Earls Gift Castle, Donemana, 30 Oct 2020, v1 Short

Donemana, Donemanagh, Doneymana, Donnemanagh, Dunamanagh, Dunemanagh, Dunimana, Dunnamanagh or Dunnymana (historically spelled in numerous different ways) named after the townland of Dunnamanagh, from Irish Dún na Manach, meaning 'stronghold of the monks' is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

It is 7 miles (11 kilometres) North-East of Strabane, on the banks of the Burn Dennett (River Dennett) and at the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains. It is the largest of the thirteen villages in the Strabane District Council area and had a population of 593 in the 2001 Census.

 

The townland is situated in the historic barony of Strabane Lower and the civil parish of Donaghedy and covers an area of 130 acres in the province of Ulster.

The village, is situated in a deed and retired glen amidst the Mounterloney mountains [now better known as the Sperrin’s] and was established in the early 17th century as part of the Plantation of Ulster, instigated by James I in 1609.

A total of 59 Scottish landowners (or undertakers as they were known) received lands in the Plantation of Ulster. Most were minor lairds, though others, such as Ludovic Stewart, Duke of Lennox (b.1574 d.1624), and James Hamilton, Earl of Abercorn (b.1575 d.1618), were aristocrats and held important positions in the Scottish government. Many of the original grantees sold out early on. Some never even made it as far as Ireland. Others took their responsibilities seriously and built fortifications and introduced the required number of settlers to their estates.

According to the rules of his settlement, the whole county, which was estimated to contain 1571 balliboes, or 98,187 acres, being at the rate of 1000 acres to 16 balliboes, was divided into 78 portions, which, after deducting a portion for the church and some lands for Trinity College, Dublin, were granted to English and Irish undertakers, that is, settlers, who engaged to build, fortify, and stock the lands with British tenantry. Five borough towns, Dungannon, Clogher, Omagh, Strabane, and Mountjoy, were allowed a certain portion of the surrounding grounds; and another portion was assigned to some of the members of the O'Nial family [Irish: Ó Néill]. The Irish were distributed as tenants among the undertakers, the swordsmen were removed to the waste parts of Connaught or Munster, where they were to be dispersed and not permitted to settle together in one place.

 

Pynnar Survey 1689-19

On 28th November 1618 Captain Nicolas Pynnar (b.? d.1644) under King James I direction was issued with a commission to carry a new survey into the progress of the Plantation, he was engaged on this work from 1 December 1618 to 28 March 1619, 119 days in all. It appeared that the county was divided into the five precincts of Strabane, Omy [Omagh], Clogher, Mountjoy, and Dungannon, the first of these, Strabane, was allotted to Scotch undertakers, of whom those then in possession of the lands granted to the original patentees were Sir George Hamilton 3rd Earl of Abercorn (b. c.1636 d.1683), Sir William Stewart of Fort Stewart (b. abt. 1582 d.1646), Sir Robert Newcomen, 4th Baron Newcomen (b.1596 d.1672), and Sir John Drummond 5th of Boreland (d.1630)

 

Those granted land were required to build a fortification on their lands. The simplest type of fortress was known as a ‘bawn’ (from the Irish for ‘cow fort’). A bawn was a courtyard surrounded by strong walls and was usually square or rectangular designed as a place of refuge for settlers in case of attack. The most important of the new landlords were expected to build a strong castle as well as a bawn.

 

The publisher Samuel Lewis in “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland” wrote in 1837,

“Donaheady, a parish, in the barony of Strabane, County of Tyrone, and province of Ulster, on the road from Strabane to Cookstown; containing, with the post-town of Dunamanagh, 10,480 inhabitants. The greater part of this parish was granted by James 1st to Sir John Drummond, who founded the town of Dunamanagh, and built a bawn 109 feet square, no part of which remains, as the bawn was removed some years since, and the modern building called the Castle was erected on its site.

It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 39,3983 statute acres, of which 28,728 are applotted under the Tithe Act, and valued at £10,271 per annum. There are about 154 acres of water, and 250 of bog; the remainder is arable and pasture land. There is abundance of excellent limestone, both for building and agricultural purposes, but the mountains are chiefly clay-slate”.

