Charles Price (abt. 1783 - 1860)

Born about 1783 in Ballintoy Parish, Co Antrim, Ireland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 24 Feb 1860 at about age 77 in Rock Cottage, Craigalappan, Ballintoy, Co Antrim, Ireland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ron Price [send private message]

Biography

Charles was the elder of John Price's two sons. He was born sometime between June 1783 and February 1784 based on his age of 6 years given in a lease of 1790 ^[1] and his age at death. At the time of his birth his father was living at The Pounds in Craigalappan; by 1795 the family had moved to Ballinlea.

Residence"'

Charles presumably remained living in Ballintoy until at least May 1811, when he signed the parish vestry book. His next appearance in surviving records finds him getting married on 28 November 1811. A marriage notice placed in the Belfast Newsletter states “"... by the Rev. Mr Logan, Mr Chas Price, to Miss Mary Wilson, both of Colerain".” ^[2] This last element seems odd, since he could at most only have been living in Coleraine for a matter of months. The next record found is in a surviving portion of the Parish Register for Ramoan (its appearance, with gaps in places, suggests it was made as a copy). This contains a record of the baptism on 2 Nov 1815 of “"Mary Price daughter of Chs Moyarget"”^[3]. Confirming Charles’ presence in Moyarget is a document preserved in the PRO(NI) dated 12 December 1816 containing a statement, regarding the division of land in Moyarget between three Hoskins brothers, made by “William Hill, William Lyn and Charles Price all of Moyarget…”. Moyarget is only about a mile from Ballinlea.

By March 1818 the family were definitely living on a farm in the townland of Knockans in the parish of Finvoy. This farm consisted of 52 Cunningham acres and had been leased by his father in July 1816. Knockans is about 18 miles away from Ballinlea.

The farm buildings were described in detail for the 1834 "Tithe Applotment Field Books" for Finvoy parish. These show Charles' main dwelling to consist of a building measuring 40 feet high, 22 feet wide and 9 feet 6 inches high. Probably connected to this (based on their common width) were: an "unfurnished" building measuring 18 x 22 x 7 feet; and an "office above" at 18 x 22 x 5. There was also a "Barn + Stable" at 34 x 9½ x 6; a Byre at 29 x 17½ x 5¼; and a "Store" at 19 x 19½ x 5½.

Comparing these measurements with the Ordnance Survey map of the same date strongly suggests that the main farm was the long narrow building just north of the Parish church. The two-story farm building currently on the same site may be the same building as lived in by Charles. There is another set of buildings adjacent to Charles' farm, which would explain why the surveyor for the Applottment records added a note "too near neighbours" for which two shillings in the pound (10%) deduction in value was applied. The total value of Charles farm buildings was £3-16s-0d.

Having been there for around 20 years, Charles and his family left Knockans and returned to Ballintoy during, or shortly before, 1837. In October the following year he sold the Knockans farm lease, the deed records that the purchaser already possessed the land by virtue of a one year lease, but confusingly refers to "Charles Price of Knockans". It is more than likely that Charles returned to The Pounds in Craigalappan, although there are no records to indicate that he lived there until 1852. At some stage his dwelling house in The Pounds became known as "Rock Cottage" the earliest reference to the name is dated 1856.

Occupation and Character

Unlike his father, grandfather, or brother, Charles does not appear to have been particularly entrepreneurial. Farming was probably his full time occupation and, at least until his father's death and consequent legacies, his main source of income. He does seem to have attempted to improve the value of The Pounds farm, for on 30 June 1852 he borrowed £100 from the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland under the terms of "An Act to Facilitate the Improvement of Landed Property in Ireland".

In November 1856 Charles sold his right to a "mortgage lease", which had been left to him by his father, to his nephew William for £130. He spent this cash in the following month when he paid £50 to buy the lease of a farm of 48 acres 1 rood Cunningham measure in Ballinlea Lower, immediately to the south of his own farm in The Pounds. This farm was in the part of the townland that was known as Black Park.

