Collin Hill - County Antrim

[TheWhuttle]

Hmm ... (but a glen is not a hill) ...

You may wish to consider some topographical features whose surfaces have more consistently positive curvatures ...

1) Big   Collin (353m, D 967233) &
    Wee Collin (306m  D 979278).

These hills lie a few miles NW of Ballyclare, on the road to Broughshane as it drops in to Glenwhirry, and its river.

[Collin House, nestling at the foot of Big Collin, seems to lie in Whappstown townland.]


2) Collin Top (429m, D 168218)

This "mountain" lies in the Antrim plateau between Glencloy and Glenariff.

[The Collin burn runs NE off its northern slopes down in to the Glenarrif River.]


Map references are from:
OSNI DISCOVERER SERIES
BALLYMENA, LARNE
1:50 000
Sheet 9


Capt. Jock

[bsundeen]

Thanks all for the information,
     Like I said, all I know is that my great-grandmother grew up near an area she called Colin Hill. Her birth certificate and those of her siblings record her birthplace as Ballycollin. She said it was a great big hill, and they lived in a thatched house. Her father was a gamekeeper there. They apparently spent quite a bit of time nearby in Stonyford. It sounds like it could be part of the present Colin Glen. I guess there is a large hill there called Colin Mountain. Possibly this is what she is referring to. I have emailed the Colin Glen Trust several times but haven't recieved a response as of yet. Maybe they'll have some more clues.

[fmni]

My g-g grandfather, William Johnston, was a gamekeeper in Antrim County. For several years he and his family lived in the country near a hill known as Collin Hill. I believe it may have been near Derryaghy, close to Stoneyford or Ballycollin. Can anyone fill me in on any information about Collin Hill, or what a gamekeeper did. They lived there in the 1890's, up until about 1907 when they moved into Belast.

Sorry I'm only involving myself in this thread now but think I may be able to shed some more light on your Johnston family with regards to their background. You may have noticed other Derriaghy related threads by myself and indeed the Orange Order connections that many in the area had. Whilst today the demographic of Derriaghy has changed considerably their are still eight lodges within the area including Colin L.O.L. 986 - I believe your Johnston family were involved with the Orange and indeed decendants of that family were involved up until around the late 80s. Certainly there was a prominent family called Johnston who had a farm at the foot of Colin Mountain where the Twinbrook Estate now is. The founding member of the Orange in Derriaghy was also a Johnston - the Rev. Philip Johnston.

Here's a brief quote from a book entitled, "The Faithful & The True: A History of Orangeism in County Antrim"

When the order was formed into Lodges, Orangeism was very strong on Colin Mountain and when Bro. Thomas Sinclaire of Ballycolin along with Bro. Rev. Philip Johnston decided to take out a warrant from Grand Lodge and form a District Lodge they received great support from other Lodges in the area. So it was Colin L.O.L. 986 who had the honour of supplying the District with its first W.D.M.

W.D.M. stands for Worshipful District Master and indeed the first District Master was Philip Johnston (this is around 1798) - I believe a commemorative jewel was made not so long a go with him on it - must look into that if it turns out he is directly connected to your Johnstons. Philip Johnston I know is buried at Derriaghy Parish Church - along with a whole tribe of other Johnstons. I too am researching Derriaghy area and if I come across any fresh leads I'll be sure to let you know.

As I said there are still 8 lodges in Derriaghy including Colin LOL 986. However in the Colin/Ballycollin area itself it would be around 98% Roman Catholic now. During the Troubles the Orange Hall at Colin was attacked several times and were forced to meet at other lodges due to the high risk.

Again from the same book referenced above,

Colin Orange Hall came under attack during the troubles and the lodge were unable to hold meetings. Their hall disappeared overnight in 1997 when it was bulldozed. The people who done it said that they owned the ground but the lodge had the deeds to the property. The lodge won the battle over the ground in court but as they were unable to rebuild their hall the lodge were awarded a lump sum of money

Here's a map of the Parish from 1974:
http://www.lisburn.com/books/derriaghy/derriaghy-images/derriaghy-14.jpg

Unfortunately the hall they now meet in was attacked just two weeks ago as well:

http://www.lisburntoday.co.uk/news/DERRIAGHY-ORANGE-HALL-ATTACKED-BY.5159472.jp

Hope this gives you something fresh to look into regarding your family!