 

Earls Gift Historical Information

Earls Gift Castle has the appearance of a Georgian gothic dwelling or folly and as far as can be determined from the remaining structure, probably dates from the late eighteenth century.

Castle and Bawn ruin, consisting of a "double pile with a five-bay, 3 storey, South front with arched windows to the top floor & a fore standing round tower in the central bay". The North Western perimeter is still bounded by what seems to be the remains of foundations of a bawn wall.

According to the Natural Stone Database, the stone used is local Dalradian schist and Tyrone carboniferous sandstone.

 

Sir John Drummond 5th of Boreland (d.1630) was the man responsible of the establishment of Donemana town and Earls Gift Castle. His father was John Drummond, Fiar of Bordland (d.15 Dec 1582) who married Barbara Cunningham (d.?) on 12th December 1540, she was the daughter of Sir John Cuninghame [Cunningham], 15th of Glengarnock, [Ayrshire] who died in Dec 1595.

 

Sir John does not appear to have been a popular landlord, for Nicholas Pynnar’s Survey of 1619 reports that, “although there are many tenants on his lands, they have no estates [tenures] at all; insomuch that they, knowing I was in the country, came and complained unto me, and said that for these many years they could never get anything from him but promises; and, therefore, the most part of them are leaving the land. I desired the lady to show me their counterpaines, but her answer was that her Knight was in Scotland, and that she could not come unto them. but upon examination, I found there were 90 men of firittone [from Scotland] on the land." Sir John Drummond was styled as of the Rosses, in the parish of Oapprey [?], where he died in May, 1625 [alt.1630].

 

Sir John Drummond, 5th of Boreland, married Marjory (Marion) Hamilton on the 6 Nov 1601 in Edinburgh, she was the daughter to the John Hamilton, Laird of Blair (d. abt. 1630) and Grisel Sempill (d. Oct 1575)

 

Sir John sold the estate to John Drummond, Earl of Perth, and having purchased Kesh Castle in Co. Tyrone in Ireland and died childless in 1630. His only sibling, brother Malcolm (d.22 May 1650) 7th of Bordland (or Boreland) succeeded to the estate when he got a re-grant of the premises, which were created into a manor, to be called the manor of Castle Dormand.

 

Earls Gift Folklore?

Local folklore provides the following romantic and tragic story of events that surround the unfinished building of Earls Gift Castle. Sir John Drummond decided to build a castle near his home at Earls Gift and like most landlords of the time he also had a house in London. It was there that he met and fell in love with a beautiful French girl and they planned to marry and retire to the castle in Donemana when it was complete.

However, tragically the ship that was bringing Sir John’s betrothed to England was wrecked in a storm in the English Channel of the coast of Dover on 2nd November 1650 and all onboard perished.

I’ve not been able to find any on-line records of a ship wreck in the English Channel on or about the date stated. I’d also expect that a record would have existed if a ship had sunk especially one where all on board had died. So, it’s quite likely this story has been handed down through the generations and now forms part of local folklore?

 

Historic Maps & Surveys

It is shown on McCrea and Knox’s map of Tyrone dated 1813 as a castle in ruins, although the later Ordnance Survey map of 1832 does not so designate it, and in fact it is not described as a ruin on OS maps until the third edition of 1905. The first edition OS map appears to caption it, ‘Earls Gift’, but by the second edition it is ‘Dunnamanagh Castle’. No earlier maps were found to show the castle. The Townland Valuation (1828-40) lists ‘an old castle’ and tower giving dimensions and describing it as ‘not habitable’ although a valuation is given to it of £3.6s.

 

In a “Book of Survey and Distribution” dating from 1666 to 78, ‘Downemanagh’ is listed as the property of Sir William Hamilton (b. abt.1604 d.1662) Esquire of Elieston, Knight and Protestant. His descendant Sir John, Stuart Hamilton (b. c1740 d.1802) is mentioned several times in late-eighteenth-century correspondence between John James Hamilton Marquess of Abercorn (b.1756 d.1818) and his agent James Hamilton (b.? d.1806) as being in residence at ‘Donemanagh’ or occasionally ‘Earls Gift’ and it may be that the residence referred to is the current building.

