Hugh Sproule of Grennan & Jack Elder’s “Another Grennan” Branch – Part I

By James Reid, a descendant of this Grennan family

 Introduction

Ever since I first saw Jack Elder’s tree of my Sproule family, with my great-grandmother, Lulu Isabel Sproule (1893-1980)[i] at the very bottom of the tree, I’ve been wondering how this branch fits into all the others. Elder named this, “Another Grennan Branch,” to distinguish it from some of the other more prominent, and wealthier, Sproule families who lived in Grennan.

At the very top, the patriarch of this family is shown clearly as Hugh Sproule, a man who would have been born in perhaps the late 1740s through late 1750s. However, no contemporary surviving records – parish records, gravestones, will index entries, deeds, newspaper notices – have yet been found that mention this Hugh Sproule of Grennan. Some of the later generations on this tree are a little mixed up, so could that be the case with the name of the patriarch too? Was Jack Elder correct, and could I find any evidence indicating that Hugh Sproule actually existed? 

We find Hugh’s family in the Tithe Applotment Books from the 1830s, but it is likely that Hugh had died by that time. Tracing family landholdings for periods before the Tithe Applotment Books is quite difficult and subject to the surviving records in a particular locality. In the absence of surviving parish records for the period, as is the case for our corner of county Tyrone, the main surviving records are either the Registry of Deeds (for all of Ireland) or the estate records of the local gentry (for a particular place), which may not survive. Estate records may contain deeds, lease records, tenant rolls and payment ledgers.

 Belmore Estate Papers

Grennan was one of many townlands in the estate of the Edwards of Castlegore family at the time the original leases were granted to the Sproules prior to the 1740s, but later that century the estate passed to the Lowry-Corry family of Castle Coole (who later became the Earls of Belmore), so that the Sproule rental payments were now being received by them. Luckily, the Belmore estate records survive, held at PRONI in Belfast. What information was there on Grennan?

The earliest relevant record in the Belmore Estate Papers, a tenant roll of all Belmore townlands for the half-year to November 1777, shows a single tenant (or head-tenant) in Grennan, Cha^s Sproule, paying £17/-/6 (or £34/1 per year). The next record, for the full-year to September 1787, also shows a single tenant, Cha^s Sproule, paying the same amount. We know from the Encumbered Estates Records (1853), in connection with the bankruptcy of the estate of Juliana, Countess of Belmore, that these Grennan leases originally granted by the Edwards of Castlegore family reset in 1796. That would seem to indicate that the lives on the original leases had expired, although it is possible that the Lowry-Corry family had instigated this, since it appears that they granted many leases starting that year. In any case, this reset is evident here in the next record, for 1808, which is quite different from the prior two records for 1777 and 1787.

Grennan Details in Belmore 

Rentals for this third period, the full year to May 1808, show a new level of detail. We have Cha^s Sproule Sr. paying £55 per year Irish currency (this would be Charles Sproule of the Holme), on the land simply known as “Grennan”. All the other holdings were on land called “Grennan Aughnabracken” (or “Aughnabrakan”)[ii] as follows: 

• Cha^s Sproule Jr. paying £45/10 (this would be Charles Sproule of Upper Grennan)
• Joseph Sproule paying £25/10/10 (this would be Joseph Sproule of Clover Hill and Castletown [iii], and 
• Hugh Sproule paying £29/13/4.[iv] 

There we have it – Hugh Sproule! This is the first confirmed historical record of Hugh Sproule of Grennan, from 1808. Jack Elder was correct!

Figure 1: The 1808 tenant roll of the Belmore Estate, showing five Grennan tennants. 

 Source: Belmore Estate Papers, PRONI (Belfast), reference D3007/B/3/4/1

We see references to Hugh Sproule again in the 1816 to 1825 period, in the 1825 to 1829 period, and in the 1829 to 1834 period. He and his holding is always listed fourth among the Sproules, and is always paying about 16% more rent than Joseph is paying.[v] Perhaps the order is indicative of moving westwards from the Holme farm in the east, ending at Hugh’s land in the west which abutted the townland of Dullaghan, sloping upwards from Grennan’s main road.

In the 1816 to 1825 entries, a small piece of paper is pinned to the ledger by John Spiller, the estate’s factor: “John Sproulle, Oliver Sproulle & James Sproulle”. This seems to be a clear indication that the successors to Hugh’s holding were these three presumed brothers, entirely consistent with the information we have from later records[vi]. Finally, we see only one payment from Hugh himself in the ledger, which was dated February 1824. But in the next ledger account, for 1825 to 1829, it seems apparent that he was not making any payments and the ledger title indicates, “Hugh Sproule’s Reps”, perhaps giving us an indication of the timing of his death.

