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Unfortunately
we do not have a birth certificate for Samuel Palmer. There are
records however of John and Mabel having 3 babies called John. Presumably
the first 2 did not survive. These children were born in Ballyrobin
and Muckamore. Ballyrobin means Robin’s town.
We checked one of these entries in PRONI and the John in question
was baptized as a Roman Catholic in Randalstown Roman Catholic Church. We recently discovered that Mabel and John definitely had a daughter also called Margaret Anne Palmer. Again no birth certificate has been discovered. Margaret Anne married a Daniel Barr and had several children in Shanoguestown with Mabel Palmer present at the birth [residence Islandbawn]. But then that's another story..... There
is a restaurant and guesthouse at Ballyrobin now - see: Extract of articles in book 'Gartree and Killead' about Ballyrobin: ‘In
this townland of 1343 acres is a cave, near the house of Samuel Clyde)
now filled with water. The inhabitants say there were many more caves, now destroyed
for the sake of the stones. There
are also flax and corn mills. In
the ruins of the church were found (1795) a row of skeletons, (not in
coffins), of adult persons, not harmed in any way, buried under about 2
feet of soil. All trace of
the ruins is now lost. A
school was established in 1827. The
master was Robert Crawford and in 1833 there were 68 scholars on the
roll. A wide range of
subjects was taught including the 3 R’s, Geek, Latin, French, English,
Algebra, Trigonometry, Geography and the use of Globes and Book-keeping.
Religious and moral instruction were also given, and Scripture
was read daily. There was
also a Book Club with 32 members and 2220 ‘well chosen works’ on
instructive or entertaining subjects.’ Islandbawn:
name probably of English origin and meaning isolated cattle
enclosure. "Islandbawn: no "w" in the Irish alphabet; Islandban, Dr S. M. Stepehenson." |