 

On 19 March 1793, Hamilton writes, “Sir John [Stuart] Hamilton’s brother died last week at ‘Donemanagh’, his weight 42 stones. It took 16 planks to make his coffin…” and on 19 March 1798, “Your Lordship will be astonished when I tell you that Sir John Hamilton has subscribed his entire pension £300 a year towards the war [possibly, the Irish Rebellion of 1798?] and is living the life of a hermit at Donemanagh”.

 

James Hamilton’s letters also report Sir John’s (Stuart) Hamilton’s death in 1802 and speculate that his son the ‘Young Sir John’ [Sir John Charles Hamilton, 2nd Baronet] will be the last of the line. [Note: Sir John Charles Hamilton, 2nd Baronet was in fact the last Baronet, he died in 1818]. “If I can credit his surgeon and housekeeper, he will never leave an heir”. His agent proposes that Abercorn try to obtain the reversion of young Sir John’s estates. As far as can be determined from the correspondence, the son does not appear to have lived at Dunnamanagh, and it may be that the building began to fall into disrepair shortly after Sir John (Stuart’s) death.

 

It is thought that the following statement alludes to the 1st Baronet, Sir John Stuart Hamilton:

"When he was but nineteen, he was unanimously elected one of the representatives in Parliament for Strabane, in which high and honourable station he behaved for upwards of thirty years with a conduct suitable to the great confidence reposed in him. To his immortal honour he was one of those heroic patriots of fabrician fortitude, who signalized themselves in so conspicuous a manner in the successful defence of the pass, which in 1753 was strenuously attempted to be forced, in order to overthrow the parliamentary constitution of this country; for which they were distinguished from their opponents by their wearing gold medals in memory of that glorious epoch. And so sensible were his constituents of his singular merit and invariable principles in favour of his country, that at the late general election they unanimously re-elected him "to represent them in parliament; the goodness and benevolence of his heart endeared him to all, and render his death universally lamented. He is succeeded in his estate by John [Charles] Hamilton, Esq. (b.1745 to 1805 d.1818), his eldest son and heir."

 

The Hamilton’s

In the early 1600s Sir Claud Hamilton (b. abt 1579 d.1614) of Shawfield in Scotland, second son of Lord Claud Hamilton (b.1546 d.1621) Commendator of the Abbey of Paisley and a friend of the Earl of Abercorn. Claud, as an undertaker in the plantation of the county of Longford, he had 400 acres of land granted to him there, together with the small proportion of Eden [the estate and remains of the castle at Mount Castle] or Teadane and Killeny which occupied most of the eastern half of the barony and which were largely mountainous. They contained about 2000 acres in the barony of Strabane, Co. Tyrone, on which he built a strong and beautiful castle [possibly, Mount Castle, Donemana, a short distance from Earls Gift Castle], which, with other lands mentioned in the patent.

Sir Claud firstly married Janet Hamilton (b1583 d.1623) a daughter of Robert Hamilton of Leckprevick, she and Claud had no issue. Claud secondly Janet Hamilton (d.1613) Heiress of Leckprevick and Easter Greenlees she was the daughter of Sir Robert Hamilton of Manor Elieston (b. 1448 to 1568) in the County of Tyrone, and had six sons and two daughters.

1.Sir William (b.1604 d.1664), his heir

2.Alexander died 21 Nov 1587, aged 8 moths

3.Robert died before 1657

4.George died unmarried

5.Claud

6.James (died unmarried)

7.Grizzel Hamilton (m. Sir William Nisbit, Baillie of Lamington)

8.Margaret Hamilton (m. Sir John Stuart [Stewart] of Gorgonoch-Stewart of Methven)

 

After Sir Claud Hamilton death in 1614 the land was given to his eldest son Sir William Hamilton.

 

William, is buried in Bodoney parish church, Killeter, Castlederg, County Tyrone and was succeeded by his third son, Claud Hamilton (b. c1648 d. c1695)

 

Claud Hamilton (b.c1648 d.c1695), of Monterloney (near, County Tyrone, High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1671 and 1683, who married Isabella Wingfield and had issue, with five daughters, Beatrix, Mary, Agnes, Margaret, and Rebecca and two sons, William, his successor and Claud of Strabane, ancestor of Hamilton Baronets of Woodbrook.

