The Story of Robert Sproule the Nabob 1

There are three of us bringing you the story of Robert Sproule the Nabob who died in Exeter, England in 1807, aged 61 years.

Firstly, we have John Gamble, a cousin of his and a contemporary, who had many discussions with him on his past history. 

John Gamble wrote down the whole fascinating  story of Robert Sproule and his work as a surgeon in Bombay and he recorded this in his book ‘Society and Manners in Early Nineteenth Century Ireland’ written in 1818. 

A modern historian, Breandán Mac Suibhne, is our second story-teller. Breandán  republished this Gamble book in 2011 and he added his own amazing research, filling a multitude of details of the background. 

I, Kate Tammemagi, am the third person on this story and I bring the family history of this Sproule family. For I too am closely related to Robert the Nabob, as his sister Martha Sproule is my 3^rd great grandmother. (A Sproule-Sproule marriage). 

Gamble begins the story in about 1766 with the young Robert Sproule working as an apprentice to his uncle, the eminent John Sproull the Apocethary, in his shop in Strabane. In those days medics could train at university, and they were then referred to as ‘doctors’.  The other route was the apprenticeship route, and the student then became a ‘surgeon’.

An apothecary and his apprentice working in the laboratory.
 Engraving by J.G. Murray, after W.H. Hunt, 1842

The young apprentice Robert became enamoured of one of John Sproull the Apocethary’s three daughters, not with the youngest, Gamble tells us, as is customary in story books, but with the oldest of them, Miss Jane Sproule;

“The attachment was a mutual one, and when he was leaving home to seek elsewhere his fortune, the fond couple betrothed themselves to each other, with many a solemn protestation and vow. A foolish kind of engagement in general it is, but in this instance it proved otherwise, for the lover was constant, and the lady was true. Besides, he had the prospect of a speedy return, for he had got an appointment at Bombay, and India was then an unwrought mine, where gold was to be had almost for the digging.” P.554 Society and Manners

In 1768 Robert Sproule left Strabane and set off to go Bombay. The first stage of this fateful journey was from Newry to Liverpool.

On this first leg, disaster struck and, somewhere off the coast of Cheshire, the ship was wrecked. Our young Robert Sproule survived, but lost all of his clothes. Good friends got him ‘a second outfitting’ and he was able to go on with his journey to Bombay.

Route from London to Bombay

However, the next stage was no better, for the ship to India again was wrecked. There were deaths among both passengers and crew this time, but our resilient Robert  Sproule managed to save not only himself, but several others. Among these was a young man from London, who John Gamble does not name, but Breandán Mac Suibhne discoverd  was  a man called Joseph Alderson. Joseph Alderson was to become a life-long friend.

A West Indiaman - the ships that sailed to India

Another ship picked the survivors up, and they eventually made their way to Bombay. Here Robert Sproule joined the Army as a surgeon, and the young adventurer, Joseph Alderson, went off to seek his fortune.

Over the next few years, Robert was constantly in the field with his Regiment as they waged battles with local leaders throughout India.

"He was present at the taking of many rich places, his share of the spoil of which was considerable”. p.555 Society and Manners

So Robert had a share of  'riches' taken. However, there was more riches to be had that he did not share in. Military in the East India Company raided local places for rich plunder, and all levels made a great deal of money in this way. The term 'Nabob' was a name given to those who became rich in this unsavoury fashion, and was actually a derogatory term. However, Gamble is anxious to stress that Robert did not himself partake of the seizing of these rich goods;

“Immediately on the occupation of some town, he took possession of a pagoda or mosque as an hospital; and barely glancing his eyes round to see that it would answer, he left a few of his followers, and ran out to superintend the bringing in of the sick and wounded. In the interval, it was visited by a party that were more observant, and who rummaged every hole and corner, until they found, under a heap of rubbish, treasure sufficient to have made them all happy, could riches make men so. But they cannot, and least of all, riches got in such a manner.”

