mayor of Dublin.

I have created a separate page. Click here for more on the Reverend Mark Bloxham.

Willie Brown was a rural postman, and his obituary states, that he was “exceptionally well-known and highly esteemed.”   He died at the Fever Hospital in Ballymena.  Many of his colleagues attended his funeral.

Essie Campbell from Innisrush had a hard life.  It appears that she was a school teacher.

Her husband Thomas had been suffering from gastroenteritis, in the three months prior to his death, at only 43 years of age. William John Clements (also buried in this graveyard) was with him when he died.

At the Easter vestry meeting, on the evening of Monday 16th April 1900, held in the Parochial Schoolhouse in Innisrush, a vote of sympathy was passed for Mrs Campbell, on her bereavement, on the death of her husband – “whose loss the parish greatly felt”. Thomas (like his wife) was a “national school teacher”.

Essie’s two children died in infancy.  Evangeline Thomasina was only 10 months old when she died. She had been sick for 3 days with the measles, and congestion of the lungs for 18 days.

It’s unclear from the small grave marker, as to who is in the grave. A William Chambers from Eden signed the Ulster Covenant in September 1912, so he may be in this grave. There is in other local records, an Ann Chambers, living in Glenone, 84 years of age, who died 10th April 1900.

This old stone is very difficult to read.

Mr. William George Courtenay, of Glenburn, was for many years a magistrate for County Londonderry.  In March 1903, he also received the Commission of the Peace in County Antrim. He served both counties as a magistrate (JP – Justice of the Peace).  His father/predecessor, James Courtenay senior, had previously been magistrate for both counties for over 50 years. James Courtenay had also been a mill-owner. He had been suffering from tongue cancer in the 7 months prior to his death (as well as pyaemia, which is a form of septicaemia that results in widespread abscesses). The mill was passed on to his son, William James Courtenay, on his death.

The Courtenays were very active in the church.  William George Courtenay was in the church vestry as far back as at least 1885.  Indeed, in the spring of 1885 he was serving as both Treasurer and Secretary.

The name Miss Carrie Courtenay regularly crops up in Tamlaght Lower vestry meetings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Carrie was a sister of William James Courtenay. Over many years, Carrie did a lot of work for the church at Innisrush. She organised the choir, as well as doing a lot of fund-raising work for both charities and the church itself. To date, I have found no record of her death or where she was buried…..although presumably it is in this same grave.

UPDATE 20th January 2021. A very kind reader tells me that Carrie, or Caroline, is buried in Derry City Cemetery.

She had married Robert James Aiken, a County Tyrone man, in 1901. He was the Solicitor and Coroner for North County Derry.

Caroline was born in County Wicklow. She later lived (and died) at Ard-Aluinn, Strandview Road, in Ballycastle. She was an assistant Commissioner of the Girl Guides.

Robert and Caroline had two daughters, namely Miss Caroline Lefroy Courtenay Aiken and Miss Margaret Kathleen Miller Aiken.

The latter was the first ever lady barrister in Northern Ireland. Here is a link with photos and details.

One word – Doole – is the only clue that we have. The only Dooles’ that I can find in the area, are a Robert Doole, from Ballymacpeake, who was 75 years old when he died on the 9th November 1918. He was a labourer and married. He signed the Ulster Declaration. There is also a Mary Lucy Doole, also of Ballymacpeake. She signed the Ulster Declaration in September 1912. These two are presumably husband and wife. The other less likely possibility, is Annie Mary Doole from Dreenan. But she was only 16, when she passed away in December 1917. Most likely this is Robert and Mary Lucy Dooles’ grave.

The Elgins lived in Tyanee

the above is a little black marble stone sitting flat on the grass.
Below it, is a beautiful little round white plaque, with flowers, which says:
“Daughter
Though absent you are very near
Still loved, still missed
And very dear”

John Fowler, a weaver, was 62 years old, when he died at his home in Glenone, on the 24th April 1883. His wife Margaret was with him when he passed. He had been suffering for eleven months from an “unknown” ailment.

Local records show a Margaret French of Glenone, 70 years old, died 13th February 1895. She was a labourer’s wife, and died from “age and debility” in her final 5 weeks, with no medical help in attendence.

Annie Getty, who worked on her father’s farm, was only 20 years old when she succumb, at home in Innisrush, on 26th August 1903, to tubercular lumps in her abdomen. Her dad, James Getty, was present when she passed. James Getty was 68 years old, when he died on 1st March 1920. He had been suffering with prostate hypertrophy and nephritis (kidneys) for some 15 years.