 

A castle, surrounded by a square bawn (fortified enclosure) was built by the Hamilton’s in Donemana around 1618-19, and was described at the time as ‘both strong and beautiful’. No trace of the castle survives, but it is believed to have been where the ruined eighteenth-century building known locally as 'Earls Gift Castle' now stands. The castle occupied a commanding position on the edge of a steep bank high above the Burn Dennett River.

 

In 1629 Sir William Hamilton renamed the estate ‘Manor Elliston’ after his mother’s home in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

In the course of the 1600s families from Britain, primarily from Scotland, settled in the district and their descendants are still numerous in the area today. Other Scottish surnames names found in this area over the past 400 years include Buchanan, Campbell, Colhoun, Galbraith, Henderson, Leslie, Lindsay, McCrea and McFarland.

The Hamilton family remained in possession of Dunnamanagh until the early 1800s. The last but one member of the family, Sir John Stuart Hamilton (b. c1740 d.1802) 1st Baronet of Dunamana, High Sheriff of County Tyrone 1764, MP for Strabane from 1763-97 and son of William Hamilton (d. est. between 1675 and 1735) of Dunamanagh, County Tyrone, MP for Strabane, 1733-62, and Catherine Leslie daughter of the Rev Dr George Leslie, of Ballyconnell House, County Cavan,

www.geni.com/people/Catherine-Hamilton/6000000005062062760

 

The demise of the estate is suggested as the result of the reckless expenditure of Sir John Stuart Hamilton. He was the rather ineffective MP for Strabane who was once described as a ‘man of small fortune and large stature, possessing a most liberal appetite for both solids and fluids.

 

The development of the village that we see today probably dates from the middle of the eighteenth century and is likely to have been associated with the rise of the linen industry in the area.

Sir John Stuart Hamilton 1st Baronet of Dunamana (b. c1740 d.1802), High Sheriff of County Tyrone, 1764, MP for Strabane from 1763 to 1797.

Sir John Stuart was the son of Sir William Hamilton of Manor Elliston (b.1604 d.1662) and Elizabeth (Johnston) Hamilton (b.1605)

 

Sir John Stuart Hamilton who married Sarah Hamilton (b. c1740 d.1770) on 20 November 1770 was the illegitimate daughter of Frederick Hamilton, 3rd Viscount Boyne (b.1718 d.1772 who is buried St. Paul's Church, Dublin, County Dublin) and his second wife Bridget Mooney (d.1771) and was the daughter of Lt.-Col. unknown Mooney who he married on July 1746 (This marriage was during the lifetime of his first wife, Elizabeth Hadley who he had married on 25 August 1737 at Chapelizod, County Dublin).

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After her marriage to Fredrick, Bridget Mooney was styled as Viscountess Boyne in July 1746. She died 1771, without surviving issue.

 

19th–Century Earls Gift Map and the Douglas Family

An early 19th–century map of the ‘Earl’s Gift’ Demesne showing lands near the town of Donemana, Co. Tyrone, in the parish of Donagheady and diocese of Derry.

The map had suffered the ravages of time, and was in need of urgent repair, but thanks to the expert intervention of Liz D’Arcy at the Paperworks Studio for Paper Conservation, and the availability of the Representative Church Body (RCB) Library’s Conservation Fund which allows for the urgent repair of historical items, this beautiful work of art has been brought back to life.

Clearly of significant independent means the Hon. Revd. Charles Douglas, and also benefiting from the grant funds available to him, he was able to commission a professional surveyor Robert Craig in 1830 to measure out his property, and draw the colourful survey map of the lands where he had laid out a house and planned demesne on the former ‘Earls Gift Castle’ estate, which had been associated in the 17th century with Sir John Drummond who laid out the original ‘Earls Gift Castle’ and town of Donemana.