The ledger accounts that accompany these entries show some interesting further detail. On the pages devoted to the bi-annual rental charges for the plot of land allocated to Hugh Sproule, we also have records of the myriad payments that satisfied those bi-annual charges. In the early entries, we see clearly that payments are varyingly made by Hugh, and by John, James and Oliver (without mention of surname), with some consistency of amount indicative of established sub-plots within Hugh’s holding. Some payments are also made by “Elkin” which we have determined is Hugh Elkin, known to have married Jane Sproule, believed to be Hugh’s daughter.

Figure 2: the 1816 to 1825 Grennan ledger
(left side) for Hugh Sproule in Belmore papers

Figure 3: The 1816 to 1825 Grennan Ledger
(right side)for Hugh Sproule in Belmore papers

 Source: Belmore Estate Papers, PRONI (Belfast), reference D3007/B/3/5/2.

Conclusion

The Belmore Estate Papers are an important source of information on tenancies for this part of Tyrone, with information that may not be preserved anywhere else. We learn some important detail on the Grennan Sproules, and can finally firmly put the elusive Hugh Sproule of Grennan on the map!

 References:

[i] Born in Oshawa, and later Mrs. Frederick William Evans of Walkerville, Ontario and Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan.

[ii] This sub-townland name may be a compound Irish and English name meaning, “field of the bracken”.

[iii] See Who is Joseph Sproule of Castletown?, by Kate Tammemagi, on Sproule Genealogy Blog

[iv] The fifth plot was always held by members of the Grugan family, presumably Catholic.

[v] By the time of Tithe Applotment Books (1834), the land formerly held by Joseph appears to be occupied by the Brine or Breen family, presumably Catholic as well. 

[vi] See the Tithe Applotment Books (1834) and the Encumbered Estates Records (1853) for the townland of Grennan, parish of Dromore, county of Tyrone.

Other Posts of this Sproule Family

• The Family of James Sproule of Grennan and Ann Irwin/Irvine, by Jo McCoy

Another Son of Joseph Sproule of Curraghamulkin?

 Jamie Reid had sent me this 1742 deed, which he had transcribed – thank you Jaime. (See below for the transcribed deed)  It  is the first one in which we  find Joseph Sproule of Curraghamulkin after he took possession of the Curraghamulkin land in 1731. 

It is dated 13 Feb 1746 and it is  between Joseph Sproule of Curraghamulkin and a lady called Ann Godfrey of Castletown in Co. Tyrone.  Joseph is leasing land from Ann Godfrey in a place called Dunwest, County Tyrone. Now I know that Joseph had sons so it was possible that he was buying land for one of the sons in this Dunwest place, so it was worth chasing.

But first I had to find it, and I no idea where Dunwest was.

The first place to look for anything of this kind is our County Tyrone genealogy sites – two excellent sites full of all sorts of information. A search for Dunwest on the cotyrone.com site revealed one page with two different entries for Dunwest. It was a page giving information on Langfield or Longfield.

One entry was from the 1840 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis, where he is describing Longfield West or Lower Langfield. The section on Dunwest says:

“In Dunwest are extensive beds of coal in 3 strata, all easy of access but though at every flood, large masses are detached by the river Poe and carried down the stream, no attempt has yet been made to work them; coal of very good quality is also found in other parts of the parish.”

This confirms that Dunwest is in West Longfield, but the description meant nothing to me. 

I looked up Dunwest in the Tithe Applotment Book for West Longfield, and there was indeed a ‘Dunwaist’ in this book, a townland of 1096 acres. That townland did not exist later in Griffiths Valuation, it’s not there. So it must have had a name change or have been integrated into another townland.

I couldn’t find the river Poe from that Topogrphical Dictionary entry at all. I contacted one of my good friends in that area, family historian Sheena McClure, and she had great insight into where this place could be from that description. She told me that the river Poe is now called Fairy Water and;

“The most westerly part of the Fairy Water but still in West Langfield is Drumgallan and on the old 1830s map shows quite a few buildings and wooded areas at the western part of this townland, but no label of Dunwest that I can see.”

Drumgallan, that was great news! Joseph Sproule of Curraghamulkin was leasing land in Drumgallan in 1742, and I had two unidentified Sproule records for Drumgallan!

One was the record of a death in Prerogative Wills & Administrations Indexes. It records a Thomas Sproule, Drumgallan, who died in 1808. According to Inch/Elder, Joseph of Curraghamulkin did indeed have a son called Thomas.

We have a second record of Drumgallan, another Thomas Sproule. This time Thomas appears in a list of subs for the Topographical Dictionary for 1837, and he is ‘Thomas Sproule esq. Drumgallan, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone. This is obviously a son of Thomas Sproule of Drumgallan who died in 1808. We also know that he is an ‘esq.’ telling us he is from an affluent family which again would fit with our Joseph of Curraghamulkin. Have we located the son of Joseph Sproule of Curraghamulkin, namely Thomas Sproule of Drumgallan?

