EARLS FAMILY CHRONICLES

© Christopher Earls Brennen

CHAPTER FIVE

THE CHILDREN OF JOHN EARLS AND MARY McCLOY

Map of Islandmagee showing some of the places
occuring in the story of the Earls and Dick families.

CHILDREN OF JOHN EARLS AND MARY McCLOY:

Sally Earls was born on Apr.16, 1828, in Larne, County Antrim and died in infancy on Jun.14, 1830.

Jane Earls was born on Mar.22, 1830, in Larne, County Antrim. In the 1851 census of Pound Street, Larne, County Antrim, Jane is listed under her parents names though she was not residing there at the time. Aged 19, she is described as a servant in Larne. Jane did not marry and lived with her brother James at Mullaghboy, Islandmagee where she died on Feb.24, 1892. She is buried in the graveyard of the Larne and Inver Parish Church.

Alexander Earls was born in Antrim on Oct.24, 1832. In the 1851 census of Pound Street, Larne, County Antrim, Alexander is listed under his parents names though he was not residing there at the time. Aged 17, he is listed as a printer in Belfast. Later he worked at McCalmond's the printers in Roddens Road, Larne. Alexander died unmarried in Larne, County Antrim on March 11, 1859 and is buried in the Larne and Inver Parish Church.

Thomas Earls was born on Jan.16, 1835, in Gortin, County Tyrone. At the time of the 1851 census of Larne, County Antrim, Thomas, aged 15, was living with his parents on Pound Street and working as a ropemaker. The ropewalk was in Pound Street. Thomas became a soldier and died on Jan.28, 1858, shortly after he arrived in India. His bible and other personal possesions were sent home. Thomas is memorialized on the tombstone at the Larne and Inver Parish Church.

James Earls and his wife Margaret Dick.
James Earls, our ancestor, was the fifth child and last surviving son of John Earls and Mary McCloy. Born in Larne, County Antrim, on Oct.24, 1837, he is listed in the 1851 census of Larne as living with his parents on Pound Street and going to school. James went on to the Marlborough Street Training School in Dublin and entered the teaching profession. His first job was a locum on the tiny Copeland Islands off the coast of County Down but this was only for a few months until he was appointed to be the first principal of the Ballymoney National School in Islandmagee, County Antrim. In 1861 this new school was erected on the grounds of the local Methodist church with funds contributed by the church supplemented by local subscriptions. It was opened on Feb.3, 1862 when James Earls became its principal. The school included a small residence for the use of the teacher. The assistant teacher was Margaret Dick whom James married on May 8, 1874 in the Wesleyan Chapel, Carrickfergus, County Antrim. A photograph of James and Margaret Earls is included as plate 5. On the marriage certificate both are described as ``National Teachers'' and her name is given as ``Maggie''. He taught the boys and she the girls. She was especially proficient in needlework and Irene Calvert still has one of her embroidered pictures of Noah letting the dove back into the ark complete with olive leaf. James and Maggie lived for many years in the residence attached to the schoolhouse. Later he acquired the lease on a site at ``Lunnon'' in the townland of Mullaghboy about a hundred yards north of the school and at an intersection where the county road splits into roads to Millbay and to Portmuck. On this land, with the help of his brother William he built a fine two-storey house with a shop attached; also included was separate accomodation for his widowed mother and unmarried sister, Jane. Here he established a successful business which was conducted by his family including his sister Jane.
James Earls
They also had a servant who cared for the younger children. As a teacher James was held in high esteem having for many years over 100 pupils on the school roll. As a member of the Methodist community he also played an influential part in sustaining the usefulness of that denomination before the congregation was able to command the regular services of a minister. He took a great interest in the Sabbath-school of which he was for a long time the superintendent. When any difficulty arose regarding a pulpit supply he was always ready to step into the breach when he would facetiously remark ``that he was always put into the gap when nobody else could be had''. His reading and exposition of the scriptures were always listened to with pleasure and profit since he was possessed of an exceptionally resonant voice and a convincing manner of presenting what he had to say to his hearers. He was also an ardent temperance advocate and was one of the founders of the Good Templars Lodge which was opened in a new hall at Whitey's Hill in the year 1873. Several family legends attest to James's strict observance of the Sabbath. No cooking was allowed in his house on Sunday; the meals had to be prepared on Saturday and were eaten cold on Sunday. Furthermore he did not shave on Sunday. One story tells of him being interrupted during shaving on Saturday night. The interruption lasted until after midnight so James took the service the next morning with one side of his face shaved and the other unshaven. After full time service under the National Board, James retired in 1899. Then in his 62nd year and possessed of a vigorous constitution and an aptitude for business, the rate-payers of Islandmagee approached him to become one of their representatives on the Larne Rural District Council and Board of Directors. He accepted the responsibility and for sixteen years he regularly attended the meetings of the Council, driving to Larne in his pony and trap. The pony, whose name was Joey became exceedingly well known in the area. James finally retired when he was almost 80 years old. There is an account of his
Grave of James and Maggie Earls.
life in ``The History of Islandmagee'' by Dixon Donaldson as well as a photograph of him. The children of James and Margaret Earls are described in chapter 7. Margaret died Aug. 23, 1893 at the age of 41 and was buried in the Islandmagee Church of Ireland graveyard where her pink granite gravestone reads:
``Erected by James Earls in loving memory of his dear wife Maggie Dick who entered into rest 23rd Augt. 1893 aged 41 years. Also their two children, Alexander, Nov. 5 1880 in infancy, and James, April 26 1889 aged 3 years. The above named James Earls entered into rest 17th August 1922 aged 84 years. Their daughter Letitia died 18th January 1939.''
James's sister ``Aunt Jane'' died about the same time as his wife. As a result the eldest daughter Jane had to give up her teaching career to look after the family. James was married for a second time to Isabella Taylor (c.1857-1924) who owned a farm in Upper Gransha, Islandmagee. Isabella was a direct descendant of patriarchal Milliken family and her farm had belonged to the Millikens for many years (see ``History of Islandmagee'', page 130). After their marriage James moved to Gransha in order to look after the farm. Meanwhile his first family continued to live in Mullaghboy in the house with the shop attached. James would have an early dinner there before returning to Gransha for the night. The 1901 Census lists James, Isabella and their two children along with a nephew William Dick in the Gransha Farm while Robert Earls and his sisters, Jane, Letitia and Maggie are listed in Mullaghboy. James died on Aug.17, 1922 at Gransha; Isabella died on Dec.18, 1924. James and Isabella had two children:

  1. James Earls was born in Islandmagee in 1895, trained as a teacher and taught in elementary schools in Belfast. His first marriage to Robina Jane ? was childless. Robina died in 1924 at San Remo Nursing Home, University Street, Belfast, possibly during childbirth. At that time their address was 8 Willowfield Gardens, Belfast. In 1925, he married Margaret Wilkinson from Fleetwood, Lancashire. In 1934 they moved to Knockeden Park in the Rosetta area of Belfast. James was the headmaster of Edenderry Public Elementary School before the Second World War. During the war Edenderry was bombed and he moved to Tennent Street School. In 1952, the family moved back to Islandmagee to live in Upper Gransha in the house where James was born. Many improvements were made to the house and James and Margaret retired there in 1953. Margaret died in 1964 and James lived with his son in Wokingham, England, until he died in 1973. James and Margaret had a son:
    1. James Wilkinson Earls was born in Belfast in 1933 and attended Methodist College in Belfast. From there he went to Queens University Belfast where he studied chemistry. After graduation he joined Shell for whom he worked from 1954 until his retirement in 1992. He first worked on gasoline research for Shell Research Ltd at the Thornton Research Centre near Chester, England, then on lubricants at Shell's Egham Research Centre near London. From there he went to Shell Mex and BP in London to be the quality control manager for all oil products and finally to Shell International Petroleum Co. at Shell Centre as Quality Control Manager for Shell Aviation Products worldwide. Outside of work, he was much involved in swimming and Scouting, was chair of the local swimming club in Bracknell, Berkshire, for several years and played water polo until he was 42. He was a scout leader, a district commissioner and now district chairman for Wokingham District Scouts. In 1956 in Kingston Vale, Surrey, England, he married Marguerita Agnes Shaw of Belfast who also went to Methodist College Belfast. She studied as a mature student in the early 1970's and became a math teacher, retiring about 1990. They had three children:
      1. James Richard Earls was born in Chester, England, in 1958. He married Deborah Corkill-Callin in 1984 in Douai Abbey, Berkshire, England. Since 1990 they have lived near Poitiers in France where they have an antiques business with "archives of materiels" which they trade around the world. For some years they owned a Chambre d'Hote in the Poitiers region but sold it and now manage it for the new owners. They have three children:
        1. James Robert Earls, born in 1988 in London.
        2. Antonia Margaret Earls, born in 1990 in France.
        3. Sophie Alexandra Earls, born in 1993 in France.
      2. John Morris Earls was born in Chester, England, in 1961 and became a professional violinist, playing with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra for several years before becoming a music teacher. He is currently (2002) head of instrumental Music at the Bangkok (Patana) British International School; he also occasionally plays with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. In 1985 in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, he married Alison Smith of Wickham near Gateshead, England. They had two children listed below. John and Alison were divorced in 2004 and on Mar.11, 2004, John married Kornpavee Hoisang, of Thai origin and known as ``Aor''. They have one son.
        1. Eleanor Jane Earls, born in 1986 in London, is the daughter of John and Alison Earls.
        2. Thomas Anthony Earls, born in 1988 in Dorchester, England, is the son of John and Alison Earls.
        3. Benjamin James Earls, born on Jul.24, 2005, is the son of John and Aor Earls.
        4. Daniel John Earls, born on Mar.11, 2008, is the son of John and Aor Earls.
      3. Hilary Margaret Earls was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, England, in 1964 and studied German and French at Bristol University. For some years she taught English at a Language College in Lisbon, Portugal. Hilary was also an accomplished cellist. She was Principal Cellist in the Bristol University Orchestra and later played regularly in a local Orchestra. Hilary died in Reading, England. in 1991.
  2. Isabella Earls was born about 1900 and became something of a recluse. She read a great deal and neglected the farm that had been her mothers and which James left to her in the hope she would make a living. She died unmarried on Oct.27, 1952 at Moyle Hospital, Larne.

