Where is Ballyloughlin?

[Erato]

My gg grandfather was born in Ballyloughlin [Ballylaughlin?], Wicklow.  I can't find this place on a map.  Does anyone know where it is?

[JAP]

Hi Erato,

Ballyloughlin is listed on the SeanRuad site at:
http://www.thecore.com/seanruad/
as a townland of 132 acres in Co Wicklow (Barony of Newcastle, Civil Parish of Newcastle Lower, Poor Law Union of Rathdrum).

Click here for a map which shows where the parish of Newcastle Lower is

There is a map (not too easy to read!) which shows Ballyloughlin north of Newcastle (a bit over halfway towards Kilcoole).
Click here

JAP

[Erato]

Thanks, JAP.

I have real difficulty dealing with the tiny, tiny scale of things in Britain and Ireland.  Ballyloughlin - 132 acres.  GG Grandpa, B.H. Chapman [picture], left Ballyloughlin for the New World in about 1843 and, within a few years, had himself 160 acres of good Wisconsin farmland.

Almost without exception, my English ancestors did not move more than 50 miles from their places of origin during more than 200 years.  B.H. walked 40 miles just to buy a 50 lb sack of flour and carried it 40 miles back on his shoulders.

[Irvina]

Have just logged in to Rootschat for the first time to see our farm mentioned here in Co. Wicklow.   Our gg grandfather came here c1848 so I guess your gg grandfather had left a few years.  We  have an old Ordnance survey map from the 1840s and the farmhouse was then one of the sheds that still stands.  It  is still a farm of 132 acres 20 miles from Dublin.   We are curious to know how you found out he was from Ballyloughlin as we are trying to trace where our gg grandfather came from before he was here.  Did you manage to find tenants lists?  The farm is on the east coast of Ireland and runs down to the sea.    There are still Chapmans in the area, one of whom used to shoot on a neighbouring farm, but we think he would be very old now.    Hope this helps.

[Erato]

Wow!!!  I never thought I'd learn more about the Chapmans in Ballyloughlin.  I am sending you a PM with what I know about them.

Erato

[Irvina]

Hi Erato - I'm replying this way because it seemed easier to add photos - couldn't work out how to attach them on the email - hopefully you'll get them ok.  There's a lot of trees!  The first one is of our house with the old farmhouse to the right - its the white gable end.  The next one is of the old house (lots more trees) and one of the inside!  pretty rough as you can see but it hasn't been used for years.   I scanned the map but its too big to attach to this.   but if you go to  http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/publiclibrary/print.aspx  you can order an original copy.  The date I have for the maps is 1834 - 1842 - so I think Benjamin Chapman would definitely have been in the old house.   If you can see the cluster of buildings on the map the one between two longer buildings is the one. 

I don't think Sarah and Charles Johnston stayed on for much longer as our gg grandfather came here c1848 - 50.  He came as a Steward as Ballyloughlin was owned by Fitzwilliam a huge English landlord at the time.  the family eventually bought the farm over the next generations.  What was interesting to us is your original Chapman came from Leeds which is the North of England and where Fitzwilliam's estates were based and he seemed to send tenants over from there to farms here.  We think this is where we originally came from as well.  There are meant to be some sort of records in Sheffield in England about tenants being sent to farm irish land.

The other reason for a lot of emigration and movement in the 1840s in Ireland is the famine.  I think this was the mid 1840s and although protestants probably had it a bit easier, times were still pretty rough.  Hope this all helps.  Let me know if the photos didn't attach   

[Irvina]

Ooops - here's the third photo.

[ailbhe]

My father was born in Ballyloughlin. John MurphySept., 1908 parents Samuel Murphy and Bridget Murphy   

[Erato]

Hi ailbhe –

Interesting.  Do you have photos or other information about Ballyloughlin at the time your father was there?  As you can see from this thread, my gg grandfather was born there but left in the early  1840s.  Perhaps Irvina will see your post and will be able to fill you in on the more recent history of the farm.