Charlotte Gibson was only 22 years old when she died in 1897. She was a spinster. Her occupation was listed as that of a ‘writing clerk’. It was impossible to identify the month of Charlotte Gibson’s death, from the headstone. Instead I discovered it on her death certificate. Charlotte was only 22 when she died at home in Glenone. She had been suffering from Typhoid Fever for three months, and ultimately Phthisis (an old term for Pulmonary Tuberculosis). “Consumption” was the term commonly used among local people at the time for this illness. The patient has a high fever, and wastes away. John Mulholland was present at her death. Sadly, consumption was also to kill her brother David Gibson some four years later, in May 1901. He was only 24 years old when he died at home in Glenone. His brother Thomas Gibson was present at his death. He was a bachelor and “farmer” was listed as his occupation.

William Gibson and his wife Margaret were farmers from Tyanee. William Gibson was 75 years old when he died on the 23rd October 1891, of a “disease of stomach”. He’d been sick for 11 weeks and his wife Margaret was with him when he died.

Their son, William Gibson was 55 years old when he suffered a perforated gastric ulcer, and within 48 hours died on the 11th April 1915. He was a farmer, and was a bachelor.

Margaret Gibson, a housekeeper for most of her life, ended her days in Magherafelt Workhouse. She died there, at 96 years of age, on the 1st January 1920. Her cause of death was certified as “debility”.

This is a beautiful old stone, laying on it’s flat. It’s one of the oldest gravestones in the graveyard. The writing is remarkably well preserved.

Adam Glasgow’s daughter was married in September 1842. From the Londonderry Standard: “On the 14th instant (January 1842), by the Rev. Wm. Kennedy McKay. Mr. John Kyle, of Tyanee, to Nancy, sixth daughter of Mr. Adam Glasgow of Innisrush, County Derry.”

The Keenans were from Tyanee. Isabella, a spinster, died at 66 years old, on the 1st November 1909. She had had a stroke two days previously. Her sister Mary Keenan was with her when she died.

James Brown Kyle, a farmer, was 64, when he died in February 1894 of lung disease. he had had the ailment for some two months. His widow survived him for another 15 years. Agnes Kyle, was 64, when she died 2nd January 1909. She had been suffering from liver cancer for 6 months and at the end had cardiac failure. Her son Thomas Kyle was with her when she died.

Samuel James Kyle, a farmer from Tyanee, was 67, when he died 17th September 1909. He had had cardiac disease for 9 months. His son, Samuel James Kyle, was with his father when he passed on.
His wife Nancy was 73 when she passed away, after suffering for the previous 4 months from liver cancer, on the 4th August 1913. Her son, Samuel James Kyle, was with her at the end.

Joseph Sinclair Kyle died in March 1956. He had spent some years farming in New Zealand and had many fascinating stories to tell of his time in the Antipodes. On his return to Ireland, he rejoined Portglenone First Presbyterian Church. He was held in high esteem and was elected as an elder in September 1934.

Died while on a late summer break in Spain.

John Marshall was 66 when he died on the 28th March 1915. A farmer, he had had the flu for 14 days, which then turned into pneumonia for his ultimate 6 days.

Robert Alexander McDonald was the son of Robert and Mary McDonald nee McGall.

Bob, as he was known to family and friends, was born on 25th April 1888 in Tyanee, near Portglenone, County Londonderry, Ireland. He initially lived with his aunt and uncle (the McGalls) in house 15 in Tyanee.

Bob married Ellen Wallace on 2nd October 1908, and they subsequently lived in house 30 in Tyanee. Bob was a farm labourer, Ellen was an embroiderer. They had a son Robert William (also buried in the above grave, with his mother), born 29th October 1908. They had two other young children.

When World War one came along, Bob enlisted in Donegal. Private McDonald was serving with the 10th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, when he was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, Saturday 1st July 1916. He doesn’t have a grave. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France, as well as on his widow Ellen’s grave above.

From the Northern Constitution dated 28th July 1917 – “McDonald missing since 1st July 1916, now officially reported killed on that date or since. Deeply regretted by his sorrowing wife and three children, Tyanee, Portglenone.”

It appears that Ellen, his young widow, never remarried. She was only 19 years old, when her husband was killed in France, and subsequently brought up their three young children on her own. One imagines that these must have been very hard times for her –  emotionally, physically and financially.