Over the years Robert accumulated quite a bit of money, but alas, he didn't manage to hold on to it! John Gamble tells us that part of the story involved Robert Sproule helping out an ‘intimate acquaintace’ by covering his debts with a money lender – to the tune of £11,000! That was an enormous sum of money in those days, and it was almost all of the money that Robert had saved. Even Gamble doesn’t go in to details on how exactly the money was lost, but basically his friend died, and this money was never returned to Robert. 

At this point, Robert Sproule had been in India for 12 years, and was now penniless. He had actually just written to Jane Sproule, his beloved in Strabane, saying that he would return very soon, but now  he felt that he could not do that.

So Robert remained in India, as Gamble puts it;

 "My friend wasted in India a few more of the blissful years of his youth, and irretrievably injured his constitution, not from his own cupidity, but by the advantage taken of his good nature by another."

Society and Manners in Early Nineteenth-Century Ireland, by John Gamble — edited and introduced by Breandán Mac Suibhne, published by Field Day Press 1911

The Nabob

An email from Exeter, England, Nov 2019

“Hello,
You don't know me I'm afraid. I am just a PA who works for Devon County Council and on wet days, sometimes I go for a walk around the nearby church at St Leonard's Topsham Road, Exeter in my short lunchbreak.
I have been trying to find out a bit more about the intriguing plaque on the wall of the church dedicated to Robert Sproule. It doesn't have a date and it does not say who put the plaque up but the message is lovely:

"Dedicated to Robert Sproule
This tablet is erected by one who knew thy worth, experienced thy friendship, and laments thy loss, friend of my soul, farewell"

I found your research on the internet and I was wondering if you can tell me anything more about it?  Who might have put the plaque up and why?  It's so lovely and it is in a precious place right over the altar of St Leonard's Church.
Kind Regards,

Daisy Spencer (not real name)

A letter from Bombay 1785

Written on 27 March 1785 from Constantine O'Donnell in Bombay to the Earl of Abercorn,  

“The Europa Indiaman sailed in January last, since which no ship has left this for Europe. A Mr. Sproul, a relation of the doctor's in Strabane, took his passage on her; he had been principal surgeon for some time before, and though by no means as easy in his circumstances, as those who generally leave this after having had the hospital, yet he is worth as much as should be considered a decent competence.” PRONI D623/A/68/6

A letter from Strabane, Tyrone 1785

A letter written 18 September 1785 James Hamilton agent in Strabane, to the Earl of Abercorn:

“A very intimate and good friend of my son Robert's, a Mr Sproul nephew to Mr Sproul of this town dined with me a few days ago in company with Majors Law and Gardner,  two very intimate friends of my son John's.

I never could receive more pleasure than I did in the account they all gave of them, Sproul of his friend and the others of their's. John had written me often about Law and Robert of Sproul.

Sproul served his time to his uncle and went to India about 17 years ago; he had in his apprenticeship contracted a love for one of Mr Sproul's daughters; they made some sort of an engagement.

The poor girl has been very sickly for some years, and is very much changed; however he continued steady as she did, and yesterday they were married; I beg pardon for this trouble, but I could not help mentioning the uncommon goodness of my son's friend” PRONI D623/A/46/17

Records in Dundalk, Louth

1) Hearth Money receipt No. 325 Parish Dundalk. “Received the 20th Day of May 1789 from Robert Sproule Esquire of Dundalk the sum of £1 s. 2 for 11 Hearths due to his Majesty the 21st of November 1788 and payable the 21st of January 1789.” William Bryden Hearth Collr. Hearth Collector

2) Receipt No. 5 Parish Dundalk 1788 “Received from Robert Sproule Esquire of Dundalk £4 Carriage for the Duty on one Carriage with lower wheels, for the Year ending 25th March 1789...” (National Library of Ireland )

 These are all Robert Sproules -  Robert on the plaque of the church of St Leonard's, Topsham Road, Exeter; Mr Sproul in Bombay in 1781; Mr Sproul in Strabane in 1785; Robert Sproule in Dundalk in 1789. What connects them? Yes, of course – they are all the same man, the same Robert Sproule.

