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James Huggins [jun.] (1803–1849) of Glenkeen

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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 and edited by Alison Kilpatrick ©2020.

Contents :

Introduction :

Here we go again, with another family history mystery: — What happened to the several surviving children of James Huggins [jun.]? 1 Where did they go?

One of our lesser known, near relatives in the Huggins line was James Huggins [jun.] (c.1803–1849). James lived in several townlands in the parish, leading a comparatively quiet life. Chronologically, he worked as a weaver in Kedew, the Dyan, and Killynaul, as a labourer in the Dyan, and finally as a farmer in Caledon and Glenkeen townlands. 2

Though a baptismal record has not been found, James [jun.]’s parents were almost certainly James Huggins, sen. (1776–1860) of Glenarb townland. 3 It is unknown whether the wife of James the elder, Jane Eliza (d.1849), 4 was his mother. The elder Huggins’s financial fortunes were on the wane, perhaps explaining James [jun.]’s lesser station in the family line at that date. James had two known siblings: Anne Jane (1812–1893) and a half-brother, John Joseph Huggins (c.1816–1876), 5 who was born outside James sen.’s marriage.

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James Huggins [jun.]’s family :

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 careers of three, only, have been discovered to date—and one of these has proven a mystery, also.

A genealogical outline might serve to illustrate:

James Huggins [jun.] (1803–1849) 6
– the putative son of James Huggins (1776–1860) of Glenarb
m. (1) Isabella (c.1802–1832) 7
— children of James and Isabella:

  • William, born c.1828 in Kedew townland, presumed d. bef.1829 8
  • William, born c.1829 in Dyan townland 9
  • Anne Jane, born c.1831 in Killynaul townland, presumed d. bef. 1843 10

m. (2) Mary Ann (d. bef. 1843)
— children of James and Mary Ann:

m. (3) Jane
— child of James and Jane:

Surviving children of James Huggins [jun.] :

The Irish records yield no clues as to the fates of William b.1829 and Samuel b.1833, highlighted above. Neither has any trace of them been found, to date, in the records of other countries. It should be noted that, if William and/or Samuel died as infants, the parish church (St. John’s in Caledon) was not in the habit of recording infant burials.

As for § Margaret Huggins 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. 16 The old centenarian bequeathed £5 to Margaret Stansley [sic], who was a niece of Mr. Rodgers’ late wife (and James jun.’s sister), Anne Jane Huggins (1812–1893). Margaret had married a Thomas Stansley. Unfortunately, a domicile was not provided for this couple, and a search for Stansley and a long list of surname spelling variants (including Stainsby) has yielded no trace of this couple.

† Jane Huggins b.1839 does not appear in the record until her marriage to Thomas Askin at the parish church in Moy, county Tyrone in April 1893. Jane was living at Summer Island, a district southwest of the town of Charlemont and in or near Derryscollop townland, where Thomas lived. 17 What is difficult to credit about this marriage is the 31-year age difference between the two! Thomas was born in Derryscollop in 1871, the son of Robert Askin and Ann Colgan. 18 A scant year later, Jane died of phthisis (tuberculosis). Her husband told the registrar that she was twenty-eight years old 19 when, in truth, she was all of fifty-four years old—or was she? See Caveat, below. Though the death registration cites an illness of six months, the poor woman was probably already ill when she married. Two years after his wife Jane’s death, Thomas remarried to Elizabeth Creighton of Canary townland, also in the parish of Clonfeacle, county Armagh, 20 and the couple raised a family.

Caveat:—As mentioned above, it beggars belief that a man would marry a woman thirty-one years his senior. I find no other Jane Huggins born in Ireland c.1866 +/- two years, which would match up with the age of twenty-eight years of age when she died in 1894. Might this have been another Jane Huggins altogether? whose father could not have been James Huggins the elder of Glenarb d.1860, aged eighty-four years. Four other men named James Huggins, who lived outside the district of the river Blackwater, could be considered, all farmers by trade: James Huggins of Clontygrigny, county Cavan, who died in 1898, aged sixty-seven; James Huggins of Rathmalone, county Westmeath, who died in 1883, aged sixty-two; James Huggins of Drumhillagh, county Monaghan, who died in 1878, aged fifty-seven; and James Huggins of Navan, county Meath, who died in 1895, aged 64 years. 21

It has been suggested (with thanks to a likeminded friend) that this Jane Huggins might have been the illegitimate daughter of a James Huggins. In this scenario, the child would have been raised by the mother or a maternal relative, and given that woman’s surname. On attaining the age of majority, it was not unusual for such children to assume their father’s surname.

Either way, it seems that certainty about the fate of our Jane Huggins of Caledon cannot be had, unless other records survive to resolve the question.

