Cemetery: LONDONDERRY Kilrea Churchyard Memorials *********************************************** Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Derry Index Copyright ************************************************ Contributed by C. Hunt CEMETERY: LONDONDERRY KILREA CHURCHYARD MEMORIALS [From J. W. Kernohan, M.A., Belfast.] 'Kilrea is the chief town on what was the "proportion" of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, one of the London Guilds among which the County of Londonderry was divided at the Plantation. SIR TOBY CAULFIELD, a "servitor," had some years earlier received a grant of lands, which included Kilrea, but made way for the Companies. 'The following passages from a 1609 Inquisition indicate the nature of the Kilrea lands and their connexion with an Armagh Abbey':- "Two acres of glebe land, and also the parish of Kilreagh,containing ten balliboes, wherein are both a parson and a vicar presentative; and the presentation of the said parson and vicar, for the space of 170 years past, have appertained to the abbott of SS. Peter and Paul of Armagh; and likewisethe tithes were paid unto the said abbot and his predecessors; and that the said presentation and right of patronage,together with the said tithes of Kilreagh, lately came to the Crown by the said Act of Dissolution of Monasteries." 'At the Dissolution it was found the said abbot was "seised in his demesne as of fee in right of his house, of and in the four townlands called Kilreagh, in possession of the herenagh O'Demon (hence the name of the church, Kilrea O'Diamond), and two parts of the tithes thereof, and of and in the tithes for the fishing of eels near adjoining to the same, and also of and in the two townlands called Monaghgrane, with the tithes thereof in the parish of Kilreagh aforesaid." 'The church is mentioned in the 1306 Taxation List. 'In 1622, according to "The Ulster Visitation Book," its condition is noted as "repayred by ye Company of Mercers, London;" and the Visitation of 1679 reports it as "in a goodstate." 'Though the plantation of the district was begun by the Londoners, Scotch colonists formed the main part of the Protestant settlement, with the result that, in the older portion of the grave-yard, the monumental inscriptions are nearly all of Presbyterian and Roman Catholic families. Strangely enough, several well-known families in the countyburied in Kilrea, but did not erect tombstones. A family named ADAMS, one of whom was Mayor of Coleraine in 1714, had a seat in the church, and the Mayor was interred in the churchyard. 'The family of Church, descendants of the first agent of the Mercers' Company, had a long connexion with Kilrea, and interred there till early in the past century.But no tombstone was ever erected. 'An entry in the old Vestry Book indicates that the Episcopalian families attending the church in 1800 numbered about a score. 'For further particulars, see notes by the writer in the "Ulster Journal of Archaeology," N. S., vol. xii, p. 179; andon the old chalice and bell in this Journal, vol. vi, pp.389-91.'_____ 'A stone inside the old ruin has ':- ELIZABETH MAGILL Aged 78 years : for 62 years the faithful nurse & friend of R. H. DOLLING and his family.This stone was erected at the wish of his youngest child ULRICA. "The Lord is my Shepherd." 