This man who was loved by his friends, this man who was a not so well off Surgeon of Bombay, this man who was a very affluent ‘esquire’ in Dundalk, this is the same Robert Sproule who died in his house called 'Parker’s Well', in the Topsham Road, Exeter, England in 1807.  

He is better known to us as Robert Sproule the Nabob.

 

Other posts in this series:

1. The Nabob

2. The Story of Robert Sproule the Nabob 1

The Family of Thomas Sproule of Caugherty / Caherty

 THOMAS SPROULE of Caugherty / Caherty, Ballyclug, County Antrim was the son of JOHN SPROULE of Caherty who died in 1824 and his wife Martha. ( See The Parents of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty, Ballyclug. Thomas was born in Caugherty about 1796 and he died there on 29 Aug 1871, aged 75. His son John was present at his death. (Irishgenealogy.ie)

Thomas married ROSE WATTS. She was born about 1806 in Antrim. She died on 21 May 1879 in Lower Broughshane Ballymena, Antrim at the home of her daughter Rose. (Rose's name appears on the death cert of her son Robert, on Ancestry.com)

Thomas Sproule of Caherty and Rose Watts had the following children:

BENJAMIN SPROULE (SPROWLE) was born about 1829 in Caherty, Ballyclug, Antrim and he married MATILDA CATHCART, daughter of Alexander Cathcart  and a Miss Hood of Lower Broughshane, Ballymena, on 11 Jun 1859 in Ballymena. (Benjamin's sister  Ann Eliza Sproule married the brother of Matilda Cathcart, Alexander Jun) Matilda Cathcart was born in 1831 in Lower Broughshane. The family moved first to Indiana, then Toronto, and finally settled in Flint, Geneses County, Michigan.  They had 8 children, Robert, Mary, Matilda, Anna, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Nathaniel and John.  Benjamin died on 18 Oct 1896, in Flint, and Matilda died there on 30 Aug 1898.

 ANN ELIZA SPROULE was born about 1830 in Caherty, Ballyclug, Antrim. She died in Victoria, Australia in 1885. Ann Eliza married Alexander Cathcart, son of Alexander Cathcart and Miss Hood of Lower Broughshane on 28 Aug 1857 in Ballymena, Antrim. (Irishgenealogy.ie)  Alexander was the brother of Matilda Cathcart who married Benjamin Sproule, Ann Eliza's brother.  Alexander was born about 1830 and he died on 10 Jul 1906 in Victoria, Australia. They had 3 children all born in Ireland before they left to live in Victoria, Australia – Ann, Mary Isabella and Alexander Cathcart.

ROBERT SPROULE was born about 1832 in Caherty, Ballyclug. Robert Sproule was a miner and he died in a mining accident on 08 Jan 1867 in Victoria, Australia. He married Maria Walsh on 26 Oct 1863 at Bendigo, Victoria. She was born about 1843 in Ireland. She died in 1877 in Victoria, Australia. Robert and Maria had only one child, a son, John Thomas Carroll Sproule.

ROSE SPROULE was born in 1836 in Caherty, Antrim. Rose married JEREMIAH SMYTH, a farmer from Kinbally, son of  James Smyth, on 18 Oct 1878. (Irishgenealogy.ie) Rose died on 08 Aug 1908, aged 72,  in Kinbally, Skerry, Antrim, Jeremiah (Jeremey) was present at her death.  (Irishgenealogy.ie) Jeremiah died on 12 Aug 1911 in Kinbally, aged 85. They had a daughter Eliza Jane living with them in the 1901 census, and she was still there with Jeremiah in the 1911 census. However, I can't find her birth record, so I am unsure if she is Rose's daughter, or if Eliza is a daughter from Jeremiah's previous marriage.