Even before details of Charles’ Presbyterian marriage were discovered, it was apparent that there may have been some sort of rift between him and his father, on the grounds that from at least 1818 Charles lived some considerable distance from Ballintoy, only to return some 20 years later. While such a conclusion remains speculation, there is now a plausible explanation. Nowadays a marriage between an Anglican (Church of Ireland) and Presbyterian would be of little consequence, but back in 1811 it was a rather different story. The Anglican church was state-supported and in a privileged position over all other religious groups such as Presbyterians or Roman Catholics. As described earlier, Charles’ father John’s active participation in parish affairs strongly suggest he would have been a staunch supporter of the existing status quo. In contrast, only a short time before 1811 Presbyterians in many areas had supported the 1798 rebellion against the government. Most significant of all, a Presbyterian minister could not at the time legally marry a Presbyterian and an Anglican. Form the perspective of a strict Anglican, Charles and Mary would have been living in sin and their children illegitimate.

There is no evidence that Charles was involved in church administrative affairs, other than when he served as Churchwarden in 1810 11. His apparent relative lack of involvement in clerical work is perhaps reflected in the less ‘flowing’ style of his signature. Another sign may be found in his will. Although confident enough to write it in his own hand (unfortunately the original has been destroyed, but an exact copy survives), it exhibits numerous incorrect spellings and even when naming his home townland of Craigalappan each of four spellings is different. When the will came to be ‘proved’ his brother John, who had witnessed it's signing, had to sign a statement confirming that the will's "several obliterations, inter lineations and alterations" were all made by Charles.

However, it would be easy to give a misleading impression about Charles if he was only compared with his particularly successful father or brother. Charles was and remained distinctly prosperous compared with the great majority of his contemporaries. This is obvious when the relative values of his farm houses are examined. In the general valuation of property of 1834 his dwelling house and associated buildings had the sixth highest value in Finvoy parish. Shortly after his death in 1860 the "Griffiths" valuation showed Rock Cottage to have the ninth highest value in Ballintoy parish, out of 685 households (his brother's house was third highest).

Death and Will

Charles died on 24 February 1860 at the age of 76. ^[4] Charles and his wife were buried in Ballintoy church graveyard directly beside the grave of Charles' father and grand father.

Charles had written a will in September 1858, a year and a half before his death.^[5] The will followed in the tradition set by his father and grandfather by dividing his main assets (his farms in The Pounds and Ballinlea) between his sons, and by making financial provisions for his daughters.

One noticeable feature of the will is the special position given to his youngest son Hugh, who had by then moved to Londonderry. It is his bequest which is mentioned first, and he is given a choice of either taking the Lower Ballinlea farm bought less than two years previously, or instead taking one quarter of the Ballinlea and Craigalappan farms combined. He chose the first option. His three brothers John, Robert Charles, and Andrew were left equal shares in the land not taken by Hugh. The will also gave Hugh the responsibility of being the arbiter between his three brothers should any dispute arise.

Another feature of the will is that Charles clearly feared that disputes would indeed arise; he even comments on an existing disagreement between Robert Charles and Andrew. He twice refers specifically to the share of the farm that Robert should get and then refers to a "decree" by Andrew against Robert. Charles obviously felt that there was no justification for his son's decree.

Charles bequest of his property to his sons was subject to certain annual payments. His wife Mary was left £2 a year, as well as her room in their farm house (Rock Cottage). The same sum was also left to her daughter Elizabeth and after her death to her daughter Mary Ann. A similar bequest was left to his other surviving daughter Mary, whose existing rent of £4 was to be reduced to £2.

Sources

1. ↑ Lease dated 6 September 1795 referring to earlier lease of 12 June 1790. Copy at PRO(NI), Belfast. T3242
2. ↑ Belfast Newsletter newspaper 3 Dec 1811
3. ↑ Ramoan Parish Register (Ch of Ireland)
4. ↑ Death notices in Coleraine Chronicle & Belfast Newsletter, both reading "Charles Price - At his residence Rock cottage, Ballintoy, Feb 24 Charles Price esq., aged 76 years”)
5. ↑ Will (copy) of Charles Price written 14 Sept 1858. PRO(NI), Belfast, N Ireland

• Source: S14 Ballintoy Parish Church Graveyard NOTESource Medium: Tombstone
• Source: S257 Ramoan Parish Register (Ch of Ireland) Note:
• Source: S258 Registry of Deeds Memorial Repository: #R35 NOTESource Medium: Official Document
• Repository: R35 Registry of Deeds, Dublin
• Source: S309 Will Calendars for Armagh, Belfast & Londonderry Publication: Name: PRO(NI) (http://www.proni.gov.uk),; Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland; Repository: #R46 NOTESource Medium: Official Document
• Repository: R46 PRO(NI), Belfast, Northern Ireland