The Will of John Sproull the Apothecary - Ending the Ancestry Myth

 Here is the will of John Sproule the Apothecary who died on 21 May 1787 in Strabane. I was anxious to put this will up so that the owners of the 52 trees on Ancestry who have connected John Sproule the Apothecary to Hoods and McClellans could see this will and read it carefully.

To those 52 people I say;

1. Rebecca Sproule, daughter of John Sproull the Apothecary did NOT marry John McClellan/McClelland when she was 11 years old
2. Rebecca Sproule did NOT have her first child when she was 12 years old
3. And, wait for it… at the ripe old age of 23, Rebecca, daughter of John the Apothecary, did NOT have her first grandchild, a Robert Hood.

NONE OF THAT HAPPENED!!!

Now, strange to say, and despite the totally illogical nature of this information, this is not your normal Ancestry Myth. In fact, it is not an Ancestry Myth at all – it is a pre-Ancestry Myth!

A man called Francis Hopkinson Gilpin put together what looked like a page from a Sproule Family Bible, and it was this that made the connection to the McClellan and Hood families. Now, I don’t know if it was Francis himself or some older person who added the McClellan/Hood connection, but there it is in all of its illogical glory. However, there is something very strange  about this page.

I believe that the original family details look very accurate for John Sproull’s family – I think it was at one time a page from his family bible, from the bible of John Sproull the Apothecary.  Some time later a notation is put on to the page, about the John McClellan marriage. Someone just made a mistake about who married John McClellan. Fascinating!

Anyway, in real life, Rebecca Sproule, daughter of John Sproull the Apothecary married a man called John Barclay on 18 Jan 1774,

    “Married at Strabane, John Barclay, son of Robert Barclay, to Miss Sproul.”  Irish Genealogical Abstractsfrom the Londonderry Journal 1772-1784 -

You will see in the following will, dated 5 Mar 1787, Rebecca Sproule, now Rebecca Barclay, is still married to John Barclay. That is 14 years after she is supposed to have had her first Hood grandchild! There are no Hoods or McClellans anywhere in this family - none at all.

The WILL of John Sproule the Apothecary  5 Mar 1787

391 53 257167  Registry of Deeds, Familysearch.org, transcribed by Kate Tammemagi

A memorial of  the last will and Testament of John Sproull late of Strabane esq Apothecary  bearing the date 5 Mar 1787. Whereas the said John Sproull after leaving & bequeathing to his daughters, Jane Sproull, Mary Sproull, Rebecca Barclay and Catherine Porter, and to his son John Sproull the several legacies therein mentioned to be paid out of his personal estate and bequeathing all his silver household plate to his said three daughters, Mary, Rebecca and Catherine and to his son James  Sproull to be equally divided between them, he left devised and bequeathed to his friend William Smyley, his heirs, exeqs and admins, all his real estate as far and upon the several uses and intents and purposes in said will and hereinafter expressed and declared concerning the same. That is to say,  the intent and purpose in the first place is to permit and suffer the testator’s sister-in-law, Francis Cunningham, to have take and enjoy to her own, ever yearly and every year during her natural life or unmarried state out of the Testators dwelling house one annuity or yearly rent of 5 pounds sterling. And to in Trust the tenements and lands of Barlayhill and Mullandrait with the Appurtances in and near Stranurlar County Donegal and for the use of his said three daughters Mary Sproull, Rebecca Barclay and Catherine Porter, their heirs and assigns forever, and also his two fields, two houses and gardens with the appurces in Magirr in the parish of Urney share and share alike as tennants in common and not joint tennants. And in trust as to the testators town and lands in Meenacheeran and Polygerryleane with the Appurtances in the Co of Tyrone to and for the use of the Testators eldest son John Sproull, his heirs and assigns forever, and in trust to the Testators town and land in Dowish and the Testators house and office houses in Strabane to and for the use of the Testators son James Sproull forever subject nevertheless to the payment of two hundred pounds to the Testators son John Sproull and the Annuity of five pounds yearly to the testators sister-in-law Frances Cunningham and the Testator and he left all the residue and remainder of his personal estate to his three daughters, Mary Sproule, Rebecca Barclay and Catherine Porter, and of his said will the Testator did constitute and appoint his friend William Smyley and his son James Sproull Executors and he left his executor William Smyly  10 pounds to buy mourning and the said will is duly signed sealed published  and declared by the said Testator John Sproull as and for his last will and testament in the presence of Andrew Mease esq Doctor in Physick, Samuel Morton and James Patton, merchants all of Strabane.