James Cubit Research Commissioned by
Val Trickett
JAMES
CUBIT UHF4/84/123
The name, Cubit, is most unusual and this fact has been of great
assistance to us in locating your ancestor.
Since you knew the date of his trial it was a simple matter to search
the Belfast Newsletters for the year 1819. (MIC 19 reel 67) on 23rd
March 1819 at County Antrim Assizes, David Millar and James Cubett were
accused of stealing 2 sheep on 14th January 1819, the property of
Joseph Walker. The full report (see photocopy) was in the Newsletter of
26th March, Friday, 1819. The verdict was guilty. Banishment to the
other side of the world seems an excessively heavy punishment, but
those were hard and frugal times. No specific place of residence was
mentioned.
In your information you say that one property in Tasmania was called
"Dungall". This is the name of a townland land in the parish of
Kirkinriola in the vicinity of the town of Ballymena (see maps.) It is
also part of the Adair family's Ballymena estate. It would seem that
this is where James Cubit had his roots.
The names index listed one Cubit - James Cubit, 1736 re a lease of
tenements on the east and west sides of North Street, Ballymena. Robert
Adair Esq. to James Cubitt for 126 years. Date 26th September 1736
(D929/HA12/E2/1/11). Also a lease of parcel of land on west and east
sides of the highway to Broughshane - Robert Adair to James Cubitt,
Ballymena, a weaver. (D929/HA12/2/48) lastly, lease of a parcel of land
west and east sides of the highway to Broughshane for 20 years - Robert
Adair to James Cubitt, weaver 9D929/HA12/4/25) all dated 1736. (see
maps) This area is in the parish of Kirkinriola as is the townland of
Dungall, so it is fairly certain that this James Cubit is of the same
family as your ancestor James Cubitt possibly a grandfather or
great grandfather.
At this point a search was made of the Adair family estate papers with
reference to the Ballymena estate. (D929, D1143, T1310, T1333) The
estate rental for 1810 recorded a Robert Cupid as having "lands in
Dungall" (D1143/2), the half yearly rent was £0.11.42 paid in May
and November. Was this James Cubit's father or brother? Estate maps
were also examined for the years 1789 and 1845 but no Cubits were
recorded for these particular years, (T1310/3).
Another source of information are Church registers and since the Cubits
appear to be firmly established in the parish of Kirkinriola, a search
has been made of the church registers for this parish. The Church of
Ireland registers begin 1789 but are scanty and incomplete
(T679/186-194). The Methodist register begins 1863 which is too late
and all the Presbyterian registers begin 1820s which again are too late.
The only Cubit found was in the Church Of' Ireland register in the
burials section. Ann Cubit of Ballymena Street, Ballymena aged 58
years, died 13th July 1842. She would have been born 1784 - possibly a
sister of James, your ancestor (or sister-in-law.)
The Householders Index drawn up in 1820s and 1850s record Cubitt's
(Cubits) in the following parishes in County Antrim - parish of
Ballymoney, parish of Craigs, parish of Dunaghy and parish of
Rasharkin. Again these are all in the vicinity of Ballymena, except the
parish of Ballymoney which is a little further north. The church
registers for these parishes begin rather late, so the tithe applotment
books were searched. (see notes). These were drawn up in the 1820s. The
only Cubits found were in the parish of Ballymoney, townland of
Ballyboylands and the parish of Dunaghy townland of Ballyreagh.
In the General Valuation of Rateable Property in Ireland 1850s, Cubits
were found in Craigs parish and Dunaghy parish. (see Griffiths sheet).
Today the Northern Ireland Telephone directory lists 13 Cubits, all in
the vicinity of Ballymena. The Southern Ireland directory lists no
Cubits.
Earlier sources were now searched. The census of Ireland 1659 listed no
Cubits, the Hearth Money Rolls of 1660s revealed no Cubits and the
Linen premium lists of 1796 were incomplete for the relevant parishes.
Still in the search for James Cubit we turned to the Mormon Micro
Fische (MFl/3). This is a list of all people recorded in church
registers in Ireland, drawn up by the Mormon Church. Here we found the
following entries -
7th December 1811, Sarah Cubit - daughter of James & Elizabeth
Cubit - Aghalee, County Antrim.
24th March 1814, John Cubit - son of James & Elizabeth Cubit of
Aghalee.
30th March 1816. Ann Jane Cubit - daughter of James & Elizabeth
Cubit ofAghalee, County Antrim.
These are indisputably the children of your ancestor James Cubit and
his wife Elizabeth. The year of birth of his son John tallies exactly
with the information given by you. Why did James move to Aghalee, some
45 miles south of Ballymena (see maps.) Aghalee was an area,
principally engaged in weaving. Most of the working class were employed
in their own homes weaving linen and cotton for the manufacturers of
Belfast. The Cubit family, as well as having land were also weavers
(names Index) and James may well have moved for this reason.
