Speer family genealogy
Of Balnasaggart and Tullybryan, County Tyrone
Compiled by William J. Simpson, Donegall Street, Belfast.
Arms: (On the Speer vault at Ballyclog, co. Tyrone.) A cross blazoned 1st and 4th quarters a garb; 2nd and 3rd quarters a martlet or eaglet. No Crest. Arms: Registered in the Lyon Office, Edinburgh—a ture within a bordure or. between two spears in saltier four boars’ heads or, on a chief argent a mullet between two crescents gules. Arms: From a source unknown. On a fesse blazoned three boars’ heads couped a triple shamrock. Grant of Arms made to Hannibal Speer, Esq., of Fulham, Middlesex, A.D. 1871: Chevron between trefoils. Crest: A garb. Crest, used by Captain Saville Speer, 1st Royal Regiment of Foot (commanded by H.R.H. the Duke of Kent): An arm in armour embowed wielding a spear. Motto: Deus deriget et defendat.
Thomas Speere, of Desertoghill, d. July, 1636; will proved at Londonderry by “his loving friends,” William Cooke, Thomas Galt, and Lawrence Speere. (See original testament in Record Office.) He left issue by his wife Jennett, beside other children:
2. John Spear, of Drumbannoway; born A.D. 1623; died 10th February, 1705, aged 82 years; buried at Ballyclog, co. of Tyrone. He left issue:
3. Robert Speer, of Stewartstown, co. Tyrone; born A.D. 1650; died April 6th, 1743, aged 93 years; buried at Ballyclog, co. Tyrone; will proved A.D. 1745, preserved in the Record Office, Dublin. His second eldest son.
4. (—) Speer, whose name was, I believe, Thomas, was father of:
5. John Speer, of Balnasaggart; born A.D. 1697; died November 12th, 1763; buried at Balnasaggart; his tombstone bearing the following inscription:—
“This monument is erected in memory of John Speer, gentleman, late of Balnasaggart, who died 12th of November, 1763. And his much lamented daughter, Sydney Speer, who died 17th October, 1778, aged 43 years; also Mary Anne Speer, who died 21st May, 1781, in the 76th year of her age.”
(This is the grave belonging to the Balnasaggart family, in which several of the Clonally Speers were interred).
John Speer’s will was proved, A.D. 1764. He left issue:
6. James Speer, of Balnasaggart; born A.D. 1724; died 12th April, 1788, aged 64 years. He was buried in the vault at Balnasaggart. A tablet erected to his memory, bearing the following inscription:—
“To the memory of James Speer, late of Balnasaggart, Esquire, who departed this life, 12th day of April, 1788, in the 64th year of his age. Beloved and lamented.”
7. Henry Speer, of Tullybryan, co. Tyrone; born 1731; died 1792.
8. Sydney Speer; born 1735, and died 17th Oct., 1778, unmarried. James Speer, of Balnasaggart, who is No. 6 on this pedigree, married Catherine Hamilton of Desertcreight, dau. of Patrick Hamilton (sister to James Moore Hamilton of Desertcreight, whose son, William Hamilton, married Arabella Stuart Holmes. See “Stuart” pedigree), leaving issue, twelve children:
9. John Speer, afterwards of Desertcreight; buried there.
10. James Speer; died in India; no issue.
11. Colquhon Speer, Lieutenant of Marines; died at sea; no issue.
12. Hamilton Speer, student of Trinity College, Dublin; died aged 30; no issue.
13. Captain Saville Speer, 1st Royal Regiment of Foot (Colonel H.R.H. the Duke of Kent); died March 6th, 1831. He mar. Martha Caldwell, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Caldwell, a clergyman belonging to the Presbyterian Church, and left issue:
14. James Lambert Speer, Edward Saville Speer (Both living in Melbourne in 1887, unmarried.)
Catherine Martha Speer, Mary Anne Speer, Eliza Jane Speer, Fanny Speer.
15. Doctor William Frederick Speer, of Aughnacloy; married Miss McKinstry, dau. of Lee McKinstry, of Armagh, and had issue:
Doctor Speer took a prominent part on the side of the Government, during the eventful years preceding the Act of Union. In a poetical production of the period, a United Irishman is represented as threatening:
His Holy weapon to employ,
To kill Ned Moore of Aughnacloy,
With Crossley, Armstrong, Doctor Speer
(Ned’s “whipper in”—the Devil’s dear).