SARAH JANE SPROULE was born about 1842 in Caherty, Ballyclug, Ireland. She died on 23 Aug 1901 in Aghnadore, Racavan, Antrim. She married ALEXANDER JOHNSTON, a carpenter, on 10 Apr 1862 in Broughshane, Racavan, Antrim. He was born in 1836 and he died on 16 Mar 1891 in Gilmore St, Ballymena (Aged 55). Sarah Jane and Alexander had at least 10 children, Thomas, Jane, James, Rose, Matilda, Alexander, Francis, Agnes, Sarah, and William.

MARGARET JANE SPROULE was born in Apr 1844 in Caherty  Antrim, Ireland. She married Alexander Kenny on 17 Jul 1867 in Broughshane 1st Presbyterian Church, Ballymena. Alexander Kenny was born on 24 May 1842 in Ballymena, Antrim. (From Naturalization Records,  New York, U.S., State and Federal, Ancestry.com)  The family emigrated to New York in 1894, and they lived in Manhattan. (On Naturalization and Census records) I have not found a definite death record for Margaret Jane Sproule, but we know that she is present with Alexander on the 1905 Census record in Manhattan, and Alexander is recorded as a widower in the 1910 census.  Alexander  died on 09 May 1915. Margaret and Alexander Kenny had at least 8 children, all born in Ballymena, their birth dates are on his Naturalization application, Alexander, Louisa, Margaret, Matilda, Thomas, William, Mamie and Robert.

MATILDA SPROULE was born about 1850 in Caherty, Ballyclug Parish, County Antrim,  Ireland. She married Matthew Montgomery, a Carpenter, son of John Montgomery, on 25 Dec 1868 in Antrim. He was born in Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland (the Montgomerys were recorded as having no children the 1911 census). 

There are no further children that have been confirmed as children of Thomas Sproule of Caugherty and Rose Watts.

Other Posts on this Family:

1. The Mystery Picture - R. Sproule Shop

2. Robert Sproule the Saddler – the Lendrick Connection 

3. The Family of Hugh Sproule of Ballycreggy and Bridge St Ballymena, and Mary Ann 

4. The Parents of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty

5. The Family of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty/Caherty

The Family of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty / Caherty, Ballyclug, Antrim

 LENDRICK SPROULE OF CAUGHERTY was born in 1785 in Caherty, Ballyclug, Antrim, Ireland. Caugherty is the old name for this townland in Ballyclug, Caherty is the modern name. Lendrick died on 05 Dec 1896 in Caherty, Ballyclug at the age of 111.  (Broughshane Grave Inscription and Irishgenealogy.ie)

Lendrick Sproule's father was John Sproule of Caherty, who died in 1825, and his mother was Martha. (The Parents of Lendrick Sproule, Kate Tammemagi) Lendrick married AGNES who died on 01 Apr 1886 in Caherty, Ballyclug, at age 70. (Irishgenealogy.ie)

Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty and Agnes had the following children:

AGNES SPROULE died on 31 Aug 1904 in Caherty, Ballyclug. (Irishgenealogy.ie) Agnes was aged 69 not married. She appears in the 1901 Census living in Caherty with her brothers.

JOHN SPROULE OF CAHERTY was born in 1836 in Caherty, Ballyclug. He died on 16 Oct 1902 in Caherty aged 66. He married Margaret Boyd, daughter of James Boyd, on 31 Jul 1860 in Broughshane, Racavan, Antrim. I could not find Margaret after this wedding. She is not with the family in the 1901 or 1911 Census and there nor is she anywhere else in Antrim. There is no death record for her. John is in Caherty in the 1911 census, and he is listed as ‘married’ at his death in 1901.  John’s son James Sproule, was present with John at his death, and James is named on his probate record. I haven’t found a birth for James, nor have I found a death for him. The only James Sproule of the right age in the neighbourhood in the 1901 and 1911 census returns was a James who worked in the Ballymena Workhouse.

