100th Birthday on SundaySource: North Irish Roots, Vol. 5, No. 2 (1994), pp. 24-25Published by: North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27696971 .

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100th BIRTHDAY ON SUNDAY

The following was written in 1963.

Talking to Miss Mary (Minnie) Stewart, who will be 100 years old on Sunday, 29th September, is like visiting another world and it is hard to believe that the town she speaks of is the Ballymena we know today, there

have been so many changes. She is the youngest child of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Stewart, Hazelbank,

Galgorm Road.

Mr. Stewart was the proprietor of Stewart's Bakery, Bridge Street, now the Bridge Street Bakery. He came to

Ballymena from County Down in 1850 and his family, including Miss Minnie, were born in the house beside

the bakery. Later he built Hazelbank, the first house just past the Railway Station on the Galgorm Road.

Miss Stewart can still read good print without the aid of glasses and has a truly wonderful memory and takes a keen interest in present-day happenings.

She and her sister went to live in Dublin in 1909, but returned to Hazelbank to keep house for her brother

Joseph and his daughter when his wife died. The family later moved to Portrush when Mr. Stewart retired

from business and she now lives with her niece, Dr. Florence E. Stewart, on the Antrim Road, Belfast.

No Waveney Road

She can remember the Waveney Road being built. Before that when they wanted to get to the Railway Station from Bridge Street they had to go via Linenhall Street and down Galgorm Street. At that time there were beautiful banks of rhododendrons behind the iron railings and porter's lodge of a fine house, the

residence of Mr. William Gihon, who later went to live at Lisnafillan. She can also recall the building of the brick houses at the foot of Bridge Street by the Braid Water Mill to house skilled workers they had brought into the town to operate the newly established Spinning Mill.

Her family worshipped in First Ballymena Presbyterian Church and she taught in the Sunday School. She

spoke of the changes in that building, recalling the old high pews with doors and the choir sitting in a

semi-circle behind the minister. In those days there was no instrumental music.

In her young days the Adair family visited the town, staying in the Castle. The head of the family addressed the townspeople at a meeting in the Town Hall annually and entertained the Town Commissioners, the

predecessors of the Borough Council, of which her father was for a number of years chairman, to a garden party in the Castle Grounds. The then head of the Adair family was Lord Waveney, who took his title from the River Waveney flowing through his Suffolk Estate, hence the names Waveney Road and Suffolk Street.

Miss Stewart recalled the handing over of the People's Park to the town. His Lordship placed some statuary in the Park on rising ground then known as Todd's Hill.

Science classes

She was educated at the Ballymena Model School, the Headmaster then being Mr. John Given, and a Miss Brown the teacher of her class. She and her sister then went to the Grace-Hill Moravian School and later to a school run by a Miss Wallace in Albert Place. They also attended science classes held by Mr. Knowles at Flixton Place.

Asked about sport in the town in her young days, Miss Stewart said she and her sister played hockey for the first ladies' club in the town. It was formed by the Misses Young, of Kintulough Castle, and amongst those

who played were the two Misses Knowles, Miss Ballentine and Miss Sloan. She played in goal and the first

pitch was in the Demesne; they later used a meadow on the Harryville side of the river opposite the Mill.

It seems remarkable to think that in those days her father could watch the game from a first-floor window at

Hazelbank, Claremont Terrace, and the house now used as the offices of the Rural District Council had not been built. She also played golf at Broughshane and a little tennis, but she thought the latter game was not

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really energetic enough! Skating was also a regular occupation in the winter, either on the Dam in the Park or on flooded meadows at Ballyloughan, but she remembers going by train to Antrim to skate on Lough Neagh. She also recalls the wonderful concerts in the town and the parties in private houses.

Deed of loyalty

Miss Stewart showed our representative a most interesting document which was signed by her

great-grandfather, Mr. Adam Millin, of Gordonall, Co. Down, on 24th June, 1796. It reads as follows:- "I, Adam Millin, do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George the Third, and that I will faithfully support and maintain the laws and constitution of this

Kingdom and the successor to the throne of His Majesty's illustrious House. So help me God." The document was countersigned by H. Montgomery. She also has in her possession a photograph taken of her two brothers before she was born.

WITH A FEW MINUTES TO SPARE

Jennifer A Duguid, Member number B 106

Some years ago, I found that I had a few minutes to spare when visiting the Public Record Office in Belfast, so I decided to have a look at great uncle James' Will. I had known him well, and remembered him as a

kindly man, also careful and conscientious. These characteristics seemed to come through to me as I read

the long handwritten document. From a genealogical point of view there was little to learn, as I knew

everyone mentioned except for his nieces and nephews who had been born in Dublin.

After making bequests of a monetary nature, he then listed various items of jewellery, furniture and books

etc., that he wished certain family members to have. At the end of this list he mentioned "my family group

photograph" and his wish that it "be preserved within the family circle either at home or abroad". At the

time, I briefly wondered what photograph he was referring to and also where it might be now.

About two years ago, I had a few minutes to spare again. This time I was visiting the National Archives in

Dublin, and so I decided to try and find out something about great uncle James' sister Margaret who went to live there after her marriage. A look at the Dublin Street Directories seemed a good idea as I knew her date and place of death. Very quickly her entry in the relevant year was found, and so I decided to search

backwards year by year until, in theory, I found out when she was widowed and then when she and her

husband moved to Dublin.

After noting the information I returned the book to the shelf. Instead of lifting down the one for the previous

year, I reached for the next year. I did not realise my mistake until after I had found an entry for the same

surname at her address but with a different initial. Was this a relative? Or was this just a coincidence?

Further investigation showed that every Directory that was consulted contained an entry with the same

surname. I noticed that the initial changed twice, but the surname remained right up until I ran out of time

and had to leave.

When I returned home I looked at the Irish Telephone Directory and the surname was there. Containing my

curiosity, genealogically speaking of course, I decided to write a letter rather than telephone. As luck would

have it, I received a reply shortly afterwards from uncle James" sister Margaret's youngest son's widow!

Fortunately she was delighted to hear from me and we entered into a very interesting correspondence. In

one letter she mentioned that she had a photograph she thought I might like to see. Thinking that it was of

"snapshot" size, I asked her to send it to me so that I could make a copy. But it wasn't sent.

Last October I travelled to Dublin to meet her and we spent a most enjoyable time together. At one point she told me that she would like me to have the photograph that she had mentioned in her letter. Visions of

popping the "snapshot" into my purse soon vanished when her sister staggered into the room with a large,

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