This is taken from Alvin Ruddock’s email comments from his 1999 emails.

I have checked the holdings listed in the Tithe Applotment records in 1829 when all agricultural property was valued in order to convert payment in kind to cash valuations.

In these records William Kidd held nine and a half plantation acres so it looks as though he still has the same farm in 1863. I see he is also listed as a draper.

Also in 1829 James Ruddock held eighteen plantation acres, so the Ruddock holdings in Ringclare were considerably expanded between 1829 and 1863.

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Did Mary Kidd bring a farm with her on marriage to James/ George? James appears in the Tithe Applotment records in 1828 as farming 18 plantation acres at Ringclare, about 29 statute acres. In 1863 he has these 29 acres (lots 8A, B and C) plus another 25 acres (lots 7A and B). Meanwhile the land previously held at Minnymore by Joseph and David has passed out of Ruddick hands. Possibilities: land at Minnymore was swopped for land at Ringclare; Mary Kidd brought land with her, on marriage to James; land was acquired from neighbours. William Kidd had about 15 statute acres in Ringclare in 1827; in 1863 he still has 15 acres and Isaac Kidd has about 10 acres with part of the Ruddick farm in between the two Kidd holdings. The shape of the holding to my eye indicates some sort of carve up. 12B in particular seems to have what looks like an artificially created access to the road and the farmhouse. But which way round the transfer might have been, certainly is not clear.

John Ruddick held on to his farm and it passed first to his nephew George Kidd jr., son of his sister Agnes who married George Kidd son of Isaac Kidd. In 1896 the farm then passed to Robert H Sloan and in 1902 George Kidd appears as living in one of the neighbouring houses. Is the name Sloan known in the family at all? In 1894 Thomas Isaac Sloane was an executor of John Ruddick's will along with George Kidd jr.

Wm. Cummins and family went on to acquire other neighbouring lands and consolidate a good farm in Ringclare

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Some thoughts on the Ruddock/Cummins land owner changes

James Ruddick (and Mary are both buried at Donaghmore) died in 1872 as per the gravestone inscription and confirmed in the civil records, leaving a widow, Mary who would, from the gravestone inscription, have been aged 49 at the time.

In 1873 the farm previously held in the name of James Ruddick passes to Mary Ruddick.

In 1874 the farm then passes from Mary Ruddick to William Cummins. (This is starting to sound like one of those logical reasoning questions you would have done at school)

According to the 1901 census, William Cummins was living on the farm with his family and 83 year old mother and was then 45 years old, so according to the census, he would have been 18 or 19 in 1874. His wife’s age is given as 35. Ages given in the 1901 and 1911 censuses are notoriously suspect, especially those ending in a 0 or 5. Some people are seen to age 20 or even 30 years between the two dates, so William, subject to verification, could be safely assumed to anywhere in his early 20’s in 1874. Given that his mother was 83 in 1901, there cannot be another William at an in between age, so I would assume that the census age is out by a few years.

(Prior to the Married Women’s Property Act of 1882, upon marriage, a woman’s entire income and property became that of her husband.)

The family story is that Mary, widow of George (James?) Ruddick, married a much younger man who then divorced her after getting ownership of the farm. Note: See the Cummins information for clarification of this as the dates of death for Mary and his subsequent remarriage to Annie Porter, dispute this information. In looking at the dates, the facts indicate that Mary was married to Wm. when she died and that he remairried a few years after Mary’s death. The family story is from a letter that Mary Ruddock Silzel has from her Aunts, written in the early 1900’s of the family history back to Ireland (1820’s).

But, if Mary widow of George is a different person from Mary widow of James, how did she get the farm in the first place? Mary widow of James was alive until 1885.

Also worth noting is that John Kidd Ruddock, son of Mary Kidd who married William Cummins, called his son Robert James.

George Kidd (Mary’s brother?), son of Isaac Kidd, married Agnes Ruddick, daughter of Robert Ruddick of Ringclare and had a son George Kidd who inherited his uncle John Ruddick’s farm. Note: Is this part of the confusion in names between James and George?