Hi
My great-great grandparents - William English and Isabella Stevenson attended and are buried beside Glasleck Presbyterian Church in Shercock. . .without headstones.I was able to obtain the birthdates of their five children including my great grandfather Randal English ( 1854-1926) who was
baptized in that church....but no dates on the parents who were married in about 1841.
Randal English emigrated to Canada and married Helen Fraser. Randal's sister Penelope came with him but the rest of the family stayed in Ireland - although one brother did disappear and it was conjectured that he went to Australia. I did visit a cousin of my grandfathers in the countryside near Kingscourt.
On the 1901 census Ireland, I did find a John Stevenson in Horath Newtown Meath age 75 farmer birthplace Scotland abt 1826 farmer Presbyterian, can read and write
Mary Stevenson his wife age 74 birthplace Scotland abt 1826;with them is Margaret Blackwood stepdaughter 35 - Presbyterian born County Wicklow, they live next to James and Margaret Brady. John could be a brother of Isabella Stevenson whose first child was 1842 so could have been born 1822 or 1824.
I would appreciate any information that you might have on Englishes or Stevensons in Cavan or Meath. I do have the following info on property transactions:
William is on a 1876 list of landowners in Cavan - Taghart, Shercock 82 acres with a valuation of 31 pounds.
The Registry of Deeds suggests that the Englishes obtained their lease of Taghart on 4 July 1786 when Terence and Mabel Brady leased “part of the lands of Tahart in the parish of Enniskeen” to William English of Lisagoan, County Cavan, farmer, for 993 years. No earlier dealings or deeds to people with the last name of English could be found with regard to Tahart or Lisagaon.
There is also a lease dated 23 April 1787 whereby Terence and Mable Brady, executors of the last will of James Brady late of Killpatrick, Co. Westmeath gent deceased…let to William English of Lisagaon, County Cavan farmer, that part of the lands of Taghart in the parish of Enniskeen known as Sheognegleagh to hold for 950 years at 5 pounds 13 shillings 9d. per annum.
John and Thomas English
There is a property deed dated 1805 concerning property in Kingscourt. It is from John English of Kingscourt, farmer to Thomas English of Lisagoan, farmer. For 90 pounds, John sold a piece of ground in Kingscourt as held by lease from Thomas Vinsent of Kingscourt, stone cutter. John and Thomas are probably brothers, the sons of the William English of the 1786 deed.
The tithe applotment book for Enniskeen parish in 1827 shows Mr. John English and Mr. Thomas English as holding the two largest farms on South Tahart, being 54 acres 3 roods and 52 acres 3 roods respectively.
There is also a deed of 1801 made by William English of Oldcastle in County Meath and concerning the lands of Rossadon in County Cavan. Kingscourt is just on the Cavan/Meath border, and the area involved is very small so this William may belong to the same family.
The will of John English of Taghart was proved in the Prerogative Court in 1844. However, most wills were destroyed in the 1922 explosion at the Public Record Office in Dublin...and I have not been able to get a copy.
By 1856, there was only one English on South Taghart, namely William whose head landlord had become Edward John Smith, who must have acquired the Brady interest. William’s own holding was 80 acres and he had a further 107 acres sublet to various tenants. This William was likely the son of either John or Thomas and would appear to have been the ultimate heir of both. William married several years before the introduction of civil registration for marriages and thus his father’s name can not be gleaned from that source.
Cath