The tithe applotment books of 1820s (too late) were searched and the
Church of Ireland register for the parish of Aghalee. No Cubits are
recorded in the tithe applotment books and those in the church register
(T679/90-93) are those recorded on the mormon Micro Fische (MF1/3) -
the births of James' three children.
As to the origin of the name Cubit. It could be biblical (a cubit was a
measure of length or height) or a version of the old english name,
popular in the lowlands of Scotland and the north of England c.1200
A.D.- Cudbearht (see noted) often written as "Cudbird". Local dialect
could soon change this to the present Cubit. The old name means famous
and bright
Names Index
James Cubit D929/HA12/F2/1/11
Lease of tenements on the east 2/48
and west sides of North Street, Ballymena 4/25
for 126 years. Robert Adair to James Cubit 26th September 1736
Parcel of land on east and west side of the highway to Broughshane.
Robert Adair to James Cubit of Ballymena (weaver)
Lease of parcel of land, west and east side of highway to Broughshane
for 20 years. Robert Adair to James Cubit (weaver)
Adair family papers - Ballymena estate County Antrim.
(These are most interesting and well worth inspection)
Newsletter 1819
MIC 19/Reel 67
Reel 67 covers 1st January to 31st December 1819
County Antrim. Lent Assizes
23rd March 1819
David Millar and James Cubit for stealing two sheep on 14th January -
property of Joseph Walker.
Report in Friday, 26th March 1819 - see photocopy
Householders Index - County Antrim
Cubits recorded in the following parishes
parish of Ballymoney - 1820 and 1850s
" " Craigs
- 1850s
" " Dunaghy
- 1850s
" " Rasharkin
- 1820 and 1850s
Northern Ireland Telephone Directory 1984
13 Cubits recorded - see photo copy all in Ballymena area, County
Antrim.
Southern Ireland Telephone Directory 1984 No Cubits recorded
Linen 1796 1341
No records for parishes of Agahalee, Kirkinriola No Cubits listed
elsewhere in County Antrim.
Irish Geneological Society List MF1/3 Compiled by
Morman Church
Cubit
Ann Jane daughter of James & Elizabeth Cubit, born 30th March 1816,
Agahalee, County Antrim
John Cubit, son of James and Elizabeth Cubit, born 24th March 1814,
Agahalee County Antrim.
Sarah Cubit, daughter of James and Elizabeth Cubit born 7th December
1811 Aghalee, County Antrim.
Church Register for parish of Aghalee
Church of Ireland 1811
T679/90-53
These births were found to be recorded accurately from this register.
Townlands Index
Dungall. - a townland in the parish of Kirkinriola, County Antrim in
the Ballymena area. On the Adair estate.
Tithe Applotment Books Index
FIN5A/40
William Cubit 1825 Ballyboylands, parish of Ballymoney - 15acres 0roods
Operches
Alexander Cubit 1825, Ballyreagh
FINS/128
parish of Dunaghy - 0acres 4 roods 8 perches
Tithe Applotment Books 1820s
parish of Aghalee
FIN SA/4
No Cubits
parish of Kirkinriola
FIN 5A/194
No Cubits
parish of Rasharkin
FIN SA/256
book missing
parish of Craigs
FIN 5A/10
No Cubits
Place Index
Dungall - Rent assignment leases for years -- 1753, 1681, 1722, 1807,
1704,
1738, 1660, 1704
D929/HA12/F1/la,
F2/2/11
F4/2/l6
part of the Adair estate, Ballymena
Census of Ireland 1659
No Cubits
Hearth Money Rolls 1660s
No Cubits - records incomplete
Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Ireland
Aghalee 1830s
1411 inhabitants - many of the working class employed in their own
dwellings weaving linen and cotton for the manufacturers of Belfast.
Dictionary of British Surnames - P H Reaney
Origin of English Surnames -
Irish Names - Matheson
Surnames of Scotland - Black
No Cubits recorded in any of these sources.
However in Dictionary of British Surnames the old English name, popular
in the north of England and lowlands of Scotland - Cudbeorht meaning
"famous and bright", often written as Cudbird or Cuthbert is probably
its original form. in England, the letter R is not pronounced therefore
the name Cudbird becomes Cudbid - drop the D for ease of usuage and the
result is very near Cubit.
Adair Estate papers - Ballymena estate T1333/1 & 2 names, acreage,
townlands 1747
No Cubits recorded
rental of estate D1143/1/1 & 2
1808-1810
maps of estate - 1789 & 1849 T1310/3
No Cubits
Church Registers - Church of Ireland
parish of Kirkinriola - no early records T679/190 & 191
" "
Rasharkin - only vestry notes MIC 1/48
" "
Ballymoney - " 7679/195-201
" " Craigs
- too late
" " Dunaghy
- not available
" " Aghalee
- see elsewhere in full
No Cubits recorded, except Aghalee, as records are too late or
incomplete and one entry in the Church of Ireland register for parish
of Kirkinriola.
Ann Cubit, Ballymoney Street aged 58, died 13th July 1842.
cg
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