ß Anne Jane “Annie” Huggins b. 1843, d. 1912

As is the case for so many other Irish, their whereabouts are unknown owing to the loss of the census records from 1841–1891. However, in this instance, Anne Jane was found in the 1891 census of England: 22

  • David Chapman, head, married, age 52, Packer of Works of Art, born in Scotland
  • Margaret, wife, married, age 53, born in Yorkshire
  • David W., son, single, age 18, born in London
  • Annie J. Huggins, lodger, single, age 47, Dressmaker
  • census place: no. 20 Woodstock St., London (St. George Hanover Square)

Annie returned to Ireland after the death of her aunt Anne Jane Rodgers, formerly Huggins, died in 1893. 23 Thereafter, Annie was housekeeper to her late aunt’s husband, John Rodgers, as evidenced by the following enumerations from the 1901 and 1911 censuses of Ireland:

1901 census: 24

  • John Rogers [sic], head of family, religious denomination: Church of Ireland, education: reads, age 82, male, occupation: Heard [sic]; widower; born in county Armagh
  • Anne Jane Huggins, niece, religion do., education: reads and writes, age 55, female, occupation: house keeper; not married; born in county Tyrone
  • census place: Kedew townland, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone

1911 census: 25

  • John Rogers, head of family, religous denomination: Church of Ireland, education: cannot read, age 97, occupation: Caretaker, widower, born in county Tyrone [sic]
  • Annie Huggins, niece, religion do., education: reads and writes, age 60, [no occupation recorded], single, born in county Tyrone
  • census place: Kedew townland, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone

On 13th July 1912, Annie Huggins predeceased her centenarian uncle John Rodgers by one year. Annie was sixty-nine years of age. 26 Two days later, her body was laid to rest in St. John’s parish churchyard, Caledon. 27

See also :

Footnotes :

