Historical account of the Macdonnells of Antrim

328
THE MACDONNELLS OF ANTRIM.
Proofs. gowne the Lord Clonmaleer's house, (193) where ye said Rory O'More, his son, and
Ant. Enos, other notorious Rebells were ; As also Tollymoore in ye King's County, a house of
Geo. Crosden,gj r Robert Forth's, (194) surprised by ye Rebells, and then garrisoned by one of y e
Eleanor Con- O'Molloys, (195) where (upon advice received from his spies in Dublin) ye said
yet'liveing. marquesse informed them that S r Charles Coote ye elder, (196) father to ye late Earl
of Mountrath, by comand of his grace ye Duke of Ormond, then Lieut. -generall to ye
Army, was with a considerable part of his Maties forces, comeing to destroy their
quarters and to take in their garrisons, and, therefore, warned them to send parties of
kinsman of the marquis of Antrim, being descended from
a Colla Macdonnell who founded the family at Tennekille,
in Queen's county, and was probably a cousin german of
Sorley Boy. This Colla died in 1570, and was succeeded
in the family estates, consisting of about 1,310 acres, by
his eldest son, Hugh Boy. The latter died in August,
1618, his eldest son, Fergus, being then 44 years of age,
and married. The latter enjoyed the estate, for which he
paid to the crown the yearly rent of^i3 19s 6d. At the
date of his death in 1637, his eldest son, James, mentioned
above, was 20 years of age, and married. This gentleman
had obtained a new grant of the family property from the
crown in 1631, and his patent, curiously enough, was
found some years since among the Antrim papers at
Glenarm castle. This may be accounted for by the fact
that his estate was forfeited in 1641, and although the
family was not scattered until about 1652, they never re-
gained possession, and may, perhaps, have placed any
such papers in the keeping of the marquis of Antrim,
who was restored in 1665. James MacdonnelPs family
afterwards probably dwelt in the county of Antrim, the
eldest son, Fergus, removing about the year 1690 to a
place called Coolavin, near the town of Wicklow. His
son, Sorley, or Charles, left this home in 1740, and
settled at Baytown, in the county of Meath, and was
buried at Kilbride. His son, Richard, resided at Pea-
cockstown, in the same county, and married a daughter
of captain Sandys. He died in 1805. Robert, a son of
the latter, lived near Cork, where he married a Miss
Nugent of Ardmore, who was grand-daughter by her
mother of alderman Jellet, of Youghal. He died in 1823,
and his son, also named Richard, became provost of
Trinity College. The latter married Jane, daughter of
dean Graves, descended from a Cromwellian officer. The
family is now worthily represented by sir Richard
Graves M 'Donnell, son of the late provost, who married
Blanche, daughter of Francis Skurry, Esq. See Lcinster
Inquisitions, as quoted in Ulster Journal of Archeology,
vol. ii., pp. 42, 121; also Family Pedigree, in possession
of sir Richard Graves M 'Donnell, Curzon Street, May
Fair, London.
(193) Clonmaleer's house. — See p. 311, supra. Lord
Clonmaleer was Lewis O'Dempsie, who, in 1 641, was
much harrassed and delayed in his projects, as an in-
surgent leader, by the bravery of Lettice Fitzgerald, lady
Offaley, who could not be induced by coaxing or threats
to surrender her residence of Geashill, King's county.
This lady was the widow of sir Robert Digby of Coleshill,
and cousin-german to lord Clonmalier. To a summons
of surrender, signed by six Irish leaders, besides Clon-
malier himself, this heroic lady replies: — "I can think
no place safer than my own house, wherein if I perish by
your means the guilt will light on you, and I doubt not
but I shall receive a crown of martyrdom, dying innocently.
God, I trust, will take a poor widow into his protection,
from all those who, without cause, are risen up against
me." Lady Offaley held on until relieved in the month
of October, 1642. See Lodge, vol. vi., p. 282.
( 1 94) Sir Robert Forth's. — This knight had been pre-
viously a member of the Irish privy council, and held a
lucrative appointment in the prerogative court. He was
son of Ambrose Forthe, an LL.D. and knight. See
the latter' s appointments referred to in Erck's Patent
Rolls, James I., pp. 104, 162, 256. In a letter to Cecil,
dated April 13, 1604, and preserved in the Irish State
Papers Office, sir Ambrose Forthe states that his "long
suit begun to the late sovereign, revised to his Majesty,
and referred to the allowance of the right honourable the
Lords of Council, is staid upon some imputation of wealth.
Most humbly thanks God for his estate, which far ex-
ceedeth his deserts (albeit being near beggary), and wishes
that his'majesty had the wealth of many of his dutiful sub-
jects redoubled. Touching himself, he may justly affirm
that, haveing there served these 32 years, hitherto he has
neither been burthensome to the crown nor chargeable to
the country, making his faculty his revenue, his frugality
his thrift, running his whole course without top or top
gallant. Dated at my poor farmhouse of the Cabragh,
near Dublin." See Russell's and Prendergast's Calendar,
first series, p. 157.
(195) O'Molloys. — There were two O'Molloys Irish
leaders, brothers, named Art and Felim, and natives of
Fircal, in King's county. The head of the O'Maolin-
huaidh or O'Molloys in 1585 was Connell, son of Cahir.
Felim O'Molloy intercepted a letter from a Mr. Parsons
in 1641, in which the writer informed his correspondent
that the head of the colonel of O'Molloy's regiment would
not be allowed to stick long on its shoulders. Referring
to this threat, O'Molloy replies : — " I will doe this if you
please, I will picke out 60 men, and fight against 100 of
your choise men, if you doe but pitche your camp one mile
out of your towne, and then if you have the victorie you
may threaten my Colonell ; otherwise do not reckon your
chickens before they be hatched." Second Report on
Historical Manuscripts, p. 218.
(196) Sr-C. Coote theelder.— "Old Sir Charles," thefather
of the first earl of Mountrath, came to Ireland when a
mere youth, and served with distinction in the war against
Hugh O'Neill, earl of Tyrone. In 1605, he was appointed
provost marshal of Connaught, and in 1 641 he was slain
at Trim in an engagement with the Irish. See Lodge's
Peerage, edited by Archdall, vol. ii., pp. 63, 67.