 

The map depicts various field boundaries, and the location of townlands, including Tullyard, Black Park, Glebe and Benown where the original parish church of St Michael’s was located. As well as Earls Gift Castle, farmyards with stables and other outbuildings, landscaped garden, pleasure grounds and the association of over 95 acres of these lands.

Immediately to the North–East of these and connected by a road is the original parish church now known as St. Michael’s cemetery. Today this building is a ruin, having been replaced by St James Church (150m South West on the B49) after disestablishment when the original church had fallen into disrepair in 1879.

 

There has been an Anglican Church in the parish of Donagheady since the early 17th century, when a church at Church Hill, St. Caidinus (where the Old Donagheady Graveyard is located) was built during the plantation of Ulster. All that remains of this church is a few gable walls and a small graveyard.

 

Around 1788 a new church, St. Michael’s, Church of Ireland in the townland of Benowen, was constructed in what is now known as St. Michael’s cemetery and again a portion of the gable wall remains standing to this day. The church was consecrated 1838.

The final service held in St Michael’s was on 23 November 1879 and the preacher was the Rector, Rev. F J Clarke.

 

In 1870, Canon Clarke and church warden Henry Danton JP arranged repairs to the original parish church of St. Michael’s at Benowen, now known as St. Michael's Cemetery, the ruins of which lies nearby St James Church which is located about 150m on the right-hand side further on, NE from St. James Church, Donagheady on the B49 road from Donemana to Claudy.

An approach was made to Mr. Claud Ogliby (b.1851 d.1894) of Altinaghree Castle (Liscloon House) Donemanagh to request financial assistance, however Mr. Ogiliby refused this request but instead offered £500.00 towards the building of a new church, that of St James.

Mr. Claude Ogilby laid the foundation stone on St James Day, 25th July 1877 and the Church was consecrated on 28th November 1879 by Bishop of Derry and Raphoe the Rt. Rev. Bishop Nathaniel Alexander (b.760 d.1840).

 

Hon. Revd. Charles Douglas

The Revd. Charles Douglas (b.1791 d.1857) was Ordained in the Church of England; he came to Ireland as rector of Donagheady in 1825 and continued to serve there until retirement in 1857. He was the second son of Hon. John Douglas (b.1756 d.1818), who married on 4 Oct 1784 Lady Frances Lascelles (b 1762 d. 1817). John was the son of James Douglas (b.1702 d.1768), 14th Earl of Morton.

 

The Revd. Charles firstly married Isabella (Gore) Douglas (b.1786 and 1799 -d.1838) on the 2nd March 1816 she was the daughter of Arthur Saunders Gore (b.1734-d.1809 ), 2nd Earl of Arran (the Arran Islands) and Elizabeth Underwood (d.1829) who was the daughter of Richard Underwood and Christiana Goold.

Charles and Isabella had 11 children:

1. Anne Jane Douglas b.? d.10 Jan 1868 (m. 3 Jan 1843 Frederick Richard Surtees).

2. Augusta Frederica Douglas b. 22 Nov 1819 d.? (m. 15 Dec 1842 Henry Poore Cox).

3. Julia Mary Douglas b.? d.? (m. 20 July 1848 George James Montgomery).

4. Caroline Douglas b.? d.9 April 1908 (m. 17 Dec 1844 Edward Prothero).

5. Georgiana Frances Douglas b.? d.20 June 1844 aged 15.

6. Adelaide Charlotte Douglas b.? d.1903 (m. 30 Jan 1851 William Ogilby).

7. Louisa Emma Douglas b.? d.? (m. 29 Sep 1857 Charles Fox).

8. Captain William Grant Douglas b.1824 d.1898 aged 74 (Royal Navy).

9. Charles Edward Douglas b.1825 d.1842 aged 16 years.

10. Gordon James Douglas b.1835 d.1905 aged 69 (m. 12 Aug 1858 Louisa Turbett).

11. Claudine Douglas (b.? d.1842) aged 8

 

Hon. Revd. Charles Douglas, secondly married Agnes Julia (Rich) Gason on 28 Dec 1852 to 1857 without issue. Agnes was daughter of Captain J. S. Rich of Woodlands, Limerick. She died on 4 Nov 1916.

 

Interned at St Michael’s Church & Graveyard, Bunowen, Donagheady.