ROBERT SPROULE BOOKKEEPER was born in 1840 in Caherty, Ballyclug. He died on 09 Nov 1909 in Broughshane St, Ballymena and his son Samuel Sproule was present at his death. (Irishgenealogy.ie) At the time of his death, Robert was a House Furnisher, but in his earlier working life he was a Clerk and Bookkeeper. Robert married Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hanna, daughter of William Hanna, of Balee Cottage, Ballymena, on 08 Aug 1865 in Broughshane, Antrim. Robert and Lizzie went to live in Liverpool shortly after this, and were there until after the 1901 census. They had 6 children that I know of, Jane Maria and William, both born in Linen Hall St. Ballymena. Rogert Lendrick, Maria, Samuel Patrick and Jane isablella all born in Lancashire, England. I have not found the record of Lizzie Hanna’s death. Two of Robert’s children, William and Jane Isabella, were living with the family in Caherty in the 1901 census and William inherited the Caherty farm.

PATRICK SPROULE OF CAUGHERTY was born in 1841 in Caherty, Ballyclug, and he died on 09 Mar 1903 in Caherty, Ballyclug. Patrick was a bachelor, and he lived with his brothers on the Caherty farm.

HUGH SPROULE OF CAUGHERTY was born about 1852 in Caherty, Ballyclug, Antrim, Ireland. He died on 13 Jul 1921 aged 71, in Caherty, Ballyclug. He was not married.

LENDRICK SPROULE OF CAHERTY was born about 1855 in Caherty, and he was a Shoemaker. He died on 24 Jul 1894 in Caherty and William, son of Robert, was present at his death.

Other Posts on this Family:

1. The Mystery Picture - R. Sproule Shop

2. Robert Sproule the Saddler – the Lendrick Connection 

3. The Family of Hugh Sproule of Ballycreggy and Bridge St Ballymena, and Mary Ann 

4. The Parents of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty

The Crumkill Sproules – are they Caugherty/Caherty Sproules?

 Near to Ballymena, County Antrim, there is one more townland, Crumkill or Cromkill, which has Sproule families. Is it possible that these Cromkill Sproules are in the same family as Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty / Caherty?

As we can see from the map, the three townlands are certainly close to each other, so a relationship between these Sproules is possible, even likely.

In Cromkill in Griffiths Valuation of the mid 1850s we find two Sproule households. One is Samuel Sproule, and he is a farmer, but his holding is tiny, just 3 acres.

The second is Jane Sproule, and she simply has a house. 

Griffiths Valuation, Cromkill, Ask About Ireland

Samuel Sproule of Cromkill

Samuel Sproule died on 17 June 1871 and we learn from his death record that he is married, and that he is 72 years old. So Samuel Sproule of Crumkill was born about 1799ish, and he is the same generation as our 3 brothers in Caherty. If you look at his death record you will see that an Elizabeth McClelland was present at his death. Often this person will be a close relative and therefore I thought she might be a daughter. 

Samuel Sproule of Cromkill, Irishgenealogy.ie

I hunted Irishgenalogy.ie for the death of the wife of Samuel Sproule of Cromkill. There it was in 1872, she was called Mary, ‘farmer’s wife’ and she died just over a year after Samuel, on 23 Dec 1872. This time, a William John McClelland was present at the death.

Mary Sproule of Cromkill, Irish Genealogy.ie

Surely this must mean that Elizabeth McClelland, who was with Samuel Sproule at his death, is the daughter of Samuel and Mary Sproule. Elizabeth’s husband must be this William John McClelland who was with Mary at her death? I would have said that this was a certainty - I would have been totally wrong!

In the marriage record of this couple on Irishgenealogy.ie there was no Elizabeth Sproule there at all! William McClelland of Cromkill/Crumkill had married Elizabeth Bartholomew, also of Crumkill in 1864, and Eliza was a spinster then.

The McClelland wedding, Irishgenealgy.ie

In addition, when Samuel Sproule died, his small bit of land went to this same William John McClelland.

What this tells us is that Samuel Sproule of Cromkill and his wife Mary had no children, or if they did have children, none of them lived in the area or maybe they had no children in Ireland.

