Small Sources 51. So on we go for another 50! The list below contains 223 tenants of the Castle Forward Estate in the civil parishes of All Saints and Taughboyne, Co. Donegal around 1800. The original document is among the Wicklow Papers in the National Library of Ireland (NLI Ms. 38,561). It is a simple list of tenants of ‘The Honorable William Forward ‘ within 50 townlands on the estate, and the half-yearly rent paid by each (see extracts above and in Figs 1 and 2 below). The specific purpose of the document is unclear but a full description of rental documents is in another blog on this site available here. The modern name of each townland is given in brackets where the spelling in the list is different from the currently accepted form of the name.
The list is divided into three ‘estates’ (Burt, Dunduff and Castle Forward) but all three are generally contiguous. Their location within Donegal is between Letterkenny and Derry. These records are among the Wicklow papers because of the marriage of Alice Forward, co-heiress to the estate, to Ralph Howard, 1st Viscount Wicklow in 
1755. His portrait is above. The William Forward who owned the estate in 1800 was their son William Howard (1761-1818). In 1780 he inherited the Forward estate from his mother and took the name William Forward from this time, presumably at the wish of his mother. It was not uncommon for heirs to change their name to preserve a name which would otherwise have died out. However, he resumed the name William Howard in 1815 when he inherited the Howard estate and became the 3rd Earl of Wicklow. For a flavour of the great divide in lifestyles between landlords and their tenants, see our blog entitled ‘Eye-witnesses to our ancestors‘ which summarises the accounts of travellers to Ireland in the period covered by this document.
Some common abbreviations are used in the list, including Wm. and Willm. = William; Edwd. = Edward; Robt. = Robt; Alexr. = Alexander; Thos. = Thomas etc. Note also that a few tenants are listed as ‘Esq.’ meaning Esquire, which was a title of respect for men of higher social rank, e.g. landed gentry above the rank of gentleman.
The list contains some rare names such as Latta (including the wonderfully named Mungo Latta); Clingan; Guttery (a variant of Guthrie); Loghead (a variant of Lougheed); Risk; Leathim, Smiley and McCrab. Based on the names, the tenants would appear to have been mainly ‘planter’ or so-called Scots-Irish or English families. This contrasts with the neighbouring Hart estate, whose tenants have predominantly native Donegal names.
If you are interested in information on specific families, our e-book title ‘Sources for Irish Family History 2021 lists 6,500 books and articles on over 2,500 Irish families. The sources listed contain a wealth of information in the form of articles and books. The full details are described in one of our blogs.
The images were created by Ancestor Network and are reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Ireland. Ancestor Network will offer 1 free hour of research by a professional researcher to conduct further research on these individuals, or on other tenants of the estate.
We can also obtain images of the original documents. Click here and quote ‘DonegalSS51’ in the subject line. We also publish ‘A Guide to Tracing your Donegal Ancestors‘ by local historian Helen Meehan – see cover above.
The tenants are listed below according to the townland in which they have holdings. Where the townland name is different to the name-form now accepted, the currently accepted name is provided in brackets. For example, the currently accepted spelling for the townland herein called Bowhillon is now Bohullion. The precise location of each townland is available at Townlands.ie but only by using the current name spelling.
Burt Estate
Bowhillon (Bohullion)
Wm. Leathim Jun.
Wm. Leathim Sen.
Alexr. McConnell
Robt. McConnell
Revd. Mr. Brooke
John Mothrell
Alexr. Moor
Walter Marshall
John Mothrell
?? Davis
John Mothrel Senr.
Ballymoney
Wm. Hamilton
Miss Barry
Thos. Cambell
Alexr. Porter
Edwd. Clingan
Jas. Hamilton
Castle Hill
Alexr. McConnell & Kerr
Chas. Gray
Currowan (Carrowen)
Wm. Porter
Jno. Porter
David Porter
Castlecoolly
Richd. Porter
Jas. Wilson – Mill
Jno. Conningham
Richd. Conningham
Carnamady (Carrownamaddy)
Wm. Ewing
Jas. Dysart
Widow McCorkle
? Porter
Wm. Porter
Jas. Dysart
Drumgowan
Thos. Porter
Andrew Leslie
Stephen Porter
Jno. Porter
Grange
Andw. McNaught
Mrs. Kinkade
Widow Boner
Moness
Wm. Ewing
David Grier
Arthur Dermott
Alexr. Ewing
John Laird
Mulleny
Jno. Mothrell
Wm. Porter
Spinoge (Speenoge)
Andw. Porter
Moses Dunn
Widow Barry
Andw. Ferguson
Jno. Thompson
Tolett (Toulett)
Adam Stuart
Alexr. Moore & Porter
Widow Gillmour
Geo. McAdoe
Josp. Holmes
Dunduff Estate
Killyvany (possibly Killyverry)
Moses Huston
Matthew Hamilton
Jno. Divenny ?
