Researching Hillis of Aghalee/Aghagallon

No baptism records have ever been found for Joseph Hillis and his wife Jane Thompson (spelt Thomson in some records). Given the information provided below, it is likely that Joseph Hillis was baptised in Aghagallon, but that the record is now lost. The death register was perhaps the most useful surviving record. A trawl through this produced 22 Hillis who were born before the baptism register and the ages at death point to an approximate birth date.

A death record for a Joseph Hillis appears for 1887 (aged 80), pointing to a birth date of 1807. Another death record for a Jane Hillis is appears for 1868 (aged 62), pointing to a birth date of 1806. It is highly likely that these are the same Joseph and Jane Hillis in view.

In the Registry of Deeds from 1708, which are available on microfilm in PRONI, James Hillis of Lurgan is referred to, which is likely the same James who married Dorothy.

Most importantly, a John Hillis acquired a lease in Trummery (Magheramesk) in February 1750 and his son James Hillis inherited this. Then in 1797, James sells it to Robert, John and George Hillis of Trummery, who it appears may have been his three younger brothers, but this is not certain. It would seem that James Hillis (likely the husband of Dorothy) had set up home in nearby Lurgan, with at least one child Rebecca (as per mortgage documentation for a property in Lurgan, 14 years before selling the Trummery ground to his three brothers). It states that this property and offices was built by the said James Hillis. It is possible that any of these four brothers could have been the father of our Joseph Hillis.

Mention of Robert Hillis & Widow Hillis in the index to Belfast Newsletter in 1781 would tend to eliminate Robert as the likely father of Joseph. Of the three that remain, James, John and George, as previously indicated, James seems to be the elder. This leaves John and George as the two potential candidates for Joseph’s father. Tracing the wills of George Hillis of Aghagallon 1839 and Robert of Aghagallon 1802 would confirm this theory, but unfortunately, no copies of these wills have ever been traced. Addtionally, the three younger brothers did possess the land in Trummery, close to where our Joseph later appears as a farmer. That would perhaps indicate that James (Lurgan) is less likely to be Joseph’s father. Again, this points to John or George.

A George Henry Hillis later seems to have taken over all the Hillis farms in this area and these were passed to his son George Hillis. George Henry Hillis is the son of our Joseph Hillis. Again, given the prevalence of the name George, it is more likely that Joseph’s father may have been George Hillis, son of the earliest John Hillis of Trummery (born in the early 1700s).

The mystery surrounding Joseph’s parents remains unsolved, but looking at the evidence, the most likely line is that he was the son of George Hillis c. 1757-1837 and therefore the grandson of John Hillis of Trummery. That would mean that the young Henry who died in 1799 (aged 4) was Joseph’s brother. With the loss of many of the records, this may never be absolutley proved. However, by enriching this research with other records, it might be possible to further narrow down what we already know.

Lastly, James Hillis may well have been related to the Hillis families of Waringstown and Dromore, whose wills were found in the Dromore Diocese 1734-48. If so, this would potentially facilitate getting back another generation before our John Hillis.