Looking for Robert Simon Henry in Ireland
Lily Rivera is the 4 X great granddaughter of Robert Simon Henry who is said to have been born in Ireland about 1787. On Ireland’s Griffith’s Valuation, 1847-1864, there is a Robert Henry listed as tenant in townland of Aghaloughan, parish of Lurgan, landowner Lord Farnham. There is a book of tenant applications to Lord Farnham, County Cavan, 1832-60. The property mentioned above would have been known as Massarien Estate. The Application and Replies Books, Lord Farnham, Co. Cavan, 1832-60 are at the National Library of Ireland, Mss 3 117-8.
There may be something in there about Robert and his family. If a list of all members of the family could be found for the Massarien Estate, it would have to be during years of 1832-1840. Robert Henry’s wife, Mary Ann Graham, is thought to have arrived in Canada about 1838. Before leaving she would have been on the estate with her husband and 4 boys named James (b. 1824 Co. Cavan), Robert (b. 1826), Simon (b. 1827), Johnston (b. 1832).
There are two boys who were not born in Ireland, so should not appear on records of Massarien Estate. William (b. 1838 in Upper Canada) and Charles (b. 1840 in Goderich township, Huron Co., Ontario, Canada).
Among old family lore was the fable about living in a castle. In the parish of Lurgan there is a barony called Castlerahan under Poor Law Union of Oldcastle. This is a civil Parish under Church of Ireland which is not Catholic. I have not done much research into Catholic Parish records because our family has always been Protestant.
In County Cavan, Catholics were disarmed and their arms distributed among the Orangemen. There is written evidence of Protestant dissatisfaction at the collection of the Catholic Rent. James Henry (first son of Robert) stated his religion was Church of England in 1861 Canadian census. He married Margaret Lee, sister of Robert Lee, the Orangeman.