Teach an Scoir Mhóir aka Scor More House is a Georgian country farmhouse with outbuildings that was owned by the by the Lloyds of Croghan and let to a grazier middleman. Since the late 18th-century, it was the residence of a branch of the French family, passing to the O'Beirne family by way of marriage.
The house, which originally had a thatch roof, stands today in the same position as it appeared on the 1st edition of the OS map in 1837.
In 1824, Tithe Applotment Records for "Skermore" show the following occupants of this townland ("& partners" suggests other families held this small-holding in common)
Patt French; Patt Brady & partners; Henry Flanagan & partners; Owen McDermott; Phillip Moran; John Moran; and Patt Reynolds & partners.
In 1829, applicants to the Freeholder's Voting Register for "Scurmore" were:
Patt French of Scurmore, freehold value £10 for "one life or 21 years of a house and land at Scurmore, Barony of Boyle, Co Roscommon".
John Moran of Scurmore, freehold value £10 for "one life or 21 years of a house and land at Scurmore, Barony of Boyle, Co Roscommon".
Patt Reynolds of Scormore, freehold value £10 for "one life or 21 years of a house and land at Scurmore, Barony of Boyle, Co Roscommon".
Pat French of "Scurr" was the only tenant here with a substantial farm of 58 Irish acres. He was a brother of Jeffrey Martin French of Rocksavage and Toomona. It is likely he resided at Scurmore House since his marriage (est. 1785). Patrick French Sr & Margaret Reilly (Catholics) of "Scurmore" can be found baptising the end of their family in Elphin parish records:
Arthur French b1808 (m. Honora Forde and resided at Laghtcausk);
Brigid French b.1810;
Margaret French (b.1813 married Patrick Beirne, res at Scurmore House in 1850) bap: Margaret Beirne 1850
John French married Celia Beirne of Carrowncully in 1811.
Robert French (1798-1875) married Anne Dyer in Croghan in 1825 and raised a family nearby at Carrowncully until 1848. In 1857 he was recorded at Scor More [GV#5a adjacent to Scormore house at GV8] and no French was subsequently recorded at Carrowncully. Robert died at "Scurr". In 1873, Margaret French of Scurmore (dau. of Robert French) married Bernard Connaughton of Lismacool (wit: Catherine Travers). In 1885, Thomas French of Scurr (son of Robert French) wed Mary Beirne (dau. of Patrick).
Patrick French Jr & Margaret Morris/Morrice of "Scur" baptised the following children: Catherine French b.1836; Arthur French b.1838; Brigid / Henry French b.1840; William French b.1842; Thomas French b.1844; Joseph French b.1846. He may have resided at [GV#5a].
James French (m. Catherine Lannon, res. Elphin)
Cornelius French (appears as godparent only).
In 1837, Score More House was recorded on the 1st edition of the OS map and had a boundary plantation of trees. No houses valued at £5 or more were recorded anywhere in the Civil Parish of Kilmacumsy at that time.
Pat French of Scurr was listed for the Grand Jury of Frenchpark from 1835 to 1842.
In 1840, Patt French Sr (Farmer) and Patt French Jr (Farmer) register a freehold value £10 each at Scurr/ Scurmore, Barony of Boyle . Robert French (Yeoman) registered a freehold value £10 at Carrowncully, Barony of Boyle .
The STATE OF ROSCOMMON. THE VICINITY OF STROKESTOWN [Dublin Evening Packet and Correspondent - 17 March 1846 ].
About two o'clock yesterday, three men presented themselves on the lands of Scurr, near Elphin; one of them approached the field in which two horses were ploughing, he inquired of the man who was leading, which of them belonged to Robert French; and being informed, snapped a pistol; but it not going off, he went to his companions, who were standing at some distance, got another pistol, and instantly shot the animal. This outrage, it supposed, was caused (pursuant to a Rockite notice previously served) by the non-compliance of Mr French to reduce his con-acre rent.
In 1847, Patt French Senior was the only one who sought to register a freehold at Scurmore. By 1850, Patt Beirne & Margaret French were resident at Scormore.
In 1857, at the time of Griffith's Valuation, Scor More house & outbuildings valued at £3 was leased to Patrick Beirne [GV8a] along with 104 acres. This house was thatch with 4 windows to the front and 4-rooms occupied by the family.
Scor More at that time also had a number of small-holding tenants, some of whom had managed to retain their holding after the famine: Patt Fineran; James Travers; John Travers; Robert French; Henry Flanagan; Terrence Brady. Their landlord at this time was Guy Lloyd Jr. Esq. (1803-1860) of Croghan House.
