Registry of Freeholds

I have seen similar applications to the Freeholder Register c1829 for other townlands where the quality of land was poor.  It is worth noting that these "applications" may not have qualified for the vote (nor been approved). They could have been "chancing their arm" or living in hope (or making a point of protest). 

In terms of whether a rate of £10 existed for a holding, or whether the applicant could afford it ... Griffith's Valuation of Cloonsheever (1857) should be able to shed some light on this (as the townland was still heavily congested after the Famine and many of the names you mentioned were still registered as landholders there). 

The Tithe Applotment Records were recorded using the Irish Acre ("Plantation acre") measurement. Griffith's Valuation was recorded in Statute Acres. 1 "acre (Irish)" = 1.6198347107438 "acre (international)". In addition, only the land that qualified for tithes were recorded. Thus, a holding of bog or poorer "unqualified" land may not have been recorded here. 

BALLYEGAN  To the far north-west of Cloonsheever you can see the tight circular village that represents the TA#2 Egan partnership (also represented by GV#2) with Pat Egan's sole holding across the road at GV#5&; I'm giving this rundale partnership the nickname "BallyEgan".  The Egan interests extended north into the adjoining townland of Cloonfinglas. 

CLOONSHEEVER VILLAGE To the centre of Cloonsheever, with houses dotted along the roadside in a linear fashion, you have the Doyles, Kellys and Dockerys. 

Terrence Freehill (Fairly) & partners, Cloonsheever East

It really helps to look at the Griffiths maps on askaboutireland.com... the Freehill holding was centred around farm GV#23 and GV#24 (total rates for this combined holding = £15).

1825 TA ... Terrence Fairly & Partners are registered as being tithe-liable for 16 Irish acres = 26 statute acres of a total holding of 58.2 statute acres (GV1857).

1829 ... Terrence, Thomas, Michael and Pat Freehill each apply to register as a freeholder.

1857 ...  two Freehill widows and a James Freehill were still in full control of the family holding here. 

Their neighbours to the west were Dockery [TA #8&9 Dockery land divided as GV#16 &# 29 in 1857] where a number of houses mapped in 1839 were unoccupied by 1857. This looks like a clearance that the Dockerys from the village moved into. Their neighbours to the east were by then Egan [GV#19-21 looks like an Egan married into Kelly land].

Take a look at these links and let me know what further questions you have.

Thank you very much for your insight. That is very interesting. I had considered that these were only applications and did not mean that they were necessarily able to vote. You mentioned that a number of houses were mapped as unoccupied in 1839. I found an OSI map from around that time but I'm just wondering how you know that they were unoccupied?

Thank you for suggesting that John Egan possibly married into the Kelly farm. I looked up baptisms under Egan and Kelly in the Catholic parish of Loughglynn. There were children born to John Egan and Mary Kelly with the first baptism in 1850. Sponsors included Dockery, Kelly, Serridge, Egan and likely my own ancestor Martin Kelly so the couple likely lived in Cloonsheever. Unfortunately, like Martin, there doesn't seem to be a marriage record so I still don't have a name for a father but that information may not have been included anyway. At least, I know now that Martin likely had a sister Mary that married Egan.

The Kellys actually owned the Egan land again later and their newer house is still extant (the older house still seems to be there too). I was interested to know if the families may have somehow have had poor land but some money since it might have provided an explanation for how Martin's son bought a hotel in the nearby town. In case it might add some further insight into the land ownership in Cloonsheever, both Patrick and Martin married Freehill women, Catherine and Mary respectively (no marriage available for either of course, must have all married between 1837 and 1849 with Martin's eldest in 1852 and Patrick's in 1854). Do you think that the Patrick Kelly in Griffith's Valuation was likely a brother of Martin? I only have baptisms for three of Patrick's children but the sponsors were Martin Kelly and Mary Freehill, Martin Kelly and Bridget Freehill, and Thomas Kelly and Mary Freehill. Patrick Kelly and Catherine Freehill were sponsors for one of Martin's children with just Patrick for two others.

Have you looked at the OSI Map under the Griffiths maps on askaboutireland.com? Where you see little houses on a farm with no lower case letters beside them (e.g. a, b, or c) this means they were there when the first 0SI map was drawn circa 1839 but unoccupied after the Famine in 1857. 

I think you are right about  John Egan and Mary Kelly based on the sponsors, Serridge is an especially strong clue. Pre 1850, the father wasn't named in marriage records around these parts (in my experience). What you can hope for is to draw some conclusion as to John Egan's siblings in the hope of finding another one whose marriage record came a little later. I would strongly suspect that Martin and John were siblings. Now go search for them in parish records as a godfather and see what turns up. Take the view that as godparents they are most likely a sibling or sibling in law. Also, look for naming patterns (the first son's given name). Pat Egan was the man with some wealth here. He was probably the father.