Sarah Ann Earls was born on Apr.6, 1839, in Glenarm and baptized Aug.30 at St. Patrick's, Glenarm, County Antrim. In the 1851 census of Pound Street, Larne, County Antrim, Sarah is listed with her parents though she appears to have been absent on the night of the census. Apparently she went to work as a servant for she is so listed on her marriage certificate. On Nov.31, 1866, Sarah Earls, a full-aged spinster servant of Moyallen, parish of Tullylish, County Down, was married in the Wesleyan Chapel of Ballymore, Tandragee, County Armagh, to John Dowds, a full-aged bachelor and National School Teacher from Loughans, parish of Tullylish. John, whose father is listed as weaver William Dowds, is remembered as Robert Henry Dowds which may either be an error or it may be that he used that name. On the marriage certificate, Sarah's father is listed as John Earls, bailiff. The marriage was witnessed by James Earls, probably the bride's brother, and by Martha Dowds. Family legend remembers Sarah's husband as a schoolmaster in Richhill, County Armagh, who died young. Sarah was left a widow with seven children, six sons and one daughter who are described below. They continued to live in Richhill. In her old age Sarah used a stick and liked a high chair. Irene Calvert remembers her staying in Ravenhill Park for a week and has a photograph taken about 1928.

  1. Alexander Dowds, the eldest, won a sizarship to study at Trinity College, Dublin. Later he taught math in St. Andrew's College, Dublin and was a tutor at Trinity. He would characterize poor students by saying: ``Has no brains and won't learn in class''. Though slightly older, he was a close friend of John Earls, the son of James Earls and Margaret Dick. They shared a common interest in math and in the early days of bicycles they explored Donegal and other parts of Ireland using this mode of transport. Alec also taught John to swim. He loved to fish and swim. Alexander married Ann Nunan, a Roman Catholic from Limerick and they had four sons and three daughters listed below. His sons were good swimmers and took part each year in the river Liffey swim with subsequent graphic descriptions of the smell from the Guinness Brewery and the number of dead dogs passed on the way. They used to visit Islandmagee. When they did so singly Letitia Earls would put them up; when they arrived as a family she would arrange for them to stay at some nearby farm. Alexander and Ann's children:
    1. Arthur Dowds was the same age as Arnold Earls and frequently stayed with the Earls family in Ravenhill Park, Belfast. He was lively and adventurous, chose the sea as a career, got his Extra-Master's ticket and was Captain of some quite large ships that plied in foreign waters. This was in the era of transition from steam to diesel powered ships. Late in life he married Primrose McLaren, the daughter of a Glasgow shipowner. Primrose she bore him three children. She was one of the first women to obtain an aeroplane pilot's license at the age of 17. In later life Arthur became the principal of the Navigation School in Dublin. During World War II he skippered an old sailing ship under the Irish flag, bringing food from Spain through the mine fields in the Bay of Biscay. On one trip the ship was lost with all hands. Arthur and Primrose's children:
      1. Henry Dowds, born in 1943, attended Gordonstoun School in Scotland.
      2. Sarah and
      3. William were twins born in 1946. William attended Gordonstoun School in Scotland.
    2. Alexander Dowds (Sandy) also used to visit Ravenhill Park. He emigrated to Canada, married and had two children.
    3. John Dowds married but we know of no children.
    4. Francis Dowds married but we know of no children.
    5. Mary Dowds became a nun and later was in a mental hospital.
    6. Nancy Dowds became a doctor, married Stanley Towel and lives at Florencourt, County Fermanagh. They have three children.
