Part 3 - The Intriguing Carncorran Sproules and their Y-DNA

We began with the Carncorran Sproule DNA and we have moved on to exploring 2, maybe 3 generations of Sproules who are all born in the 1600s. We have some information from the Y- DNA. Now we can add to this, and hopefully end up with a picture of those early Sproule relationships.

We have built this picture from the DNA:

Now we have to add in another player. Cornet Andrew Spreull had a large deed in 1719, where he leased the Grennan and Curraghamulkin lands. The man who witnessed that deed and registered it was Thomas Spreull of Golan, though his name here was Thomas of Drumnabeigh.  When I first saw these two names together in the gigantic books in the Registry of Deeds in Dublin, I had a vision of Thomas of Golan hopping on a horse and galloping off to Omagh to register the deed – a bit fanciful, I dare say!

The two were obviously close, certainly related to each other. Could they be brothers? Could they be first cousins?

John Inch believed that the father of Cornet Andrew Spreull was Robert Sproule who is buried in the Castlederg Grave.  Robert was certainly a man of substance, with a large gravestone in the Church Yard. This Robert was certainly the Robert Sproule named in the 1665 Hearth Money Rolls, the only Sproule named in this tax from Tyrone in fact. Robert was living in Lisleen in the Money Rolls, a townland in Ardstraw, not far from the townlands we have been talking about – Golan, Carncorran etc.

Hearth Money Rolls 1665

Now if Cornet Andrew Spreull was indeed a descendant of Robert of Lisleen, then it is even more logical that Thomas Spreull of Golan would also be a descendant. We know for certain that later in life Thomas of Golan was living in that neighbourhood. But are we talking about sons of Robert Sproule of Lisleen? This was always in doubt.

The gravestone in Castlederg tells us that Robert Sproule died in 1689 at age 61, so Robert was born in 1628. His wife Jean Deniston died in 1712 at age 81, so she was born in 1631. If our two Sproules were sons of Jean Deniston and Robert of Lisleen, the latest they could be born would be between 1652 and 1662.

Thomas of Golan died in 1761. His first child, Robert, was married somewhere round 1730. It is possible, but highly unlikely, that Thomas of Golan was a son Robert of Lisleen. He is almost certainly a grandson. Thomas called his first son Robert, so there is a good chance that the father of Thomas Spreull of Golan was also called Robert.

What about Cornet Andrew?  In the 1719 deed, Cornet Andrew tells us that he already has 7 sons. In 1731 Cornet Andrew’s lands are passed over to his sons. He is either dead at this point in 1731, or he is old and retiring. Either way, it is definitely possible that Cornet Andrew is indeed a younger son of Robert of Lisleen and his wife Jean Deniston, but again, far more likely that he is a grandson. So we have actually two possibilities for Cornet Andrew – he is either a son or a grandson of the couple.

So if we put this all together, what picture do we have now?

Thanks to Sheena McClure for the lovely pic of the grave of Robert Sproule in St John’s Church of Ireland, Castlederg. Thanks also to Sheena for guiding me to look at these Sproule graves there.

1719 Deed - 41 289 25944 Registry of Deeds, Familysearch.org dated 10 March 1719 between Thomas Edwards of Castlegore and  Cornet Andrew Spreull

The Carncorran Sproules by Heather Arnott

Part 1 - The Intriguing Carncorran Sproules and their Y-DNA

Part 2 - The Intriguing Carncorran Sproules and their Y-DNA