The History of the Conn Family

Now to AYRSHIRE   

Here we are  at the point in history where the Cons-Conns were in process of leaving or had left the Scottish scene.   It would appear that the leading members of the family and the  better educated went to France.    This is borne out by the research into the leading members of the Auchry and Artrochie Cons.    It is very probable that the rank and file members of the family made their way south-west on the way to expatriation to County Down, Ireland , and met up with others of the family who may have already been in Ayrshire,  (Patrick Con of  Auchry  had acquired lands in Ayrshire),  and who had changed their religion during the reformation.    

There is a suggestion in Black’s “Surnames of Scotland” that the surname   Con or Conn   in Ayrshire  may or could be derived from the name “Petcon” an ancient family in Ayrshire who owned the estate of Pitcon in the parish of  Dalry, and recorded as early as 1296.   Pitcon is just to the north of the village of Dalry.   Dykes and Auldmuir are not far away nor are Haining and Camphill further north just into the parish of  Largs.   There were a number of Cons/Conns living in the Ayrshire served by Glasgow in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.   There is the possibility that they may have been connected with the ones in Aberdeenshire. 

One theory I have  is that WILLIAM on his way from the Isles to Auchry would have to pass through Ayrshire to get up to Aberdeenshire.   If the name of Conn was here then as suggested by  Black it is possible that his memory had been jogged to Con-Conn of The Hundred Battles,  a part of the history of the MacDonalds of the Isles and thereby  he founded the Cons of Auchry. 

At a point in time probably  the late nineteenth century some of their descendants are believed to have returned to Scotland during the bad times in the belief that life was going to be much better there than in Ireland.   Possibly that was the reason for Robert  Conn moving from County Down to the Kilmarnock area in 1871-2.   Ayrshire would of course be a good area to go backwards and forwards between Scotland and  Ireland, a short journey.. 

Before 1823, testaments were recorded in the Commissary Courts which covered far wider areas than the Sheriff Courts which took over.   Ayrshire was covered by Glasgow Commissary Court.   Note: Testament does not mean “will” in the Commissary Court records.   It means a record of the whole moveable estate of the deceased, including debts owed by and to him and may include a will.   If there is no will it is called a testament dative and if there is a will, a testament testamentar. 

These are records which were confirmed by the Commissary Clerk.   Testamentary material can also be found in the Deeds, Edicts of Executry and Tutory or Curatory, but those records are not indexed.   Other testamentary material can be found in the Deeds of the local Sheriff Court, but again these are not indexed.   The following are extracts from these records relating to the family name of CON: 

Testament dative of Jonet Sympsone, widow of William Con, in Dykis.   She died in August, 1604.   Her executor dative appointed by the court was her daughter, Marion Con.   They were small tenant farmers.   She left a cow and 20 sheep, for example.  (recorded 22 October, 1607)   CC/7/5. 

Testament dative of Jonet Con, wife of James Lyll in Auldmure (parish of Dalry).   She died in September, 1614.   Her executor dative was her husband, James Lyll in the name of their children, John, Barbara and Jonet Lylls.   They were small tenant farmers.   She left a farrow cow, grey nag and 6 bolls of oats in the ground and 6 pecks of bear (barley), for example.  (recorded 6 March, 1619)   CC9/9/15. 

Testament dative of Elizabeth Anderson, wife of Thomas Con merchant in Glasgow.   She died May, 1621.   Her executor dative was her daughter, Margaret Con, wife of Patrick Weir. (recorded 22 Nov 1621).   CC9/7/18. 

Testament dative of John Con in Hayning of Largs (parish of Largs) who died May 1620.  His executor dative was his son John Con.   He was a tenant of Lord Boyd.   He owed wages to Jonet Con, his servant. (recorded 25 May 1622)  . CC9/7/18. 

Testament testamentar of Katherine Con, widow of James Kyll sometime in Gifferland, parish of Dalry.   She died November, 1626.   She left a will made at Kirktown of Dalry on the 14 October 1626 in which she named her daughter, Agnes Kyell as her executrix.   She left the residue of her estate to Agnes and £10 to her daughter, Margaret Kyell who was in Ireland.  (recorded 16 Dec 1626)   CC/7/21/1) 

Testament testamentar of John Con, tailor and burgess of Glasgow who died June, 1636.   His widow was Marieane Neisbit.   His will was made on the last day of May 1636 and he named his wife, Marieane Neisbit as his executrix.   His daughter, Jonet Con was a minor and so he appointed his uncle, John Con in Campbell as her tutor (guardian).  (recorded 26 Oct 1636).   CC/7/27. 

Testament dative of Margaret Con in Dalry, widow of Edward Mackie.   She died January 1636.   Her children were Thomas and Jonet Mackies. (recorded 25 July 1637).   CC9/7/27. 

