Identifying Sproule Families in Ireland - Learning from the Y-DNA

Thanks to all of the members of the Sproule DNA project, and to Joe Sprowl who manages this, we have managed begin identifying different Sproule families. In this post, I will look at some of the Irish Sproule Lines

Two Separate Sproule Families

The first finding was that there are different  Sproule families in Ireland – that was expected. It used to be thought that they all came from one family who arrived in Donegal in 1622. However, the 1665 Hearth Money Rolls suggested that there were different Sproule families who arrived at different times. We have found so far in the Sproule DNA project two specific mutations that identify two of these families.

One mutation in the Y-DNA is unique to the Sproules who came from Scotland in 1622, from Renfrewshire. They dispersed throughout Donegal and Tyrone. There are descendants of these Sproules in America, Canada, Australia and the West Indes. We have called this mutation The Cowden Mutation. If you have the Cowden Mutation in your DNA no matter where you are in the world, it tells us firstly that your family came from Ireland, and secondly that you are a descendant of these Cowden Sproules.

A second family, who do not carry the Cowden Sproule mutation, but who have their own unique mutation, is the Clondermot Sproules. I believe they arrived from Scotland much earlier than the Cowden Sproules, and they settled in an area of Clondermot that is now round New Buildings. This family did not come from Cowden, Renfrewshire, but we do not as yet know where they originated.

The Cowden Sproules

We have some further information on some of the Sproule lines in Donegal and Tyrone. Of course,  the more folk that come forward with their Y-DNA, the more we will learn.

The Mutation	The Family	Known families with this Mutation
The Cornet Andrew mutation BY105178 This mutation arose round the birth of Cornet Andrew Spreull, or his father. He died in about 1733 in Grennan, Dromore. This family has the Cowden mutation, but does not have the Tullymoan or Kilclean mutations.	This family are descendants of Cornet Andrew Spreull or his father. The descendants lived in  Dromore, East Longfield and Longfield West, Tyrone	1.    Robert Sproule m. Sara Whitcomb, 15 Nov 1745 at Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts 2.    James Sproul d. 12 May 1863 m. Elizabeth, Lennox & Addington Co., Ontario, Canada 3.    William Sproule b. abt 1818 m. Mary Whelan, Beauharnois County, Canada East (Quebec), Canada
The Kilclean Mutation FGC60995 The Kilclean mutation arose before 1720 in Ireland. Kilcleans have the Cowden mutation, but do not have the Tullymoan or Cornet Andrew mutations.	Discovered in the family of James Sproule of Kilclean b. abt 1808 who married m. Rebecca Baxter. The family went to live in the Parish of Simonds, St. John County, New Brunswick, Canada. This family were all Stone Masons, and in Ireland the eldest son was always William.	1.    Thomas Sproul m. Sarah Rea  12 Nov 1761 New Castle County, Delaware 2.    Robert Sprowl b. 1782 m. Mary, Chester Co. Pennsylvania
The Tullymoan Mutation R-FT107246 The Tullymoan family have this mutation and they have the Cowden mutation, but do not have the Cornet Andrew or Kilclean mutations. We do not as yet know when the Tullymoan mutation arose in this family.	The Sproule family of Tullymoan, Urney, of which I am one. The family have lived on this farm from the early 1600s until today.	1.    Sligo Sproules, of Billa, Ballysadare. 2.    Robert Sproul b. c1737 died c 1800 (m) Mary Henry, Bohemia Manor, Cecil County, Maryland
The Carncorran /Castlebane Sproules There is no mutation here. This family only has the Cowden mutation – no other mutations. They descend directly  from the same line as Cornet Andrew, but from earlier than him, before that mutation was formed. The Killen Sproules below are similar, and it is likely that they come from the same ancestor in the mid 1600s.	The family of Robert Sproule of Carncorran, Ardstraw, Tyrone d. 16 Dec 1844 who married Matilda Irwin. This family are closely related to the Castlebane Sproules and probably the Carrickadartans Sproules
The Killen Sproules There is no mutation here. This family only has the Cowden mutation – no other mutations. They descend from an earlier line and are close to the Carncorran Sproules in the about the mid 1600s	The family of Alexander Sproule of Edenasop, Termonamongan, Tyrone b. abt 1796 m. Jane

 

The Clondermot Sproules

The Mutation	The Family	Known families with this Mutation
The Clondermot Mutation R-FT157516 The Clondermot Sproules do not have any of the other mutations. They came to Ireland from Scotland before the Cowden Sproules and were well established in Gortin and Tully Upper by the 1660s. We do not know where exactly they came from as yet.	John Sproule 1771–1861 m. Sarah Orr – went on to live in Nova Scotia	1.    William Sproul b. 1827 Baltimore, Maryland, m. Ellen Baublitz 2.    The Evish Sproules, of Camus, Tyrone – unconfirmed by mutation 3.    The Glenfin /Ballybofey Sproules – unconfirmed by mutation (The second two here are identified as Clondermot Sproules by different means)