The Titteringtons of Northern Ireland

Wa6 John Titterington and Mary Megarry of Corcreeny

Researcher:   Alan and Linda

 

According to the records of Ros Davies, John Titterington of Dromantihue, a Farmer was buried on 19th January, 1835 aged 68 years at Hillsborough Parish Church.  From this we can deduce a birth year of about 1767.    

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It has been presumed by many researchers that he married Mary Megarry about 1796.  She died in 1840 and is buried in Kilwarlin graveyard.  Dromantihue and Kilwarlin were both in the Parish of Hillsborough.  Evidence would suggest that this family was of the Moravian religion.

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Ros Davies records that Mary Titterington died in February, 1840 aged 73 years and that she was the mother of Mrs Mary Walker.  There is a gravestone in Kilwarlin graveyard that records the death of Mary Walker on 24 June, 1888 aged 88 years.  It also records that her mother, Mary Titterington died in February, 1840 aged 73 years.  Thus we know that Mary was born c 1767 which makes this the earliest recorded birthdate in the graveyard.  John and Mary’s daughter, Mary, spouse of Thomas Walker was responsible for the memorial stone on the grave of her mother in the Moravian Church yard of Kilwarlin.  National Archives and Ros Davies record:  At her marriage to Thomas Walker on 14/4/1825 her brother, James Titterington was a witness (as was Thomas at the marriage between James and Catherine Forsythe) 

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James 1796-1861

 

Application of the naming theory supports the theory that John and Mary had a son named James and so it has been assumed that John b 1767 would have named a son, the first born, after his own father James.  The records for Kilwarlin church and gravestones record the birth and death of James Titterington as 1796 to 1861.

 

Ros Davies records:  James Titterington, Hillsborough of Corcreeny; married Catherine Forsythe 20th July, 1826; witnesses were Thomas Walker and Hugh McIlroy; father of James baptised 20th August 1826 at Hillsborough Church of Ireland.  James was also witness of the marriage between his sister Mary and Thomas Walker.  There is also a record for James baptised 20th August, 1826, naming his parents as James Titterington and Catherine Forsythe.

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It is possible that the James Titterington recorded in the 1851 census of Antrim in Ballinderry, is the same James born in 1796 and son of John Titterington and Mary Megarry.  James’ age is recorded as 52 years and his wife, Mary Ann is 29 - that is a 23 year age gap.  So, it would appear that Mary Ann is a second wife.  Amongst their children there is a son Matthew and a son Richard who died of apoplexy in the winter of 1844 aged just six months.  Their daughter Jemima marries Simon Frazer.  On her death record in Galston, Ayrshire, we learn that her parents were James Titterington and Mary Ann Latham.  The names of Matthew, Richard and Jemima (an unusual Titterington name in Ireland) can be seen as uncles or cousin in this family group.  

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It also seems possible that this James Titterington may have gone on to marry a third wife, named Mary Faraghan on 8th December, 1855.  There is a record stating that she married James Titterington, a widower. She later marries as a widow herself, James Bell in 1862.  This would tie in with the fact that a James Titterington is buried in Kilwarlin Graveyard, in 1861.  James Bell and Mary Faraghan have three children, James in 1867, William George in 1869 who dies the same year, and Sarah Elizabeth in 1870.  There are no known recorded births for children of James Titterington and Mary Faraghan.  Considering the fact that she does have children in her second marriage, it is up to the researcher to decide if it would have been feasible for her first marriage to have been to a man who was so very many years older than she probably was.

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This James Titterington has been particularly difficult to research.  There are records, but there are discrepancies in ages and names etc.  Fellow researchers will be aware of these kinds of issues. One has to take into account that records, if present, were in their early days.  Standards of literacy were very varied.  We must also consider that at this particular time in history, there was a famine in Ireland which would have affected the economy and the lives of people throughout the country.  

 

From personal experience it is interesting to visit the churchyard at Kilwarlin Church.  The headstones are still there in a very pretty, small graveyard but they are lying flat on the ground and are extremely difficult to read, being so weather worn.

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John Titterington 1804-1862

 

Ros Davies also records the birth of John Titterington born in 1804.  However, she also records the marriage of John Titterington to Mary Meredith in 1850 when he claimed to be aged 40 years, making his date of birth c 1810!  Much of the research leading to the formation of this branch was derived from the will of this son of John and Mary Megarry, named John Titterington, spouse of Mary Meredith.  His will is dated 17th November, 1862.  He provides information about his siblings and some of their offspring with the exception of James.  That makes sense when we accept that James died in 1861.

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It seems that John, a Farmer and Mary had no children.  In his will John names his wife Mary, brothers Francis, Matthew and Alexander and his two sisters, Mary Walker and Eliza Stanfield.

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We also learn that his brother Alexander had a daughter, Jemima (who married Richard Robertson) and his nephew James, son of his brother Matthew.  Another nephew was John Walker, son of his sister Mary Walker.  He also made a bequest to the Moravian Church of Kilwarlin.

 

Elizabeth Titterington Stanfield

 

Eliza was married to Robert Stanfield.   Eliza's confirmation records that she is aged 17 years - the same age as her sister Mary.   In St John's Church, Kilwarlin, parish of Hillsborough, by the Rev. H.B. St, George, Mr Robert Stanfield, eldest son of Mr Andrew Stanfield, Corcreeney, was married to Miss Eliza, youngest daughter of Mr John TITTERINGTON, of same place."  

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Francis was born in 1808

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Matthew 1809-1887

 

Matthew is reputed to be the Great-great Grandfather of a descebdant who lives in Perth. and has provided much of this information about him.

 

There is some confusion about the birth of Matthew.  IGI does not hold a birth record for him.

Ros Davies records that Matthew Titterington, of Corcreeny was confirmed at Hillsborough Church of Ireland 9 Jul 1823 aged 14.  This would suggest that Matthew was born c. 1809. However, his marriage certificate to Anne Hermon claims that he was 36 years of age. i.e. DOB c. 1817.  Family Search records the death of Mathew Titterington of Ballymoney as July-September 1887, aged 78.  This would mean that he was born c. 1809.  Ballymoney is about 56 miles from Corcreeny, near Coleraine in Northern Ireland.

 

So, Was he telling fibs about his age?  We see examples of this later with Edward and Joshua.

 

The marriage record for Matthew and Ann records his father as John Titterington.

 

Matthew married Anne Jane Hermon and his death is recorded in Ballymoney in Antrim.  Their children were James, a Member of the Queens Guard, and William whose descendants are living in Perth, western Australia, and Eliza.  

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ALEXANDER 1810-1890

 

Alexander, husband of Anne Jane Bell, is also buried in the Moravian Church yard of Kilwarlin.  He was a Watch Maker/Jeweller and also a Church Warden of Lisburn Cathedral.  Their children were Mary, William John, Jemima, Edward Knox and Henry.  We know that two of the children died young and they were probably Edward Knox and Henry.

 

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