William Gillis (1866 - 1927)

Born 1866 in County Armagh, Ireland

Husband of Mary (Orr) Gillis — married 1888 (to 3 Apr 1927) in County Armagh, Ireland

Descendants

Died 3 Apr 1927 at about age 61 in Ahorey, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

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Biography

William Gillis was born in 1866 at County Armagh, Northern Ireland.^[1] He passed away at Ahorey, County Armagh in 1927.^[2] His wife Mary, born in 1867, died 30 Jun 1931.^[2]

William is 36 years old and living with his wife Mary and three children in 1901 at house 21, Aghorey, Richhill, Armagh.^[1]

Ireland Census, 1901 for Aghorey, Richhill, Armagh, Ireland

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion

Gillis William 36 Male Head of Family Church of Ireland

Gillis Mary 35 Female Wife Church of Ireland

Gillis Emily 16 Female Daughter Church of Ireland

Gillis Nathanial 12 Male Son Church of Ireland

Gillis S Margaret 6 Female Daughter Church of Ireland

William Gillis’ name is recorded on the Return of Advances Made Under the Irish Land Act, 1903. The 1903 Land Purchase Act provided the means by which most Irish tenant farmers became owner occupiers of their land. This legislation extended the existing limited provision for tenant purchase, and for the first time created procedures and incentives to ensure the sale of estates as a whole to the occupying tenants.^[3]

Thus, on 5 Apr 1906, William Gillis, with government assistance, purchased an area of land in Aghory, Armagh from the estate of Sir Edward Wingfield Verner, Bart. (Baronet).^[4] Under the 1903 land act, tenants received from the government an advance to purchase the land, which was to be repaid through annuities (yearly installments) over a period of 68.5 years. The rate of interest was 3.75 percent. The landlords were compensated in cash that was raised by government issue of guaranteed land stock yielding a dividend of 2.75 percent. With set-out ranges, it was left to the landlords and tenants to agree upon a price.^[3]

William, a farmer, is 45 years old and living with his wife Mary and daughter Sarah Margaret in 1911 at house 12, Aghorey, Richhill, Armagh. He and Mary have been married 23 years and have three children, all still living.^[5]

Ireland Census, 1911 for Aghorey, Armagh, Ireland

Surname Forename Age Sex Relation to head Religion

Gillis William 45 Male Head of Family Presbyterian

Gillis Mary 46 Female Wife Presbyterian

Gillis Sarah Margret 16 Female Daughter Presbyterian

William is mentioned on the death certificate of his daughter Sarah Margaret (Gillis) Sandford in 1970.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} National Archives of Ireland Census 1901 : Residents of a house 21 in Aghorey (Richhill, Armagh) Gillis, William…
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} North of Ireland Family History Society : Index to Solicitors’ Records Gillis, William, Mary, Nathaniel : accessed 12 Sep 2021
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Encyclopedia.com Land Purchase Acts Of 1903 And 1909
4. ↑ 1906 : Return of advances made under the Irish Land Act, 1903, during the period from January to April 1906. Publisher HMSO. Publication date 1906. Gillis, William, pg. 186
5. ↑ National Archives of Ireland Census 1911 : Residents of a house 12 in Aghory (Aghory, Armagh) Gillis, William…
6. ↑ Provincial Archives of New Brunswick : Index to Death Certificates Sandford, Sarah Margaret