Hi PRich,
Thanks for bringing this document to the attention of us Co. Antrim researchers.
Agreed - the document is potentially a very rich source of family history information.
['Twas created during a period of much turmoil, but also control (martial law).
I know of another (of much lesser scale) from the same 1690 timeframe.
See later.]
It is supposed to be being made accessible for public perusal at the Orange Order's HQ (Schomberg House) in Cregagh, Belfast.
[... but filmed security copies
must have been made by now for storage/research elsewhere.]
http://www.boyneobelisklol1690.com/paymaster_general.phphttp://www.grandorangelodge.co.uk/parades/schomberg_house.htmlTo find out, I've taken the direct approach and EMailed Dr. Jonathan MATTISON asking about efforts on transcription, indexing and supply of typical samples. Awaiting response.
[Expect there might be a book in the offing ...]
----
I have a selfish interest, in connection with my efforts helping in the research on the WHITTLE family at Glenavy... being particularly concerned to establish whether the
Reverend John WHITTLE went across to Ireland during 1689-91. Earlier he had been a chaplain to the British regiments on permanent loan to the Dutch from King Charles II. He was present during all of the fervent activity of late 1688, being the famous author of "An Exact Diary of the Recent Expedition ..." held in the British Museum. There he reported on WoO's preparations for invasion, the eventful voyage to Brixham in Devon - landing on 05-NOV (one day after WoO celebrated his birthday quietly at sea), his thanksgiving sermon at Exeter, and the long/slow canny progress up to London.
[I know that he was NOT the Rev. John WHITTLE who was at St. Canice (CoI) in Kilkenny. He died in 1686.]
He is mooted to have come from a prominent family in London, possibly a brother of both Sackville WHITTLE (physician to King Charles II) and his sister Elizabeth WHITTLE, who was the 1st wife of Sir Stephen FOX.
FOX was exiled in Holland with the Royal family, managing their finances, during the Commonwealth period. Following the Restoration of the Monarchy he was appointed as Paymaster General of the Army during King Charles II's reign, and was one of the co-founders of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. He is also recognised to have been the first self-made man.
[In his famous diary Samuel PEPYS recalls seeing FOX (who was his boss) at the WHITTLE home "counting more gold sovereigns than he had ever seen in his life"!]
Whats the connection?
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bevangenealogy&id=I48432In June 1690 Coningsby was appointed joint paymaster-general of the army which William was about to take to Ireland.
His colleague was Charles Fox, son of Sir Stephen Fox; Fox managed business in London while Coningsby looked after requirements in the field.
Both FOX and CONINGSBY were ardent WHIGs (Liberals), such also being the political persuasion of the low-church Anglican WHITTLEs at Glenavy, whose stem, James WHITTLE, was supposed to have been the only Whig member of Dublin City Council (hence an Alderman) at one stage.
----
Whats the other document from 1690 that I know of?
It is a
list of the names of Excise defaulters.
It is likely to have been inspired by another of CONINGSBY's roles:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Dictionary_of_National_Biography_volume_12.djvu/17He was appointed joint receiver and paymaster-general of the forces employed in the reduction of Ireland, was
(1689–90) commissioner of appeals in the excise, ...
Guess he was trying to raise funds locally in order to pay the army!
It was transcribed by record agent Tenison GROVES, before the originals were destroyed in Dublin in 1922.
[It is snapshotted within ... LDS British Film 0258497 "Surname W. and Co. Antrim Abstracts".]
The huge physical archive of TG's works is held at PRONI, indexed by large item numbers.
For this transcription the relevant sections are:
14902, 12 pages (an index of names)
Collector's Accounts 1690-1
Bundle 6E-3-5
Lisburn District
Army Accounts
14903, 21 pages (list of names, by district)
Inland Excise & Lycenses
Arrears Delivered to Mr. John LATHUM, Collector of the District of Lisburne,
by Nicholas WESTBY.
Lisburne District
Nicholas WESTBY Collr
Arreares of Inland Excise, Ale, Wine + XWatter Lycences
for eight months ending the 24th of June 1690
Covering Walkes: Lisburne, Glanavy, Hillsborrow, Antrim, Ballymenagh
14904, 17 pages (list of names)
Arrears Due in Lisburn Walke at Xmas 1691
Capt. Jock & Revving Jock