| Best Papers | Public Record Office of Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Collection | |
|---|---|
Identifier |
D/2838 |
Description |
Records of the (Du Bordieu/Dubourdieu) Best family of Aghagallon, Co. Antrim, 1779-1943. Of Huguenot descent, the Best Family were substantial tenant farmers living and working in the parish of Aghagallon, Co. Antrim. Comprising chiefly estate papers, the collection contains title deeds, 1779-1896, testamentary papers, 1790-1893, financial papers, 1802-1893, and a wide range of correspondence, some of it relating to the purchase of holdings under Ashbourne’s Land Purchase Act of 1885 and the estate known as ‘The Cairn’ in Aghalee, Co. Armagh where the family is still resident. Important for charting the development and administration of the Family’s property, the estate papers are notable for illuminating the relationships between tenant farmers, sub-tenants and landowners in the area. The collection also contains a number of maps, plans and valuations including a ‘Plan of the Cairn Hill Farm, the property of Mr. Robert Best' surveyed by M. Wardhaugh in 1846, and papers concerning the Nevin, Cousins, Turtle and McDonald families who were related to the Bests through marriage. |
Strengths |
The collection is of value to students of estate ownership and management in the nineteenth century and, in particular, with regard to the purchase of land by tenants at the end of the century. The estate papers illuminate the relationships between tenant farmers, sub-tenants and landowners. |
Physical Characteristics |
The Best papers consist of c.800 documents, 1779-1943, and occupy eight PRONI boxes. |
Languages |
English |
Contents Date Range |
1779 - 1943 |
Collection Type |
Collection. Archive. Text. |
Accrual |
Policy: Closed
Method: Indefinite Loan
Periodicity: Closed |
Access |
The collection is stored in secure, closed accommodation and can be requested for on-site consultation using an in-house document ordering system. Access is supervised and for research and/or reference purposes. |
Description or Catalogue |
See PRONI reference D/2838 for catalogue of the papers. The catalogue is available for consultation in PRONI's Public Search Room. |
| Collector | |
|---|---|
Name |
Best Family |
History |
The Du Bordieu (or Dubourdieu) Best family are of Hugenot descent, the Du Bordieus having settled in Ireland sometime in the early part of the 17th century. Although no documentary evidence exists to establish the exact date, or the means by which they left France, the family tradition is that the Rev. Jean Armand Du Bordieu was, in his infancy, smuggled from France into England. As an adult, he came to Ireland about 1690 and was chaplain to Field Marshal Schomberg when the latter lost his life at the Battle of the Boyne. His son, Rev. John Du Bordieu, came to live in Ireland and his family claim him to be the progenitor of the Du Bordieu Bests in this country. A descendant of his, also called Rev. John Du Bordieu, was rector and vicar of Drumgorland and Drumballyroney, Co. Down from 1821 until his death in 1839. However, he is best remembered as an author of some distinction having written the 'Statistical Survey of the County Down' in 1802 and the 'Statistical Survey of the County Armagh' in 1812. Saumare,Z the eldest son of Reverend John, was born in Lisburn in December 1780 and was the British commander in 1802 when Martinique in the French West Indies was captured from the French. Over time, the family gradually dropped the "Du Bordieu" part of their name, reverting for whatever reason – probably marriage - to Best. They became substantial tenant farmers in the parish of Aghagallon, Co. Antrim, under the Marquess of Hertford, under whom they purchased the leases of a number of smaller tenants during the 19th century before securing the estate of ‘The Cairn’ in Aghalee, Co. Armagh under the Land Purchase Act of 1885. In the twentieth century , the family seat was occupied by Robert Dubourdieu Best who led an active life in the field of agriculture and as treasurer of Aghalee parish Church for fifty years. Upon his death in the early 1970s, ownership passed to his son, William, who, in the tradition of his great-uncles, served in the British army and was decorated by King George VI for bravery in the Second World War. Today, the family tradition is still alive and the manor-house is occupied by William's son, Robert. |
| Owner | |
|---|---|
Name |
Best Family |
History |
The Du Bordieu (or Dubourdieu) Best family are of Hugenot descent, the Du Bordieus having settled in Ireland sometime in the early part of the 17th century. Although no documentary evidence exists to establish the exact date, or the means by which they left France, the family tradition is that the Rev. Jean Armand Du Bordieu was, in his infancy, smuggled from France into England. As an adult, he came to Ireland about 1690 and was chaplain to Field Marshal Schomberg when the latter lost his life at the Battle of the Boyne. His son, Rev. John Du Bordieu, came to live in Ireland and his family claim him to be the progenitor of the Du Bordieu Bests in this country. A descendant of his, also called Rev. John Du Bordieu, was rector and vicar of Drumgorland and Drumballyroney, Co. Down from 1821 until his death in 1839. However, he is best remembered as an author of some distinction having written the 'Statistical Survey of the County Down' in 1802 and the 'Statistical Survey of the County Armagh' in 1812. Saumare,Z the eldest son of Reverend John, was born in Lisburn in December 1780 and was the British commander in 1802 when Martinique in the French West Indies was captured from the French. Over time, the family gradually dropped the "Du Bordieu" part of their name, reverting for whatever reason – probably marriage - to Best. They became substantial tenant farmers in the parish of Aghagallon, Co. Antrim, under the Marquess of Hertford, under whom they purchased the leases of a number of smaller tenants during the 19th century before securing the estate of ‘The Cairn’ in Aghalee, Co. Armagh under the Land Purchase Act of 1885. In the twentieth century , the family seat was occupied by Robert Dubourdieu Best who led an active life in the field of agriculture and as treasurer of Aghalee parish Church for fifty years. Upon his death in the early 1970s, ownership passed to his son, William, who, in the tradition of his great-uncles, served in the British army and was decorated by King George VI for bravery in the Second World War. Today, the family tradition is still alive and the manor-house is occupied by William's son, Robert. |
| Location | |
|---|---|
Name |
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland |
Address |
2 Titanic Boulevard |
Website |
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Access Control |
The Record Office is open to the general public on weekdays between 9.15 am and 4.45 pm, with late night opening until 8.45 pm on Thursday evenings. The Office is closed on the main public holidays and is closed annually for two weeks late November/early December. All readers are required to register their membership on their first visit to the office for which some form of identification will be asked. Registration and admission to the office is free of charge to the public, although certain commercial users (i.e. solicitors, journalists, television reporters and professional genealogists) are subject to a fee. Disabled access facilities, self-service microfilm and a chargeable copying service are provided. |
Role |
Government agency with responsibility for official and private records |
Phone |
0442890534800 |