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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Derry (Londonderry) => Topic started by: bradwago on Saturday 09 February 19 22:48 GMT (UK)
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I have found much helpful information here about Stephen Church of The Grove (d 1874, allegedly by the hand of one of his sons!). Apparently another of his sons had already emigrated to Farmersville, Texas. After Stephen's death his widow (Elizabeth), daughter, and third son also emigrated. My wife is a descendant of that daughter, Alicia Hartley Bloxam Church. We are in possession of Elizabeth's Bible/prayer book with the handwritten inscription "Elizabeth Church of Grove House". It also has the birth dates of herself (19 Dec 1824) and each of the children, John (28 August 1843), James (8 June 1846), Alicia (30 December 1850), and Thomas Arthur (13 April 1854). A 1900 Census from Farmersville Texas indicates that Alicia (and presumably her mother and brother Thomas) emigrated to Texas in 1886.
I am hoping to learn several things.
- What was Elizabeth's maiden name and who (and from where) were her parents?
- Is there any evidence that James (2nd son) also emigrated?
- Who now owns the Grove House? In a 2009 topic a writer indicates that it passed to the McCooke family sometime in the C20th
Thanks to all!
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Found a report of his death, two neighbours Alexander Gilmour and his son were arrested for the murder.
Don't know if they were found guilty though.
He wished to increase the size of his farm which he leased from John Church Esq.
Two of his neighbours John Church and Alexander Gilmour had been ejected (I assume from their farms) and it was thought this was the reason Gilmour and his son shot Stephen.
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Alexander Gilmour and John Joseph Gilmour were released without charge, no evidence against them.
In Feb 1875, the murdered man's widow served notices on the grand jury for £1000 in compensation for the loss and damage sustained by the murder of her husband.
Can't see anyone else arrested.
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Fascinating information, SinAnn. Thank you. As I did deeper into the family, I hope to get better insight into why they left Ireland for Texas. The current Grove House (as seen in Google Maps) looks beautiful If it's the same old house that Stephen Church owned, they certainly "stepped down" when the came to Farmersville. While not far from Dallas, even now it is very rural.
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I would think Grove House belonged to John Church Esq, Stephen was his agent for a time.
Stephen left effects of £100
http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/reels/cwa/005014891/005014891_00427.pdf
Looking at the thread linked in the next post it appears Stephen did live in Grove House.
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I've only glanced at it but have a look at this thread
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=354347.0
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Going back to Stephen's murder, he was in the house of Matthew Brown at the time and was shot through the window, there were two shots one hit him in the heart, he died instantly. Unfortunately a cat attacked his body when it was unguarded.
In Feb 1875 an award of £200 to inform on the guilty party or £100 for private information which would lead to an arrest was offered by one MP Daniel Taylor, Lord Gargavh, 9 deputy lieutenants, 26 justices of the peace, 2 clergymen, 1 lady and ten esquires.
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akanex2 who started the other thread will be able to fill in more details about the Church family so I'll send an email alert for this new thread.
I should have on other computer an old photograph of the original Grove House which was demolished after getting into very bad repair.
Some details about the compensation payments-
Spring Assizes 1880. To Elizabeth Church as compensation for the murder of her husband Stephen Church, shot dead in the house of Matthew Brown on the lands of Moyletraghtoy, Parish of Desertoghill, on the night of the 26th day of December 1874. To be levied off the townland of Moyletraghtoy excepting Widow Church's farm. Total £500. To be levied in twenty half-yearly instalments of £25 each. First instalment presented at Spring Assizes 1875. Last instalment to be presented at Summer Assizes 1884. Eleventh instalment £25.
I also have a note that in 1846 Stephen Church was awarded £4 each for yearly upkeep of 2 deserted children, Eliza Wallace (age 5) and Agnes McDowell (age 5).
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Who now owns the Grove House? In a 2009 topic a writer indicates that it passed to the McCooke family sometime in the C20th
The current owners are the ones who built the present house after they purchased the property from the McCooks.
Is there any evidence that James (2nd son) also emigrated?
According to the 1900 U.S. Census, James Church arrived in the U.S. 1877. He married Nancy McCotter or Lislea (near Kilrea) on 14 June 1882 and lived in Farmersville. Since you found the rest of the family in Texas I'm surprised you didn't know that James was also there.
1880- John, James & Alicia- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFFY-1G2
1900- James' wife was Nannie (not Winnie as transcribed by Family Search), daughters were Elizabeth Morrow Orr (Lizzie), Mary Burnett (May), Carrie A.-
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-63R3-C8N?i=8&cc=1325221
1910- https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2MF-WS4
James & wife Nancy both died 1918-
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6729250
Added- possibly James Church on 1877 passenger manifest-
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-RWG1-S?i=122&cc=1849782
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aghadowney would you think Stephen's murder was an Agrarian Murder, given he had been an agent and was at the time trying to increase his farm.
If the family story is correct and it was a member of his family I guess it would have been a good time to get the blame passed on to the wider community.
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Hi Bradwago/cousin
The attached photo is of Grove House as it was before the current building. The Grove was a freehold purchased for our ancestor George Church in 1627 by his father Thomas and part of it is still in the family. I will message you with more details.
AK2
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Although not as grand as the current house, this was the only 2-storey house in the whole parish of Desertoghill when the Ordnance Survey wrote their memoir in 1837. John Church (1755-1818) inherited the property when his father George ( a great grandson of the original George Church) died in 1777. He was a barrister and created the family trust which owned the property until it was split up under the land acts around 1900. His brother Stephen married John's sister in law, Alicia Orr, and the murder victim was their grandson. When Stephen Jr was agent, the family trust was vested in James Church, the first cousin of Stephen's father. John had built a new main house on other property owned by the family at Myroe outside Limavady. This house was built in 1786, after which Grove House was occupied by other family members rather than the "owner". When Stephen lived there he was actually the "owner" of a neighbouring farm called Tullycreggan where his grandfather had lived. Alicia Hartley Bloxham was the name of James's wife.
Stephen's wife was apparently Elizabeth Morrow but I have no documentary proof of this.
AK2
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Stephen's wife was apparently Elizabeth Morrow but I have no documentary proof of this.
James Church's eldest daughter was called Elizabeth Morrow Orr Church and it could be that she was named after her paternal grandmother.
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Thanks to all!
We plan to visit the area in July. While I'm sorry the original house it gone, it is better to know the truth that the family didn't actually live in the existing structure. Is the old church still there, or has it been replaced or removed also?
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https://archive.org/details/ulsterjournalofa13ulst/page/20?q=Moyletra
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The Church at Moyletra (Desertoghill Parish Church of Ireland) was built in 1774 and is still in use. It replaced an older building closer to the town of Garvagh, which is now in ruins in the midst of the old parish graveyard where many of the Church family, including my gt grandparents, are buried.
https://derryandraphoe.org/errigal-desertoghill-kilrea