Example profiles

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Example profiles
For early modern Irish sources

Most, but not all, of these profiles are for Quakers. Together they illustrate the use of sources described in the space series Early modern Irish sources including Rebellion, plantation and war and Irish Quaker sources and resources.

The profiles cover founders, ancestors and members of Irish Quaker families who were variously involved in the plantations of Leinster initiated by Mary, Munster by Elizabeth or Ulster by James, many who came to Ireland as soldiers with Cromwell or as 'Adventurers' who financed Parliament's army, others who followed during and after the Commonwealth and family members who were caught up in the War of the two Kings (1688-1691), some suffering at the hands of soldiers or 'raparees', some attainted by James and some buying confiscated lands. The profiles cite the full range of sources including Cromwellian surveys and land grants, 1641 depositions, state and estate papers, local histories, wills, legal and land records, inquisitions post-mortem, fiants and patent rolls and of course the full range of Quaker sources including 'family lists', wills, minutes, sufferings, testimonies, disciplinary records and journals.

The profiles also illustrate the value to be gained from published secondary sources, and the danger of relying on them entirely. Works by Peter Coutts and Amy Barrington greatly aid the construction of the Barrington, Boles and Lecky profiles, citing sources which no longer exist, which are not available on line, or which would take a long time to analyse. Newly available sources allow us to add to Amy Barrington's analysis. Renowned Irish Genealogist Rosemary ffolliott made her name describing her maternal ancestry in The Pooles of Mayfield but she cites sources poorly if at all; simple checks of Quaker and other records show that much of her chapter on the Morris family was wrong and some simply made up. A paper cited in the Brownlow profiles claims to clarify the ancestry of the Quakers of that name, calling the pedigree in Burke's Peerage somewhat defective. Unfortunately his unsourced statement is false. The Burke publications (which never cite sources) clearly make mistakes in the ancestry of the Cuppage and Watson families and are slightly wrong about the Leckys. Works on the Barcroft, Nicholson and Richardson families, without citing sources, make statements which cannot currently be confirmed. Even Quaker historians Wight and Rutty mistake which of the Fuller brothers had been a soldier; it was Abraham rather than Henry. And the profiles show the risk of relying on copies or abstracts of documents which have been destroyed: four abstracts of the will of Abraham Morris remain, but no two agree. Finally they show that some points cannot be resolved; despite much research doubts remain about the ancestry of the Quaker Morris, Nicholson, Brownlow and Richardson families.

For a brief history of the early Irish Quakers see The Irish Quakers: A People's History which also links to the profiles of the people it mentions.

John Barrington (abt.1530-1593) was active for the English in the service of Mary and Elizabeth in the Queen's county where he was awarded land. He lost a limb, and members of his family were slayn by the O'Moores whose lands they were settling. Four of his grandsons, Thomas Barrington (abt.1622-1676), Alexander Barrington (abt.1623-1685), Nicholas Barrington (abt.1624-1668) and Benjamin Barrington (abt.1625-) were officers in the Commonwealth army in Ireland and continued after the restoration. One of these, Thomas, was guilty of a large number of horrific atrocities against the Irish. His son Thomas Barrington (bef.1656-abt.1720) was the first of the Irish Quaker Barringtons. Their profiles make use of a published family history and of the whole range of early modern Irish sources - the papers of Carew and Ormonde, the State Papers, inquisitions post mortem, fiants, court rolls, funeral entries, local histories, 1641 depositions, Cromwellian survey records, memorials in the registry of deeds, Quaker records and sources such as Alumni Dublinensis and Fasti Ecclesiae Hibernicae. The family history usefully cites at length many sources which no longer exist and clearly explains points which were not certain to the author, but access to the 1641 depositions (which she did not have) and to a more complete version of a crucial deed now allow some of these points to be settled and the pedigree of the Quaker Barringtons to be established.

