I'd be interested to hear from anyone who can tell me more about my 2x great grandfather William HARCOURT (1814-1870). He came from the townland of Ballyworkan in the parish of Drumcree (later Portadown), where his family were farmers. In 1848 he married Jane GIBSON (1821-1900), whose father Jeremiah also farmed in Ballyworkan. After their marriage William and Jane lived in Tandragee, where William was in business as a spirit dealer and publican, and they had 5 daughters, all of whom were baptised at St Mark's, Tandragee (parish of Ballymore), Church of Ireland. However, in spite of continuing to live in Tandragee, William and Jane were both buried in Mullavilly, alongside other Harcourt family members. There are a number of Harcourt families in that area, but it's hard to work out how they might connect. Anyone who can shed light on this would be a most welcome correspondent!
Many thanks for this very kind offer. It's probably just as well you're not going for a couple of weeks, as the above is only a summary. It will take me a few days to dig out some more details, so that you don't go searching for what I already know. I'll post again soon(ish).
Many thanks again for your kind offer. I realise this may now be a bit last minute for you, so if you have other plans for your trip to PRONI this can easily wait. Anyway, this is the fuller picture (sorry it's a bit long): My great grandmother was Eliza Jane HARCOURT, born in 1852. She married William KENNEDY (born in Scotland) in Tandragee on 25 Jul 1876, and they moved to England soon afterwards. I have their marriage details and information on their life after 1876, and going backwards I think I've already found everything that's online, such as wills, tithe records and Griffiths valuation, so what I'd really like is something from parish registers, please - the kind of information which is currently only available at PRONI. I haven't found any evidence of the family being anything other than Church of Ireland, except that after her marriage her sister Sarah was listed as Presbyterian. Eliza Jane was the 2nd of 5 daughters of William HARCOURT & Jane GIBSON. Some years ago I paid for some research into the family, but the report on their births/baptisms was a bit vague. All were baptised at St Mark, Ballymore (Tandragee): Martha bapt 26 Aug 1849; born 30 Jun 1849 Eliza Jane bapt 29 Aug 1852 (as Jane Elizabeth); born ?? Jul 1852 Sarah bapt ?? Apr 1856; born ?? Mar 1856 Ann bapt 26 Jun 1859; born 11 Apr 1859 Mary Ellen bapt 26 Jul 1863; born 31 May 1863Any help in filling these gaps would be appreciated, especially Eliza Jane's birth. (I already have marriage and census information for the other sisters.) William Harcourt married Jane GIBSON 28 Sep 1848 at Portadown St Mark (I have copy). I was once briefly in touch with a very distant cousin who said he had a family bible, which gave William's birth as Sep 1814, and Jane's as Jan 1821, both in Ballyworkan. Can this be corroborated? William died in 1870 and Jane in 1900; I have their death entries and details of their memorial at Mullavilly. Other family members are buried there too, notably William's brother James and his wife Elizabeth BLACK. James was born about 1831, and I'd be interested in confirmation of this too; I've found 7 children born to James and Elizabeth, but don't need anything more on them at present. The Mullavilly memorials info came from a Bob Sinton at www. bob-sinton.com William and James Harcourt's father was called John; when they married, William (1848) said he was "of Portadown", and James (1855) "of Ballyworkan", so it seems reasonable to suppose that John himself was from the area, if not Ballyworkan itself. In 1843-36 John Harcourt was Master of Loyal Orange Lodge No.80 Star of the North, Ballylisk - see www. portadowndistrictlolno1.co.uk I think John was son of William Harcourt, who is recorded in Ballyworkan in the Drumcree Tithe Indexes 1828, and as a Member of same Orange Lodge 1825-28. NB: PRONI Index to pre-1858 Wills & Admons has two entries for William Harcourt, Farmer of Ballyworkan from Armagh Diocesan records: a Will proved 21 Apr 1807 & an Admon in 1816. Could one of these be John's father? (Original documents no longer exist.) Jane Gibson (1821-1900) was daughter of Jeremiah Gibson, who is also in Ballyworkan in the Drumcree Tithe Indexes 1828, but I don't know any more about him. That's all I know for definite, and it seems to me that the most likely parishes to find more about them will be Ballymore, Mullavilly, Portadown St Mark, and Drumcree. While looking at wills I came across references to some other Harcourt families in the area, but I don't know if they're connected. The ones I found and looked into (there may be others) were: (a) John & Ann Harcourt of Richhill, with 7 children between 1802 and 1820: George, Ann, James, Letitia, Mary, William, John, and Thomas. (b) Nathaniel Harcourt, with sons Henry (m Elizabeth Donaghy at Portadown 27 Mar 1862) and John (m Elizabeth Greer at Portadown 20 Jun 1868); Henry and John were both of Ballyworkan when they married. Anyway, that's it. I know it's a long list and I'm not expecting you to do it all, but I'd be grateful for anything, however small. Thanks again!
A quick addition to the above: I've occasionally found the surname HARCOURT as HARKER. There may be other variants too - I seem to remember that FamilySearch (or Soundex?) treats ARCOURT as another possibility, or even A'COURT.
All added to me notes. I'm sorry I cant get to PRONI till around 10th march. But in the mean time Il mess around with searches online n see if I can add to your information. Orange lodges are well known for keeping old photographs and information on past members. I have a friend who is well informed on this subject and will bend his ear.
Thanks very much for that, and there's no hurry with the research. English research doesn't tend to include Orange lodges, so on the spot advice and expert opinions would be more than welcome! As too would be anything else you find online.
There is large 0range Lodge collection that goes on tour around the province. You might find the whole family was involved in some way. Before they were old enough to march with the brethren of their Lodge. They would have been playing an instrument in their Lodges band. If your John Harcourt was Master, that would be documented. Also been told the lower the number of the Lodge (yours is No 80) the chances it is a very old Lodge and possibly been going since the Lodges were started.
Arthurk, incase you haven't found this yourself, I came across a William and John Harcourt mentioned in the history of their lodge. Webpage is www. portadowndistrictlolno1.co.uk/LOL80.htm (link broken, they ask for donations)
Regarding further information on minutes of some meetings of the Lodge, some are kept at PRONI and others at Armagh. Schomberg House has also an extensive library. On Mondays and Tuesdays only they have volunteers who search for stuff requested. To make a request, contact the Director of Services, email davidhume@grandorangelodge.co.uk or telephone on only Mondays and Tuesdays 02890701122.
Thanks for that - yes, that page is where I got the info about those two. (I mentioned the site in my long post above, but it was so long that it could easily have got missed.)
Update on your family search, most of the records on the days ive been going to PRONI see for some unknown reason not available. I asked yesterday again n they still unavailable. Have asked why, n apparently they are all being programmed into a computer, n perhaps becoming available for online use. Been infomed this is a long process, but to request records again when up next month. X x
Many thanks for the update on this, and for all the enquiries you've been making. Like I said, there's no hurry with this, and as there's very little I can do on them myself at present, everything's a bonus!
