GRT GRANDFATHER JAMES CULLEN (3)

James married Matilda Robinson, the daughter of David Robinson and Matilda Lynton who was born at Armagh on the 7th March 1864. This means that Matilda she was some fifteen years her husband's junior. The witnesses on the marriage certificate were a Samuel and Martha Robinson. These I have since discovered were Matilda's brother and sister. Martha was born 5th September 1868 and Samuel on the 21 December 1870. Drumadd where Matilda was born was at the time a village just outside Armagh, but is now encompassed by its urban sprawl. It was a very strong protestant village as shown by the picture on the right taken in the 1920's where villagers are proudly displaying their 'orange banner'. We do know that James converted to protestantism on the occasion of his marriage which even then must have been a rare occurrence. There are no Robinsons living at Drumadd in the Griffith's valuation of the 1860's and I have some suspicions that the family originated from a place called Camus in County Tyrone.

Matilda's father David was a horse dealer and it has been suggested to me that he could have been making his living by providing horses for the garrison at Armagh. James was then the quartermaster at the barracks so perhaps this is how James and Matilda met. There was another much sadder event which could have led to their meeting and that was 'The Great Armagh Train Disaster of 1889'. Matilda's mother Matilda Lynton died in this accident and the troops at the barracks were called upon to help in the immediate aftermath. More about this railway accident later.