The Murder of Andrew Sproule of Aughee 1775

 Andrew Sproule of Aughee was murdered in 1775. The two men who committed the deed, George Osborne of Dressoge and James Armstrong of Tirwinny in Fermanagh, were found guilty of manslaughter at their trial in Omagh.

We learn this in an intriguing entry in the Londonderry Journal of September 1775 that gives us the result of the trial and also has a little ‘Ad’. This is, seemingly, a paid advertisement by James Sproule, to inform us that the guilty men were ‘ordered to be burned in hand’, and that this was done. Fascinating!

Londonderry

At the Omagh assizes, George Osborn and James Armstrong were found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Andrew Sproule.

Ads: Notice by James Sproul that George Osborne, Drysage, Co Tyrone and James Armstrong, Turawinny, Co Fermanagh, on Sep 6 found guilty of manslaughter of Andrew Sproule, late of Oughie, Co Tyrone, were ordered to be burned in the hand which was done.

Irish Genealogical Abstracts from the Londonderry Journal 1772-1784 Tues 26 Sep 1775 

We know that there are connections between the Sproules in Aughee and the Sproules in Grennan, though we do not know exactly who this murdered Andrew Sproule is. In addition, we know that the Osborne families are also intertwined with the Grennan Sproules. Here, in this little entry from 1775, we have the victim, Andrew Sproule, we have the murderers, one of whom is George Osborne, and we have another Sproule, James Sproule. There are clues here, but as yet no answers.

The Sproules  and the Aughee/ Grennan Connection

In 1740, 35 years before this murder, there was an Andrew Sproule farming the land in Aughee. We know this from a deed in 1740 which confirmed a piece of Aughee land jointly to Andrew Sproule and a John Gilmore. This could be the same Andrew Sproule who was later murdered in 1775,  or it is possible that the murder victim was his son, a second Andrew Sproule of Aughee.  

We also have a James Sproule in this little story from 1775, who has taken the advertisement about the burning of hands. This James has to be a close relative, of course, most likely a father or a brother. We do not know who this James is as yet.

In 1792, 17 years after the murder, we have yet another Andrew Sproule of Aughee, or so it would seem. He appears as a witness to a deed from the Registry of Deeds and his name is given as  ‘Adam’ Sproule of Aughee. We believe this to be a transcription error as there has never been an Adam anywhere in the Sproules. So this Andrew Sproule of Aughee was witnessing a deed for John Sproule of Grennan in 1792.

Three records of Andrew Sproules of Aughee in the 1700s.

Then we leap forward to 1832 when an even more intriguing Aughee event occurs.  Robert Sproule of Aughee gets married to Jane Sproule of Magheracrigan.  Robert of Aughee we know well, as he appears in quite a few deeds, and he became a very affluent man. Now logic should tell us that Robert has to be a son of one of our Andrew Sproules of Aughee. But he is not. In the notice of his wedding which appeared in the Londonderry Sentinel of 9 June 1832, he is referred to as ‘Robert Sproule of Grennan’. This would indicate that Robert is the son of a Grennan Sproule.

Now, did the original line of Aughee Sproules die out, the line with the Andrew Sproules in it? Or is there another possible scenario here. Is it  possible that these Andrews were not a single family at all. Is it possible that they were always Grennan Sproules? Maybe the Aughee house was used as a temporary establishment for different Grennan Sproules. Perhaps it was a house for the young, beginning life together.

The Osbornes in this Story

I am by no means an Osborne researcher, and I would welcome input from those who are. I know a little bit! The murderer of Andrew Sproule of Aughee was George Osborne of Dressoge. Dressoge is not far from Grennan, and is close to Derrynaseer, where there is an Osborne family who were definitely connected to the Grennan Sproules.

The Derrynaseer Osborne family go back to at least the mid 1700s and the dominant name there is Archibald. Archibald Osborne of Derrynaseer Esq. appears in some of the Grennan deeds when he was just a small child, named as a ‘life’, e.g. two deeds both dated 12 March, 1796. Obviously, the Derrynaseer family and the Grennan family were neighbours and were close. Much later than our murder, in the year 1859, George Osborne of Derrynaseer married Mary Jane Sproule, daughter of Dr Wallace Sproule of Drumquin, a Grennan Sproule himself.

There is also a family of Osbornes in Aughee in the 1800s. There was a George Osborne whose probate is recorded for Aughee in 1804. John Osborne is in Aughee in the Tithe Applotment and Archibald in Griffiths, with a small piece of land. I don’t know when these Osbornes arrived in Aughee or where they came from.

The George Osborne in our murder of Andrew Sproule of Aughee was, however, a Dressogue Osborne. Later, in the Tithe Applotment of 1834 we see that there are 4 different Osborne families in Dressoge, so this family was definitely well established in Dressoge for a long time. In 1757 Mary Osborne, daughter of Henry Osborne of Dressoge, married Chadwallader Blayney of Oughterard  - another family with Sproule connections. The Osbornes of Dressoge and Derrynaseer are more than likely connected.

So our murder of poor Andrew Sproule of Aughee in 1775 has given rise to some thoughts on these families. Hopefully, this will get us further in our search.

References:

• 1740 Deed, Andrew Sproule and John Gilmore confirmed on land in Aughee, 28 Dec 1740 , 161 213 108320 Registry of Deeds, Familysearch.org, thanks to James Reid
• 1792 Deed,  John Sproule of Grennan mortgaging to a William Stephenson, this deed is witnessed by Adam (Andrew) Sproule of Aughee, 12 Sep 1792, 455 300 292987 Registry of Deeds, Familysearch.org, thanks to James Reid 
• 1832 Marriage of Robert Sproule of Grennan from Londonderry Sentinel, 9 June 1832. 'Mr Robert Sproule of Grennan to Jane, 3^rd daughter of Mr Andrew Sproule of Magheracrigan.' 
• 1757 Deed Marriage Settlement of John Blayney, son of Chadwallader Blayney of Oughterard and Mary Osborne of Dressoge, daughter of Henry Osburn of Dressoge 220 356 145078 Registry of Deeds, Familysearch.org thanks again to James Reid