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Oct. 22nd 1919

I am sending you herewith a batch of notes so far made on the families
of Torrance, They all spell it Torrens now. You will, I fear, be
disappointed in the result so far, but there is more to do. I understood
from your first letter you wanted a preliminary search made so as to get
an idea of what records existed to be examined, so that some of the
enclosed are only refernces to records. I have, however, made more
thorough search of some sources. Hardly anything is to be got in print
of your families. Nearly all relates to the Dungiven family. To avoid it
in our search I tried to get a pedigree of that line and from printed
sources and some data lent me, I have nearly made out a chart which I
will send later. But I did not spend much on that branch, it not being
your line. I got a genealogist in Dublin, just released from the war, to
look up sources and he is at work, but very slowly, as he is on a search
for Earl Beatty, Admiral of Fleet. He is a very reliable man and very
keen in search. A few of his results are enclosed. I am getting the
abstracts made from his references, as they are not many. We are making
up a co-operative search into the Chancery Bills, which are not indexed,
and so too costly for a single client. They sometimes throw a flood of
light on a family. He has already got a reference to one of the
families, 1711. I first made an attempt to find if a search had been
made on Torrens families by Dublin searchers. I tried several searchers,
also the Assist. Deputy Keeper, but could find no trace of such. To give
you sn idea of expenditure so far, I have paid the Dublin Agent £1.5.0,
and I put my own time at £4.0.0. You will understand that a great deal
of work does not show in the result and a good deal of correspondence is
included, also study of topography, etc. Some of the old names of places
are hard to identify.

I am,
Yours faithfully, (Signed)b J W Kernohan

The earliest Ms. I searched for Co. Derry is a Muster Roll dated 1630 or
1631. It is a copy of a Ms. in Brit Museum, London, and gives names of
British on the estates. There is not a Torrens in whole County at that
date.

Our first good, full Census Returns, giving relationship and ages, is
dated 1821, a little later than the letters. But they would give all the
families, and I would suggest the three parishes, Desert, Aghadowey and
Kilrea should be searched for Torrens. They are only in Ms.

JWK.
_____________________________________________

Following notes by RJT:

List of attached documents. Many had become separated and are re-
attached as best I am able!
 
Derry Will: Alex T of Carnroe, 28 Aug 1717
Derry Will: Archibald T of Carnroe, 3 June 1748
Derry Will: Alex of Mullahinch. 20 Feb 1771
Reg. of Deeds 248,198,159,737. Paul Torrence of Ballynacran 11 Apr 1766
Muster Rolls c. 1630 & 1642

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Document URL: genealogy.torrens.org/Torrens/LettersJWK/19191022_JWKtoJST.html
Last modified: Wed, 22 Nov 2017 14:08:11 GMT