Captain John A Haig, (Douglas’ brother?) buried St Fintan’s Dublin.

[Jervis]

I came across this grave in St Fintan’s cemetery, Sutton, Dublin. I think it is Douglas Haig’s brother. 

“Captain John Alicius Haig”, whose wife died at “St Marnocks”. I know Douglas Haig’s sister lived at and is buried in “St Marnocks” (now the Portmarnock hotel & golf links). Douglas Haig was a frequent visitor. I have found little online about John A Haig, can anyone confirm the connection to Douglas Haig? 

Also interested to know what this Haig did in the Great War & why he is buried in Dublin. Did he live at St Marnocks too? 

Any help appreciated. Thanks 

Jervis

[PRC]

The Peerage website shows Douglas Haig as the eighth child of John Haig and Rachel Mackerras Haig, nee Veitch. The couples sixth child, (and third son) was John Alicius Haig, born 5th April 1857. He died on the 6th July 1933. Those dates of birth and death and place in the family would tie in with the details on the headstone. https://www.thepeerage.com/p30544.htm#i305436

The same site adds for John - "He married Jessie Marion Purbrook, daughter of Henry James Purbrook, on 29 November 1890. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)"  There are no children of the couple listed. https://www.thepeerage.com/p30547.htm#i305466

The King's permission for John to wear the medal of the Chevalier of the (French) Legion of Honour appeared in the Supplement to the London Gazette dated 15th December 1919, (page 15578), where he is recorded as a Captain in the Royal Army Service Corps. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31688/supplement/15578/data.pdf

I couldn't readily see a Medal Index Card for him, but given his age and rank it is unlikely he saw field service, so wouldn't qualify for service medals.

The 1934 UK Probate Calendar records that a John Alicius Haig of Lawfield, Ladybank, Fifeshire, died on the 6th July 1933 at 25 Belgrave Crescent, Edinburgh. Confirmation came from Oliver Haig, Lieutenant Colonel, H.M. Army, and Leonard Bucknall, Major, H.M. Army. The estate was sealed in the London Court on the 2nd January 1934. https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Haig&yearOfDeath=1934&page=1#calendar

And going back to the 1926 UK Probate Calendar, a Jessie Marion Haig, of Lawfield, Ladybank, Fifeshire, is recorded as having died on the 25th March 1926 at St Marnocks Port, Marnock, County Dublin. She is descibed as the wife of John Alicius Haig. Probate was granted at the London Court on the 17th September 1926 to "the said John Alicius Haig, gentleman" and Leonard Bucknall, Major, H.M. Army. https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Haig&yearOfDeath=1926&page=2#calendar

 Contemporary newspapers from the times of both their deaths may help firm up the possibilities of why they were buried there, although I suspect John is buried there because Jessie is.

Hope that helps
Peter

[Jervis]

Thank you very much Peter, for the detailed response. That certainly confirms him as Haig's brother. 

I actually did find a MIC record for him, it seems he served at the front in 1916 with the Dorset Regiment (Lieutenant) prior to joining the RASC. 

RE: the Burial in Dublin, perhaps you are correct - he is buried there because his wife is buried there. But then that begs the question - why is she buried there? I am wondering did they live there for a period. St Marnocks had it's own graveyard that Mary Elizabeth Jameson (Haig's sister) was buried in. So it is somewhat strange too that John A Haig and his wife are buried in a random graveyard in Dublin. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ivor Anderson]

Jessie Marion Purbrook had been married (1878) to Sir Edmund Waller, 5th Baronet Waller, of Newport, co. Tipperary. He died in 1888:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Waller-1455 and she married John Haig on 29 November 1890. She was 66 when she died in 1926. Her death certificate records a lengthy battle with cancer and at least one major operation.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Purbrook-1

Her DC records John Haig as a 'Captain' with an address 'Larsfield (Lawfield?), fife, Scotland'. They were not staying with John's sister as Mary Elizabeth d. in 1918. The Haig and Jameson families had a multi-generational connection. Perhaps Jessie had been over in Dublin for treatment? St Fintan's Cemetery is not far south of Portmarnock. It may have had an available grave.

John's sister Mary Elizabeth Haig had married John Jameson in 1890. John Jameson was her cousin. His mother Anne Haig was a sister of John Haig's father: https://www.thepeerage.com/p30555.htm#i305547

Edited 14 July , 2021 by Ivor Anderson
Additional information

[Ivor Anderson]

The Jameson family in question were the famous Whiskey distillers. According to the peerage page three generations married Haigs:

(1) John Jameson was born on 5 October 1740. He married Margaret Haig, daughter of John Haig and Margaret Stein, on 12 August 1768. He died on 3 December 1823 at age 83. He was founder of Jamesons, Irish whiskey distillery. He lived at Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland.