As for the hotel purchase ... an older sibling probably followed the Gold Rush to Australia/ NZ and sent money home. That or an inheritance from America. If the Egans were big money in their own right, Pat would be appearing on the list for Grand Jurors (i.e. a cess-payer). It's not out of the realm of possibility. Try a search on the British Newspaper Archive for "Pat Egan" filtered to Co. Roscommon and also "Cloonsheever". 

Let me know how you get on!

Thank you very much for clarifying that. I hadn't realised that the maps were made in 1839.

I had a look at baptisms with sponsor Martin Kelly.

1. The first one was with Mary Kelly for Maragret Egan born in 1819 in Eden to Michael Egan and Bridget Dillon. This is before the time of my ancestor. Interestingly, I had thought originally that my ancestor Martin was born in 1819 in Eden to Martin Kelly and Jane Dillon. However, someone who is supposed to be descended from this couple did Y-DNA testing and our last ancestor lived around the 1200s.

2. After that (in the relevant time frame), it's Martin Kelly (transcribed Kenny) born to Patrick Kelly and Catherine Frihill in 1852 and the other sponsor is Mary Kelly. This appears to be Patrick's oldest child. Patrick gave the eldest the name Martin while Martin gave his eldest the name Patrick. Perhaps they named their eldest after their brother rather than father?

3. Then the next baptism is for Patrick and Catherine's son John born in 1854 with the other sponsor recorded as Mary Freehil. 

4. Martin Kelly and Mary Finan were sponsors for Mary Freehil born to Terrance Freehil and Bridget Finan in 1856. Therefore, Terrance was likely a brother of Mary Freehil.

5. Martin Kelly and Bridget Freehill were sponsors for Catherine Kelly daughter of Patrick Kelly and Catherine Frehill in 1859.

6. The last is Martin Kelly and Jane Dockrey acting as sponsors for Peter Egan born to John Egan and Mary Kelly, 

There's nothing new there except Terrance possibly being a brother to Mary. Martin Kelly and Bridget Kelly were also the witnesses for the marriage of Terrance Freehil and Bridget Finan in 1851. 

However, I also searched Patrick as a sponsor. As well as being a sponsor for Martin's children, he is also a sponsor for Terrance Freehill born to James Freehill and Mary Kelly in 1852 and again in 1856 for Margaret born to the same couple. Perhaps he's a sponsor because he's a brother-in-law to James rather than a brother to Mary since there's already a Mary who married Egan? 

The first record of a son born to John Egan and Mary Kelly was named Peter in 1861. 

I looked up Patt Egan but all that I could find was more voter lists. His name appears along with Edmond Cregg of Cloonsheever in 1835 as applying to be registered as voters with both recorded as freeholders. Another list on 5 october 1844 to be registered as voters were Patt Egan along with Patt Carty of Cloonsheever (farmer freeholder), Thomas Cregg of Cloonsheever (farmer freeholder), Peter dockery of Cloonsheever (farmer freeholder), Terence Feehil (farmer landholder), Thomas Feehil (farmer landholder), Dudley Mulrenan of Cloonsheever (farmer landholder), and Michael Surrage of Cloonsheever (farmer freeholder). On 14 June 1834, Patt Egan (farmer) was also applying to register to vote.

I have a query about the voter list that I've attached. The list is styled (number)-(name) but at 236 it becomes (number)...(name). I noticed this on another list. The alphabetical order also restarts for a different set of names with 316...Kelly, Andrew, Toberory, farmer, leaseholder towards the end of the list. I don't suppose you know why some would have been organised separately alphabetically. Andrew was likely genuinely able to vote. He owned 151 acres and previously owned all 571 acres in Toberory. His father lost his total land holding since he wouldn't conform. William French of Cloonyquin took over the esatate and after negotiation his father agreed to be a tenant and was given the 151 acres.

Once again, thank you for your help. You're always a helpful bunch here!

I forgot to mention the bit of information that I can provide on the hotel in the last post. No family are known to have travelled to Australia but family were in America. Martin's daughter had travelled to America and was a housekeeper to a wealthy man there. She returned to Ireland to bring her niece (my great grandfather's sister) with her to America when she was 15 in 1912. Her aunt brought her over to work in a hospital but her employer refused to allow that to happen and instead insisted that she continued going to school. The employer was her guardian after her aunt died in 1915 and considered her his daughter. The employer erected a headstone for the aunt who died in 1915. My great grandfather's sister did well for herself and inherited some of his money when he died in 1930. However, my great aunt claims that she never gave any money towards the hotel and the hotel was bought before the man in America died. Of course, my great aunt wasn't alive when the hotel was bought so she may be wrong. It is possible that my 2x great grandfather's sister gave the family some money or they inherited some when she died. The employer may have even sent some money since there were people in the family named after him but that could also be because he raised my 2nd great aunt..