Jonas Morris (1598-1669) was present in Cork when the rebellion broke out in 1641. The list of '49 Officers shows that he and Jonas Morris junr both fought for Charles I in Ireland. They are also both listed in the ‘Pender census’ of 1659 and a detailed survey of Cork taken in 1663/4 (published alongside the civil survey). An appendix to ‘’The Council Book of Cork’’ shows that Jonas gave a deposition in 1654 in which he pledged himself to Cromwell. He was Mayor of Cork in 1659. The genealogy of his family was wrongly described by Irish genealogist Rosemary ffolliott in her book ‘The Pooles of Mayfield’. Jonas Morris was not a Quaker, but his wife Elizabeth (Unknown) Morris (1610-1690) and two of their children were. Jonas Morris jnr died before his father, who did not leave a will. Administration of the father’s estate went to the guardians of Jonas senior's son Abraham Morris (abt.1653-bef.1722), then a minor. Abraham Morris was attainted by the loyalist Parliament of James II. After William won the war he was awarded lands in the Williamite confiscations. Abstracts of the will of Abraham Morris made by four different genealogists survive, but unfortunately they are contradictory, leaving some confusion about the family tree. His profile relies on records of the administration of his father's estate, land records, The Council Book of Cork, records of James' Irish Parliament and of the subsequent disqualifications/land sales.

William Morris (abt.1620-1681) was some relation of the people above, although the confusion over Abraham Morris' will makes the exact relation unclear. He was a Baptist, a justice of the peace and a captain in Cromwell’s army until he became a Quaker and lost his positions. He can be seen receiving payments from the 'receiver general' while still a soldier. He was awarded substantial lands in Cork and Kerry under the Acts of Settlement and appears in the settlement records, the 'Pender Census' and the 'Books of Survey and Distribution' He was regarded as ‘'ye principal ffrd of ye west parts’' [of county Cork] and was imprisoned several times for his beliefs. After his death, the Quakers wrote a testimony to his life. He appears in sources like the diaries of William Edmondson and William Penn and the various books of Quaker sufferings. His son Apollus Morris (1656-bef.1713) was born a Quaker but 'married out'. In 1698, the Earl of Torrington provided him an introduction to the Earl of Shrewsbury, saying that he had been serviceable to the Protestant interest in Ireland. He was attainted in James II's loyalist parliament of 1689 together with Abraham Morris above. He was described as Major Appollos Morris in land transactions recorded in the registry of deeds. Taken together, these facts suggest that he had fought against the Catholic Irish, James II or the French, all of whom were active in Kinsale and Bandon in 1688-1689. As well as Quaker and land records, and the records of James' Irish Parliament, this profile draws on the state papers relating to Ireland.

Possibly a soldier in William Morris' company and certainly the recipient of lands in the same barony as him John Workman (abt.1620-1695) also became a Quaker and was imprisoned for his beliefs. He and his wife Mary (Unknown) Workman (abt.1651-abt.1723) gave testimony against tithes with the Morrises. His profile draws on the full range of Cromwellian and Quaker records and the will calendars.

Richard Boles (abt.1614-1693) was an English settler present in Munster before the rebellion of 1641 and during the civil war. Records show him providing service to Charles I but at other times supporting Cromwell - the common thread presumably being that he was on the English side against the Irish. His profile uses local histories, estate papers (specifically those of the Earl of Egmont), 1641 depositions and records of the Cromwellian settlement. Many of his family members' wills were proved in the court of Cloyne; abstracts of them can be found in the Casey Collection. Richard Boles was not a Quaker, but his wife Abigail (Unknown) Boles (abt.1623-1711) became one as did three of their children. She suffered significant losses at the hands of 'raparees' during the Williamite/Jacobite war. Her profile draws on Quaker records, a contemporary journal and a paper on The Quakers of Charleville.

Their daughter Abigail (Boles) Abbott (abt.1640-1717) was the first of two Quaker Ministers of that name. She was convinced as a Quaker as a young widow and called to the ministry a few years later, after which she travelled widely in Ireland and England. But she fell from grace with the Quakers. In later life, she wrote two papers of self-condemnation. Her profile relies mainly on a short biography in Wight and Rutty, although she also appears in Quaker and other sources. Her second husband Samuel Abbott (abt.1650-abt.1700) was caught up in the Williamite/Jacobite wars. Unlike most Quakers, he did not uphold the Society's 'peaceable principles', and took up arms. He was condemned by the Quakers and he and his wife were disowned when they married in the established church.

