The Carncorran Sproules

Written by Heather Arnott 

My 2x Great Grandparents Robert and   Matilda Sproule (nee Irwin) farmed on their property in Carncorran Glebe, Ardstraw Parish, Co Tyrone.  (Also known as Carncorn)

Robert Sproule (B.1782 D 1844) and Matilda (B.1790 D.1869) had 8 children:

1. Andrew (B.1810 D. 1907)
2. Alexander (B.1811 D. 1881)
3. Robert (B.1815 D.1879)
4. Mary (B.1820 D.1909) 
5. John (B.1824 D.1908)
6. George (B.1825 D.1875) 
7. Emily  (B.1833 D.1890)
8. William (B. c 1835)

With an Aunt and Uncle having migrated to America around 1798 establishing themselves in Ohio and with the Potato Famine raging in Ireland, Robert’s son Andrew decided to migrate in 1845 joining them there.   Andrew Sproule lived in Fredericksburg, Ohio. He became a citizen of the United States and fought with the Union Army at the Battle of Vicksburg in the Civil War. He married his cousin Frances and they would have no children.  After Frances died in 1881 Andrew remarried and had two daughters; one married but no children eventuated. 

In 1865 William, 8^th son of Robert Sproule of Carncorran, would also emigrate, living for a short while with Andrew but later went off to work for the Railways and little more is known about him.

Robert’s daughters Mary and Emily both married – Mary to Johnston Funston and Emily to Thomas Muldoon.  Emily had five children, with only one marrying and having a child who died in infancy.

Son Alexander married Margaret and joined the RIC.   They would have four children, three marrying but no children eventuated from the marriages.

Robert married Rebecca (maiden name unknown) and had no children and they worked her family farm. 

The remaining barn on the Carncorran property

John and George farmed the home farm in Carncorran for many years – George marrying Jane Neelands of Derrygoon and John marrying Mary Alexander of Segully – remarrying Sarah Wilson after Mary died.  George and Jane had a son Robert and John and Sarah had a daughter Mary and son Robert.  These two families have continued the existing Sproule lines – one in Australia and the rest in Northern Ireland.