The Hoods of Newtonstewart, Co Tyrone, N Ireland

Ulster Flag

The Abercorn Letters  An introduction to the Abercorn letters, as relating to Ireland, 1736-1816 By Canon John H Gebbie, Rector of Ardstraw

17/04/1754 Jo Colhoun Agent Strabane to The Duke of Abercorn in London

 Hood of Lower Lisnatunny sold his interest to turn Innkeeper at Newtownstewart. The tenants on the land gave Divine the money that he was to give to Hood and I believe that the affair is settled

06/03/1774 James Colhoun Agent Strabane

James Hood's widow went to his Lordship in London. The executors want to sell her out -she is determined to farm it.

Another possible family member was  James Hood, a weaver, from Strawletterdallen - had a son James, also a weaver, born abt 1820 who married on 23 Jul 1846 Mary Sproul born abt 1825, father AJ Sproul. Witnesses were W McFarland and R Lyons (my great great grandfather)

Also a William Hood from Newtownstewart and Isabella Hood - his wife? - were on the ship SESOSTHIS in 1847 from Ireland to Quebec      (JJ Cooke Shipping Records)

Also

First known direct ancestor was Robert Hood born before 1800 - from Strawletterdallen near Newtonstewart.

He had 4 known children:- Samuel, Mary & William and Ross

Mary married Samuel Kerr - Ker family tree. 

Ross was single and died 26/07/1873 - in his will he left £450 to William Hood, brother, farmer, Lisnatunny

Samuel born before 1820, married Louisa Fulton, then after her death her sister Margaret.

Samuel & Louisa, his 1st wife, had 3 children   - two who went to Australia. - one male* and another called Margaret,  and William who stayed in Tyrone  

William - my great grandfather - married Anne Jane Lyons on 20/12/1866. He farmed at Strawletterdallen initially and then bought a farm at Pubble

From the Day Book of Robert Lyons Riversdale:-

19/09/1879 William Hood sold farm at Killymore Bridge to John Beaty for £900
21/11/1879 William Hood paid Mrs Ross for Pubble Farm  £1210.10.0
Got possession 22/12/1879
Friday 09/01/1880 William Hood, wife and family left Straw for Pubble

In 1892 was a District Magistrate, JP, Rural District Councillor. In 1901 he was a Methodist church leader . In 1901 census he was living at Pubble townland
Ulster Covenant Signatures 1912

Ross farmed at Lisnatunny - was a bachelor and died on 26/07/1873 - his brother William was his inheritor.

Samuel & Margaret , his 2nd wife, married in 1854. Witnesses were William Fulton and Samuel Hood. On his marriage Samuel is shown as a merchant living in Newtownstewart -   They had 2 children  -   John Fulton Hood  born 1856 & Louisa Harrison Hood born 1858. Samuel died 03 May 1876 & Margaret died 03 Mar 1902   Will of Samuel Hood probated 08/06/1876, of Newtownstewart, a merchant who died 03/05/1876 left up to £1000. Executors John Hood Merchant and John Fulton Hood, Gentleman - his sons Slaters Directory 1846 shows 2 Samuels - one a grocer & another a grocer & earthenware dealer

A James Hood b 1820 married a Mary Sproul born 1825, father AJ,  on  23 Jul 1846 - both lived at Straw. James was a weaver and his father James was also a weaver. James b 1820 was same age as Samuel above. Samuel's son William H married Anne Jane Lyons, also from Straw. (see below) Were Samuel and James Hood cousins ?.

 

3 Samuel Hoods feature in Griffiths Valuation for Newtownstewart - Grange, Lower Deerpark and Newtownstewart

William Hood and Anne Jane Lyons from Straw had 10 children:-

Jennie, Louisa and Edith were in business together in Newtownstewart. Jennie was the proprietress of the Temperance Hotel and Louisa was the manageress and ran the restaurant. Edith had a millinery shop next door.
They all met their husbands who were clients of the Hotel and Restaurant.

1. Anna Marie married Graham Hood, her distant cousin on 02/07/1896.They had 8 children:- John Henry, Jeannie, Louisa Kathleen Donaldson (named after my grandmother, her aunt), Andrew, William Thomas, Robert Albert Graham, Norman & Albert. 