This means that we have no way of connecting Samuel Sproule of Cromkill to the family of Sproules of Caugherty at this point in time. He might be, or he might not be, related.

The chances are higher, however, that Samuel is related to his neighbour, Jane Sproule of Cromkill. Can we learn anything by looking at her?

Jane Sproule of Cromkill

Jane Sproule is living in a house with no land in Crumkill in Griffiths Valuation. We find Jane Sproule of Crumkill's death in Irishgenealogy.ie. She died on 26 Dec 1875, and on this record we learn that Jane is a widow and that she is a weaver. Like Samuel Sproule above, it is not a Sproule who is present at her death, but a lady called Elizabeth Dempster.

Jane Sproule, Cromkill, Widow, Irishgenealogy.ie

The widow Jane Sproule of Crumkill was 73 years old at the time of her death, so she was born around 1802. Again, Jane is that same generation as Samuel above, and as the Caugherty Sproule brothers.

I could not find any record of the death of Jane Sproule’s husband – no other male Sproule death in Crumkill. But I did find a very interesting record indeed!

The last record that I found of Sproules in Crumkill was the one that finally brought some certainty. It was a marriage record, which I thought at first gave us the name of the husband of the Widow Jane Sproule. The record was of a marriage on 7 Nov 1848 when a Jane Sproule of Cromkill married a William Reilly, Weaver. Her father was named as John Sproule of Cromkill, Weaver. I was thrilled – this had to be the daughter of my widow Jane Sproule, and I had found her husband, John Sproule the Weaver!

Jane Sproule of Crumkill's wedding Irishgenealogy.ie

It took a while to focus one important detail on the record. We can see the age of the happy couple. Jane Sproule was 47 years old at the time of her wedding! The wedding was in 1848. Jane Sproule of the Wedding was born about 1801 – so she wasn’t a daughter of these Cromkill Spoules! She was another sibling.

Jane Sproule who married William Reilly had to be a sister of either, or both, Samuel Sproule and the husband of the Widow Jane Sproule.

And John Sproule the Weaver of Crumkill was their father. This John Sproule the Weaver is the same generation as John Sproule of Caugherty, father of Lendrick.  Two John Sproules in the same generation are definitely not brothers!

The Cromkill Sproules

The Caugherty/Caherty Sproules

So the bottom line is:

• The Cromkill Sproules are not siblings of Lendrick, Thomas and John Sproule of Caugherty. This is assuming that Samuel Sproule is a brother of the husband of Jane Sproule the Widow, a fairly good assumption.
• The Cromkill Sproules are not first cousins of the Caugherty brothers, for their fathers are both called John Sproule.

If they are related, and we don’t have evidence that they are, it is much further back in the generations.

Important Footnote:

I found another member of the Cromkill family, a son of one of the two households. Unfortunately, I don't know which house that he belongs to.

 His name is Robert John Sproule and I found him in the Military Records in Findmypast.ie. Robert gave his birth year as 1829, and says he is from the Parish of Connor, near the town of Ballymena. Crumkill is the only Connor townland which had Sproules at that time, so Robert John Sproule is a Crumkill Sproule.

Robert had a very distinguished career during his 21 years of service in the Royal Regiment of Artillery - he was Corporal, Sergeant and finished as Master Gunner 1st Class. He served in Gibraltar and the Crimea.

Robert John Sproule said he would live in Ballymena at his discharge on 12 Oct 1875, and he gave his trade as Weaver. 

He is definitely one of the Cromkill Sproules. 

Information on the other family, the Sproules of Caherty/Caugherty:

1. The Mystery Picture - R. Sproule Shop

2. Robert Sproule the Saddler – the Lendrick Connection 

3. The Family of Hugh Sproule of Ballycreggy and Bridge St Ballymena, and Mary Ann 

4. The Parents of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty 

The Parents of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty, Ballyclug, Antrim

 We now have Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty who died on 5 Dec 1896, and we also have his two brothers.

