Parish of Castleterra Co. Cavan

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of The Parish of Castleterra

Barony of Upper Loughtree, Co. Cavan

HISTORY OF BALLYHAISE.

The Barony of Loughtee, divided at present into Upper and Lower, belonged entirely to the O'Reillys.

In the Plantation of Ulster, under James I., John Taylor, Esq., received a grant of two thousand profitable acres of land in Loughtee, under the title of the Manor Aghieduff. He took immediate measures to fulfil the conditions of his patent by laying the foundation of a town at Ballyhaise and encouraging Scotch and English undertakers to settle upon the estate. He built a strong Bawn of lime and stone for his own residence, on the site of the present castle, which, from it position, commanded the ford over the river. When Pynner visited the Ulster Plantations he found eighteen English and Scotch families living in the Manor, and everything around the infant colony appeared in the most prosperous condition. Six of the settlers held by sixty-one years', and the remainder by thirty-one years' leases, at a nominal rent; and they could muster an available force of twenty able-bodied men. The breaking out of the great rebellion obliged Mr. Taylor and his tenants to fly for th!

eir lives, and to leave their possessions to the mercy of the Irish. On the 6th November, 1641, Philip M'Hugh O'Reilly of Ballinacargy, Knight of the Shire for Cavan, ordered a general gathering of his clansmen from 16 to 60 years of age, to be held at Virginia, and on the 11th of December following he had possession of the whole county, except the castles of Keelagh and Croghan which were defended by Sir Francis Hamilton and Sir James Craig. The English and Scotch undertakers were under the necessity of seeking refuge in these strong-holds or escaping to the fortified town of Drogheda. Sir James Craig died in April, 1642, and Sir Francis Hamilton surrendered the castles to O'Reilly on conditions; he and his garrisons of 1,340 men being allowed safe conduct to Drogheda. The Irish rebels followed up their success by besieging Sir Henry Tichbourne in Drogheda; but they were routed with great slaughter, and on their road homewards committed most barbarous outrages upon any settlers who had not escaped out of the country. The forced numbers of the defenceless prisoners into the river at Belturbet and Butlersbridge where they were drowned. Four of the inhabitants of Ballyhaise were among the victims, namely Robert Howe, John Howe, Abraham Jones and William Rocket. It is traditionally asserted that Phillip O'Reilly was adverse to these barbarities, but that M. M'Edward O'Reilly of Kivet Castle, the high sheriff, butchered in cold blood every stranger who fell into his hands. This cruel predatory warfare lasted for several years, during which time the county of Cavan was laid waste by the contending parties.

"In August, 1642, Lord Lisle marched towards Cavan, and destroyed all the property he met until he arrived at Ballynacargy. The rebels had retired to their places of strength, so that he could not bring them to an engagement." A cessation of arms was adopted in 1643, when the civil wars broke out in England, but it lasted a short time, for General Munroe marched ten thousand Scotch troops into Cavan about midsummer, 1644, to fight Owen Roe O'Neill. O'Neill defeated Munroe at Benburb in 1646, and died in Cloughouter Castle in December, 1649. In 1650 (June 20) Sir Charles Coote routed the Irish of Cavan, Monaghan, and Tyrone at Scarfollis, near Derry, and marching into the county Cavan reduced Cloughouter and the other castles, and Col. Hewson, in the same year, inflicted another defeat upon Philip O'Reilly, killing 400 and taking 38 officers and 376 privates prisoners. These actions gave a preponderance to the English in Cavan, which they maintained till the restoration of Charles II.

The Ballyhaise estate belong to the family of Taylor for three generations, when an intermarriage with the daughter and heiress of the last possessor carried it into the family of Newburgh. In 1692, Stratford Canning, of Gorvagh, married Letitia, daughter and heiress of Obadiah Newburgh, of Ballyhaise, and obtained a considerable moiety of the property as her dowry. This Stratford Canning disinherited his eldest son, George, on account of an improvident marriage, who went to London and died in 1771, leaving an infant son, afterwards so eminent as an orator and statesman. The larger portion of the Ballyhaise estate devolved to Brohill Newburgh, he having adopted that name instead of Pocklington, on obtaining the inheritance. He raised and headed an independent company in the wars of the revolution, and was present at the several battles of that period. In 1703, the first stone bridge was erected over the Ballyhaise river, Broghill Newburgh and Cosby Nesbitt being the ove!

rseers. Mr. Newburgh built the castle and made extensive improvements on the estate by plantations and buildings. He laid out the plan of the town with great taste, and through the instrumentality of himself and his two successors, the village and demesne of Ballyhaise were not inferior in beauty to many in Ireland. It is said that strangers came "far and near" to view the scenery and buildings of Ballyhaise. The peculiar shape of the houses in the town, the handsome market-house, the richly-wooded neighbourhood, the castle, groves, grottoes, and gardens were all objects of attraction, and the novelty in those days of a fountain continually playing in the lawn made the place peculiarly interesting. In 1714, Broghill Newburgh and Mervyn Pratt were elected members for the county of Cavan, being the only instance in which either of these families enjoyed that honor. Parliament was not then regulated by the septennial act, and no dissolution having occurred in the interim,!

those gentlemen served throughout the entire reign of George I, until the year 1727, when Charles Coote and John Maxwell were chosen in their stead. Mr. Newburgh charged his property with a grant, for ever, of Ten Pounds per annum to the Minister and Churchwardens of Ballyhaise. He died about the year 1739.