(2) John Jameson was born in August 1773. He was the son of John Jameson and Margaret Haig. He died on 31 July 1861 at age 87. He lived at 55 Prussia Street, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland. Married Isabella Stein (1784-1861) in 1802. Buried Drumcondra Churchyard Cemetery, County Dublin

http://www.famousjamesons.com/getperson.php?personID=I15&tree=Whiskey_Jamesons

(3) John Jameson was born in 1804. He was the son of John Jameson. He married Anne Haig (1813-1891), daughter of William Haig and Janet Stein, in 1836. He died on 19 December 1881. He lived at St. Marnocks, Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland.

(4) John Jameson (1835-1920) is the son of John Jameson and Anne Haig. He married Mary Elizabeth Haig* (1843-1918), daughter of John Haig and Rachel Mackerras Veitch, in 1890. He lived at St. Marnocks, Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland. Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Dublin, One of the Commissioners of Irish Lights, High Sherif of Dublin in 1880.   *Sister of John & Douglas.

http://www.famousjamesons.com/getperson.php?personID=I168&tree=Whiskey_Jamesons

Edited 12 July , 2021 by Ivor Anderson
Additional information

[Jervis]

Thanks Ivor. Very interesting.
I was aware of the Jameson-Haig connections but not the multi generational connection. I also know they had King Edward VII as a visitor to their home in St Marnocks. Which it makes it all the more intriguing to me why John A Haig is buried a few plots over from my ‘in-laws’ family plot in Fintans. As nice as the in-laws are they were a few rungs down on the social ladder! 

[depaor01]

On 10/07/2021 at 14:02, Jervis said:

“Captain John Alicius Haig”, whose wife died at “St Marnocks”. I know Douglas Haig’s sister lived at and is buried in “St Marnocks” (now the Portmarnock hotel & golf links).

Hi Jervis,

Interesting post - however I'm familiar with the area and think St. Marnock's is quite a bit away from the golf links. See map - blue is the hotel, and red where I believe St. Marnock's is. The photo shows the house with the now deconsecrated church with burial ground to the rear.

It's near Kinsealy.

All of the above subject to correction of course.

Dave

 

[Jervis]

Hi Dave, 

There is actually an older St Marnock's church ruin and graveyard in the grounds of the Portmarnock hotel & golf links (the old St Marnocks house). 

In addition to Haig's sister, there are two CWGC graves too. See link here and map to graveyard. CWGC St Marnocks. 

Jervis

[Ivor Anderson]

12 hours ago, Jervis said:

I was aware of the Jameson-Haig connections but not the multi generational connection. 

 The mother of Jessie Marion Purbrook's first husband (Sir Edmund Waller) was a daughter of Arthur Guinness & a sister of Benjamin Lee Guinness.

Edited 14 July , 2021 by Ivor Anderson

[depaor01]

11 hours ago, Jervis said:

Hi Dave, 

There is actually an older St Marnock's church ruin and graveyard in the grounds of the Portmarnock hotel & golf links (the old St Marnocks house). 

In addition to Haig's sister, there are two CWGC graves too. See link here and map to graveyard. CWGC St Marnocks. 

Jervis

Very interesting. Must pay a visit when next I'm Northside.

Thanks for the info Jervis.

Dave

[Jervis]

12 hours ago, depaor01 said:

Hi Jervis,

Interesting post - however I'm familiar with the area and think St. Marnock's is quite a bit away from the golf links. See map - blue is the hotel, and red where I believe St. Marnock's is. The photo shows the house with the now deconsecrated church with burial ground to the rear.

It's near Kinsealy.

All of the above subject to correction of course.

Dave

 

Sorry Dave. I just re-read your post. That image is not St Marnocks house. That image is the old Portmarnock school house with the remains of St Marnocks CoI church  behind it. St Marnocks house the Haig’s and Jameson’s lived in is now the Portmarnock hotel and Golf link. Obviously it has been extended substantially, but the original house forms main part of the hotel. 

Jervis

[depaor01]

Thanks again for that. Next time I'm in the area I'll forego the usual beach walk!

Now. Back to John Haig. 

[FROGSMILE]

I'd always thought that the Haig family were in Whisky/Whiskey, just like the Jameson's?  The link extending to the Guinness family, too, suggests some degree of social interaction between these families whose fortunes were/are associated with distilling and brewing.  In the old days of intense social snobbery they would have been looked down upon by the ancien regime/aristocracy as 'grocers' and not social equals.  The result was that these families were naturally drawn together.

Edited 14 July , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[PhilB]

The Guinnesses were presumably members of the so called beerage. Is there a similar term for the whisky makers?

 

“Beerage is the influence of the brewing industry within the British political system. A portmanteau word combining beer and peerage, it arose through the ennoblement and award of other honours to brewers in the late 19th century, and such individuals were considered to be within this subset of the peerage.“

Edited 14 July , 2021 by PhilB

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, PhilB said:

The Guinnesses were presumably members of the so called beerage. Is there a similar term for the whisky makers?

 

“Beerage is the influence of the brewing industry within the British political system. A portmanteau word combining beer and peerage, it arose through the ennoblement and award of other honours to brewers in the late 19th century, and such individuals were considered to be within this subset of the peerage.“

I’m not sure Phil.  I imagine that there was an equivalent perhaps, but probably without such a cheeky description/designation.