Norman went to Tandragee to work with Walter Gracey (8 below), John Henry went to USA, Louisa 1903-1941, married Francis Hamilton and went to live in Ardstraw 

John Henry (Harry) - born 2311/1907 at Lisnagir, went to USA on SS Cameronia arriving on 05/05/1930. He was a motor mechanic. He returned on SS Laconia sailing from Galway on 10/10/1937 with his wife Reba, presumably after their marriage. She and  their 2 children flew from Shannon airport on Pan American to join him on 07//11/1947 at 1270 Clinton Place, Elizabeth, New Jersey. His wife was Rebecca (Reba) Thompson born 1907 in Fintona Co Tyrone. There are 3 living children. Reba died on May 1980 at Whiting, Ocean, NJ and John Henry died on 14  May 2004 at Lakewood, Ocean, New Jersey

1930 emigration	1937 - John Henry and Reba Hood to USA	1947 - Reba, Noel & Audrey Hood

Photo Gallery Photos Hoods Newtownstewart

3 Jennie  married Joseph Stephenson 1878-1935, Commercial Traveller from Sligo on 13/04/1909 and they opened a shop. They had a son Bamford who married Meta Wilson - they in turn had 4 children. Bamford was educated at Dungannon Royal School - boarder in Twigg House and he and his family  emigrated to Moss Vale NSW Australia in 1960s  
Ulster Covenant Signatures 1912

4 Robert Henry married Mary Alice (Lily) Stephenson 1886-1974(sister of Joseph above) - he was an auctioneer and a farmer and a church leader at Gortanigan, Newtonstewart. They had 4 children, 3 boys and a girl. All the boys were educated at Dungannon Royal School - boarded in Twigg House

One boy went to Canada and joined the Canadian Royal Air Force. Another boy joined the Blue Star Line - then managed branches in Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela Their 3rd son became a school teacher. Their daughter married a Fighter Pilot.

After Robert Henry's death in 1920 Lily  took over his auctioneering business - the 1st woman auctioneer in the British Isles - and appeared in Guinness Book of Records. Father of Lily and Joseph Stephenson was also Joseph and he married Miss Trimble

5 Elizabeth married William Orr on 23/05/1901 and went to live in Maine Omagh. They had 7 children:-
William Henry,           Robert Cecil,          Anna Gertrude,          Herbert Samuel,           Wilfred John,           Jeannie Elizabeth,       George Richard Ulster Covenant Signatures 1912

6 Louisa married Robert John  Donaldson, also a commercial traveller, on 16/07/1903 - my grandparents

7 Margaret Freedom died aged 6 from Croup

8 Edith married John Robert Gracey  of Forthill Farm, Ballymore Tandragee Co Armagh, a farmer - on 08/05/1907. 
Ulster Covenant Signatures 1912
(2 Gracey women went  to New Zealand. 0ne married Francis and another married Maginnis)

Edith and John Robert had 4 children:- Walter   Jane Winifred  John Robert(Jack)   1 Living Daughter

Walter jointly founded Tayto Crisps He married twice and had 2 children by his second wife

Jane Winifred  married Cliff and moved to Leeds - they had 2 daughters.

Jack married and was a farmer at Tandragee - they had 6 children.

Living daughter  married and moved to Cambridgeshire - they had 2 daughters

9 William Albert Fulton married Elizabeth Fulton in 1923 - one daughter. Ulster Covenant Signatures 1912
                          
10 Evelyn died young I understand Ulster Covenant Signatures 1912

Robert Hood emigrated from Newtownstewart circa 1799 to the USA.  It is believed he arrived in Philadelphia. Family folk lore has Robert along with at least three brothers, Robert , John M and James and a sister Mary migrating to the states.  One brother John remained in Philadelphia and Robert removed to Western PA.

Possible dates of birth John 1778, Robert 1779-1780
They possibly link in Ireland is the following; Irish Flax Growers List, 1796     
50044  Tyrone  Hood,  Robert   /  48528   Tyrone    Hood,  John 

The mother of these Hoods was Mary McClellan.and names passed down to various generations included
Robert, James, John, William, and David