His eldest son, and successor, Thomas Newburgh, is remarkable for his poetic talent and refined taste. He published a volume of poems, which are curious as the production of a country gentleman, and also as the oldest specimen of the Cavan press, being printed by T. Ireland, Cavan, anno domini MDCCLXII." County Cavan Newspaper Transcription Project

Sept. 1, 1812 "NAMES : Kempton, Jones, Kennedy, Wilson, Kempe, McDowall, Nesbitt, Mulligan, Reilly

I have a photocopy of one page of this deed which I received from Ruth Kennedy also on this list.

"Extract from the Deed reconting? the sale of the Ballyhaise Estate in the ownership of George Canning? to William Humphreys of Dublin. Deed is dated 1st September 1812." thomas.moffatt@free.fr

NAMES : Reilly, Leard, Fay, Elliott, Nesbitt, Beegam, Keaman, Smith, Brady, McCall, Sheridan, Lynch, Alwill, Garvan, Coorte, Jones, Conlan

I have a photocopy of one page of this deed which I received from Ruth Kennedy also on this list. This is just under the earlier post.

(left margin one above the other "Cullis", "Drumboe ", "Rahegg ")

" and also (inserted between lines)

" ............. ° the said Town and Lands of Rabegg otherwise Raheg otherwise Rahegg now in the possession or occupation of Edward Reilly John Leard John Fay John Elliott Robert Nesbitt Holmes Beggam John Leard Michael Keaman John Smith James Brady (between lines Anthy Reilly Jno McCall Jno Sheridan John Lynch Michl Alwill Joesph Garvan Jas Reilly) Humphry Nesbitt Jane Coorte Henry jones James Reilly ° Denis Conlan Henry Conlan his son and Hannah Brady or their respective undertenants or Assigns

" end of page

(left margin "Drumcarplin")

" .........and also the said Town and Lands of Drumcarplin owise Drumcalpin now in the possession or occupation of John Kempton Robert Kempton James Jones Henry Kennedy James Wilson Robert Kempe James Kempe Wm McDowall Robt Nesbitt John Nesbitt ° James Mulligan George Kennedy [ Patrick Reilly (left margin "inkstaingaskin" - probably the adjacent townland of Ragaskin) and Edward Reilly or their respective undertenants or Assigns under different Leases and different yearly Rents and duties amounting to theyearly sum of £160 .. 13.. 6 and one shilling in the pound Receivers fees " thomas.moffatt@free.fr

Oct. 1821 Townlands of Dengaro ?

No.5 House 11, 1 story records; Bridget McDanal, age 40, a farmer and innkeeper with 4 acres; John Sheridan, age 25, manager; Ann McGuire, age 45, housekeeper; John McDonal, age 22, a servant; ?? Bryan, age 16, servant; Sarah Beggan, 13, servant; Mary Maguire, age 7, a orphan. Townlands of Dengaro ?, Parish of Castleterra, Barony of Upper Loughtree, Co. Cavan 1821 Census, LDS Film # 0100820

The neighbors are;

House 9, 1 story records; Miles Reilly, age 24, a labourer; Catharine, his mother, age 50; Micl Reilly, age 26, a lodger and Mary Reily age 26, a lodger.

House 10, 1 story records; John Killet, age 69, a labourer; Mary, age 57; son Thomas, age 22, daughters, Mary, age 17 and Ann, age 15; sons Robt, age 11; John, age 9; and William, age 7.

No.34 Townlands of Druman ?

House 18, 1 story records; Robert Little, age 40, a farmer with 2 acres; wife Anne, age 35; children; William, age 8; Jane, age 6; Eliza, age 2 and James, age 4. Townlands of Druman ?, Parish of Castleterra, Barony of Upper Loughtree, Co. Cavan 1821 Census, LDS Film # 0100820

Their neighbors are;

House 15, 1 story records; William Allen, age 45, a farmer with 6 acres; wife Mary, age 39; children, Catherin, age 6 and James, age 2.

House 16, 1 story records; George Humphries, a son, age 50; Mary, age 48, a daughter; George, a son, age 16; James, a son, age 13; ???? a son, age 23; Thomas, age 7; Judith, a daughter, age 18 and Bridget, a daughter, age 10.

House 17, story 1 records; Mary Mahar, age 50, a flax spinner; daughters; Catherine, age 27 and Ellen, age 22.

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