The Robert Sproule who had been in the lovely photograph standing in front of his shop had some connection to the family of Lendrick Sproule of Caherty, Ballyclug, Antrim.
I
knew this for certain as a grandson of this Robert Sproule the Saddler was given the name, Lendrick Sproule. Could I find the connection between Robert the Saddler and the family of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty?
I had come across Lendrick Sproule and his family just a few months ago, when I saw the record of his gravestone in the Ulster Historical Foundation’s list of Gravestone Inscriptions. It was in Broughshane 1st Presbyterian Graveyard in Racavan, Antrim. The inscription read:
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| Ulster Historical Foundation, Northern Irish Gravestone Inscriptions |
Lendrick Sproule lived in Caugherty, a townland near Ballymena that is now spelt Caherty. Lendrick had died in 1896 at the astounding age of 111 years old!
And here with him in this grave were his family, or some of them at least;
John died in 1902 at age 66 born 1836
Robert died 1909 at age 69 born 1840
Patrick died 1903 at age 62 born 1841
Lendrick died 1894 at age 39 born 1855
I knew that the father
of my Robert Sproule the Saddler was called Hugh Sproule and that he had been a carpenter. This information appeared on the records of Robert's two weddings. Robert was born in 1850, so his father Hugh Sproule the Carpenter
would be born 1825ish or before this. It looked at first as if my Hugh the father of
Robert the Saddler would fit nicely into the family of Lendrick Sproule of Caughterty, but this quickly proved to be untrue.
Lendrick Sproule had not mentioned a son called Hugh in his grave inscription, Hugh was not in that grave. However, Lendrick did, indeed, have a son called Hugh Sproule. He is there with his brothers in the 1901 census on the Caugherty farm:
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| 1901 Census National Archives of Ireland |
I had been through all
of the Antrim Sproules in Irish Genealogy.ie when putting together the family
of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty and I had found no other Hugh Sproule in this
area. There were no other leads.
There was only one
thing to do at this point, and that was to back to Irishgenealogy.ie and try
again – there had to be a clue somewhere.
Searching under the name ‘Sproule’ or ‘Sproul’ usually brings up the same results – usually, that is. This time I tried the 'Sproul' spelling, and up popped a brand new Lendrick Sproule! And this was the clue that I needed - exciting!
It was a marriage record of a Lendrick Sproul, Bachelor, Shoemaker, who lived in Bridge St, Ballymena, to an Elizabeth McFetridge and the wedding took place in 1875. The father of this new Lendrick was Hugh Sproul Carpenter!
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| From Irishgenealogy.ie |
I knew that this new
Lendrick had not lived in Ireland because I would have come across him on
Irishgenealogy.ie so I chased him down on Ancestry and found him living in
Glasgow in Scotland – the blessings of having an unusual name.
The very first census record that I found of Lendrick Sproule was in the 1881 Census of Scotland. And here was another clue for it revealed that his mother was also there with them! Mary Ann Sproule, aged 69, was there with Lendrick, his wife Elizabeth McFeterick and their 3 children in Pollokshaws, Renfrewshire.
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| 1881 Scotland Census, Ancestry.com |
But her death notice in the Belfast Newsletter of that week gave us even more information. This told us that Mary Ann Sproule of Bridge St. was the relict of the late Hugh Sproule of Ballycreggy.
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| From Belfast Newsletter, 8 Jun 1893 Ancestry.com |
Could we now get
further back to find that connection to the Lendrick Sproules of Caugherty?
Well we have some further evidence. Mary Ann Sproule who died in 1893 left a detailed will, available in PRONI. In it she names her children, Matilda, Robert, Hugh, Lendrick, Jane, Sarah and Mary. She also tells us that she still has ownership of a farm in Ballycreggy. This must be a lease that she has sub-leased out, as the Sproule name does not appear in the Tithe or Griffiths.
In PRONI I found a will for a John Sproule of Ballycreggy, Ballyclug, County Antrim, who died on 20 July 1866. This was granted to his son Hugh Sproule who was at that time in Lancashire in Scotland.[1]This John Sproule of Ballycreggy was a carpenter, and there is a good chance that he is the father of our Hugh Sproule the Carpenter. So if we put this together we have:
We are filling out this family nicely!
NOTE:
[1] The text of the PRONI entry for John Sproule of Ballycreggy reads: “Letters of Administration of the personal estate of John Sproule late of Ballyeraigy County Antrim Carpenter who died 20 July 1866 at same place were granted at Belfast to Hugh Sproule of 287 Caledonia-road Wisha Lanarkshire Engineer the Son.” The letters of administration was granted on 20 Dec 1895 to Hugh Sproule in Wishaw, Lanarkshire. This was in fact the son of Hugh Sproule the Carpenter, grandson of John Sproule of Ballycreggy. The grandson Hugh was living in Wishaw with his wife, Margaret Wilson.
For more Posts on this Antrim Sproule Family:
- The Mystery Picture - R. Sproule Shop
- The Family of Hugh Sproule of Ballycreggy and Bridge St Ballymena, and Mary Ann
- The Parents of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty, Ballyclug, Antrim
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