Her brother John Boles (1661-1731) became a major landowner and was a stalwart of the Quaker meetings in Newgarden (Carlow) and Tipperary. His detailed will and land transactions are shown in the Registry of Memorials of Deeds. Boles is also covered in a book on the Newgarden Quaker meeting and an excellent web site. His third wife Abigail (Craven) Watson (1685-1752) was a noted Quaker preacher. The journal that she kept during two years preaching in America has recently been published. After she died, her second husband wrote a touching testimony to her life and their love.

Thomas Wight (1641-1724) was clerk to the Cork and Munster Quaker meetings for 44 years from 1680 until his death. He abandoned his profession as a clothier to devote himself to the task and also wrote the first history of the Rise and Progress of the People called Quakers in Ireland (later revised and expanded by John Rutty M.D.). His father and grandfather were both ministers in the established church. The elder, a native of Guildford in Surrey, moved to Munster in 1620 possibly encouraged by the 1st Earl of Cork. Young Thomas was born in Bandon in 1641, the year of the rebellion. His father gave a deposition stating that he had lost his living worth £40pa and may have served in some actual or quasi-military role during the civil war. His profile uses a wide variety of sources including the Quaker records, Wight's own Quaker history and that of John Gough, a history of Bandon, the 1641 depositions, an abstract of his will and some of the Cromwellian records.

John Exham (abt.1630-1722) was born in Kerry in about 1630, probably the son of Richard Exham who gained fame for holding out in the Castle of Ballybeggan during the rebellion of 1641. He was an officer under Cromwell, received grants of land under the acts of settlement but went to prison after becoming a Quaker. The 1641 depositions and various local histories help to construct some information on his family tree, but the situation is complicated by the fact that there were various John Exhams present in Ireland at the same time - John Exham is listed in the Cromwellian records as a Catholic, a roundhead and a cavalier, surely not all the same person who became a Quaker. A partially successful attempt to sort these people out depends on wills, the state papers, the abstracts of land records in the court rolls, local histories and The Quakers of Charleville.

John Brownlow (abt.1569-abt.1616) and his son Sir William Brownlow (abt.1613-1703) were two of the original English undertakers in the plantation of Ulster. Sir William Brownlow was caught up in the rebellion of 1641; several people sheltering in his house were murdered by rebels. His will left his lands to his daughter Lettice (Brownlow) Beversham (abt.1612-1699) for her life, and then to her son Arthur (Chamberlain) Brownlow (abt.1645-1712) whose successors became the Barons of Lurgan. Lettice's first three husbands Patrick McCartan (abt.1609-abt.1637), Patrick Chamberlain (-abt.1650) and Christopher Clinton (abt.1606-abt.1658) were all Catholics, the first from an Irish family and the second and third old English. Patrick (Mac Artáin) Macartan senior was executed for rebellion, the Chamberlain lands were initially forfeit and Clinton was initially to be transplanted to Connaught, but later reprieved. Their profiles draw on the state papers, Hill's Historical account, the surveys of the plantation, Lodge's abstracts of court rolls, the inquisitions post mortem, the 1641 depositions, the Cromwellian land grants and surveys, a local history and several papers on the families and areas concerned. The family is also described in Burke's Peerage. In one of the papers, historian T.G.F Paterson describes Burke's genealogy as somewhat defective as it missed out several daughters of the original planter and says that sons other than Sir William died unmarried. Paterson tells us that son John Brownlow (abt.1609-abt.1640) was ancestor of the Brownlows of Kilmore Parish, County Armagh and of Dublin. Unfortunately, Paterson does not cite a source for this claim which seems to be somewhat defective. This John was baptised on 6 May 1609 and the founder of the Kilmore Brownlows, the Quaker William Brownlow (abt.1613-1703), died on the 9th Feb 1702/3 in his 89th year. The two were therefore near contemporaries rather than father and son. The ancestry of the Quaker Brownlows remains unclear.