1. Hon. Revd. Charles Douglas (b.1791 d.1857) aged 65.

2. his wife Isabella (b.1786 and 1799 d.1838) aged 43.

3. son Charles Edward (b.1825 d.1842) aged 16.

4. youngest daughter Claudine (b.? d.29 Apr 1842) aged 8.

5. daughter Georgina Frances (b.abt 1829 d.20 June 1844) aged 15.

 

Captain William Grant Douglas married, firstly on the 16th December 1851, Elizabeth Inglis, daughter of William Inglis (d.1865), Elizabeth died in 1965 leaving 6 children.

1.Bessie Henriette Douglas d. 12 Oct 1938 who married Claud William Leslie Ogilby (1851-94) of Altinaghree Castle (Liscloon House).

2.Ada Charlotte Douglas b.1862 d.?

3.Mary Louisa Douglas d.1940

4.Margaret Caroline Douglas b.9 July 1859 d.25 Apr 1921

5.Maud Isabel Gore Douglas d.2 Feb 1934

6.Sholto Douglas d.?

 

Captain William married, secondly, on 6 June 1867, Elizabeth Frances Vesey (b. abt.1844 d.1919), daughter of Thomas Agmondisham Vesey (b.1812 d.1895) and Jemima Belford Gregg (b.1820 d. 1898), They had 3 children, a son: Sholto Osborne Gordon Douglas (b.1873 d.1937) B.A. (Oxon) Author of 'A theory of Civilisation' and two daughters, Maude Isabel Gore Douglas (b.1869 d.1934) and Margaret Caroline Douglas (b.1883 d. unknown)

 

Gordon James Douglas, married, 12th August 1858, Louisa Turbett (b.1837 d.1923) daughter of James Turbett of Owenstown, Dublin, and had one daughter, Isabelle Sophia Frances Douglas (b.1860 d.1914), she married Bedford Randolph Wilson

 

Connection with the Ogilby Family of Altinaghree Castle

William Ogilby JP (1808-73), of Altinaghree Castle (Liscloon House), Donemana, County Tyrone, married, in 1851, Adelaide Charlotte Douglas, daughter of the Hon. Rev. Charles Douglas of Earls Gift.

See my video and associated transcript “Altnachree Ogilby's Castle Liscloon House, Donemana Co. Tyrone 8 March 2020 v1”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7zEW6GHH3Q&t=3s&ab_chann...

 

Donagheady is a parish, in the barony of STRABANE, county of TYRONE, and province of ULSTER, on the road from Strabane to Cookstown; containing, with the post-town of Dunamanagh, 10,480 inhabitants. The greater part of this parish was granted by James I. to Sir John Drummond, who founded the town of Dunamanagh, and built a bawn 109 feet square, no part of which remains, as the bawn was removed some years since, and the modern building called the Castle was erected on its site. It comprises, according to the Ordnance survey, 39,3983 statute acres, of which 28,728 are applotted under the tithe act, and valued at £10,271 per annum. There are about 154 acres of water, and 250 of bog; the remainder is arable and pasture land. There is abundance of excellent limestone, both for building and agricultural purposes, but the mountains are chiefly clay-slate.

 

Many of the glens and banks of the rivers are covered with underwood, the remains of the extensive forests of Mounterlony. Formerly there were several bleach-greens in the parish, and a paper-mill near Dunamanagh, all of which are now unemployed; but the inhabitants unite linen-weaving at home with agricultural pursuits. The upper half of the parish, with the exception of the church lands, is in the manor of Elliston, the court for which is held at Gortin; and the lower half is in the manor of Donolonge [probably, Dunnalong], which was granted by James I. to the Earl of Abercorn. A court is held at Donolonge monthly, for the recovery of debts under 40s. There are several handsome houses, the principal of which are Earl's Gift, the residence of the Hon. Rev. Charles Douglas; Loughash, Lieutenant-Colonel John Pitt Kennedy (1796-1879); Tullarton House, of R. Bond Esq.; Glenville, of R. McRae, Esq.; Silver Brook, of J. Carey, Esq.; Black Park, of R. Ogilbye Esq.; Thorn Hill, of A. C. D. L. Edie, Esq. and the Grange, of T. Hutton, Esq.