Now life got a bit complicated when I saw the second description of ‘Dunwest’ on the very the same page in the cotyrone.com site which describes a completely different location! It is an advertisement for the sale of land in Dunwest which was placed in 1809, and it describes the location of this piece of Dunwest land quite precisely;

 “The lands are situated within 1 mile of Drumquin, 6 of Omagh, 7 of Newtown-Stewart, 9 Fintona, 6 of Dromore, and 8 of Lowtherstown.”

This is definitely nowhere near Drumgallan!  Two different locations, both in Longfield – where was my Dunwest?

After spending a lot of time trying to figure this out and going demented, I went to my friends on County Tyrone Ireland Genealogy group on Facebook and they came to the rescue!  I explained the evidence of Dunwest being in two different places both in Longfield. None of them knew or had heard of Dunwest. We discussed things, explored various possibilities, but I wasn’t happy that we had solved this. Then a short time later one of the group involved in the discussion,  Marie Maguire,  added another comment to my post;

‘Kate as I was driving along the Drumlegagh Road just outside of Omagh today I saw a minor road to the left called Dunwish Road. Could Dunwish townland be what you're looking for?’

God bless you Marie Maguire, Mary McCollum and the other folk on there who worked on this, problem solved! No, Dunwish was not the place I was looking for, but it eliminated the second place, the place in the advertisement  that described Dunwest as 1 mile from Drumquin. That wasn’t Dunwest, that was Dunwish.

So the Dunwest of the deed must be the one that has been integrated into Drumgallan, the ‘Dunwaist’ of the Tithe Applotment.

So now we have placed another person on our tree. Joseph Sproule of Curraghamukin leased land in Dunwest, which was in or near Drumgallan. Joseph had a son Thomas Sproule of Drumgallan who died in 1808. Thomas had a son also called Thomas Sproule of Drumgallan. What happened to him? Another question to be answered.

 

1746 Deed Joseph Sproull of Curraghamulkin leasing land in Dunwest,

149  134 99169 1746 Registry of Deeds, Familysearch.org Transcribed by Jaime Reid

Godfrey to Spruell, red’d 13^th June 1751

Indenture of lease 13^th Feb. 1746 between Ann Godfrey of Castletown in Co. Tyrone widow on the 1^st part, and Joseph Sproull of Carrickamulkan in the said co. gent. on the other part. Whereby Ann Godfrey did demise grant let to farm let unto Joseph Sproull all that town or peell [?] of land commonly called Dunwest situate in co. Tyrone with all houses buildings and improvements erected and made thereon together with all woods and underwoods growing lying or being thereon with a liberty for the sd Joseph Sproull his heirs ex admons & assigns (during the sd term) to cut down fellraise sell and dispose of the same and every part thereof without impeachment of waste (all other royalties excepted) to hold unto the sd Joseph Sproull his h e a & a the sd demised premises from the 1^st day of November then last past for and during the term of twenty one years at the yearly rent of forty-seven pounds for the first ten years and for the remaining eleven years the yearly rent of forty-nine pounds with sixpence a pound receivers fees in case sd yearly rent should not be pd before the end of three calendar months after the days appointed in the said indenture for payment of the sd rents.

Executed in presence of Rev. Wm Hamilton of Strabane in co. Tyrone and Simon Rousse of Strabane afsd gent, and this mem duly executed by sd Joseph Sproull in presence of sd Simon Rousse and of Edward Morris of Strabane afsd, 27^th May 1751. Signed, Joseph Spruell.

This deed on Familysearch.org

Dunwest in County Tyrone Genealogy

Subs for A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837 

Tithe Applotment Book for West Longfield 1826, PRONI Fin_5_A_204A/B

Diocesan and Prerogative Wills & Administrations Indexes, 1595-1858 in Familysearch.org

Who is Joseph Sproule of Castletown?

I have been intrigued by Joseph Sproule of Castletown for a long time. It's not just that he is one of those isolated Sproules that you can't fit in - there are loads of those. It's because he is obviously connected to a Sproule family that he can't really belong to. I'll explain.

I have just two pieces of information on this Joseph Sproule. One is a nice record of his death in the Strabane Morning Post in 1832:

“After a lingering illness, on Thursday last, Mr Joseph Sproule, of Castletown, deservedly regretted by his numerous acquaintance.”

May 15, 1832 p. 291 Strabane Morning Post

A newspaper entry at that time tells us that Joseph is a man of some means. I know the townland of Castletown, it is on the outskirts of Strabane, and there were a few Sproules living there at one time or another in the 1700s and early 1800s. For example, Jane, the widow of Robert Sproule the Nabob, lived there until her death in 1828. She was the daughter of John Sproull the Apothecary, and a couple of his other daughters also lived in Castletown at different times. But there was no Joseph Sproule in that family. 