Kind Regards,
Mark

[flower123]

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate the insight and information. Do you know of anyone I could contact for further information about Colin Glen, or possible any early photographs? Also, my family were members of the Church of Ireland. Where would they have attended? My grandmother used to say there was a little river running by their schoolhouse? Any clues as to where this might be? I'm full of questions, but I appreciate anything you have to offer. Thanks again!

Until I was 11 I lived in Derriaghy and relatives lived all over Colin. In the 1911 census my grandparents lived in Ballycollin and my mother was born there. As a child I and cousins rolled  hardboiled painted eggs down Colin Mountain. My grandparents name was Watson and they were married in Derriaghy Parish Church.  Colin was once covered with trees but they were cut down for one of the world wars. There was a light put on top of the mountain because a plane had crashed into it. One of my uncles made me a perspex ring taken from the plane.  These are childhood memories which may give you a very blinkered view of Colin. I know it was a very friendly place. good luck with your research.  flower123 

[DarraghD]

I thought I'd post here as my GGGG Grandfather, Robert Sinclair was a Land Steward living in Lagmore Derryaghy during the 1800's. He shows up in the Griffiths Land Valuation as renting land in Derryaghy from the Marquis of Hertford. His death certificate in 1871 stated that he was a Land Steward and was aged 65 at the time of his death.

I'd love to hear from any Sinclair's that might still be in the area that could help me to back another generation or two...

[flower123]

Hello DarraghD. Read your message with interest. Some of our ancestors were very good friends. In the 1911 census my grandparents lived at 22  Ballycollin and your family are also there. When a child I remember hearing about Sinclairs in conversation.  My mother and aunt  (twins) were born there in Dec 1911 and I think your relative may have helped at and after the birth. I know Mrs Sinclair was spoken of with affection.  My grandparents were Anthony and Martha Watson and later moved to Lagmore Waterworks. 

[DarraghD]

That's unbelievable! I came across this bit of information while browsing the online 1911 Census of Ireland returns on www.nationalarchives.ie:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai001565752/

You can see a Robert Sinclair living in 3 Lagmore, Derryaghy, Co. Antrim who was working as "A Caretaker of Waterworks", in April 1911. I've no doubt this family are decended from the same Robert Sinclair that I decend from who died at Lagmore in 1871.

Would you believe you are the first person I've managed to find who has a local knowledge or recollection of my decendents from Antrim! Also fmni who posted on this thread said there are records relating to Sinclair's in the Colin LOL.

[flower123]

 DarraghD you are the first connection I have had to Lagmore. And for for our families to be connected by close friendship is unbelievable. I think it must have been through your relative my g'father came to be caretaker at Lagmore. Iwas born there and livedthere and at the farm next door, also on Barnfield Road until aged 11. I have old photos taken at The Dam as we called it, g'mother used to do big picnics for family and friends. Would you like to email me so Icould send photos and document showing The Dam as it is now. alas it is no more. Might take a few days for photos as I don't have a scanner.

[DarraghD]

I was always hoping I would bump into someone who knew my family in the area! I'm going to travel up to the area soon to see it, I was hoping to do so around the 12th to get a proper feel for Derryaghy! I'll PM you my e-mail address and you can mail me on that if you want. All my research so far on Sinclair's of Derryaghy has been done in Dublin and from here on in, I'll have to go to the PRONI because I think I've gone back as far as I can from Dublin. I always wondered how Robert Sinclair (my GGGG Granndfather), came to be a Land Steward, a position I thought would be relatively well thought of back then, because his son John Sinclair became a Printer/Lithographer in Dublin and for the next few generations after that, the family were living in poor enough conditions in Dublin City.

The one and only connection I have to Robert Sinclair of Lagmore at the moment is the Marriage certificate of my GGG Grandfather John Sinclair in 1855. John Sinclair married a Euphemia Rankin in Dublin  in 1855 and on their marriage certificate, John Sinclair stated that his father is Robert Sinclair and his occupation is a Land Steward. The only Robert Sinclair I can find around that time who would match up correctly with the age of John Sinclair (being his son), and who was a Land Steward, is Robert Sinclair of Lamore, Derryaghy, Co. Antrim.

What I need to work out is if the Robert Sinclair, Land Steward at Lagmore, had a son John Sinclair and if he possibly moved to and settled in Dublin. I'm as sure as I can be for the moment that I'm decended from Robert Sinclair of Lagmore but I still have to prove that he is an ancestor.