William Nicholson (1632-1716) was the first of the Irish Quaker Nicholsons. His family is described in many genealogies although, as one author relates, no two accounts seem to agree. He might have added that none cites any sources. Quaker sources confirm some aspects of these genealogies and John Lodge's abstracts of court rolls confirm more: his father John Nicholson (abt.1590-1641) lost lands in the rebellion of 1641 which William Nicholson subsequently reclaimed and which had previously been owned by William's grandfather William Nicholson (abt.1580-1641). Sources also confirm that William senior was one of the protestant rectors installed and granted lands under the Plantation of Ulster. 1641 depositions confirm that John Nicholson was killed during the rebellion, although there is no such confirmation of the genealogies' reports that William senior died in similar circumstances. The genealogies also tell us that William junior, the Quaker, fled to Londonderry during the Williamite/Jacobite war and that two of his sons died during its seige. No objective evidence has been found to support this.

Jonathan Richardson (1625-1691) was another Ulster Quaker probably descended from participants in the Plantation of Ulster. A footnote in a normally reliable secondary source states that he was the son of a participant in the plantation and the nephew of a well-documented vicar in it. However, the only source for the man stated to be Jonathan's father is his brother's will, and, although this mentions a nephew and a niece, it does not mention Jonathan Richardson who must have been born by that time. His parentage therefore remains speculative. Like many early Ulster Quakers, he appears in the sufferings and meeting minutes, but no birth, marriage or death records for him survive. His will still exists and helps clarify his children, children-in-law and grandchildren.

Robert Lecky (1650-1707) was a fairly wealthy miller, farmer and landowner in county Carlow and one of the stalwarts of the Newgarden (later Carlow) monthly meeting. His Quaker family list tells us that he was born in county Donegal; the Burke publications state that he was from an ancient Scots family from county Stirling who moved to Ireland during the reign of Elizabeth. His profile relies on the standard Quaker sources, a book on the Newgarden meeting by Australian historian Peter Coutts and a paper on the origins of the Lecky family by the same author. Using the same sources described in 'Rebellion, plantation and war', Coutts shows that the family were junior participants in the lands of the Ulster Plantation reserved for Scots, and so probably moved to Ireland during the reign of James rather than Elizabeth. Robert Lecky lost substantial amounts of agricultural produce taken from him as tithe. He also lost lands that he had leased when the lessor was attainted in the Williamite confiscations for having supported James II. Robert Lecky's will (present in the Quaker archive) contains a clause common in Quaker wills of the time making bequests to unmarried children dependent on their marrying with the approval of his (Quaker) executors and trustees. His daughter Jane (Lecky) Gee (1687-1739) was a Quaker minister. The Quakers wrote a testimony to her life after she died.

The profile of Richard Fayle (abt.1627-abt.1701) illustrates the problems of reconstructing the lives of early Quakers from Ulster. He regularly had goods taken from him for tithe and went to prison several times for his beliefs, more than once for a considerable period of time. He represented the Ulster Province at national meetings for almost twenty years, and yet no records of his local meeting in Cavan survive. We have no record of his birth, marriage or death. Nor does he feature in the records of the Cromwellian settlement of Ireland or the earlier Plantation of Ulster. A record showing one of his children born in Lancashire indicates that the family probably moved to Ulster from there shortly after Cromwell's invasion, but only this one tantalising fact is available. His profile relies almost exclusively on Quaker minutes and sufferings and the family lists of four identified children. He also features very briefly in Wight & Rutty's History of the Rise and Progress of the People Called Quakers in Ireland.

The profiles of Robert Unthank (abt.1630-abt.1685) and Margaret (Unknown) Unthank (abt.1640-1716), members of the same Quaker meeting in Cavan, illustrate the same problems. There are ample records of their sufferings, but none of their births, deaths or marriage and no trace of them in the Cromwellian or Ulster Plantation records.

Thomas Holme (1624-1695) was a Captain in Cromwell’s Irish army who received land in lieu of pay. He was also a justice of the peace. When he became a Quaker he lost his positions and suffered imprisonment on several occasions. He produced a pamphlet on Quaker sufferings together with Abraham Fuller (1622-1694) and was one of the signatories of an address to Parliament on the sufferings of the Irish Quakers. He was one of the first Irish Quakers to take an interest in William Penn’s proposed colony of Pennsylvania, was one of the First Purchasers of land there and was appointed Surveyor General of the province. He features in the Cromwellian land settlement records, the Books of Survey and distribution and numerous Quaker records, histories and biographies.