Castletown, Co. Tyrone, from Townlands.ie

It is the second record for this Joseph of Castletown that is quite strange. It is from a newspaper of June 16, 1829 where Freeholders are listed, and there is our Joseph Sproull of Castletown, and he is registering a freehold in ‘Grannan’.

From Strabane Morning Post June 16, 1829

Now this is odd for two reasons. Firstly, we know the 'Grennan' Sproules very well, thanks to John Inch and Jack Elder. There is no Joseph anywhere in the Grennan Sproule families - none that we know of anyway.

Secondly, the Grennan land was leased, not freehold. It was leased by Cornet Andrew Spreull, and he left his Grennan land to his three sons, Andrew, James and Charles. Prior to 1853, there was very little freehold land in Grennan.

So this unknown Joseph Sproule of Castletown does not appear to be a Grennan Sproule, and yet he owns one of the only two pieces of freehold land in Grennan in 1829. Who is he?

Maybe we can get a clue by looking at that Grennan freehold land. Usually, this works well – follow the land.  In 1829 we see that one piece of freehold is owned by Charles Sproule of Grennan. Now if we look in Griffiths Valuation, we find that Charles of Grennan still owns that freehold land and it is 54 acres.   This helps us locate the only other bit of freehold land prior to 1853. It is a small 12 acre plot within that family of Grennan Sproules that Jack Elder in his family trees called ‘Another Grennan’ family. We  have pretty good records of this family in the late 1700s early 1800s – and there is no Joseph here.

I tried several times over the years to trace this Joseph Sproule of Castletown, without any luck.  But then in my recent trawl through the Sproule Deeds there was the answer, and, as is so often the case, the answer lay in the land. It was not the Grennan land that revealed the answer, it was the Castletown land.

It was in a deed dated 11 Oct 1832.  One Robert Sproule of Clover Hill, farmer, was selling the lease of a farm and land in Castletown in the parish of Urney, consisting of 70 acres. The deed tells us that this Castletown land was lately in the possession of Joseph Sproule, now deceased. Now we know a Joseph Sproule who was recently deceased in 1832,  it is our Joseph Sproule of Castletown who died in 10 May1832.

So now Robert Sproule of Clover Hill is selling the Castletown land that was formerly Joseph Sproule’s land, and now Joseph Sproule is dead.  Robert Sproule of Clover Hill is the eldest son of Joseph Sproule of Clover Hill, who is the eldest son of John ‘Jack Roe’ of Curraghamulkin. There is only one Joseph Sproule in the family of Robert of Clover Hill that this could possibly be. Robert Sproule is selling his father’s land in Castletown, the land of Joseph Sproule of Clover Hill, a Curraghamulkin Sproule. So now we know, Joseph Sproule of Castletown and Joseph Sproule of Clover Hill are one and the same.

This was quite normal in those days. It was the custom within these Plantation families that the father retires at some point, and he moves to a retirement house. A lot of these Sproule families did this. So Joseph Sproule of Clover Hill retired to Castletown. He would not have been farming the land, I’m sure. A sub-tenant would do that, or perhaps a family member.  Joseph was living out his retirement whilst his son Robert of Clover Hill, who later became Robert Sproule of Kirlish, took over his inheritance.

Joseph Sproule of Clover Hill was our Joseph Sproule who died on 10 May 1832,  

“After a lingering illness,…deservedly regretted by his numerous acquaintance.”

And why did Joseph Sproule, a Curraghamulkin Sproule, own that wee bit of Grennan freehold? Well we know, of course, that Cornet Andrew Spreull, who acquired the Grennan land, was the great grandfather of this Joseph of Clover Hill. However, Cornet Andrew left Grennan to other sons, not this family. Why did Joseph of Clover Hill own Grennan land, and why is it freehold? Actually, I have no idea. 

Deed where the Castletown land is sold 

11 Oct 1832 between Robert Sproule of Clover Hill farmer on the one part and Major John Semple of Strabane on the other part whereby Robert Sproule for the consideration there mentioned did make over to John Semple the farm land in Castletown lately in the possession of Joseph Sproule deceased containing 70 acres of land in the parish of Urney during the residue and remainder of the 21 years remaining on the lease witnessed by Samuel Colhoun of Strabane and Robert Mease of Strabane

Deed no. 888 424 587924 Registry of Deeds, Familysearch.org, Transcribed by Kate Tammemagi

The Golan Sproules

This is the family tree of the Golan Spoules of County Tyrone, Ireland.This tree was originally named 'the Nabob Spoules' by Jack Elder. The tree is now updated, with verified information from Deeds and Wills. I have managed to get further back than Elder, so I have changed the family name to reflect the first Sproules of this line in  County Tyrone, Ireland - the Golan Sproules. For more information on this see The Ancestors of The Nabob – the Golan Sproules.

