The Silver Bowl: 1868 July 15

This indenture made the 15th day of July in the year 1868 between Alexander EDGAR [1] of Belfast in the County of Antrim foreman carpenter of the first part. Eliza PATTERSON [2] of Ballykeel [3] in the County of Down widow; the said Alexander EDGAR and Susanna [4] his wife both of Belfast aforesaid; Margaret MARTIN [5] of Ringfad [6] in said County of Down widow; Samuel ORR [7] and Richard B. ORR [8] farmers and Leticia Jane ORR [9] spinster lately of New Lodge [10] near the town of Antrim in the said County of Antrim and Jane MARTIN spinster of Ringfad aforesaid in the said County of Down of the second part and George MARTIN [11] of Ringfad aforesaid and the said County of Down farmer of the third part and whereas Jane MARTIN [12] late of Ringfad widow the mother of the said George MARTIN duly made and executed her will dated the 16th day of February 1866 and thereby stating she was entitled to one half of all the chattels on Ringfad aforesaid bequeathed same to her son and the said George MARTIN and the said Testatrix also in her said will claiming to be entitled to one half of all the monies deposited in the Ulster bank and the Northern Bank in her own name or her said George‘s name both together desired the said one half of the said sums of money to be taken out of the said Banks and equally directed between her said daughters Eliza PATTERSON Susanna EDGAR in said will called AGAR Margaret MARTIN and Mary ORR [13] and thereby further directed that if any of the said daughters should be dead their part was to be equally divided between their children and the said Testatrix also desired that all her funeral expenses should be paid out of her said monies in the said Banks and appointed her son-in-law the said Alexander EDGAR in said will called AGAR and Samuel ORR her executor and whereas the said Jane MARTIN died on the 24th day of January 1868 without having revoked or altered her said will and the said will was proved in the district registry of Belfast of the Court of Probate in Ireland on the 19th day of February 1868 by the said Alexander EDGAR power being reserved to make the like grant to the said Samuel ORR the other executor when he should apply for the same. And whereas the said Jane MARTIN deceased left her surviving her said son George MARTIN her said daughters [14] Eliza PATTERSON Susanna EDGAR Margaret MARTIN and Jane MARTIN her daughter Mary ORR having previously died leaving two children the said Richard B. ORR and Letitia Jane ORR her surviving and whereas the said Jane MARTIN deceased and the said George MARTIN occupied a farm of 50 acres Irish plantation measure in Ringfad or Tullycarnen [15] in the said County of Down which was cultivated on the joint account and the rents thereof were paid out of the joint property of the said Jane MARTIN deceased and of the said George MARTIN and whereas monies amounting in all for the sum of £910 at the time of the death of the said Jane MARTIN deceased lodged in the said Ulster bank in the names of the said Jane MARTIN deceased and the said George MARTIN and there was no deposit belonging to both or either in the said Northern Bank and whereas the said George MARTIN lent sums of money and sold oats and sheep amounting in money and value to the sum of £372 one shilling to the said Samuel ORR and whereas the sum of £200 part of the said sum of £372 one shilling was secured by the bond of the said Samuel ORR and Richard B. ORR whereupon judgment was duly entered and whereas differences have arisen between the several parties hereto with reference to the said monies lodged in the said Bank and with reference to the said loan made to the said Samuel ORR and for as the said Samuel ORR is now in circumstances which rendered him unable to pay the full amount of the said debt of 372 pounds one shilling due by him as aforesaid and the interest thereon and whereas execution issued on the said bond for £200 and the sum realized thereon amounts to 190 nine shillings and one penny and whereas in order to settle all disputes and differences now existing between the parties hereto it has been agreed by and between the several parties hereto the sum of £455 pounds one moiety of the said sum of £910 should be paid to the said Alexander EDGAR to be by him applied according to the terms of the will of the said Testatrix and that the further sum of £95 four shillings and sixpence being one moiety of the said sum of £190 nine shillings and one penny should also be paid to the said Alexander EDGAR as such executor as aforesaid and that the parties hereto of the first and second parts showed in manner hereafter appearing execute to the said George MARTIN a general release of all their claims in and to the remainder of the said sums. Now this indenture witnesseth that the said several parties hereto of the first and second parts in pursuance of the said agreement and in consideration of the said sums of £95 four shillings and sixpence and £455 so paid to the said Alexander EDGAR as such executor as aforesaid with a priority of the said parties of the second part (the receipt whereof the said Alexander EDGAR doth hereby acknowledge) and in consideration of the premises do and each of them hereby release the said George MARTIN his heirs exors and admons and the remaining share or moiety of all of the said monies so lodged in the said Banks as aforesaid in the name of the said Jane MARTIN now deceased and George MARTIN or either of them and also all the remainder of the monies as lent to Samuel ORR as aforesaid and all the estate and effects of the said George MARTIN from all action suits claims and demands for or in respect of the said sums so lodged in the said banks or for in respect of the said debt of the said Samuel ORR and Richard B. ORR and each and either of them or for or in respect of anything in any wise relating to said deposit receipts or the money so due by the said Samuel ORR and Richard B. ORR or either of them. And this indenture further witnesses that the several parties hereto of the second and third parts in pursuance of the said agreement and in consideration of the premises do hereby for themselves and each of them hereby for himself and herself his or her heirs exors and admons covenant with the said Alexander EDGAR his exhors admons that they or some or one of them their heirs and exors and admons or the heirs and exors of some or one of them will at all times hereafter keep indemnified the said Alexander EDGAR his heirs exors admons and his and their estates and effects from all actions suits accounts claims and demands for or in respect of anything in any wise or rising from his joining in and executing these presents. In witness whereof the parties to these presents have hereunto put their hands and affixed their seals the day and year first above written