16. Henry Moore Speer; died at Balnasaggart, 1836, and buried there; was unmarried.
17. Eliza Speer, married Thomas Speer, of Carron.
18. Margaret Speer.
19. Anne Speer.
20. Christian Speer, mar. William Speer.
21. Catherine Speer.
John Speer (afterwards of Desertcreight), who inherited that property from his uncle James Moore Hamilton, married and had issue a dau. Jane, who m. Robert Graham, of Drumgoon, co. Fermanagh, and Balnakill, co. Galway; born 1786; died A.D. 1860. See Burke’s Landed Gentry.
We now return to Henry Speer, of Tullybryan, who is No. 7 on the foregoing pedigree. He married Phoebe Spear, daughter of Laurence Spear of Swanlinbar, county Cavan. Henry Spear built the house at Tullybryan, as it at present stands: the date of its erection, 1771, together with his initials and those of his wife are carved upon a stone which is built into the wall of the house. Henry Speer died, March 11th, 1792, aged 61 years; his wife Phoebe died at the advanced age of 86. They are both buried in Balnasaggart churchyard, his tombstone bearing the following inscription:
Henry Speer of Tullybryan, died 11th March, 1792; aged 61 years.
He left issue.
22. John Speer of Tullybryan; born 27th Nov., 1772; died August, 1848.
23. Phoebe Speer (who m. Thomas Spinks (see “Spinks” pedigree); born 1779; died in Dublin, 1855; buried there in what was then known as the “Round Church,” now St. Andrews.
John Speer, No. 22 on this pedigree, married 18th April, 1796, Jane, daughter of Gabriel Toole, of Maguiresbridge, co. Fermanagh, one of the Volunteers of ’82. They are both buried at Balnasaggart. Issue:
24. Henry Speer of Dungannon, who mar. Jane Vance (see “Vance” pedigree). He died 3rd May, 1863, leaving issue:
John Speer, living 1887.
Andrew Vance Speer, living 1887; has issue.
Anna Speer (mar. Mr. Gregston, of Chicago, U.S.A.); died leaving issue.
Jane Speer, mar. Samuel Young, Esq., Dungannon, living 1887.
25. Mary Anne Speer; born 1793; died A.D. 1884, unmar.
26. Jane Speer; born March 10th, 1800; died at Balnasaggart, March 6th, 1882.
27. James Speer, of Tullybryan; born 1809; died A.D. 1881, aged 72 years, leaving a daughter Jane, living A.D. 1887.
Jane Speer, No. 26 on the foregoing pedigree, married Joseph Simpson, of Cess, afterwards of Balnasaggart, co. Tyrone, and had issue:
28. John Simpson, mar. Sept., 1852, in St. Peter’s Church, Dublin, Julia Young (see “Young” of Annahilla); both living at Redfield, Bristol, in 1887.
29. Robert Toole Simpson, of Balnasaggart, unmarried, living A.D. 1887.
30. Eliza Jane Simpson, unmar., living A.D. 1887.
31. James Simpson, of Dublin, mar. Frances Elizabeth Carrothers, who departed this life April 3rd, 1883, aged 27, leaving issue two daughters, both living A.D. 1887.
John Simpson, No. 28 on the foregoing pedigree, has issue:
32. William Joseph Simpson (of Belfast); born March 25th, 1854, living A.D. 1888.
John James Speer Simpson, Inland Revenue, Chetenham; b. January 1st, 1856, living 1887.
Phoebe Ann Simpson, died in infancy.
Robert Simpson, of Redfield, Bristol, L.R.C.S.I., M.D., living A.D. 1887.
Harry Simpson; born 1865, living A.D. 1887.
George Walker Simpson; born 1868, living 1887.
Joseph Simpson; born 1871, living 1887.
Arthur Simpson; b. 1873, living 1887.
Thomas Young Simpson; born 1875, living 1887.
William Joseph Simpson of Belfast, No. 32 on the foregoing, born at Dublin, on 25th March, 1854; mar. in St. Anne’s Parish Church, Belfast, on March 6th, 1879, Evelyn Howey, youngest daughter of the late James Creagh, of Dungannon. She was born August 23rd, 1858, and died at Belfast, March 9th, 1888; interred in the new cemetery, Dungannon, co. Tyrone, leaving issue:
33. William James Simpson, born at Bloomfield, Belfast, January 24th, 1880.
34. Evelyn John Simpson, born at 9 Abercorn-street, Belfast, Dec. 10th, 1887.
From Robert Speer, eldest son of John Speer, of Drumbannoway, co. Tyrone, descended the Speers of Granitefield, co. Dublin.