1.       THOMAS SPREULL OF GOLAN was born about 1680 in Golan, south-east of Castlederg in County Tyrone, the son of Samuel Sproule of Golan. Thomas of Golan first appears on a deed in 1718 witnessing a deed for Cornet Andrew Spreull.  He is called a distiller in some documents and as owner of a bleachgreen in others. Thomas Spreull died in 1761 in Golan and left a will naming  his wife MARY and his three sons, James, Samuel and John the Apocethary. The land in Golan and Drumnabeigh had already passed to Oliver, the son of Thomas'  oldest son Robert. The name is spelt ‘Spreull’ on most of the early documents. It is worth noting that the name is spelt 'Sproull' on most of the documents from the 1800s.

Thomas Sproule of Golan and Mary had the following children:

1.1   ROBERT SPREULL OF GOLAN was born about 1700 in Golan, Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland. He died in 1734. He married MARTHA EDWARDS, born about 1707, the daughter of Robert Edwards of Kilcroagh and Martha La Vie  and they had at least two children:

1.1.1  OLIVER SPROULE OF GOLAN was born in 1723 in Ardstraw, Tyrone, Northern Ireland. In a deed dated 1764 Oliver is confirmed as owning all of the land owned by his grandfather, Thomas of Golan. Oliver’s son Andrew Sproule moved to Spamount and he is the father of all the Spamount Sproules.

1.1.1.1  ANDREW SPROULE OF SPAMOUNT was born on 26 Apr 1741 in Golan, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland.  He married twice, first to REBECCA who was born about 1741 and she died on 06 Jan 1776. He then married ISABELLA on 07 Jan 1781. Isabella was born in 1742 and she died on 17 Jul 1812 in Spamount, Ardstraw, County Tyrone (Aged 70).  Andrew of Spamount died on 21 Feb 1798 in Dublin. 

1.1.1.2    ROBERT SPROULE OF GOLAN was born in 1747.

1.1.1.3    SARAH SPROULE OF SPAMOUNT was born in 1747. She married a man named WETHERALL.

1.1.1.4    JAMES SPROULE was born in 1752.

1.1.1.5    UNKNOWN SPROULE She married HUGH KELSO. He was born in Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland. He died in 1797 in Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland.

1.1.2  MARTHA SPROULE OF GOLAN was born about 1730 in Golan. She married JOHN "JACK ROE" SPROULE of Curraghamulkin, son of  of Joseph Sproule and grandson of Cornet Andrew Spreull.

1.1.2.1    JOSEPH SPROULE OF CLOVER HILL, Kirlish, County Tyrone was born about 1750 and he married REBECCA PORTER, born in 1756 in Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland. Joseph was the father of the Kirlish Sproules. His wife Rebecca died in Kirlish 1850 in, County Tryone, Ireland (Aged 94).

1.1.2.2    MARTHA SPROULE OF CURRAGHAMULKIN was born about 15 May 1766. She married George Sproule, son of Charles Sproule of Upper Grennan and Ann Wallace, on 28 Jan 1787. George was born on 17 Nov 1755. They moved to Crillan, County Fermanagh, and they are the ancestors of this line of the family. George  died on 03 May 1838 in Crillan and Martha Sproule died on 22 Apr 1844 in Crillan.

1.1.2.3    ANNE SPROULE OF CURRAGHAMULKIN was born in 1771 and she married three husbands. First she married LEONARD INCH in 1792. He was born in 1770 and died in 1798 in Ederney Bridge, Fermanagh, Irleland. (Buried at Drumquin). She next married WILLIAM JOHNSTON in 1800 and he died in 1801. Anne married JOHN HOLMES on 15 Oct 1802 in St. Marys Church, Ardess, Magheraculmoney. Both John Holmes and his wife Anne Sproule died in 1813.

1.1.2.4    ELIZABETH "BETTY" SPROULE OF CURRAGHAMULKIN was born in 1775 and she married her first cousin, NEHEMIAH EDWARDS of Kilcroagh House, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone who was born in 1761.  Nehemiah died on 05 Apr 1846 in Kilcroagh House (Aged 85). Betty Sproule died on 24 Nov 1859 in Kilcroagh House, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone  aged 84.

1.1.2.5    ROBERT SPROULE OF CURRAGHAMULKIN  married PEGGY WALLACE

1.1.2.6    THOMAS SPROULE OF CURRAGHMULKIN married MARY MCCOLGAN.

1.1.2.7    CAPTAIN EDWARD SPROULE OF GLENVALE DROMORE married ANN HARPER OF AGHADULLA.

1.1.2.8    HENRY SPROULE OF CURRAGHAMULKIN.

1.1.2.9    JOHN SPROULE OF ADVARNEY WEST died between 1851-1855 in Ormstown, Quebec, Canada. He married   a woman called Ann.

