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Letter from Theo McMahon


Monaghan Ancestry
(Ginealaigh Mhuineacháin)

Mr Keith Lachance
2661 West 45th Ave
Vancouver, BC
Canada
V6N 3L2
Ref. 07900

6 Tully
Monaghan
Co. Monaghan
Ireland
22 May 2000

Dear Mr. Lachance,

        Thank you for your enquiry regarding your Pritchard/Irwin ancestry. James Pritchard emigrated quite early in 1832 and quite a time prior to the Great Famine of 1845-1847. The earliest newspaper in Co. Monaghan, the Northern Standard, was first published in 1939 [sic] and by that time it clearly indicated in advertisements that there were regular sailings to Nova Scotia and Quebec.

        The earliest church records for Currin civil parish are those for the Church of Ireland and these only list baptisms from 1810 and marriages from 1812. A chapel of ease at Drum in Currin parish has baptismal records from 1828 and marriages from 1829. From this you will see that there is no way of getting back to records prior to these dates and especially into the 1700s. Methodism did not keep records until much later and many Methodists, in the early 1800s, used the Church of Ireland for burials and other sacraments.

        The earliest land record for Currin is that contained in the Tithe Applotment Book dated 1826. This is a listing of land and the tithe or tax to be paid on the quantity and quality of land held. In the townland of Briscarnagh (your Briskinagh) in 1826 Joseph Pritchard was leasing 14 acres of 2nd quality land and a James Pritchard was leasing just over 11 acres of land. A Robert Irwin was also located there in 1827 with over 7 acres of land. As Briscarnagh is located about half way between Scotshouse (where the main Church of Ireland for Currin) and Drum Village. I have examined these records to see if I could find anything relevant.

        The next major return is that contained in the Griffith Primary Evaluation for Currin civil parish dated 1858. In Briscarnagh in this year (1858) a James Pritchard Jun. was leasing two small properties. One was of land only of just over half an acre and adjoining this he was leasing an office (outbuilding) and land of just over 5 acres. This property was numbered &A and B.

        A Joseph Pritchard and James Pritchard were jointly leasing properties 8 a and 8 b. Joseph was leasing a house, offices (outbuildings) and land of 11 acres and James Pritchard a house, offices (outbuildings) and land of 10 acres in this division of the joint leasing. The Irwin surname had disappeared from Briscarnagh.

        Thus we get a Joseph Pritchard and James Pritchard with farms in Briscarnagh in 1826 and by 1858 we had a James Pritchard Jun and a Joseph Pritchard still in Briscarnagh in the old home townland of Briscarnagh. It would appear that descendants of Joseph certainly remained on in Currin parish.

        A list of freeholders for Currin parish noted for the years 1803-1806 for 'Bruskinagh' include a Thomas Pritchard and a Joseph Pritchard in this return. Also noted in the same townland was a Robert Irwin.

        In the Index to Clogher Wills 1659-1857 the will of a Samuel Pritchard was proven in 1809. Unfortunately the originals of these wills were destroyed as late as 1922 during the Civil War when the Public Record Office in Dublin was destroyed. All that remains is the index.

Children of Irwin Unions from Briscarnagh

Irwin

Baptised 9 April 1813 Sarah, daughter of Robert Erwin (thus) and Margaret Pritchard, Briskernagh.

Irwin

Baptised 23 December 1827, Elizabeth daughter of John Irwin and Jane Conly, Briskenagh (thus).

*Irwin

Baptised 7 September 1828 Robert son of Joseph Irwin and Mary Pritchard, Briscarnagh.

McCrief

Baptised 8 January 1830 Joseph son of Foster McCrief and Mary Irwin of Briskernagh (thus).

*This baptism seems to be the only relevant one which links with your family group sheet on the Irwin/Pritchard side.

Children of Prichard unions from Briscarnagh

Bryce

Baptised 18 April 1826 James Henry, son of James Bryce and Jane Prichard, Briskinagh (thus).

Bonum

Baptised 9 March 1828 Robert son of Wm. Bonum and Mary Prichard, Briskernagh (thus).

Hall

Baptised 31 January 1830 David, son of George Hall and Jane Prichard, Briskernagh (thus).

Baptised 7 October 1832 Bessy, daughter of above union and place.

        From this you will see that nothing is coming to light on James Pritchard (#823) and his wife Judith Ferguson (#824). We get one reference to a child named Robert (born 1828) of the union of Joseph Irwin (#822) and Mary Pritchard (#821) of Briscarnagh. This child named Robert is not listed in your family tree for this union.

        There is a strong possibility that some of the family were Church of Ireland (Anglican) but became Methodist and that this is why we are hitting this dearth of records. The Wesleyan Methodist Circuit operated from Cootehill, Co. Cavan and the only extant baptismal records are those from 1846. These are too late to throw any light on the families sought.

        The Ferguson surname in the 1828 return only occurs in Lisnalee townland where a John Ferguson held 10 acres and in Drum village where a Widow and Edward Ferguson held one acre each on lease.

        This is a full overview of the extant records of the Church of Ireland from 1810. Methodist records are only extant from 1846 and Presbyterian records for baptisms from 1867 and 1845 respectively. Regrettably due to the scarcity of the early church records I cannot recommend any other course to take. You could expend money unnecessarily on searches that would yield nothing and I would not recommend this.

Yours sincerely

Theo McMahon


This above letter has been scanned (page 1, page 2), along with a the Griffiths Evaluation for Briscarnagh (three Pritchards were leasing from John Madden in 1858).

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