Our Earliest Known Ancestors –
Owen Barrett and Ann Logan
Dr Brian Turner, Director of the Down County Museum and the Ulster Historical Foundation suggested, in reply to my enquiry:
“Barrett [name] is uncommon in Fermanagh, but it is much more numerous in the adjoining county of Tyrone. Your people came from near Ederney…that is next to the boundary with Tyrone. And if you look at where the Tyrone Barretts are, many of them are in the next parishes to Ederney, around Dromore and Trillick. So you might place your family as an offshoot of a group which is essentially traced to Tyrone rather than Fermanagh.” Dr Turner may well be correct that Barretts may have originated in County Tyrone, but our family have certainly been in County Fermanagh since the 18th century. As of 1659 census, the total population of Fermanagh numbered 7102. 1800 were English and Scots, and 5302 were Irish. There are no Barretts listed in that census.
Owen Barrett is the first of our proven direct ancestors. His son Patrick was born in 1778 in County Fermanagh, so we can guess that Owen was born before 1750, making him about 28 years old when Patrick was born. Owen was a farmer; he married Ann Logan and by 1780 we know they were living in Co Fermanagh. Owen Barrett and Ann Logan would have had more children but I only know about their son Patrick through his emigration records to NSW in 1841. Possibly some children remained in County Fermanagh and a few maybe emigrated to Canada or North America.
There is record of an Owen Barrett born 1720 in County Tyrone who died in 1800. He had a child James Judge Barrett who was born in May 1752 in Virginia, USA[1].
In the Co Fermanagh Freeholders list of electors, there is a Thomas Barrett, living in the townland of Boyhill, in the parish of Aghavea in April 1767. Aghavea is further south than Drumkeeran, closer to Enniskillen, but still only several kilometres away.
There are many Owen Barretts in the 1860 Fermanagh census, Griffiths Valuation of Ireland. As no ages are given for any of them it is difficult to know where they fit into the family. As it was customary for the first born grandson to be named after the paternal grandfather, many first-born cousins would be named Owen which could account for the numerous Owen Barretts in the neighbouring parishes containing our Barretts, and of course they could include several generations
Logans
Ann Logan’s family would have been among the Scotch-Irish settlers in the northern counties of Ireland in the 1700s.
The principal movement of people from the Lowlands of Scotland to Ulster occurred in the 17th century. This migration, estimated to include well over 100,000 Scottish Protestants, mainly took place during the 90 year period from 1607-1697. King James preferred Scots for the colony because, in his words, they were “of a middle temper between the English tender and the Irish rude breeding, and a great deal more like to adventure to plant Ulster than the English”.
Because many English did not wish to migrate, and due to the poor economic conditions and overpopulation in southern Scotland at the time, many Lowland Scots were eager to make the short distance move.
Scots settling in Ulster could expect to rent land for a period of 21 to 31 years, sometimes longer (as much as three lifetimes). This was seen as a sure way to improve one’s economic standing. By 1619 over 8000 families had relocated to Ulster. By 1715 over one-third of Ulster’s 600,000 inhabitants were Scottish.
Because many of the Scottish settlers came from Gaelic speaking areas in Scotland they would have blended culturally well with their new neighbours. Geographically and agriculturally too, the two countries were similar so the Scottish quickly felt at home and soon intermarriage with the Irish was commonplace. These emigrants became known as Ulster Scots or Scotch-Irish.
Some possible Logan connections are:
1630 Munster Roll of Fermanagh which listed William Barrett as one of Captain Roger Atkinson’s men, also lists a David Logan carrying a sword for Captain Atkinson.
1717 a James Logan was buried in Co Fermanagh, with his wife.
1739, an Ann Logan born 1739 Co Antrim (IGI)
1788 Fermanagh Poll of electors:
John Logan Curran
Thomas Logan Mackanagh
William Logan Derrygore
1796 Flax Growers of Ireland in County Fermanagh list:
Charles Logan – Magheracross
Hugh Logan – Enniskillen
James Logan – Enniskillen
Michael Logan – Derryvullan
Patrick Logan – Magheracross
Thomas Logan – Aghalurcher
Thomas Logan – Drummully
William Logan – Magheracross
1829 Magheracross parish tithes:
Hugh, James, John, Patrick and William Logan.
1832 Tithe Applotment Index:
John and Patrick Logan living at Drumkeeran
many other Logans living elsewhere in County Fermanagh.
[1] Note Owen’s granddaughter Susan (emigrated NSW 1841) married a cousin James Barrett whose mother was Bridget Judge.