1.1.2.10 ANDREW SPROULE OF CURRAGHAMULKIN owned the lands of Curraghmulkin, Screen and Cooel. He died in 1799 and his wife’s name was Ann.  His son Andrew Sproule bought the Magheracrigan land and he became Andrew of Magheracrigan that is on the Elder Tree.

1.2   JAMES SPROULE OF NEWTONSTEWART was born in Golan. I know very little of James as yet. He is mentioned in leases of 1733, also in the Will of Thomas of Golan of 1761, and later when the inherritance was divided up between the three brothers Samuel, John and James. He had a son Edward who is mentioned in a 1733 deed, and is later identified in a deed as having died in America. 

1.3   JOHN SPROULE THE APOTHECARY was born on 11 Oct 1713 in Golan, Ardstraw, County Tyrone. He studied as an Apocethary in Strabane and then went into the Army. He came back to Strabane to his own Apocethary practice. He also was a Provost in Strabane. He died on 21 May 1787. He married REBECCA CUNNINGHAM. She was born on 21 Mar 1720 and died on 06 Nov 1772 in Strabane.

1.3.1   JOHN  SPROULE was born on 09 Jul 1747. He was also a doctor and went to live in Beresford Street, and then Marlborough Street in Dublin where he died in Nov 1814. He married ELIZABETH BOSQUET in 1773 who came from Enniskillen.

1.3.2    JANE SPROULE was born in 1748. She died on 22 Jul 1828 in Castletown, Tyrone (Aged 80). She married her first cousin Robert Sproule the Nabob, son of Samuel Sproule of Coolnacruniagh on 27 Sep 1785.  They had one child, Rebecca Jane born on the 16 December 1790  in India, who died in 1810 in Exeter, England.

1.3.3    MARY SPROULE was born on 16 Oct 1749. Mary did not marry. She lived in Exeter with her sister Jane and Robert the Nabob  when they came home from India.

1.3.4    REBECCA SPROULE was born in 1750 in Strabane, Tyrone, Ireland. She married John Barclay, son of Robert Barclay of Strabane, on 18 Jan 1774. He was born about 1750 in Strabane, Tyrone.

1.3.5    JAMES SPROULE MD was doctor in Omagh. He was born on 28 Aug 1754 in Strabane and he died in 1791. His wife was Ann and she died on 15 Mar 1858 in Omagh (Aged 76).  Based on information on deeds, I believe that they had no children.

1.3.6    CATHERINE SPROULE was born in 1756 in Strabane, Tyrone, Ireland. She married Frederick Porter of Strabane on 16 May 1785. He was born about 1750 .

1.4   SAMUEL SPROULE OF COOLNACRUNIAGH was born about 1711 in Golan, south-east of Castlederg, County Tyrone. He died about 1779 in Coolnacrunaght.

1.4.1   THOMAS SPROULE OF BRIDGEHILL was born about 1730 in Coolnacrunaght, he lived in the nearby Bridgehill farm.

1.4.1.1. SARAH SPROULE (SALLY) was born about 1762 in Bridgehill, Ardstraw, Tyrone. She lived at Bridgehill in her later years.

1.4.1.2.  SAMUEL SPROULE OF BRIDGEHILL was born in 1759 in Bridgehill, Ardstraw, Tyrone and he married FRANCIS LEITCH (Fanny). They  raised 9 children at Bridgehill . Samuel of Bridgehill died on 05 Nov 1845.

1.4.1.3.  JAMES SPROULE OF INCHANEY was born in Bridgehill. He married Sarah in 1800 (From 1802 Robert of Ohio Letter). They had 11 children including Robert Sproule who built the Kildevin House in County Meath. Sarah died on 08 Feb 1840. James of Inchaney died in 1827 in Inchaney, Tyrone, Ireland.

1.4.1.4.  FRANCIS SPROULE was born in 1755 in Bridgehill, Ardstraw, Tyrone.. She married  a man named JAMES HAYS. He was born in 1746 in Tyrone and he had a child called Isabella by his first marriage. They emigrated to America, to  South Carolina.  Here James Hays  died in 1799 in Newberry, South Carolina, USA leaving Francis Sproule with three children, Isabella, James Jn and Sara Hays. Isabella Hays married Robert Sproule, brother of her step-mother Francis. Francis Sproule died in 1811 in Union Township, Ohio, USA.

1.4.1.5.  ROBERT SPROULE OF OHIO was born on 13 Feb 1775 in Bridgehill, Tyrone, Ireland. He married Isabella Hays, daughter of James Hays, on 04 Apr 1801 in Newberry County, South Carolina. Isabella Hays was born on 25 Nov 1782 in Tyrone, Ireland. Robert and Isabella had 12 children and I believe they have the most descendants of all of the Sproules. Isabella died on 02 Apr 1868 in Miami County, Ohio (Age: 76). Robert of Ohio died on 14 Jun 1858 in Elizabeth, Miami, Ohio, United States (Age at Death: 83).