Abraham Fuller (1622-1694) was the co-author with Thomas Holme above of a work on Quaker sufferings. He was one of the founders of the Quaker meeting at Moate. Quaker historians Wight and Rutty wrongly say that his brother Henry Fuller (1616-1665) had been a soldier in Cromwell's army, whereas it is Abraham who features in the army lists and was awarded land under the Acts of Settlement.

John Clibborn (1623-1705) was another soldier with Cromwell's Irish army who became a Quaker. The Quaker meeting at Moate was for many years held on his property. Like most Quakers at that time, he suffered from the authorities and during the war of 1688-1691. Many pedigrees list him as having been a colonel, although this cannot be true. What rank he held, and how he came to hold his land in county Westmeath are not clear. His profile relies on Quaker records, Quaker histories and the Cromwellian land records.

Robert Sandham (1620-1675) was a lieutenant in Cromwell's army who left the Baptists to become a Quaker, after which he was imprisoned for his beliefs. As a lieutenant, he was not senior enough to have been awarded lands under the Acts of settlement. His profile largely relies on Quaker sources, including histories.

Robert Cuppage (1619-1683) was a Major in Cromwell's army. He was still in the army in May 1654 when he was one of the officers charged by the Commissioners of Parliament for the Affairs of Ireland to remove Irish inhabitants of West Carbery so that no Irish be admitted to live there, unless their remaining be of absolute necessity, as that the garrisons adjacent cannot subsist without them. He was unable to provide the documents necessary to prove his service in Cromwell's English army because he was serving in Ireland when they were required and petitioned the Lord Protector and Council for satisfaction of his arrears. He was awarded 3,000 acres under the Acts of Settlement. He became a Quaker in 1655 and was imprisoned in 1662 for refusing to take the oath as a member of a grand jury. After he died, the Quakers wrote a testimony to his life. Burke's Irish Family Records makes statements about his parents which are clearly contradicted by the contemporary Quaker records. His profile relies on Quaker records, Cromwellian land grants and surveys, state papers and wills,

Richard Pike (abt.1627-1668) became a corporal in Cromwell's Irish Army but was turned out when he could no longer support the use of the sword. Even so, he was offered an advantageous position and had the prospect of inheriting land in England from his parents. He lost his position and his inheritance after he and his wife were convinced as Quakers and was twice imprisoned for his beliefs. During his second imprisonment, he caught a disease which killed him. As a corporal, Richard Pike was not senior enough to feature in the records of the Cromwellian settlement. His profile relies on the Quaker records, Wight and Rutty's Quaker history and an excellent autobiography written by his son Joseph Pike (1658-1730).

William Barcroft (1612-1696) is said in some secondary sources to have been a Major in Cromwell's Irish army. Olive Goodbody and William Henry Webb also relate that he was very rare in having turned down the award of lands in lieu of pay as the spoils of war. No evidence has been found to support these statements, although a William Barcroft was already present in Ireland during the rebellion of 1641. Rather than being exceptionally pious, the Quaker records show that William contrived with his landlord to pay tithes. He was also condemned for drunkenness over a period of ten years and was eventually disowned. His profile refers to several secondary sources, Wight and Rutty's history, the autobiography of his son John Barcroft (1663-1724), a noted Quaker minister, the full range of Cromwellian sources, Quaker family lists and a large number of Quaker minutes.

Other members of his family were much more pious, as shown by the testimonies that John Barcroft (1663-1724), a Quaker minister for 27 years, wrote to his sister Ellen Barcroft (abt.1660-1678) and his mother Margaret (Barnard) Barcroft (1621-1700). John Barcroft suffered significantly before and during the Williamite-Jacobite wars. He was also one of the two Quakers who bought the townland of Ballitore, which became a famous Quaker settlement. His profile relies on his own autobiography, on the Quaker records and on records of his land transactions.

Edward Hoare (aft.1599-1690) was another soldier who received grants of land in the Act of Settlement. His younger brother Abraham, also a soldier, received a grant alongside him, and Edward received further grants as guardian of two young children (probably his step-children) whose grandfather had named them as his heirs. Edward Hoare's death is recorded in the Quaker records and he appears in one year's 'sufferings' as having been assaulted by the Mayor of Cork for no cause other than standing by the door of a Friend. There is no other evidence that he was a Quaker. His sons, one of whom was a Quaker, went on to found important banking and trading firms.