Signed sealed and delivered by the said Alexander EDGAR in the presence of [illegible] of Belfast

Signed sealed and delivered by the said Susanna EDGAR in the presence of George Alexander CHADWICK [17].

Signed sealed and delivered by the said Margaret MARTIN in presence of Charles CAMPBELL [18] Rector of Ardglass.

Signed sealed and delivered by the said Eliza PATTERSON in presence of Joseph HASLETT [19] of Rathfriland.

Signed sealed and delivered by the said Richard Binney ORR and Leticia Jane ORR in presence of [illegible] of Belfast.

Signed sealed and delivered by the said June MARTIN and George MARTIN in presence of Charles HUTCHISON [20] Robert A. GRACEY [21]

Acknowledge to have received from Mr. George MARTIN the sum of 95 pounds four shillings and sixpence being one half of the net amount realized under execution on the goods of Samuel ORR and payable to me in pursuance of the provisions of the foregoing deed of release. Dated the day and year first in said deed written. Alexander EDGAR. Present Charles HUTCHINSON. Robert A. GRACEY.

I acknowledge to have received from Mr. George MARTIN the sum of 485 pounds with interest thereon as allowed by the banks on deposit receipts bearing the one half of the entire amount due upon deposit receipt standing in the names of the deceased and of the said George MARTIN and which half amount is payable to me in pursuance of the provisions of the foregoing deed of release. Dated the day and year first in said deed written. Alexander EDGAR. Present Charles HUTCHINSON Robert A. GRACY

[1] Alexander EDGAR (abt1800-1885) a foreman-carpenter of Belfast. He was my great-great-grandfather.

SEE: http://www.thesilverbowl.com/biographies/EdgarAlex_MartinSusannah.htm

[2] Eliza PATTERSON nèe Elizabeth MARTIN, daughter of Allan MARTIN & Jane CLARKE (1783-1868). Her husband who predeceased the date of this document was Thomas PATTERSON. They were married at the Ballee non-subscribing church in 1828.

[3] Ballykeel. This is a common townland name in Co. Down.

[4] Susanna EDGAR nèe MARTIN (1800-18885). She was my great-great-grandmother.

SEE: http://www.thesilverbowl.com/biographies/EdgarAlex_MartinSusannah.htm

[5] Margaret MARTIN (1807-1886) wife of John Wilson MARTIN (1816-1852). She would have been a first cousin of George MARTIN.

SOURCE: Gravestone Inscriptions Vol 8. Co. Down MARTIN With masonic emblems/ in memoriam. JOHN WILSON MARTIN of Ringfad, died at Archangel 28 August 1852, aged 36 years. Also, Thomas his son died at Ringfad 27th July 1870, aged 28 years. Also Margaret, relict of the above J.W. Martin, died at Ringfad 20 May 1886 aged 79 years. NOTE: Archangel is a town that is known as Arkhangelsk, Russia.