Elizabeth Smyth Murdoch was 70, according to her death certificate, and died in the asylum in Derry, on the 3rd August 1917. She had had valvular disease of her heart for the previous 22 months.

Charlotte Mulholland, was 45 years old (or 40 if you believe the death certificate), when she died on the 31st March 1913. She left behind a family of five young children at Hill House Eden. In her 3 final months, she had been suffering from pernicious anemia – vitamin B12 deficiency Her Husband James Richardson Mulholland was with her, when she passed on. He survived his wife by some ten years. And he was 62 years old, when he died on the 11th November 1923.

1886 was a terrible year for the family. They lost two daughters in the space of 3 months. 17 year old Isabella died in April. And less than 3 months later Eliza, her 22 year old sister, also passed on. No records are publically available at this time, but consumption was prevalent at the time.

Andy Mulholland, of Brisbane in Australia, says that the same head-stone was transcribed way back in 1939 by his uncle. Denver Boyd tried to decipher this ancient headstone in 2008. I took many photos and tried to transcribe it in 2017. This amazing old headstone deserves a page of it’s own. Watch this space.

James Mulholland, a farmer from Eden, was 72 years old when he died at home on the 18th September 1910. The cause of death was an intestinal obstruction. His wife Ellen was with him, when he passed.
His 29 year old bachelor son, William James Mulholland, passed away on the 11th December 1918. He had had the flu for 3 days, which developed into pneumonia for the ultimate 2 days. Mary, his sister, was with him when he passed.

Smylie Mulholland of Eden, according to his death certificate, was 78 years old, and suffering from cardiac disease, when he died at home on the 22nd February 1918. His son John was present when he died.
Joseph Smyth Mulholland, grandson of Smylie Mulholland, was 84 years old when he passed away on the 16th March 2012. He had been awarded an O.B.E. by the Queen in the 1978 New Year Honours, for services to agricultural development in the Solomon Islands.

In September 1912, Sarah was awarded a pension of two shillings per week.

On a different topic. John and Sarah’s son, Alexander, left for America. In June and July 1913, they placed a notice in local newspapers (hopefully would be picked up by American newspapers), asking after his whereabouts. There is no record of whether their search was successful.

Their listing said: “PATTON —Wanted to know whereabouts of Alexander Patton. Last heard about three years ago. when he stopped at the North Side Hotel, Aberdeen, South Dakota, from March 3 till March 11, 1910. Left there for the Pacific coast. Any information concerning him will be thankfully received by his parents. John and Sarah Patton, Tyanee, Glenone, Portglenone, Ireland. American papers, please copy.”

The Powers were originally from the townland of Ballyderown, which is near the village of Kilworth, in County Cork. The newspapers’ say that Joanna Power was 82 years old (and not 80, as listed on her gravestone above) and died at the Cottage in Kilrea. Thomas Power, mentioned on the above gravestone, appears to have moved north at some point. Thomas Power, during the 1850s, was Vice President of the Kilrea Literary Society. The Belfast Weekly News, on Saturday 26 November 1870, lists in it’s Deaths section, “Power – November 21st, at Kilrea, Thomas Power, late of Beech Hill, in his 73rd year.”

Nancy and James Preston lived in Tyanee. They were farmers. Nancy was 80 when she died on the 14th February 1909. She is listed as having cerebral apoplexy (stroke/s) in the 7 days prior to her passing.

James survived his wife by four years, and was 82 when he died on the 12th April 1913. He had been suffering from cardiac disease for 6 years.

Stewart Preston, James brother, was present at both his sister-in-law and brother’s deaths, i.e. Nancy and James deaths. Stewart is buried elsewhere in this graveyard. He died in 1934.

Samuel Preston was only 25 (26 on the death certificate) when he died of consumption in 1896. His father was present in Tyanee when his son passed on. The father died himself in 1903, from cardiac disease. Samuel’s brother James was present for his passing. James is buried elsewhere in this graveyard.

Regarding the ultimate word on the opening line. It is difficult to make out. The H might possibly be a capital letter, thus indicating it is the beginning of a second word…..possibly “Glen Huru” – but the r and u are merely best guesses. So who were the Children of Glenhuru or Glen Huru – was this a townland, a school, an orphanage, a foreign project, some charitable project?

Fisher Robinson was a blacksmith from Garvaghy, Portglenone. He was 73 when he died on the 6th May 1903. He had been suffering from cardiac disease for the 6 months prior to his passing. His daughter Roseanna was with him at the end.