Richard Poole (abt.1608-1665) was another former soldier who lost his position when he became a Quaker. However, he was not awarded land under the Act of Settlement, indicating that he was probably not an officer. He was imprisoned more than once for his Quaker beliefs and died in prison. His profile relies on the Quaker records.

James Fade (abt.1617-1701) was also a soldier. His Quaker family list shows that he was originally from Scotland and states that he came into Ireland in 1647, right in the middle of the Civil War. His biographer speculates that he might have fought in Ulster with the Scottish Covenanters' Army, but did not find his name in a list of the army's officers. Fade was convinced as a Quaker in about 1655, and like most Quakers at that time suffered for his beliefs. He married twice and had a large family. He worked as a linen draper, but incurred substantial debts as a result of which he had to sign his assets over to (mostly Quaker) trustees. His profile relies on a biography published in The Journal of the Friends Historical Society, original Quaker records and Wight and Rutty's history.

Gulielma Maria (Springett) Penn (abt.1644-1694) is remembered as the wife of William Penn (1644-1718), but she features in the Cromwellian records in her own right. She inherited the right to lands in Ireland as an 'Adventurer' from her father. Her father's role and her own inheritance are documented in the 'State Papers Relating to Ireland', the grant of land to her is shown in the documents of the Cromwellian settlement and her ownership of land is confirmed in the 'Books of Survey and Distribution'.

Gershon Boate (1648-1704) went to Ireland as early as 1649 (the year of Cromwell's invasion, but before his army's final victory) with his parents. His father was an Adventurer for Land, who had financed Parliament's Irish Army of 1642 in return for a speculative promise of land in Ireland if Parliament won the war. His father must have died early, as his mother Catherine/Katherine appears in the documents of the Court of Claims and in the Books of Survey and Distribution. Gershon became convinced as a Quaker in 1670 and went to prison for his beliefs. He must have been a rich man, because the amounts taken from him in tithe were very significant. After he died, the Quakers wrote a testimony to his life.

George Gamble (abt.1626-bef.1694) was a merchant in Cork. He appeared in the 'Pender Census' of 1659 and his land transactions are recorded in the Court rolls, but his background before Cromwell's invasion of Ireland is not clear. He became a Quaker and was imprisoned for his beliefs, but left the Quakers and became a Muggletonian. According to the Quakers He died in apostacy, and hardness of heart against the truth & c.. An abstract of his will in the Casey Collection and various memorials of deeds help to confirm his family relationships.

William Edmundson (1627-1712) is renowned as the founder of the Society of Friends in Ireland. His profile draws on the Quaker records, his own journal and numerous histories and biographies. Edmundson had previously served with Cromwell in England and Scotland and his brother was a soldier in Cromwell's Irish army, but neither of them was an officer, so they do not appear in the Cromwellian land grants. He does appear in the 'Pender Census' as one of the 'Tituladoes' or holders of land in the Quaker settlement of Rosenalis.

Tobias Pleadwell (1629-1723) came into Ireland in 1655 with his parents who were Puritans. On the ship to Ireland, they were convinced by Elizabeth Fletcher and Elizabeth Smith, two early Quaker missionaries. He died aged 94 years after much suffering and service in the Quaker cause. His profile depends largely on the testimony to his life which the Quakers published after his death, although there are also corroborating sources.

John Watson of Kilconner (abt.1649-1710) was the founder of the Quaker meeting at Kilconner, later absorbed into Newgarden/Carlow. Like many early Quaker families his parents came into Ireland during the time of the Commonwealth and were described by the Quakers as ‘planters’ despite not having been awarded land under the acts of settlement. He was converted despite the strong opposition of his father, went to prison several times for his beliefs and lost substantial sums taken as tithes, but still developed a significant fortune. He became a Quaker minister and travelled widely. When he died the Quakers wrote a testimony to his life. His will is available in the Quaker archive. The Burke publications mistake his family genealogy, merging his father (who was not a Quaker) with John Watson (abt.1615-1680) (who was). His Quaker family list documents his father's arrival in Ireland. The abstracts of Court Rolls document one of his land transactions and he features in a large number of Quaker records, biographies, histories etc.