Ballygowan period, and subsequent to the introduction of the Belfast & County Down Railway in 1850, that the village began to grow. Ballygowan railway station opened on 10 September 1858, but finally closed on 16 January 1950. After the railway closed in 1950 the village became an attractive "dormitory" town and the ensuing 50 years have seen rapid growth. On Monday, 15 September 2014, the remains of The Baron Bannside (better known as The Rev. Ian Paisley) were buried in the graveyard attached to Ballygowan Free Presbyterian Church. Lord Bannside was a former First Minister of Northern Ireland and a former
Henry Maxwell, 6th Baron Farnham was succeeded by his eldest son Henry, who retained the title until his own death in a railway accident. Henry Maxwell, 6th Baron Farnham The Reverend Henry Maxwell, 6th Baron Farnham (1774 – 19 October 1838) was an Irish peer and Church of Ireland clergyman. He was the son of Henry Maxwell, Bishop of Meath, and grandson of John Maxwell, 1st Baron Farnham. On his brother's death, he succeeded as 6th Baron Farnham on the 20 September 1838, holding the title for just under a month before his own death. He married on 8 September 1798 to Lady Anne Butler