  1. The jun. suffix (and this was the contemporary spelling) has been placed within [square brackets] because we have no record of baptism tying him to James Huggins, sen., of Glenarb townland. Yet with no other Huggins families in south Tyrone, it seems very likely that James (1803–1849) was the son of James (1776–1860). Whether James the younger was the son of James sen.’s wife, Jane Eliza, is unknown. ↩︎
  2. Sources of occupational information from the baptismal records of James Huggins [jun.]’s eight children, for which, see footnotes below. ↩︎
  3. Belfast News-Letter (BNL), 1 September 1860. Death notice for James Huggins, Glenarb, county Tyrone; finding aid: card index, Linen Hall Library, Belfast, Northern Ireland (accessed Nov. 2003); confirmed to 1860-09-01 edition of BNL, viz.: “August 28, at his residence, near Caledon, James Huggins, Esq., formerly of Glenarb, aged 84 years.” ↩︎
  4. Wylie, George and Mona. “Gravestone inscriptions from St John’s churchyard, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo.” In Dúiche Néill, Journal of the O Neill Historical Society. Vol. I, No. 3 (1988). (consulted by Alison Kilpatrick, Nov. 2003.) ↩︎
  5. John Joseph Huggins (1816–1876) was our second great grandfather. ↩︎
  6. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Burial. Extract: James Huggins of Glenkeen, aged 46 years, 26th Feb. 1849. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326; transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  7. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Burial. Extract: Isabella Huggins of Dion [Dyan], 7 Aug. 1832, age 30. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcribed by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  8. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Baptism. Extract: William Huggins, 26 July 1829, son of James and Isabella Huggins of Kedue [Kedew, parish of Aghaloo], occupation of father: Weaver. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  9. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Baptism. Extract: July 16, 1829, William, son of William [sic] Huggins, weaver, and Isabella, his wife, of Dian [the Dyan]. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  10. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Baptism. Extract: Anne Huggins, 8 Jan. 1832, daughter of James and Isabella Huggins of Killinaul [Killynaul], occupation of father: Weaver. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  11. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Baptism. Extract: Samuel Huggins, 8 Sept. 1833, son of James and Mary Ann [sic] Huggins of Dion [Dyan], occupation of father: Labourer. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  12. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnizatom of a Baptism. Extract: Margaret Huggans [sic], 7th Dec. 1834, daughter of James and Mary Ann [sic] Huggans of Dion [Dyan,], occupation of father: Labourer. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  13. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Baptism. Extract: Jane, daughter of James Huggins & Mary Anne his wife, of Caledon, Farmer, 5 Nov. 1837. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  14. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Baptism. Extract: Jane, daughter of James Huggins & Mary Anne his wife, of Caledon, Farmer, 11 Aug. 1839. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  15. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Baptism. Extract: Anne Jane, daughter of James Huggins & Jane, of Glenkeen, Farmer, born 1 May 1843, baptised 7 May, 1843. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4th Sept. 2017. ↩︎
  16. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast). Will Calendars. Citing 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 (transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 2010-12-03). ↩︎
  17. General Register Office, Ireland. Civil Registration of a Marriage. Extract: Marriage solemnized at St. James’s Church in the parish of Moy, county Tyrone on 6th April 1893, between Thomas Askin, of full age, bachelor, occupation: labourer, residence: Derryscollop [parish of Clonfeacle, county Armagh], father: Robert Askin, labourer; and Jane Huggins, of full age, spinster, residence: Summer Island, father: James Huggins, farmer. Married according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of Ireland by licence, by the Rev. Ed. Waller Hobson; witnesses: Samuel (his mark) Beatty, Annie Rafferty. Archival ref. registrar’s district: Dungannon [county Tyrone], nos. 225, 05860144, 665. Digital image online at IrishGenealogy.ie (extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 8th Oct. 2023). ↩︎
  18. General Register Office, Ireland. Civil Registration of a Birth. Extract: Thomas, male, born at Derryscollop [parish of Clonfeacle, county Armagh] on 21st April 1871; father: Robert Askin of Derryscollop, labourer, and Ann Askin formerly Colgan; informant: [father], registered 8th May 1871, Robert Ewing, deputy registrar. Archival ref. superintendent registrar’s district: Armagh, registrar’s district: Loughgall, nos. 131, 02209158, 67. Digital image online at IrishGenealogy.ie (extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 8th Oct. 2023). ↩︎
  19. General Register Office, Ireland. Civil Registration of a Death. Extract: Jane Askin, female, married, aged 28 years [sic], wife of a labourer; died at Derryscollop [parish of Clonfeacle, county Armagh] on 27th April 1894; cause of death: phthisis 6 months, certified; informant: John Askin of Derryscollop, brother in law, present at death; registered 28th April 1894, John Leeper, assistant registrar. Archival ref. superintendent registrar’s district: Armagh, registrar’s district: Loughgall, nos. 371, 046966666, 39. Digital image online at IrishGenealogy.ie (extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 8th Oct. 2023). ↩︎
  20. General Register Office, Ireland. Civil Registration of a Marriage. Extract: Marriage solemnized at St. James’s Church in the parish of Moy, county Tyrone on 6th April 1893, between Thomas Askin, of full age, widower, occupation: labourer, residence: Derryscollop [parish of Clonfeacle, county Armagh], father: Robert Askin, labourer; and Elizabeth Creighton, of full age, spinster, residence: Canary [same parish and county], father: Henry Creighton, labourer. Married according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of Ireland by licence, by the Rev. Ed. Waller Hobson; witnesses: Samuel (his mark) Beatty, Annie Rafferty. Archival ref. registrar’s district: Dungannon [county Tyrone], nos. 336, 05815679, 663. Digital image online at IrishGenealogy.ie (extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 8th Oct. 2023). ↩︎
  21. IrishGenealogy.ie. A search of civil records of death from 1864ff (10th Oct. 2023). IrishGenealogy.ie is maintained by the Government of Ireland, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media. ↩︎
  22. 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 (transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 2009-01-10). ↩︎
  23. Belfast News-Letter, 9 January 1883. Death notice: “Rodgers—January 6, at Kedew Farm, Dyan, Caledon, Ann Jane, wife of John Rodgers, aged 80 (?) years. Her remains will be removed for interment in Caledon Church Burying-ground, this (Monday) morning, at eleven o’clock.” Digital image online at the British Newspaper Archive, britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk (transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 2008-03-21). ↩︎
  24. 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 (extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 2019-06-05). ↩︎
  25. Ireland 1911 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 (extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 2010-03-24). ↩︎
  26. General Register Office, Ireland. Civil Registration of a Death. Extract: 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. ↩︎
  27. Church of Ireland. St. John’s parish church, Caledon, parish of Aghaloo, county Tyrone. Solemnization of a Burial. Extract: Annie Huggins of Annaghroe, age 60 [sic], 15th July 1912. Copy on microfilm held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (Belfast), PRONI ref. MIC/1/326. Transcript by Alison Kilpatrick, 4 September 2017. ↩︎

End notes :

Source citation for this page: — Kilpatrick, Alison. “James Huggins [jun.] (c.1803–1849) of Glenkeen.” ©2023 Alison Kilpatrick. Published to Arborealis, online at arborealis.ca/family-history/irish/huggins/bio-james-d1849/, accessed [Insert date of access].

All rights reserved.

Updated 2nd Nov. 2023.

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