We have his brother Thomas Sproule of Caugherty who died on 29 Aug 1871, aged 75, and his brother John Sproule of Ballycreggy, who died on 20 Jul 1866.

In order to get further back, the place to look is, of course, at the land.

In Griffiths Valuation in the mid 1850s we have the two brothers in Caherty, as it is now spelt. We have Thomas, who has 17 acres of land in Caherty, and Lendrick, who has 16 acres. These two holdings are side-by-side. This often happens if the father splits the land between the two sons.

Caherty in Griffiths Valuation, Ask About Ireland

Now let’s look in the Tithe Applotment of Ballyclug Parish which was carried out in 1825. We can see 'Caugherty' and there appears to be only one person, John Sproule. 

Tithe Applotment for Ballyclug, PRONI FIN/5/30

The numbers on the Tithe record show money paid rather than acres. So John Sproule paid about 12 shillings. However, the first name on the list there above John is William O’Hara, and this is certainly the owner of the land, this can be seen in the Griffiths entry above. So the owner has put his own name for a piece of land that was the same size as John Sproule’s. This piece of land could well also have been being farmed by John Sproule, which would reflect the later Griffiths entry.

So now in 1825, we have John Sproule of Caugherty, and this John Sproule was almost certainly the father of Lendrick Sproule and his two brothers.

It is very rare in Ireland to get definitive proof of anything in the 1700s or early 1800s. But here, in this case, I found very definite proof! John Sproule of Caugherty is the father of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty and his two brothers.

The Prerogative Wills books of Ireland usually only list a name and a year, and, if you are very lucky, they add a place. I have never seen one that also has the executors of a will, but the record of the probate of the will John Sproule of Ballyclug in 1825 does just that.

Probate Record for John Sproule of Ballyclug

The probate was granted on 29 Jan 1825, so John Sproule of Ballyclug must have died in 1824 or shortly before. The Executors are given in the entry of probate, and they are  Lendrick & Martha Sproule.

So John Sproule of Caugherty, who had the land there in the Tithe Applotment, died round 1824, and his eldest son, Lendrick Sproule, was an executor of the Will.

But who was the other executor, who was Martha Sproule?

Martha was unlikely to be a sister. There were at least 2 other brothers, and the brothers would be named as executors before a sister.

Martha could not be Lendrick’s wife for the same reason – there were male sons.

Martha Sproule has to be the widow of John Sproule of Caugherty!

So now we have both the parents of Lendrick Sproule and his brothers, they were John Sproule of Caugherty, who died about 1824, and his wife Martha.

Will entry for John Sproule, Ireland, Diocesan and Prerogative Wills & Administrations Indexes, 1595-1858, Familysearch.org

Other Posts on this Family:

1. The Mystery Picture - R. Sproule Shop
2. Robert Sproule the Saddler – the Lendrick Connection 
3. The Family of Hugh Sproule of Ballycreggy and Bridge St Ballymena, and Mary Ann 

 

The Family of Hugh Sproule of Ballycreggy and Bridge St Ballymena, and Mary Ann

 HUGH SPROULE THE CARPENTER was probably born in Ballycreggy, Antrim, and he was the son of John Sproule of Ballycreggy who died 20 Jul 1866. (PRONI Will Calandars) Hugh married MARY ANN who was born about 1825 in Antrim, Ireland. Hugh and Mary Ann had a lease for a farm in Ballycreggy, Antrim, and they also had a house in Bridge St, Ballymena. She died on 06 Jun 1893 in Bridge St.  “6 June 1893 Bridge St Ballymena, Mary Anne Sproule widow 68 Carpenter’s widow, Alexander Hodge present at death Ballymena” (Irishgenealogy.ie)

Hugh Sproule the Carpenter and Mary Ann Sproule had the following children:

1.     HUGH SPROULE OF WHISHAW was born about 1839 in Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland. Hugh is mentioned in his mother’s will. He married Margaret Wilson on 12 Jul 1862 in Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland, the daughter of Nathaniel Wilson of  Dunnyvadden, Ballyclug, Antrim. (Irishgenealogy.ie) Margaret Wilson was born about 1834 in Dunnyvadden, and she was the sister of Mary who married William John Sproule. Hugh Sproule and Margaret lived in the New Monkland area of Lanarkshire and are there from the 1871 Census on. They had at least 4 children, Hugh, Margaret, Mary and Sarah.