'R. H. DOLLING, Esq., of Huguenot descent, was father of the "Father" Dolling, and was agent of the Mercers' Company, whose Manor House was at Kilrea.' _____ Here lieth, &c, WILLIAM SCOTT, May 8th, 1807, aged 60. MARY REA, January 17th, 1802, aged 63. _____ IHS EDMUND McCOSKAR, February 5th, 1763. _____ IHS DINIS O'KANE, April 28, 1763, aged 57. _____ PAUL DAWSON, infant son of CHARLES PAULDAWSON. Esq., April 9, 1836, aged 2 years. _____ JAMES PICKENS, August 27th, 1771, aged 32. _____ -401- JOHN STINSON, December 25, 1837, aged 66. _____ HENRY WALLACE, February 22, 1772, aged 63. _____ SAMUEL GRAHAM, May 9, 1817, aged 38. _____ JAMES GRAHAM, Jan. 20, 1799. _____ JAMES LENNOX, Sep. 30, 1817, aged 28. _____ SAMUEL GREY, Nov. 12, 1779, aged 63. _____ JOHN GRAY, Feb. 17, 1817. _____ WILLIAM GRAY, Dullaghy, July 8, 1851, aged 65. _____ JOHN HENDERSON, Kilrea, Mar. 19, 1811, aged 75. Alsograndson WILLIAM HENDERSON, Aug. 22, 1850, aged16. Also son JOHN, Oct. 29, 1882, aged 80. _____ RICHARD HENDERSON, died 1893. _____ JOHN HENDERSON, died 1894 [One of this family was Seneschal of the Manor of Mercersabout 1800.] _____ THOMAS HUTCHINSON, Jan. 20, 1823, aged 72, and hiswife MARY _____ JOHN HUTCHINSON, 1822, aged 42. _____ CREIGHTON HUTCHINSON, of Monegran, July 2, 1874. _____ ALEXANDER ADAMS, of Drumagarner, Sept. 26, 1837. aged 56. _____ WILLIAM CAR, Feb. 17, 1710. [This inscription has been re-cut from an almost obliterate done on the other side of the stone which seems to have been 172_, instead of 1710. Cf. ROBERT KER, of Monegraves (Monegran), in the Subsidy Roll of 1662.] -402- WILLIAM HUNTER, Jan. 20, 1787, aged 2. [This family of Hunters conducted " The Inn " for a long period.] _____ ELIZABETH GILMORE, July 16, 1791, aged 37. _____ ROBEART McCALLA, May 1, 1777, aged 63. _____ JAMES McKOY, Mar. 2, 1792, aged 42. _____ MARGRET MAYBERRY, Aug. 5, 1783, aged 49, and three children. _____ JOHN MAYBERRY, Aug. 18, 1824, aged 90. _____ WILLIAM McKAY, of Kilrea, Sep. 16, 1826, aged 52. _____ WILLIAM SMIRL, Of Finvoy, Nov. 1831. _____ DAVID McCONCHY, Aug. 23, 1807, aged 45. _____ IHS THOMAS CHURCH, Mar. 1800, aged 71. _____ BRIDGET CHURCH, July 9, 1839, aged 59. _____ Sacred to the memory of BETTINA, wife of Revd W. H.DICKSON, Prebendary of Rasharkin, & of their beloved and only son GILBERT WILLIAM, who died at Haslebrook onthe 13th day of February, 1834 & on the 5th day of January,1837 . _____ Erected by their children to the memory of their father ABRAHAM Mc NEILL who died 12 November, 1847. &c.&c. _____ Erected to the memory of Revd JOHN SMYTH who departed this life October 178 [8] Also his son ROBERTSMYTH who departed this life January 1849 aged 72 Also his grandson JOHN SMYTH who departed this life 13 July 1860 aged 72 years. [The above JOHN SMYTH was Presbyterian minister of Kilrea.] -403- Sacred to the memory of Rev. OLIVER McCAUSLAND formerly rector of this parish who departed this life on 1st September A.D. 1846 in the 89th year of his age. _____ REDMOND CONYNGHAM McCAUSLAND born 17th May 1844 and died 1855. Also the Rev. REDMOND CONYNGHAM McCAUSLAND, M.A., late rector of Desertoghill, born May 9th 1776 and died January 26, 1856. _____ JANE RICHMOND, of Boveedy, died July 1, 1826, aged18. _____ ELIZABETH WALIS, Feb. 7, 1810, aged 36. _____ JOHN ATKINSON, July 16, 1803, aged 30. Erected by JOHN FERRIER, of Kilrea, surgeon, to memory of MARGARET, his wife, who died Oct. 30, 1833. Also the above named JOHN FERRIER who departed this life May16th 1841 aged 58 years. [Their daughter was schoolmistress in the village for a long period.] _____ ALEXANDER CORKER and his father HUGH CORKER. _____ Erected by CHARLES McKAY, M.D, surgeon, to the memory of his beloved brother WILLIAM Mc KAY of Kilrea who departed 6th December 1860 aged 57. Also of his brother ALEXANDER who departed 28th April 1883. SOURCE: Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland. Vol vii, FHL# 1279254