Eliza was Calum's, Jamie's and Pippa's three times great grandmother.

Eliza's burial record notes that she was 88 when she died, placing her birth at 1824, but her marriage notes she was 18 when she married in 1853, placing her birth in 1835. The marriage is more likely to be accurate, with Eliza as the informant, and with her husband haviung been born in 1831.

Eliza grew up in her teens to work as a weaver in the parish of Currin, Co. Londonderry. According to her marriage certificate, at the age of 18, on January 29th 1853, she married Robert Curry, son of farmer Jackson Curry, at Curran Presbyterian Meeting House in the parish of Maghera, Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry, Ireland (source: Emerald Ancestors website, uncited). Her father was noted as a pensioner, the witnesses were James Curry and James Brown, whilst the minister was the Reverend James McKee.

In 1887 Eliza and her husband took up a tenancy of the Schoolhouse in Cabragh, which had been rated at £11 annually in Griffith's Valuation in 1859. Following her husband's death, she took the tenancy under her own name in 1899.

Two years later Eliza was noted as a 56 year old widow in the 1901 census, with her occupation noted as 'caretaker', which would imply the reason for the move to the schoolhouse. She was noted as born in Co. Derry, a member of the Irish Church, able to speak English only (no Irish) and able to read but not write. Also present in the house were her 36 year old daughter Isabella Curry, an unmarried farm servant who could not read or write, her grandson Samuel Curry (19 year old Methodist farm servant unable to read or write, her granddaughter Annie Jane (18 year old Methodist who could read and write), her 25 year old daughter Hannah Wylie (married, Irish Church and able to read and write), granddaughter Maggie Wylie (7, scholar, able to read), grandson William J Wylie (5, scholar, unable to read and write), grandson Joseph Wylie (3, scholar, unable to read and write), and 1 year old grandson Herbert Wylie. All were from Derry, except Herbert, who was born in County Meath.

The house is noted from the enumerator's return (Form B) as being in Cabragh townland, in the barony of Loughinsholin, parish of Termoneeny, district electoral division of Rocktown, poor law union of Magherfelt, and the parliamentary division of South Derry. The landlord of the Schoolhouse building was Thomas Ash, who owned several properties in the townland. The house had five windows at the front, and six occupied rooms, with nine family members in residence. It was noted as a second class private dwelling, and in Form B2 it is also shown to have several outhouses, in the form of a cowhouse, calfhouse, piggery and barn. The census was carried out on March 31st 1901, and the enumerator was Constable Thomas Quigley of the Royal Irish Constabulary of Magherafelt Constabulary Division.

Ten years later, Eliza was still in Cabragh, now listed as aged 78 (something of a leap from 56!). She was still a widow and still only able to read, but is now noted as a Presbyterian. Her daughter Isabella Currie is still with her, now noted as 49 and Presbyterian, unable to read and write, and her grandson Joseph McLean was present, aged 8, Church of Ireland, a scholar able to read and write, and also from Co. Derry. Also present was a 58 year old boarder, a seamstress called Martha Jane Procter, Church of Ireland, able to read and write, and from Derry.

The house now had six windows at its front, and five occupied rooms, with four family members in residence. The owner of the property, still listed as second class, was now noted as Eliza herself. There were still outhouses, this time in the form of a cow house, piggery and fowl house. The enumerator was Constable Thomas Burns of Magherafelt Constabulary District.

CHILDREN of ELIZA HENDERSON and ROBERT CURRIE:

See Currie page.