Testament testamentar of John Con in Campbellburgh (parish of Largs).   He died in November 1640.   His testament was made on the 19^th November.   He was owed money by William Con in Dykes.   His wife was Agnes Aiken and his children - Alexander, Andrew, Janet, Margaret and Malie Cons.   His brother was James Con in Hayning.  (recorded 3 May 1641)   CC9/7/28   (Note:- he is most likely the uncle appointed by John Con in Hayning as tutor to his daughter, Jonet Con) 

Testament dative of John Con in Lamridding, Parish of Dalry.   He died November 1663.   His executor dative was his son, William Con.   [CC9/7/36]. 

Apart from Glasgow, the Cons  domiciled  in  the parishes of Dalry and Largs, in Ayrshire.   Largs is the most northerly parish in Ayshire and is bordered on the south by Dalry.  However, the main, concentration of CONNs was in the three towns, Saltcoats, Ardrossan and Stevenston.  [The latter town of Stevenston is where my line of the family are recorded from 1640.]

THE

IRISH SCOTTISH CONNECTION  

CO.  DOWN  and KILMARNOCK 

1788  AD     to     1876  AD   

Research carried out in Northern Ireland has been able to show unequivocally that the location of the CONN  family in Ballycoshone and Tirkelly is absolutely correct. 

ROBERT Conn was born on the 21^st December, 1788, At Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland, and  died in 1864 at Newry Workhouse.   His occupation had been that of a weaver. His father, John Conn was born on 4^th April, 1754, at Ardrossan, Ayrshire, Scotland, and his mother was Mary Paton.  Robert Conn was 5^th of six brothers                       

 He was the father of the following children born in Ireland:- 

(1)                    ALEXANDER Conn was born in 1823 and died on 9^th October  1866.   He was the son of Robert Conn born. 1788.    ALEXANDER Conn   had married twice; firstly to Jane Spiers who was born 1825 and who died sometime between 1853-1863, and then secondly to Martha Dickson, born 1837.   

They were the parents of 

1.     ANNA Conn,   born  1847, married John Morrison on 19^th November, 1869.     

2.     JANE Conn, born 8^th April, 1848, in Ireland. 

3.    ANN ELIZABETH Conn born 7^th November, 1849, in Ireland, and died  1906.                                                                                                                                              4.    ROBERT Conn, born 1^st November, 1852, in Ireland.  He    married Mary Jane Dickson on 1^st July, 1869. They moved to Ayrshire, Scotland arriving there sometime after the 3^rd April, 1871, this being the time the census was taken. They had one child a girl, MARTHA born in, on the 14^th February, 1872, at Hurlford, Ayrshire, Scotland.   His wife died on 26^th December, 1873,  in Kilmarnock Infirmary, Ayrshire,  of typhoid fever   He re-married, to Alice Middleton, on 19^th August, 1876, in County Durham, England.   Martha came to England with him.  When she eventually married her name changed to Duggan. 

5.     MARY ANN Conn, born 1st July, 1854, in Ireland. 

6.     ALEXANDER Conn, born 1857, who married Susan Spires  on 27^th August, 1872.   He and his wife came over to Scotland and settled in Lugar near Auchinleck, Ayrshire.

NOW ENGLAND 

1876  AD     onwards  

After his wife died ROBERT Conn moved to County Durham, England, and on the 19^th August, 1876 married Alice Middleton at Houghton-le-Spring, Co. Durham.   They lived at 72,  Main Street, Southside, West Rainton, and then ll, Lambton Street, Sherburn. He died on the 16^th November, 1910, as the result of an accident at Sherburn Hill Colliery. 

The pedigree of the   MIDDLETONS’ 

JOHN Middleton was born on 26^th November, 1822, at Cumber, Ireland and died in October, 1862.  He was married to Alice nee.........and who was born on 28^th November, 1822 also at Cumber, Ireland.  [Cumber is in the Belfast area but at this time the country was not divided].   They had the following children.

1.                     MARY  Middleton, born 22^nd December, 1849, at West Rainton.died 2^nd January, 1873, died at West Rainton. She married into a  Palmer family and this was her name when she died. 

2.                     RACHEL Middleton, born 2^nd June, 1852, at West Rainton and died 25^th  August, 1872, at Ryhope.       

3.                   WILLIAM  James Middleton born 24^th January, 1853, at West Rainton. He must have died young hence No. 4 

4.                    William James Middleton, born 29^th May, 1857, at West Rainton.. 

5.                     ALICE Middleton, born 30^th August, 1859, at West Rainton.  She was the   Alice Middleton who married Robert Conn.  She died on the 25^th May 1909.                                                                                                                                          

Details of the children of Robert and Alice. 

