Higginson of Carnalea

THE HIGGINSONS OWNED 81 ACRES OF LAND IN COUNTY DOWN

The first recorded representatives of the family in Ulster were the brothers Nathaniel and Nicholas, sons of the Rev John Higginson (1546-1624), Vicar of Claybrooke, Leicestershire. Nathaniel was despoiled of his property, Knockballymore Castle, County Fermanagh, and Nicholas of his estate at Belturbet, County Cavan, in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

EDWARD HIGGINSON (c1636-c1713), of Lisburn (grandson of the Rev John Higginson, of Leicester), a colonel in Lord Conway's Regiment (Rawdon's Troop of Horse), settled at Ballinderry, County Antrim, where he built Mosslands House.

He married Mary, daughter of Robert Savage, and had issue,

PHILIP;
THOMAS, of whom hereafter. 

The elder son,

CAPTAIN PHILIP HIGGINSON (1685-1783), of Mosslands, Ballinderry, married Eleanor Talbot, and was father of

PHILIP TALBOT HIGGINSON (-1819), Lieutenant, 73rd Regiment, who wedded, in 1764, Margaret, daughter of Richard Taylor, by whom he had an only child, JANE, who espoused her cousin, the Rev Thomas Edward Higginson.

Colonel Higginson's younger son,

THOMAS HIGGINSON (-1756), of Mosslands, Ballinderry, settled in County Wexford, and married Mary Colley, and was father of

THE REV DR THOMAS HIGGINSON (1722-89), Rector of Lisburn, Vicar of Ballinderry, who wedded Ann Moore, of Boley, County Wexford, and had issue,

THOMAS EDWARD, his heir;
Eliza, m H Marmion, of Lambeg;
Maria, m J Johnston, of Dublin;
Letitia, m Captain Greydon, HM Dragoons.

Dr Higginson's son and heir,

THE REV THOMAS EDWARD HIGGINSON (1767-1819), Incumbent of Lambeg, espoused, in 1788, his cousin Jane (maternal first cousin of the Earl of Shrewsbury), daughter of Philip Talbot Higginson, Lieutenant, 73rd Regiment, Usher in Court of Exchequer, and had issue,

Thomas Edward, b 1789, lawyer, East India Co; m F Clay; dsp;
Philip Talbot, Capt. Royal Irish Fusiliers; dsp;
HENRY THEOPHILUS, of whom we treat;
Margaret, m Rev Edward Leslie, Rector of Annahilt.

The third son, 

HENRY THEOPHILUS HIGGINSON JP (1798-1869), of Carnalea House, Crawfordsburn, County Down, Captain, Derriaghy Yeomanry, High Sheriff of Carrickfergus, 1849, married, in 1825, Charlotte, only surviving daughter and heiress of John McConnell, of Belfast (son of James McConnell, by Elizabeth his wife, only daughter of Dr Andrew Bogle, of Strabane (one of the claimants of the dormant Earldom of Menteith), by Charlotte his wife, daughter of James Potter, of Mount Potter, County Down), and had issue,

JOHN McCONNELL, of Carnalea;
Thomas Edward (1828-50);
Charles Henry, of New York and Norfolk, Virginia, USA (1830-69);
Theophilus, CB, Colonel, Indian Army (1839-1903);
Henry Talbot (Dr);
Charlotte Potter; Jane; Dorothea Josepha.

Mr Higginson was succeeded by his eldest son,

JOHN McCONNELL HIGGINSON JP (1826-91), of Carnalea House, and Tudor Hall, Holywood, Registrar of the Diocese of Down, Connor & Dromore, who wedded, in 1850, Susan Arabella Gertrude, only daughter of Robert Conry, of Clonahee, County Roscommon, and Lisbrack, County Longford, Captain, 90th Regiment, and had issue,

HENRY HARTLAND, his heir;
Charles William Shaw;
Thomas Edward;
Robert Conry;
Gertrude Arabella; Charlotte Augusta.

The eldest son,

HENRY HARTLAND HIGGINSON (1855-1908), of Carnalea House, Major, 2nd Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, wedded, in 1886, Elizabeth Mary, youngest daughter of Andrew Armstrong, of Kylemore, County Galway, and St Andrew's, County Dublin, and had issue,

HENRY CLIVE HIGGINSON (1887-), of Carnalea House, County Down.

I am keen to acquire images of Carnalea House, Crawfordsburn, County Down.

First published in July, 2012.