The Titteringtons of Northern Ireland

We know from the records of Alan Cookson and Ros Davies, that James was baptised on 20/8/1826 as the son of James Titterington and Catherine Forsythe.

 

Volume Six of “The Moravian Church Miscellany” gives us an exciting insight to his short life through a brief memoir that was written and compiled chiefly from his own papers.  From this we learn the following facts:-

 

• He was born on 3rd July, 1826 and died on 15th April, 1852.

• He claimed to have enjoyed fourteen years of happiness as a child.

• He also claimed to have experienced five years of life’s distractions and temptations.

• At the age of 19 for at least three years, he became in his view “better employed” through the development of his own learning as well as the teaching of others.

• He started his diary in August 1848, making weekly entries until September, 1851.

• His birth on 3/7/1826 was at Kilwarlin, in a house that had entertained Brother John Cennick when he preached at Kilwarlin Church.

• James met a near death experiences as a child, each time playing in a cart when the horse took fright and bolted leaving James under the wheel and taken for dead.  

• He was an obedient son, dutifully loving with an early love for study.

• On the death of his mother, he went to stay with an affectionate aunt in Dromore, which is south of Kilwarlin.

• Against all the temptations of Dromore, on the contrary, he would walk the four “Irish” miles on poorly maintained roads, irrespective of bad weather to Kilwarlin Church regularly.

• He was employed as an Apprentice where he worked faithfully providing valuable service, which he left to enter Gracehill Boarding School as a Teacher.

• The memoir states that the fact that he was qualified for such a post was proof that he had not wasted his time and energy like “other young men”.  (This is a contradiction to James’s own self-evaluation of how he had spent his time prior to joining the Ministry).

• He worked for four years diligently as a teacher.

• However, the main aim in his life was to join the Ministry.  He worked hard to reach this goal, even though he experienced times of self-doubt.

• The examination to join the Ministry took place on 16th November, 1849.  He passed and this gave him the authority to preach and hold meetings.

• He preached his first sermon on 18th January, 1850 at Kilwarlin, and this was his main preaching place for that year.  Many of the local people came to hear “one of their own” preach.

• He also assisted at Gracehill.

• There was a cholera outbreak in Ballymena in 1849 which decimated some of the surrounding towns and villages.

• On 6th July, 1851 he received the calling for an important appointment as a “Single Brethren’s Labourer and assistant Minister at Bristol”.   He initially feared the responsibility but on assurance from others, he accepted the post.

• He arrived in Bristol on 24th July, 1851.  He started work with an address to the children on Sunday, 27thJuly.

• He gave his last sermon on 7th September, 1851.  He resigned his post due to ill health and returned to Ireland where he hoped the country air might restore his health.  He returned to Kilwarlin and received care and attention from his friends.  There is no mention of his father.

• His health did not improve.  He moved to Lisburn where his aunt cared for him, but he could not recover from this wasting disease.

• He returned to Kilwarlin “to die amidst his own kindred and to be buried by the side of his grandfather”. 

• He died earlier than expected on 15th April, 1852 at 7.00 pm.  The funeral took place on 17th April, 1852.