    7. Ruth Dowds married and emigrated to Australia. She had twins.
  2. John Dowds, the second son of Robert and Sarah Dowds, emigrated to South Africa where he was married (see Appendix 5A).
  3. William James Dowds (Jem), the third son, became a director of Pimms, a department store in South George Street, Dublin. He had two sons and two daughters by his first wife (name?). After the death of his first wife Jem married the sister of his brother Thomas's wife, a woman named Barber from Sligo, Ireland. Irene Calvert stayed with them on Rathgar Avenue in Dublin on one occasion. She said that the children all loved ``Barby'' and that they pointed out ``A.E.'' George Russell, the poet, as he was passing on his bicycle. He lived a few doors away. Irene also has a photograph of the family taken when she met them vacationing in Portrush, County Antrim one summer. Jem's children by his first wife:
    1. Sarah or ``Sadie'' Dowds was born about 1910, and trained as a teacher. She married George Wiggins and, in later life, they lived at Edmonton, Killucan, County Westmeath. They had no children. George died on Sep.24, 1973, and is buried at St. Etchen's Church, Killucan.
    2. Barbara Dowds was born about 1914.
    3. Charles Dowds contracted tuberculosis and was sent to Switzerland but eventually died.
    4. Alexander Dowds, we think, became a teacher.
  4. Henry Dowds was born about 1880. Fighting in World War I as Private 23822 in the 9th battalion of the Royal Enniskilling Fusiliers, he died unmarried on Jul.1, 1916, aged 35. His name is on the Thiepval Memorial at the site of the Battle of the Somme.
  5. Edward Dowds died unmarried during World War I.
  6. Mary Dowds died in infancy.
  7. Thomas Dowds became a schoolteacher in St. Johnston, County Donegal not far from Londonderry. He married Martha Barber of Sligo and they had two sons:
    1. Arthur Dowds was drowned in the River Foyle as a boy.
    2. John Dowds became a doctor. He married but we know of no children. Jack emigrated to the Falkland Islands.

William Earls, the seventh child of John and Mary Earls, was born on Jan.13, 1844. In the 1851 census of Larne, County Antrim, he is included with his parents who were living on Pound Street. William became a builder and on Nov.3, 1870, married Mary McKay ( -1924) in the First Presbyterian Meetinghouse in Glenarm. The witnesses were James Earls and William Ross. William and Mary had five sons and three daughters listed below. At least during the period 1871-75 they were living in Glenarm and William gave his occupation as a plasterer. At some point William and Mary and their eldest children went to Scotland where William learnt how to make plaster mouldings and do other fancy work. The family returned to County Antrim and later lived in Pound Street, Larne, perhaps in the same house in which his parents lived. It was demolished in the 1950s to make room for a new Technical School. William built the house and shop in Mullaghboy, Islandmagee in which his brother James Earls lived with his family. Mary McKay Earls, like her mother-in-law Mary McCloy Earls, was not entirely resigned to the family's conversion to Methodism. Consequently the family attended Methodist church and Sunday school in the morning and Unitarian (or old Presbyterian) Church in the afternoon. William died on Jul.15, 1905, and was buried in the graveyard of St. Patrick's, Church of Ireland church in Glenarm, County Antrim. His wife Mary died on Feb.1, 1924. There is a fine headstone almost on top of the ruins of a very old church which reads as follows: ``In loving memory of William Earls of Larne died 15th July 1905 and his wife Mary died 1st Feb. 1924, their son Alexander who died young, their son William died 17th June 1878, their daughter Mary, twin sister of William, died 20th November 1935, their son James died 26th January 1956.''
The children of William Earls and Mary:

  1. Alexander Earls, the first child, was born in Glenarm on Sep.19, 1871 and died in infancy.
  2. Sarah Earls, the second child, was born in Glenarm on Apr.12, 1873. Jane McKay, Mary's sister, was present at her birth. Sarah recalled living in Scotland with her parents and being taught the alphabet in a unique fashion by her father, William. She remembered reciting it to the teachers in her Glasgow school and saying that ``I'' was for Islandmagee and ``H'' was for the hump on my Ma's nose. After the family's return to Larne, Sarah became a monitress in James Earls' school in Islandmagee. She would stay with James Earls' family during the week and then at the weekend would walk down to Hood's ferry and travel across to home in Larne. One weekend the lough was particularly rough and Sarah kept asking Mr. Hood, the ferryman ``Do you think it's safe, Mr. Hood ?''. Finally Mr. Hood could stand it no longer and said ``Miss Earls - do you think I'm goin' yo droon mysell for the pleesure o' droonin' you ! ''. In her old age Sarah would still laugh at the boatman's reply. After she qualified Sarah became a teacher at Carncastle National School and remained so even after her marriage to Thomas Timperley who worked in Manchester. They had one daughter:
    1. Adelaide Earls Timperley was born on Apr.10, 1913. She excelled academically, having a particular flair for languages, and attended Queen's University, Belfast, where she obtained a B.A. During World War II Adelaide worked as an interpreter at the British Imperial Censorship Headquarters in Bermuda; a surviving photograph shows her and other staff pictured with Winston Churchill during his visit in 1942. After the war Adelaide worked for the United Nations relief and rehabilitation organization responsible for rehabilitating refugees back to their homelands. She also wrote articles for the Belfast Telegraph entitled ``An Englishwoman Abroad''. Whilst in Germany she met and married Alexander McGregor and they returned to live at 72 Victoria Road, Larne, where they lived with Adelaide's parents. Adelaide taught at Larne Technical College and often thought of the ancestral home in Pound Street which had been demolished in order to construct that college. Adelaide died of cancer on Mother's Day, 1966. Adelaide and Alexander had four children:
      1. Thomas Earls Timperley McGregor, known as Earl, was born in 1948 and attended boarding school at Methodist College, Belfast. He graduated from Dundee University with a degree in dentistry and later qualified in orthodontics at Glasgow University. He runs an orthodontic surgery in Dundee. Earl married Moira McGinlay and they live at 16 Park Road, Dundee. They have two children, Joanne Katherine McGregor born about 1980 and Tim McGregor born about 1982.
      2. Alexander James Timperley McGregor, known as Tim, was born in 1951 and attended boarding school at Methodist College, Belfast. He is currently (1992) a detective chief inspector with the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Tim married Joyce Lowry and they live at 2 Ascot Gardens, Belvoir Church Road, Belfast. Tim and Joyce have two children, Ross Alexander McGregor born about 1975 and Laurie Adele McGregor born about 1979.
      3. Angus Cameron McGregor was born on Aug.11, 1954, and attended boarding school at Methodist College, Belfast. He married Yvonne Trusdale and they have a daughter, Fiona White McGregor, born about 1981.
      4. Sally Joanne Marie McGregor was born Jul.16, 1957, and attended boarding school at Methodist College, Belfast. She is currently (1992) a detective constable in the C.I.D. with the Northamptonshire Police in England. In 1981 Sally married Glenn Hitches who is also with the C.I.D. in Northamptonshire. They live in Market Harborough, Leicestershire and have two children, Adele Judy Hitches born Dec.16, 1989, and Alice Alexandra Hitches born Jan.17, 1991.
  3. John Earls, the third child, became a jeweler and watchmaker in Larne and later went into the building trade. Together with his brothers James and Thomas, he worked on many large houses on the County Antrim Coast Road including Drumragreagh. John married Annetta Beggs of Belfast and they had six children listed below. John died about 1927 and Annetta about 1948. Their children:
    1. Edna Earls died at the age of 6 or 7.
    2. Mary Earls, known as May, married Hugh McCollam from Templepatrick who served in the Royal Navy. They had no children.
    3. Eileen Earls married Jack McClean from Ballyclare. Jack had a chemist shop in Ballyclare, McCleans Pharmacy. They had two daughters:
      1. Heather McClean now lives in Cahir, County Tipperary.
      2. Morag McClean, known as Cherry, married a man named Mitchell and now lives in Ballyclare, County Antrim.