Jno. Machan
Hugh Lowrey
Peter Conaghan
James Rogers
Dunduff
Saml. McClelland
Wm Boyle
Jas. McClelland
Jno. Middleton
Jno. Coningham
Drumcarnitt (probably Drumbarnet)
Saml. Crawford
Jno. Smith
Jas. Smith
Wm. Crawford
Chas. Jeas ?
Jno. Patterson
Mr King
Anthony Dougherty
? Nealis & Coyle
Chas. James
James Alexander
Jno. Porter
Geo. Mason
Mountclink (Monclink)
Chas. Stuart Esq.
Wm Marshall
Chas. Davis
Widow of Ralphoe?
Mundowey (Mondooey)
James Guttery
Saml. Guttery
Wm. Cambell
Jno. Cambell
Andw. Gray
Minnymore (Moneymore)
Bryan Duffy
Widow Marshall
Jno. Marshall
Do. for the mill
Robt. Montgomery
Robt. Ramsay
Jas. McGowan
Jas. Cowan
Jno. & Anthony McClane
Anthony Thompson
Jno. Mason
Thos. Moor
D… McGowan
Jas. Hazlett
Chas. Duffy
Wm. & Alexr. Robertson
Wm. Douglass
Mary Smith
Black Jno. Smith
Jno. Crawford
Church Lands
Bready
Jno. Gilliland
Mary McAdoe &
Alexr. Latta
Ballycushion
Robt. Mitchel & ..
Jas. Marshal
Cross
Jas. Conway
Widow Cowan
Castlethird
Wm. Jamison
Abm. & Wm. Latta
Grier & Jno Latta
Abm. & Jas. Latta
Killgort (Kilgort)
Little Wm. Mitchell
Wm. Mitchell
Derrymore
Jno. McKane
Alexr. & Jas. Cambell
Jas. McAdoe
Jno. McAdoe
Dernakilly (Dernacally)
Jno. McAdoe
Mungo Latta
Jas. McAdoe Junr.
Jas. McAdoe Senr.
Tyroddy (Tirroddy)
Wm. & Andw. Gilliland
Jas. Wark ?
Saml. Hamilton
Lustikill (Listical)
Robt. Risk ?
Saml. Rankin
Alexr. Porter
Saml. Marshal – Mill
Tibber (Tober?)
Jno. Marshal
Saml. Marshal
Munreagh (Monreagh)
Wm. McClintock Esq.
Hamilton Patterson
Jas. McAdoe
St. Johnstown
Geo. Rankin
Widow Ralstone
Castleforward Estate
Ballyhasky
Robt. McCrea
Jno. Loghead
Jas. Crockit
Mrs. Dougall
Corncammon (probably Corncamble)
Mrs. Gallagher &
Mrs Calhoun
Creeve
Jno. Wright
Wm. Mothrel
Robt Alexander
Cloone (Cloon)
Major Law
Coney Island
Jas. Boyle
Coalmackletrain (not found – listed as Coalmakltrean in other documents)
Jo… O’Donnell
Robt Blackburn
Jno. McConnick
Patt Duffy
Jas. ,,,on ?
Drummore
Andrew Downey
Demesne & Borough
James McBride
John Hagan
James Mitchell
John W…?
Drummay
William Davidson
James Mitchell
Matthew Campbell
William Crockett
Drumlogher
David McClelland
James Walker
David Gilliland
Widow Alexander
Moses Hazlett
Moses Jamieson
John Wright
Willm. Colhoun
Joseph Walker
Arthur Connor
John Dobbins
Thos. Wright
John Glen
Gortlush
Alexr. Wilson
John Wilson Junr.
John Wilson & Partners
Gortrice (probably Gortree)
James Boggs
Moses McAdoe junr.
Widow Roddy
James Cowan
William Glen
William Hamilton
Hill
James Smith
Ephraim Auld
John Ke….
Kishends (Keshends)
Alexr. Wilson
Thos. Lockhart
Leitrim
William Donnaighy ? (Usually Donaghy)
James Donnaighy
Francis Motherill
William Motherill
Munglass (Monglass)
William Pinkerton
Alexr. Wilson
Tho. Smiley
Thos. Caldwell
Portlough
John & Saml. Davidson
William Dougall
Rusky (Roosky)
John McIlwaine
Willm. Wilson
Thos. Dougall
Widow McCrab
John McCrab Senr.
John Donnaighy?
James Wilson
Mrs. Gallagher
Mary Gallagher
Tullyannan
David Risk
James Risk
Robt. Alexander
Tinnyhabbuck (Tonyhabboc)
Patrick Kerr
Robt. Kerr
James Mitchell
We also publish ‘Tracing your Donegal Ancestors’ by local historian Helen Meehan. This book is available here.
Some other blogs in our series are:
- Petty Sessions– the records of local courts
- Catholic Church records
- Grand Jury Presentments – records of local councils on payments for public works and staff
- Rentals – management of tenants by estates and the records created
- Middle names – the use (or non-use) of second or middle names in Irish records
- How comprehensive are Irish Civil Records?
- Census returns in Gaelic or Irish language
- 50+ blogs containing original family history material extracted from Irish manuscript