 

The Board of First Fruits was an institution of the Church of Ireland that was established in 1711 by Anne, Queen of Great Britain to build and improve churches and glebe houses in Ireland. This was funded from taxes collected on clerical incomes which were in turn funded by tithes. The board was replaced in 1833 by the Board of Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

 

Glebe (also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close) is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved to the church.

 

A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques whereas, historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural produce.

 

Living is a rectory, in the diocese of Derry, and in the patronage of the Marquess of Abercorn: the tithes amount to £1350. The Glebe-House was erected in 1792, by aid of a gift of £100 from the late Board of First Fruits: the glebe comprises 1192 acres. The church is a small neat edifice, half a mile west from the ruins of the old church; it is in the Grecian style, with a small cupola and a bell at the western end; and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £202 for its repair. In the R. C. divisions this parish is the head of a union or district, comprising Donagheady and Leckpatrick, and containing one chapel in the former and two in the latter: it is in the benefice of the dean of Derry. There are four Presbyterian meeting-houses, three of which are in connection with the Synod of Ulster, two being of the second class, and one with the Seceding Synod, also of the second class.

 

The male and female parochial schools adjoin the church, and are supported by the Marquess of Abercorn and the incumbent. At Loughash is a large and handsome school-house, erected at an expense of £200: the school is under the National Board, as is another at Lisnarrow [near Dunamanagh]. There are also schools at Killeany, Rusky [Rousky near Gortin), Tamnaghbrady, Tyboe [Donemana], Grange [Civil Parish of Ardstraw], and Ballyneuse; and an agricultural school at Loughash [near Donemana], supported by Capt. Kennedy. At Mount Castle [Civil Parish of Donaghedy], which gives the title of baron in the Irish peerage to the Marquess of Abercorn, are some fragments of a castle, built in 1619, by Sir Claude Hamilton, on an estate of 2000 acres, called Eden, which was granted to him by James I. It was the birth-place of Sir George Hamilton, who distinguished himself in the parliamentary war, and of his son, Gen. James Hamilton (b.c.1661 d.1734), afterwards 6th Earl of Abercorn, who commanded the Protestant Irish army against James II at Londonderry. Extensive ruins of the ancient church of Grange, which belonged to the abbey of Derry, exist on the banks of the Foyle. At Kildollagh [Coleraine] are some large artificial caves, formed of loose stones, with flagstones over them covered with earth; they are about a quarter of a mile long, and contain several apartments; there is a less perfect one at Gortmaglen.

 

Hurricane Debbie

Earls Gift or Donemana Castle was reportedly damaged during hurricane Debbie which was a moderate tropical cyclone which had significant impact when it hit Ireland on the morning of Saturday 16th September 1961, with gusts of 113 miles per hour, almost 182km/h, being recorded at Malin Head, Northern Ireland. On Monday September 18th, 1961, The Irish Times reported the storm had killed 15 people on the island of Ireland.

 

Davy Crockett's Da

A popular local song celebrates the claim that ' Davy Crockett's da (or father), John Crockett (b. c.1753 d. after 1802) came from Donemana'.

www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2799150686822749

An historical curiosity is the fact that the Crockett family are known to have fought on the Williamite side during the Siege of Derry (1689) before emigrating to North America. Davy Crockett (b.786 d.836) later fought at the Battle of the Alamo (23 February – 6 March 1836) during the Texas Revolution. As with most aspects of the Alamo battle, the exact details of the deaths of both James Bowie’s (b. c.1796 d. 6 March 1836) and Davy Crockett may never really be known? William Barret Travis (b.1 August 1809 d. 6 March 1836) died early in the battle from a single bullet in the head.

 

Earls Gift Castle Access

Sadly, public access to the Earls Gift site has not been provided therefore the site is only accessible by permission of the private house owners situated along the B49, Longland Road fronting the castle site.

 

Many thanks to Mr & Mrs Derick Gamble who provide me with access to the Earls Gift castle and Derick took me to Church Hill Graveyard.

 

Done