1.4.1.6.  ANN (NANCY)  KERR was born about 1760 in Bridgehill, County Tyrone. She married  JAMES KERR who was born about 1755 in Tyrone. They went to live in Pitsburg, Pennsylvania where he died on 14 Jul 1845 (Age: 90). Nancy Sproule died in May 1850 in Pitsburg.

1.4.2     ROBERT SPROULE THE NABOB was born in 1746 in Coolnacrunaght, Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland. He married his first cousin Jane Sproule, daughter of his uncle John Sproule the Apothecary  on 27 Sep 1785.  Robert was a surgeon in India and he came back in 1785 to marry Jane. They then travelled back to India. Eventually they retired to a mansion in Exeter in England, but Robert the Nabob died shortly afterwards in 1807. They had one daughter, Rebecca Jane, who was born in India. Rebecca died in 1810 in Exeter. Jane Sproule sold up and came back to Ireland where she lived in Castletown, County Tyrone. She died there on 22 Jul 1828, aged 80.

1.4.3   ELIZABETH SPROULE was born in Coolnacrunaght, Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland. She married a  MISTER RANKIN.

1.4.4     MARTHA SPROULE OF COOLNACRUNIAGH was born about 1750 in Coolnacrunaght, Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland. She married ANDREW SPROULE OF TULLYMOAN, son of William Sproule. He was born about 1740 in Tullymoan, Urney, County Tyrone. Martha died in 1820 in Tullymoan, Urney, County Tyrone, Ireland. They had five sons.

1.4.4.1.  ROBERT SPROULE OF STRABANE was born about 1773 in Tullymoan, Urney, County Tyrone. He died in Jun 1834 in Strabane. He married ANN LECKY who was born in Altamullen, Tyrone, Ireland. They had two children, Robert of Jamaica and Mulvin, and Matila who married William Gwynne of Strabane.

1.4.4.2.  SAMUEL SPROULE MD was born in 1774 in Tullymoan, Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He was a surgeon in the East India Company and was based in Bombay, India. He married Eliza Walker, daughter of William Walker, on 10 Nov 1818 in Bowland (Samuel 42 , Eliza 22).  Eliza  was born in 1796 and she died on 06 Nov 1827 in Cheltenham.  (Aged 31). Samuel died on 30 May 1829 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom (Aged 53). They had one daughter Ann Jane Sproule who married Sir John Rivett-Carnac.

1.4.4.3.  WILLIAM SPROULE was born about 1785 in Tullymoan, Urney, County Tyrone, Ireland. He died about 1827 in Glentimon,  County Tyrone. He married  ANN KNOX who was born in Glentimon, Tyrone, Ireland. She died on 12 Jun 1847 in Glentimon, Tyrone. They had one son Samuel Sproule who became a surgeon in the East India Company. Samuel married his first cousin Margaret Madden Sproule, daughter of James Sproule of Mellmount..

1.4.4.4.  ANDREW SPROULE OF TULLYMOAN was born about 1770 in Tullymoan, Urney, County Tyrone, Ireland. He died after 1840. He married  REBECCA MACKEY who was born in 1774 in Lismontigley, Raphoe, Donegal. She died on 01 Feb 1858 in Tullymoan, Urney, County Tyrone, Ireland (Aged 84).  Andrew and Rebecca had eight children.

1.4.4.5.  JAMES SPROULE OF MELLMOUNT was born in Tullymoan, Urney, County Tyrone, Ireland.  He lived most of his adult live as a planter in Jamaica. He met his lady,  CHARLOTTE E TAYLOR, daughter of Simon Taylor, in Jamaica and they had nine children. Charlotte was born in 1795 in Jamaica and she died on 17 Apr 1849 in their home in Mellmount, Strabane, Tyrone. James died on 01 Aug 1840 in a shipwreck in Jamaica.

1.4.5   ANNE SPROULE was born about 1740  and she married Oliver Lecky of Melmount, Strabane, County Tyrone  who was born about 1740.

1.4.5.1  ISABELLA LECKY was born in Mellmount, Strabane, Co Tyrone. She died in Apr 1837 in Sandy Mills, Donegal, Ireland. She married James Mathewson, son of James Mathewson of Ardstraw and Martha Sproule Curraghamulkin, about 1799. He was born in 1770 in Kirlish, Drumquin, County Tryone, Ireland. He died on 08 Oct 1836 in Donegal.

1.4.5.2  OLIVER LECKY was born about 1771 in Mellmount, Strabane, Co Tyrone. He died on 06 Feb 1840. He married  REBECCA PORTER.

1.4.5.3    NANCY LECKY was born in Mellmount, Strabane, Co Tyrone. She died in 1856. She married a man called KILPATRICK.

1.4.5.4    JANE LECKY was born in Mellmount, Strabane, Co Tyrone. She married  RICHARD HENDERSON. He was born in Laught, Donegal. He died on 22 Apr 1835.

