James Huggins, jun. (c.1803–1849) of Glenarb

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Map of Glenarb, Dyan, Kedew, and Glenkeen townlands in the parish of Aghaloo, illustrating the places where James Huggins, jun. lived.

Another family history mystery — What happened to the several children? Where did they go?

One of our lesser known, near relatives in the Huggins line was James Huggins, jun. (c.1803–1849) of Glenarb townland in the parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. He led a comparatively quiet life, working as a weaver, a labourer, and finally, as a farmer in Glenkeen townland.

James’ father was James Huggins, sen. (1776–1860), whose financial fortunes were on the wane, perhaps explaining James jun.’s lesser station in the family line at that date. Further, he was the half-brother of our second great-grandfather, John Joseph Huggins (c.1816–1876), who was born outside James, sen.’s marriage.

It is James, jun.’s offspring, by three wives, who present a collective family history mystery. Of his eight children, three appear to have died in infancy, and the adult career of a fourth, only, has been discovered to date. A family outline might serve to illustrate:

  • James Huggins, jun., of Glenkeen, parish of Aghaloo;1,2 weaver, labourer, farmer; died 26th February 1849,3 aged forty-six years:
    • His children by his first wife, Isabella (surname unknown, who died 7th August 1832:
      • William Huggins, born in Kedew townland, baptised 23rd March 1828, presumed to have died;
      • William Huggins, born in the Dyan, baptised 26th July 1829; and,
      • Anne Jane Huggins, born in Killynaul townland, baptised 8th January 1832, presumed to have died by 1843: — please refer to the last child born in 1912, bearing the same name.
    • His children by his second wife, Mary Ann (surname unknown), presumed to have died before 1843:
      • Samuel Huggins, born in the Dyan, baptised 8th September 1833;
      • Margaret Huggins, born in the Dyan, baptised 7th December 1834;
      • Jane Huggins, born in the town of Caledon, baptised 5th November 1837, presumed to have died by 1839; and,
      • Jane Huggins, born in Caledon, baptised 11th August 1839.
    • His child by Jane (surname unknown):
      • Anne “Annie” Jane Huggins, born in Glenkeen townland, baptised 13th July 1912. Annie was a dressmaker by trade, and lived in London when the 1891 census was enumerated,4 and with her uncle John Rodgers (c.1809–1913) in Kedew townland by 1901.5 Miss Annie Huggins died in her seventieth year at Dungannon on 13th July 1912.6

The Irish records yield no clues as to the fates of William b.1829, Samuel b.1833, and Jane b.1839, highlighted above. Similarly, a trace of any of them has yet to be found in the records of other countries.

As for Margaret b.1834, a tantalizing clue was left in the last will and testament of her uncle by marriage, John Rodgers (c.1809–1913) of Kedew townland.7 The old centenarian bequeathed £5 to Margaret Stansley [sic], who was a niece of Mr. Rodgers’ late wife, and the wife of Thomas Stansley. Unfortunately, a domicile was not stated for this couple, and a search for Stansley and a long list of surname spelling variants (including Stainsby) has been for naught.

If a reader should discover this page and find one or more of these connections familiar to their research, please consider dropping a line by the contact page.

Source citation for this page: — Kilpatrick, Alison. “James Huggins, jun. (c.1803–1849) of Glenarb.” Published to Arborealis, online at arborealis.ca/family-history/irish/huggins/bio-james-d1849/, accessed [insert date of access].

Image credit: — Map of Glenarb, Dyan, Kedew, and Glenkeen townlands in the parish of Aghaloo, and environs. Extract from: Ireland, north-east. London atlas series. In, Stanford’s London atlas of universal geography exhibiting the physical and political divisions of the various countries of the world. Folio edition. One hundred maps, with a list of latitudes and longitudes. Second issue, revised and enlarged. London, Edward Stanford, Geographer to Her Majesty, 12, 13 & 14 Long Acre, W.C. 1901. Adapted by Alison Kilpatrick ©2020.

See also: — Blog article, “In search of the several children of James Huggins, jun., of Glenarb, county Tyrone.”

Footnotes:

  1. See also the WikiTree profile for James Huggins, jun. (c.1803–1849).
  2. The records yield few clues about James’ early years and his marriages. James himself was probably baptised at Minterburn Presbyterian, of which congregation the Huggins family of Glenarb had been longstanding members. These records survive only from 1829. Neither had he established his own household when the Tithe Applotments were recorded for the parish of Aghaloo in 1825. Finally, in spite of a thorough survey of all of the church records in the parishes of Aghaloo (Church of Ireland 1792-5, 1800–1845) and Carnteel (Church of Ireland 1805ff; Presbyterian 1812ff), and also Brantry (Church of Ireland 1845ff) and Ballymagrane (Presbyerian 1845ff), the marriages were not found. Given the comparatively later dates from which the records survive for Brantry and Ballymagrane, James’ wives might have hailed from those districts or farther afield in south Tyrone, southwestern Armagh, or perhaps the county of Monaghan.
  3. Church of Ireland. Parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Survey of baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1791ff, by Alison Kilpatrick, October 2017. Microfilm copies held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast); archival refs. MICMIC583/25-6; MIC1/326; D2602/1. Please note that this reference applies to each of the baptismal and burial records cited in this family outline.
  4. England 1891 Census. David Chapman, age 52, with wife Margaret (53), and son, David (18), and lodger, Annie J. Huggins (age 47, born in county Tyrone, Ireland); in St George Hanover Square, London. Original record: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1891. Archival ref. RG12; Piece: 67; Folio: 34; Page: 18; Sub-registration district: Mayfair, enumeration district no. 2. Digital image online at ancestry.ca (accessed by subscription, and transcribed by Alison Kilpatrick, 2009-01-10).
  5. Ireland 1901 Census. John Rogers, age 82, widower, and niece, Anne Jane Huggins, age 55; in Kedew, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone (house no. 1). Index and digital images hosted online by The National Archives of Ireland (Dublin), in a joint venture with Library and Archives, Canada; census.nationalarchives.ie (accessed by Alison Kilpatrick, 2019-06-05).
  6. General Register Office, Ireland. Civil Registration of a Death. Ann Jane Huggins, female, spinster, aged 70 years, Housekeeper, formerly of Annaghroe [parish of Aghaloo], died 13th July 1912, in the District Hospital of Dungannon [county Tyrone]; cause of death: intestinal cancer, certified; informant: Albert Kerr, occupier, District Hospital, Dungannon; registered 16th July 1912; registrar: John Colvan Sugars, Registrar’s District of Dungannon, county Tyrone. Record no. 260. Transcribed at the General Register Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), October 2003. Additional source: digital image online at Irish Genealogy, hosted by the Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht, civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie (accessed 2018-01-01); other ref. no. 04494355/341.
  7. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast). Will Calendars. John Rodgers, Armagh Registry, died 29th November 1913, date of grant: 28th January 1914, effects: £362 10s. 2d. Abstract: “Probate of the Will (with one Codicil) of John Rodgers formerly of Kedew County Tyrone and late of Cortynan County Armagh Labourer who died 29 November 1913 at latter place granted at Armagh to William C. Brown Petty Sessions Clerk.” Index entry and digital images online at apps.proni.gov.uk (accessed and transcribed by Alison Kilpatrick, 2010-12-03).