A Patt Beirne of "Scormore" and later a Patrick O'Beirne were listed for the Grand Jury of Frenchpark from 1859 into the 1880s.
Patrick Beirne & Julia McKeon (1840-1890) of "Scurr" and "Scurmore" were baptising children in Elphin from 1867-1872. Both were deceased before the Census of 1901 which shows their adult children at home with Pat Jr as Head of the family. The only slated house in the townland at that time was that of Andrew Musgrave aka Mosgrove (b.1819) who had built a modern slated house on his farm at [GV4].
[Roscommon Messenger - 29 June 1907] MARRIAGES. Keogh and O’Beirne—At Elphin Catholic Church, by the Rev Martin McDermott, CC, cousin of the bride, Thos O’Farrell Keogh, eldest son of the late Mr Edward J Keogh, to Mary Beirne, youngest daughter of the late Mr Patrick O’Beirne, Scurmore, Elphin.
Pat Beirne Jr of Scurmore married Brigid McDermott of Knockglass in 1909. Brigid's father was a Land Surveyor. His brother, William, wed in 1911:
An Elphin Marriage. [Roscommon Messenger - Saturday 15 July 1911]
On Monday morning at 8 o’clock at Elphin RC Church the marriage was solemnised, with a Nuptial Mass, of Mr William O’Beirne, second eldest son of the late Mr Patk O'Belrne, Scurr, Elphin, and Miss Ciss Dolan, only daughter of Mrs Dolan, Elphin, and sister of the late Father Dolan, CC, Loughlynn. The ceremony performed by the Rev John McDermott, PP, Elphin, assisted by the Rev McDermott, CC, cousin of the groom; Father Flanagan, CC, Ballykaanls, cousin of the bride; Father Devine, and Rev Patk Carney. Mr Joseph O'Beirne, brother of the groom, acted best man, and Miss Martha Carney, daughter of the late Mr M Carney, Elphin, bridesmaid. Immediately after the ceremony, the party drove to the residence the bride’s mother where breakfast was served. In the afternoon Mr and Mrs O'Beirne left for Bundoran, Co Donegal, where the honeymoon will be spent.
Sr. Mary Angela Beirne (d.1989) of the Little Sisters of the Assumption Convent, Cork, was also born and raised here.
The Scurmore Beirnes were interred at Mantua.
NOTE: An Scoir Mór aka Scor More townland was in the Boyle Poor Law Union and in the Petty Sessions District of Elphin.
[Reverse Genealogy by Rua Mac Diarmada 2018]
~ Ancestors from Scor More? Post your connection below ~
|
Score More ORIENTATION | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
|
|
score More PLACENAME | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
|
Skermore TITHE RECORDS 1824 | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
|
Scormore House 1911 | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
Patrick Beirne who married Margaret French pre 1850 was my great grandfather. I could find no record of their marriage but there’s a baptism record for their daughter also Margaret circa 1850.Margaret later became and a mercy nun.She died almost 100 years ago and is buried in the order of mercy plot in Enniskillen.
The Elphin parish records are generally good, so it's unfortunate.
However, in 1814, Bartholomew Berne & Catherine McManus of Scurmore baptise a Catherine Beirne on 17-Oct-1814, with Eugene / Owen Beirne and Mary Dolan as godparents.
Catherine Beirne marries Michael Kelly of Scurmore and Mary Beirne in invited to godparent by them.
And in 1818, Margaret Beirne & Bernard Conor of Scurmore baptise a son in 1818, with a Judith Beirne as godparent.
Would you know anything about the Lannens of Scurmore?
"The Scurmore Beirnes were interred at Mantua."
The above statement I think is incorrect.
The burial plot for the Beirne family is the Old Aughrim graveyard.
The Pat Beirne (jnr) who married Bridget McDermott of Knockglass in 1908 (actual date of marriage 11th October 1909)are both interred in Aughrim.
A son of theirs Patrick Beirne is interred in Mantua(Kilmaryl) but he's the only one that I know of.
At the 1909 wedding my grandfather was bestman and also bestman to another brother William in 1911.
In 1908 Joseph Beirne was workin/living in Castle St Elphin with/for his uncle Thomas Mac Keon.
He later inherited the property when Thomas died in 1917
My father was born there in 1921 and got married in 1945.
While a cousin owns the Scor more land I'm unfamiliar with the current residents of the townland.
Beirnep
