Harris of Mullandavagh

Harris Genealogy

On June 12th 1810 – according to a register of marriages kept by himself – Rev James Morell of Ballybay married Letitia Harris. The registers of Clones Church of Ireland include the information that he was the dissenting minister of Ballybay and that the bride was from Clonkeen, Parish of Clones. A family pedigree drawn up by Anna Maria Dickson and later added to by a granddaughter of James and Letitia, Eva Morell, recorded that Rev Francis Lucas married Isabella Eccles and that their daughter Frances Anne married John Harris. These had three daughters who married Rev Morell, Mr Crowe & Mr Jamison. Griffiths Valuation shows that Rev JH Morell, Rev Chas Crowe and Reps Mr Jamison were the lessors of most of the townland of Drumummery in Clones Parish.
The Clones Parish registers go back before 1700 and the records of the Parish Vestry are particularly full. There I found the birth of John to William Harris of Mullendavagh on October 27, 1755. This townland is contiguous with Drumummery. A place search for Mullendavagh revealed a number of Harris deeds. The earliest was from 1731 and concerned the remarriage of Mary Harris, otherwise Eccles, widow of John, in which she retained the right to will the townlands of Mullendavagh & Drumummery.

I am unable to make any connection between Mary Eccles who married John Harris & Isabella Eccles who married Rev Francis Lucas.

Later deeds were made by William Harris and John, his son and heir and appear to involve mortgages on the townlands.

Rev Francis Lucas appears in the Clones registers as curate just before 1750. At the time a member of the Parish Vestry was Robert Eccles of Rathmoran, a brother of Isabella but I was unable to find any record of the marriage of Francis & Isabella or the birth of any of their children. The Lucas family of Castleshane owned the Advowson or right of preferment to the Parish of Drumgoon, which included Cootehill and Francis after a decade and a half as curate in Clones was appointed Rector there in 1767. He died in 1770.

A note in the Clogher Record of 1977 records that Brabazon Noble writing to Barret (a landlord with property around Clones) in 1756 says "Mrs. Hammersley has agreed to set Clonkeen to Mr. Lucas, the curate" and the rent roll of November of that year has "Clonkeen, the representatives of George Hammersley, (assigned to the curate who now lives there)". Apparently there was some trouble between Mrs. Hammersley and Lucas about her interest in Clonkeen and it needed the mediation of Mr. Roper (Rector of Clones parish) to settle it.
According to my genealogy Francis Lucas’ sister, Thomasina was married to Joseph Hammersley.

Clones Parish Vestry

4th Oct 1748
At a meeting of the Clones Parish Vestry it was unanimously agreed that Joseph Wright and Mr William Harris be overseers of roads of Bellitratnan and that they collect from ye proprietors and inhabitants of ye landowners of said Bellitratnan 1/2d /acre in lieu of their 6 days labour and apply 3 parts to ye near roads of that part of the parish and ye ¼ part to that road from Mullandavagh to Smithborough.
For all overseers:
It is also agreed that said overseers above mentioned at ye several (places) in said Parish shall give publick notice to ye several proprietors and inhabitants of said parish to meet ye said overseers on a certain day and place then to be appointed and to receive 1/2d/acre throughout ye whole parish for all arable and pasture lands and proportionately for mountain lands not exempting ye lands belonging to the several overseers and to apply ye same to the several roads under their districts in lieu of ye six days labour and account for ye same under their hand upon next Michaelmas Vestry and that ye overseers oblige them that refuse to pay to work the six days labour according to ye statute.
It is also agreed that ye town of Clones is to work as usually

At a Vestry held for ye parish of Clones on Wednesday 4th October 1749 matters were agreed in the manner following:

Agreed that the Rev William Dawson and Mr Hugh Hamilton of Shankill and Mr John McClure be overseers of the Great Road from the town of Clones to Wilemain ford
Agreed that the Rev Mr Lucas and Mr Henry Evatt be overseers from ye pound of Clones to Cumber bridge and that Mr Gernon is to assist Mr Lucas in Clones town
Agreed that Robert Eccles and Mr Hugh Hamilton be overseers from Knockballymore to Shannock Mill and so to Aghafin as formerly
Agreed that Mr Robt Beatty and Mr Alex Presho be overseers of College land
Agreed that Nicholas Ward and Mr James Noble be overseers from Dearser gate towards Cumber with the same lands as formerly
Manner Haggate, Lord Hoath’s Church lands Mr Leslie’s Glebe ye two half tates of Lisnerow and ye half tate of Clunedergate under Nicholas Ward Esq and Robt Eccles Esq
Agreed that Mr William Harris and Mr Wm Whitsit of Killiorran be overseers of Ballitrabnan and that Mr John Wright is to have Drunmorr and Agharigarg to apply where he directs
Agreed Robt Eccles and Mr Hu: Hamilton is to mend the road from Shannock Mill to Crummaghy gate
Agreed that James Smith Esq is to have ye tates as Dastgreen and to be apply’d by him in same manner
Agreed that a new road is to be from Magherenure to ye town of Clones and to be laid out by Nics Ward Esq, Mr Hu: Hamilton, Mr Robt Beatty, Mr Parkes and Mr Jas Graham

Signed
Wm Dawson, curate
Ffran: Lucas, curate
Nicolas Ward
Tho: Carson
Wm Harris
Alec Presho
Robt Beatty
John Wright
Wm Whitill
John Williams

A Vestry held Tuesday 31st May, 1752
Agreed Mr Edward Madden, Churchwarden, Fermanagh part of parish
Agreed Wm Bradshaw for Monaghan side
Agreed ye former Churchwardens should pay their money and accounts to present before 1st April next
Agreed a majority of ye Protestant parishioners now present that the sum of £7 be cessed for ye parish Clerk of Clones and sum of £5 for the Clerk of the chapel this ensuing year
Mr Wm Harris of Mulendavagh, Mr John MClure of Drummaderany, Mr James Beatty of Clones & Mr Gerard Henry of Smithboro be applotters for ye Monaghan side of ye parish this year for £1 Clerk’s salary & to applot it immediately
Signatures incl ff Lucas and Wm Harris

Also applotters as above for 1753

Links to main Family Index / Lucas of Castleshane / Eccles of Fintona / Morell of Ballybay

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