His widow Jane, a house-keeper, was 84 years old when she died of “senile decay” at Suffolk Street, on the 2nd February. 1910. Her son, William O. Robinson, was with her at the end.

Their daughter, Roseanna Robinson, a spinster, and a house-keeper, was 65 years old when she died at Suffolk Street, on the 15th of July 1921. She had suffered cerebral apoplexy (a stroke) some 10 hours prior to her passing. Her sister, Elizabeth Robinson, was with her when she passed on.

Jones Scott was 40 years old when he died on the 17th March 1880. He was a farmer, married, from nearby Tyanee. He died from “chronic gastrio catarrh”. This is a catarrhal inflammation of the mucous lining inside the stomach. It is a common consequence of influenza and fevers. The doctor also listed “general dropsy” on his death certificate. Dropsy is a very old medical term that refers to the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. He had been ill for some six weeks prior to his passing. Patrick McCallion was present when he died at home in Tyanee.

John Smyth served in the Great War, as mentioned on the above headstone, was the third son of John and Annie Smyth (nee Adams). They had married on the 19th August 1890. John Joseph Smyth was born on 17th December 1894 in Tamlaght O’Crilly. He was one of eight children. The 1901 census lists John as age 5 living with the family at house 23 in Money Staghan Ellis, Claudy, County Londonderry. Moneystaghan-Ellis lies just west of Portglenone in the district of Magherafelt, as does Spruce Bank. They were a farming family.

Family: John Smyth, Annie Smyth, Thomas Johnston Smyth (born 7 June 1891), Joseph Samuel Smyth (born 26th April 1893), John Joseph Smyth (born 17th December 1894), Robert James Smyth (born 21st December 1896), Albert Wolsley Pembroke Smyth (born 14th May 1899), Mary Fillie Smyth (born 14th April 1901), Frederick B B Smyth (born 21st May 1902), Annie Caroline Smyth (born 13th January 1905). The 1911 census lists John as age 16 living with the family at house 23 in Money Staghan Ellis, Claudy. John was working on his father’s farm.

John Smyth enlisted in Antrim, joining the North Irish Horse on 1st February 1915 (No 1435).

He was wounded at Cambrai in Northern France, and died five days later at a hospital in Rouen, on 1st December 1917.

Henry Stewart was 58 years old when he died on the 18th May 1904. He had been ill with pneumonia for ten days prior to his passing. His son, James William Stewart, was present when he died at home in Ballymacombs.

The Reverend John Drysdale Waring preached in Innisrush for some 30 years, from 1849 until his resignation in early 1880. Born around 1817 in Kilkenny, his parents were John Waring 1745-1796 from Pottlerath House, Kilmanagh, Kilkenny; and Elizabeth Power (born 1795 in Kilworth, Cork, Ireland).

John Drysdale Waring entered Trinity College in Dublin in 1837. He was awarded his BA degree in 1842. By 1843, he had been ordained as a Deacon; by 1844 he was serving as Curate in St. Thomas Dublin; and in 1845 he was installed as an honourary canon (prebendary) in Meath. In 1849, after the death of 53 year old incumbent Rev Mark Bloxham, John Waring began working at Innisrush Church.

He was married twice. The first marriage was to Jane Waller (born 1815, died 1860). After her early death, he was to marry a second time. His second wife, the seemingly much loved and admired, Eliza Waring, lies beside him in the above grave. She passed on in 1877 at 63 years of age. The Reverend Waring resigned his position less than three years later.

He was 72 when he died on the 5th November 1889, at Alla Rectory in Claudy, County Londonderry. He was very close to his brother, Arthur Power Waring, who was also a preacher (for many years in Desertmartin, and later Upper Cumber).

John Waring was a keen astronomer and was also interested in geology. Watch this space, for a link to one of his lectures on the topic.

Martha Wilson, a farmer’s wife from Tyanee, was 78 when she died on the 15th December 1910. She had been suffering from lung congestion for three weeks and then in the final five days had cardiac failure. Her daughter S. Wilson was with her at the end. Her husband survived Martha by 5 years. Robert Wilson, a farmer, was 77 when he died on the 8th July 1915. He had been suffering from cancer on the glands of his neck for a year. His daughter Maggie Wilson was present when he passed on.

This old gravestone was exceptionally difficult to read. Denver Boyd’s efforts from 2008 are my source of reference.