1.4.6    REBECCA SPROULE  was born in 1745. She married  ROBERT SPROULE OF UPPER GRENNAN. He was born about 1735 in Grennan, Dromore, Tyrone. Rebecca died there in 1815.  

1.4.6.1    ROBERT SPROULE OF UPPER GRENNAN was born in Grennan, Dromore, Tyrone, Ireland (Died unmarried).

1.4.6.2    JOHN SPROULE OF UPPER GRENNAN was born in Grennan, Dromore, Tyrone, Ireland (Died unmarried).

1.4.6.3    SAMUEL SPROULE was born in Grennan, Dromore, Tyrone, Ireland.

1.4.6.4    CHARLES SPROULE OF UPPER GRENNAN was born in Grennan, Dromore, Tyrone, Ireland (Died unmarried).

1.4.6.5   JENNIE SPROULE OF UPPER GRENNAN was born in Grennan, Dromore, Tyrone, Ireland. She married  WALLACE BRATTON.

1.4.7    JANE SPROULE was born in Coolnacrunaght, Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland. She married a MR LECKY.

1.4.8     MARY SPROULE was born in Coolnacrunaght, Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland. She married a  MR JOHNSTON.

1.5   REBECCA SPROULE was born in Golan, Ardstraw, Tyrone, Ireland. She married  ROBERT PORTER the postman of Strabane who died in 1772. Their daughter Rebecca (1756-1850) married Joseph Sproule of Clover Hill.

1.6   DAUGHTER SPROULE  married WILLIAM JOHNSTON OF COOLNACRUNIAGH. This Sproule daughter must have died young as her two sons were in the care of their Grandfather Thomas Spreull of Golan – this is mentioned in the 1733 deed. The sons were named as Arthur Johnston and James Johnston

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John Inch and Jack Elder - Early Sproule Family Historians

Jack Elder worked on the history of the Sproule Family in County Tyrone  and he recorded a series of notes and family trees. Between 1880 and 1930, Jack Elder investigated the family himself, and he also gathered a great deal of information from earlier researchers. Elder also had the help of 40 pages of information left by John Inch, who had died in 1877.

John Inch was born on June 29^th 1795, the son of Leonard Inch and Ann Sproule.¹ Leonard and Ann Inch had lived first in Strabane but soon after their marriage they moved to a place that Inch called “Corough-a-Mulkin” in the parish of Lower Langfield in County Tyrone. Their son, John Inch, emigrated to New Brunswick in Canada in 1820, taking with him his Sproule stories and family histories. 

Jack Elder also lived in New Brunswick, he went there in 1886. A few years later he heard of John Inch and his notes on the Sproule Family of Tyrone. He contacted the nephew of John Inch, and managed to acquire a copy of the 40 precious hand written pages. Elder used the notes to help compile a series of Sproule family trees which were produced in 1890. I will include these in the next few posts.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to establish if John Inch’s original notes still exist. However, in one of his letters dated 1928, Elder gives us a flavour of the John Inch Sproule Family History: 

In his history he ‘nothing extenuates’.   The

Sproules were not all saints: there was occasionally no

marriage tie when there should have been, etc. 

He tells of the number of acres of land that various Sproules owned,

the number of milch cows they had etc.  Of his granduncle

Joseph Sproule of Alta-moo-land (as he spells it), brother

of Martha (who married James Mathewson) he says:

“This man had a son, if not other children, whom he disinherited for

marrying the servant girl, and in his old age sold his farm

at £1,350.” Of his Uncle Joseph Sproule of Clover Hill,

he says:

“This man married Rebecca Porter of Castletown,

near Strabane, and with her received £500 fortune” (This

Rebecca was a first cousin of Jane Porter, novelist). 

He gives even the nicknames of our ancestors.  Andy Sproule

of Grennan was nicknamed ‘Andy Bacach’ (-bacach being Irish

for ‘a lame person’), "and the whole family was designated

sometimes by those few who had an outfall with any of them

‘The Bacach Sproules.’ 

Andy's son Joseph, of Carrickamulkin, “was nicknamed ‘Joseph

Nablugh,’  an Irish word for 'sour milk.'  This arose, it

was said, from his sending milk, at the request of a number

of poor families, into the village of Dromore for sale;

therefore, the whole family was called, when spoken of in

derision by some, and by others in sport, the ‘Buttermilk

Sproules’  But I have said enough about the Sproules for

the present.

Jack Elder calls my line of the Sproule family ‘The Nabob Sproules’ and later posts will explain why!

References:

¹ The Inch Family of Ulster and New Brunswick Canada by Inch, James Robert, b. 1835 Familysearch.org
Extract of Letter from Jack Elder, Ont., Canada to J.F. Caldwell, Belfast.; PRONI T1264/3; CMSIED 9804826 Sunday, April 1, 1928