2.     WILLIAM JOHN SPROULE William was a weaver when he married Mary Wilson, daughter of Nathaniel Wilson, on 22 Oct 1862 in Ballymena, Ireland. She was born in 1837, her age came from the 1901 census of  Dunnyvadden, Ballyclug, Antrim, where Mary Sproule is a widow, living with her sister Ellen Wilson. I could find no record of William’s death, but there is a record of one child, Margaret, born 6 April 1866 in Dunnyvadden, Ballyclug, Antrim

3.     MATILDA SPROULE was baptised 07 Mar 1841 in Ballymena, Antrim and she was mentioned in her mother’s will of 1893.

4.     ROBERT SPROULE THE SADDLER was born in 1850 in Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland. He died on 25 Feb 1906 in Belfast, Antrim, Ireland. He married (1) MARY JANE MCILROY, daughter of Robert McIlroy, on 10 Sep 1877 in Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland. She was born in 1851 in Ballylig, Skerry, Antrim. She died on 11 Jan 1890 in Ballylig, Skerry, Antrim, Ireland. (Irishgenealogy.ie)  Robert then married ELLEN HENRY, daughter of James Henry and Catherine, on 12 Jul 1892 in Ballymena, Antrim. (Irishgenealogy.ie) Ellen was born in 1871. She died on 10 Jul 1905 in Old Lodge Rd, Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland (Catherine Henry, her Mother was present at her death). Robert had 4 children with his first wife Mary Jane, but only one of these survived childhood, Robert born 11 Sep 1880. This son Robert was a soldier and he died in Woolwich England, where he died in 1950. Robert had 6 children with his second wife Ellen Henry, but again I believe he lost 3 of these in childhood. The 3 that survived were Joseph, Hugh and Edward.

5.     LENDRICK SPROULE THE SHOEMAKER was born in 1854 in Bridge St, Ballymena, Antrim,  Ireland. He married Ellizabeth McFetrick on 19 Jul 1875, the daughter of James McFetrick of Gloonan, Ahoghill, Antrim. (Irishgenealogy.ie) She was born about 1853 in Gloonan, Ahoghill, Antrim, Ireland. Lendrick and Elizabeth were living in Pollokshaws, Lanarkshire from at least the 1881 Census on. They had at least 3 children, Hugh, Robert and Mary. Lendrick died after 1931 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

6.     JANE SPROULE was born in 1855 in Ballymena, Antrim (Born in Ireland on census). She died in Belfast. She married Alexander Hodge, son of James Hodge and Jane Dodds, on 09 Jun 1879 in Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland (Alexander was a widower). He was born in 1847 in Limavady, Derry,  Ireland and he was a Saddler. He died on 13 Dec 1904 in Upper Meadow St, Belfast, Antrim (age 57).  Jane and Alexander Hodge had 2 children, a son who died the day he was born, on 14 Jan 1889, and another son John who was born 19 Mar 1883 and died on 7 Dec 1903.

7.     MARY SPROULE was born in 1867 in Ballymena Town, Antrim, Ireland (Born in Ireland on census). She died (Living with her sister Jane in 1911 Census in Cambridge St., Belfast, unmarried).

8.     SARAH SPROULE is named in the mother’s will, but I could find no information on her as yet.

The Will of Mary Ann Sproule, wife of Hugh Sproule the Carpenter, from PRONI Will Calendars.

Other Posts on this Antrim Sproule Family:

1. The Mystery Picture - R. Sproule Shop
2. Robert Sproule the Saddler – the Lendrick Connection  
3. The Parents of Lendrick Sproule of Caugherty, Ballyclug, Antrim