Carnone

This is one of those (to me) mysteries that I would appreciate some feedback on.

The question is, would a long-time elder of an Irish Presbyterian Church be illiterate?

It comes from researching CTR’s family history. CTR’s father, Joseph Lytle Russell, was one of ten children who survived to adulthood. We know that one of them, Fannie Russell, never left Ireland, and married Alexander Harper. The church where they were married was probably Carnone – which is quite near the border between Londonderry and County Donegal, which feature on grave markers and obituaries for Charles Tays and Joseph Lytle Russell. This whole area was awash with Scots immigrants at one time, and the name Russell is quite prevalent (although no tie-ins as yet to CTR’s family).

The surviving marriage registers for Carnone start in 1836 which is too late for Alexander and Fannie. But two of their children are in the baptism register, which has survived from 1837. They are:

William James Harper (son of Alexander Harper and Fanny Russell) born on 18 June 1838.

Sarah Harper (son of Alexander Harper and Fanny Russell) born on 17 April 1843.

 

Sarah is never heard of again, which strongly suggests she died young, but we can trace William James Harper down through the years.

In the disbursements of Charles TAYS Russell’s will, there is a share for William James Harper, Broxton, Donegal County, Ireland.

In the Carnone Churchyard there is a pillar for William James Harper and his immediate family. He died in 1920 aged 82, which lines up the dates for the right person.

His death prompted a brief story in the Belfast Telegraph for 3 March 1920.

So he has been a ruling elder in the Carnone congregation for 38 years. It is a long family tradition – his eldest son is now an elder there, and crucially his father was “a ruling elder in that congregation for 37 years.” That would have to be Alexander Harper, formerly married to Fanny Russell, CTR’s aunt.

This would make William Harper one of CTR’s cousins.

When Fanny died there was a brief note in the Londonderry Sentinel for 14 June 1867:

12 June at Carnone, Mrs Alexander Harper, aged 55 years.

On the civil registration death certificate supplied to me by the Ulster Historical Association, we note that her husband Alexander was present at the death. But note how he signed.

Unless he had broken his arm or something, that makes him illiterate.

And yet in his son’s obituary in 1920 Alexander is credited with being a “ruling elder” for 37 years.

It just doesn’t sound right to me.

What do you think?

 

Notes on why research done

The main purpose of this line of research is part of an ongoing attempt to find out exactly where in Northern Ireland the Russell family came from. Searching for the sister who never got away was one line of enquiry. Of course, just because Fannie married Alexander and lived in the Carnone parish at one point does not mean she was born there, but in those far off pre-railway days, people often did not travel very far to meet people, marry them, and spend the rest of their lives with them. Historically, Carnone and surrounding parishes suffered a declining population during the 19^th century as many chose (or were forced) to leave the area for pastures new, including America.