NOTE: A Margaret MARTIN was listed as the owner and occupier of the "lodgs" at Tullycarnen in Griffiths valuation. This would have been a substantial house, valued at £4.0.0. I suspect this was the house known as “White Lodge” and which was the home my great-grandparents died in.

A will probate mentions a widow Margaret MARTIN of Coney Island (another name for Tullycarnen): PRONI: Letters of Administration of the personal estate of Margaret Martin late of Coney Island County Down Widow who died 20 May 1886 at same place were granted at Belfast to Charles Martin of Burnley in Lancashire Hotel Keeper a Child.

[6] Ringfad, Parish of Ardglass, Co. Down. The MARTIN family was long associated with this land – going back at least to the mid-1700s.

[7] Samuel ORR, Rev. He married Mary MARTIN and they had two children: Richard Binney ORR & Letitia ORR. It is possible that he was the following Samuel ORR: PRONI: The Will of Samuel Orr late of Leveleglish County Armagh Sexton who died 22 November 1892 at same place was proved at Armagh by Joseph Todd of Brookleigh Strandtown Belfast County Down Inland Revenue Officer the sole Executor. Proved at Armagh. Effects: £94 NOTE: I don’t know where Samuel ORR came from. There is a book Remembering all the Orrs By R. H. Foy, Ulster Historical Foundation, which I have yet to read.

[8] Richard Binney ORR (1847-1921). Son of Samuel ORR and Mary MARTIN, he emigrated to Australia. SEE: http://www.thesilverbowl.com/letters/orr_richard_binney.htm

[9] Leticia Jane ORR (1849-1934) sister of Richard Binney ORR. She married Richard ATHERTON two years after this deed. They emigrated to Australia and had 10 children.

[10] New Lodge, Belfast. SEE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Lodge,_Belfast In the 1861 Belfast/Antrim Directory, an Unnamed CREERY was recorded as resident at New Lodge in Antrim (13 miles from Belfast).

[11] George MARTIN (?-1899). He was my 2^nd great-grand-uncle. SOURCE: PRONI: Probate of the Will of George Martin late of Ringfad County Down Farmer who died 24 April 1899 granted at Belfast to William B. Martin Bank Manager and Horatio Croskery both of Downpatrick said County Merchant. EFECTS:£1,344 19s. 5d

[12] Jane MARTIN (1783-1868). PRONI: The Will of Jane Martin late of Ringfad County Down Widow deceased who died 24 January 1868 at same place was proved at Belfast by the oath of Alexander Edgar of Agnes-street Belfast in said County Foreman Carpenter one of the Executors. Proved Feb 19, 1868; Effects under £1,500.

[13] Mary ORR nèe MARTIN

[14] It is curious that she had another daughter, Jane MARTIN (see beneath) who was not included in the will.

[15] Tullycarnen

[16] June MARTIN I suspect this is the Jane MARTIN who died in 1890, sister of George Crean MARTIN. What is curious is that she wasn’t mentioned in her mother’s will. The source for her information is in the tombstone erected by her brother George.

[17] George Alexander CHADWICK

[18] Charles CAMPBELL, Rev. (-1872) Interestingly, in the Griffiths Valuation of 1863, a Charles CAMOMILE of High St, Ardglass ; leased a house in 1863 from James MARTIN. I wonder if the last name of the lessee was a typo in the valuation records. From Ros Davies site: of Glebe House, rector of Ardglass; letter on Puseyism 8 Jan 1842; preached at Ballyculter Church of Ireland 17 Oct 1846*; held 1/2 acre freehold & leased 7 acres from Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk in Ardglass townland in 1863 & held freehold a house, office, yard & garden in High St, Ardglass next to Erasmus School; address 18 Feb 1860; death notice 19 Oct 1872; brass tablet in memorial 15 Aug 1874 SOURCE: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/SURNAMES/C/CampbellAi.htm NOTE: His buildings were valued at £13.10.0 – which means they were substantial.

[19] Joseph HASLETT I do not know the connection. Interestingly, there is a Catherine HAZLETT of Kilcoo who married a Thomas MARTIN. Also of interest is that both HAZLETTs and GRACEYs held leases from John McCULLAGH.

[20] Charles HUTCHISON NOTE: A common name in Co. Down.

[21] Robert A. GRACEY. NOTE: This is a common name in Co. Down.