    4. William Earls was born in 1914 and married Peggy McAllister of Larne. Billy went to work with the Ulster Transport Board in Larne harbour in 1948. In 1952 he began work with Pandoro, a subsidiary of the P. and O. group responsible for the roll-on and roll-off traffic through Larne harbour. He rose to become Port Manager for Pandoro, retiring in 1977. He died about 1999. Billy and Peggy had a son:
      1. Allister Cecil Earls lived in Millbrook, Larne, and taught school in Lisburn. He married Patricia McKillop of Aghagallon, County Antrim, and they have a son, James Earls.
    5. Vera Earls married Thomas Carlisle, District Inspector of Police, in Belfast. They had two children:
      1. William Carlisle, now deceased.
      2. Joan Carlisle married Ernest Crozier and they live in Belfast. They have a daughter Fiona Ruth Crozier.
    6. Cecil Earls was born on May 26, 1920, and married Hazel Beggs from Ballyclare, the daughter of William Hugh Beggs and Agnes Horner, owners of the Ballyclare Iron and Brass Foundry. Cecil and Hazel had no children and now live in Sarasota, Florida.
  4. William Earls and
  5. Mary Earls were twins, born on Jun.26, 1875, in Glenarm, County Antrim. William died on Jun.17, 1878, and Mary on Nov.20, 1935.
  6. Thomas Earls, the sixth child, was born on Aug.10, 1884 and became a skilled craftsman. Later he was employed as Clerk of Works, supervising local authority and government building works in various parts of Northern Ireland. He was also on the committee of Larne Technical School and gave Irene Calvert a great welcome there when, as an M.P., she came to the school to present the prizes. He remembered the Croziers from Fermanagh staying with his grandmother in Larne and knew about the headstones in Garvary, Inver and Larne. He married Sarah Kathleen Rocke of Rory's Glen, Kilwaughter and they had three sons and a daughter as follows:
    1. Kathleen Earls, born Jan.17, 1923, married George McNichol. In 1990 Kathleen was living at 18 Star Bog Road, Rory's Glen, Kilwaughter, Larne. George and Kathleen had a daughter:
      1. Mary Kathleen McNichol trained as a teacher at Stranmillis Training College in Belfast. She married Raymond Duffin of Carncastle. Raymond is a depot supervisor with the housing executive. They also own a small, 36 acre farm at 95 Brustin Brae Road, Ballygally. They have three children, Nicola born in 1973, Kathrine born in 1980 and Robert born in 1984.
    2. James Earls, born Mar.17, 1925 was in Auckland, New Zealand in 1960.
    3. John Rocke Earls was born on Jul.22, 1926. He emigrated to Toronto, Canada, but whether this was before or after his marriage to Daisy Harper we do not know. In Toronto John was a constable in the Toronto Metropolitan Police, at least for the period 1961 to 1976. He and his family lived at 36 Marta Avenue, Scarborough (261-7740) which is a suburb east of Toronto. John and Daisy had two daughters:
      1. Brenda Earls.
      2. Heather Earls.
    4. Wesley Earls, born Oct.15, 1927, also emigrated to Toronto where he lived at 15 Noganosh Road, Scarborough. In 1976 he worked as a carpenter at this address for ``John Ray and sons''. In 1986 the business was called ``Art Magic''. Wesley has two sons:
      1. Ernest Earls.
      2. Raymond Earls.
  7. James Earls, the seventh child, became a skilled craftsman and died unmarried on Jan.26, 1956.
  8. Jane Earls, the youngest child, never married. She lived in Larne at the corner of Gloucester Avenue and Lahanna Avenue (in 1959) but also spent alot of time at the home of her sister Sarah and Sarah's daughter Adelaide at 72 Victoria Road, Larne. There she helped to look after Adelaide's four children. Adelaide's daughter Sally remembers that when the children got ``out of turn'', Jane would dump a jug of cold water over them. Sally also remembers that when ``Aunt Jane'' came to visit she would sleep in Sally's bedroom. Last thing at night she would put methylated spirits on her toes ``to keep the frost at bay''. As the years past Jane became quite forgetful and if any of the children misbehaved she would don her hat and coat and say she was returning to Pound Street. Of course she meant Lahanna Avenue since the Pound Street house had been demolished years before.

John Earls , the youngest child of John and Mary Earls, was born in Larne on May 29, 1847, an event which was recorded in a family bible. He is included in the census return filed in 1851 by his father for their home in Pound Street, Larne, County Antrim. John was only seven years old when his father died in 1854. He must have joined the army for he is listed on the South African War Memorial outside the City Hall, Belfast. Later he worked as a joiner and emigrated to Australia. He never married and died as an old man.

Last updated 7/30/99.

Christopher E. Brennen