1.         MARY ALICE Conn, born 3^rd April, 1877.  She married Thomas  Henry Cowper [born 20^th April, 1877 and died 7^th October, 1954.           There were two children, Robert Wilcox Cowper born 30^th January, 1914 and Alexander Cowper, born 17^th September, 1915. 

2.         ALEXANDER Conn, born 15^th February, 1879. He died on 22^nd May, 197l.   He married  Barbara Robson on the 20^th April, 1901.  They had six children.  See APPENDIX  “A”. 

3.         JOHN MIDDLETON Conn, born 7^th July, 1881, baptized 17^th December, 1881 and died on lst December, 1882. 

4.         JANE SPIERS Conn, born 10^th April, 1883.   She lived  at    Jesmond,  being connected with the Tyne Hotel in the City. She died in the General Hospital Newcastle upon-Tyne, in the early nineteen-   seventies. 

5.         JOHN MIDDLETON Conn, born 10^th February, 1885 and baptized on 11^th March 1885  He died on 3^rd March, 1894. 

6.         LAVINIA Conn, born 23^rd September, 1887. She emigrated to Vancouver, Canada.  She married, her surname becoming Rimmer.  She and her husband lived at  1166 East 59 Avenue, Vancouver 15, until she died in 1970.                                             

7.   WILLIAM JAMES MIDDLETON Conn, born 12th April, 1889 and  died  on the 16th January, 1890.  

8.                  EMILY Conn, was born 30th October, 1890, and married on 29^th May, 1911, at Durham City Registry Office, Co. Durham, to William James Harmston.   She died on the 7^th July, 1968.

9.                  HILDA ANNIE Conn born on 3^rd July, 1892, and baptized on  17^th  August, 1892.   Her married name was CRANGLE.

10.       JOHN MIDDLETON Conn, born 16^th September 1894 and  baptized  on 24^th October, 1894.   He married Edith Violet EARL at Old Clee Church, Grimsby, on 4^th Spetember, 1915.     They had at  least one daughter, Violet Middleton Conn who married Harry Leslie Ormand on 10^th October, 1936, at St. Stephen, Grimsby.   John Middleton Conn  served in the army, Lincolnshire Yeomanry,  during the Great War of 1914-1918, and survived.  He is  lived his life out  in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.                       

11.       IDA BEATRICE Conn born 16^th April, 1897 and baptized on 12^th    May 1897.  Her married named was WILLIAMSON.                                                                                                                                       

12.   ROBERT  [Robbie] Conn, born 17^th October, 1898, and    was baptized on 15^th January, 1899, at St. Mary’s Church, East Rainton.  He died on 8th December, 1937.   See Appendix  “B” 

The children of Alexander and Barbara 

1.       ERNEST Conn, born at The Freehold, West Rainton, on 6^th      December, 1901 and died on 4^th December, 1979.   He married  Margaret Ann Curry at Houghton-le-Spring..    They had three children all boys.   William, Alexander and John Balfour. William died three weeks after birth.  See APPENDIX  “C” 

2.         FLORENCE MAY Conn, born 14^th April, 1905 at the Freehold, West  Rainton, and died 12^th February, 1984.  All her married life was spent in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area.  She married James Hindmarch         Snowdon at Bournmoor Church on the 9^th April, 1928.   They had three children, Barbara, Avril and James. 

3.         WILLIAM JAMES Conn, born 12^th December, 1906, lived for  only five hours and was buried the same day at West Rainton. 

4.        ARTHUR Conn, born 21^st October, 1908, at 71 Midddle Row, est  Rainton.  He later moved to New Lambton, and attended  Primrose Hill school.     He died on 25^th November, 2002 [See APPENDIX ”D”]

 5.      ALICE MIDDLETON Conn, born 10^th February, 1911, at West      Rainton  and married James Martin at Bournmoor Church on 28^th May 1932. spending the majority of her life in and around New Lambton and Bournmoor.   They had one child, James Arthur Martin. 

6.         MARGARET GOWLAND Conn, born 17^th March, 1916,   She     married Nicholas Price at All Saints Church, Carsholton, on 19^th February, 1938.  Has spent the majority of her life in and around Fence Houses, Houghton-le-Spring areas.  She did spend some time when first married in the London area.  They had three children, Colin Holmes, Barbara Robson and Alexander Conn. 

7.         ALEXANDER Conn,  born 2nd September, 1919, spent the early part of his life at New Lambton, Co. Durham.  SeeAPPENDIX‘E’]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

The children of Ernest and Margaret Ann Conn

1.         WILLIAM Conn, Born 13^th March, 1927 and died on 3^rd, 1927. 

2.        ALEXANDER Conn, was born on 2^nd February, l929 at Fence Houses,  Co. Durham. See APPENDIX  “F” 

3.        JOHN BALFOUR Conn, was born on 19^th February, 1937, at 3, Short Row, New Lambton, Co. Durham. See APPENDIX  “G”

Further information withheld