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Hello,

My cousin and I have been trying for some years to push further back with our Sharp ancestors. Daniel Sharp born 1819 and his brother Cornelius born 1817 were the sons of George Sharp (father's name on Daniel's 1860 marriage certificate). We have found no record of George Sharp but have been trying to trace him in Cork, of which there are several mentions of a George, one as a pharmacist in Cork.

Yesterday my cousin made a breakthrough by looking at her DNA analysis again and searching for Sharp families in Scotland. This time she came up with 2 links to Scottish families and they had descendents in Kilfinane:

Jean SHARP 1771–1858 Birth 21 JAN 1771 Perthshire, Scotland Death 2 AUG 1858 Kilfinnane, Limerick, Ireland

Jean married a Mr Bruce in 1800 in Kilfinane. She had a brother William Sharp and we are wondering if our Cork Sharps are descended from this William Sharp, as my Grandad said that his ancestor was William Sharp from Limerick.

We are looking for something like a George Sharp born around 1790, possibly son of William Sharp born 1770's in Scotland.

We have not found any record of Sharps in Limerick on the Tithe applotments although there are a significant number of Sharps in Cork, however we now believe that our Sharp family arrived from Scotland and came to Kilfinane then moved into Cork.

If anyone can help us finding out anything about George Sharp or William it would be really wonderful to hear from you.

 

Many thanks,

 

Karen

 

KRogers

Wednesday 9th Nov 2022, 10:25AM

Message Board Replies

  • Hello Karen,

    I found the men that you may be looking for, George and William Sharp, who were recorded in the townland of Ballingarrane, Civil Parish of Nantinan, County Limerick, in an Irish property tax record called Griffiths Valuation. In Griffiths Valuation however, their surname is recorded in the alternate spelling of, “Sharpe.” This is the same spelling of Daniel Sharpe’s surname in his February 1, 1860 marriage to Ellen Walsh in the Kilbolane, County Cork, Church of Ireland.

    Griffiths Valuation was enumerated in the 32 counties of Ireland from 1847 to 1864. The printing date for the valuation in Ballingarrane and surrounding townlands in the Civil Parish of Nantinan was 1852. The men who visited Ballingarrane to tabulate the valuation (they were called “Valuers”), may have actually visited in 1851 or perhaps even 1850.

    Unlike a census, Griffiths Valuation did not enumerate individual members of a family, such as husband, wife, and children in a household residence. Those named in the valuation were individuals who paid to lease property, such as land, houses, and outbuildings. Each person who paid to lease the property was called an “Occupier.” The other person listed in Griffiths Valuation was the person who owned the property, or who worked as the middleman collecting the rent for the owner. This middleman was called the “Immediate Lessor.”

    You can access Griffiths Valuation transcriptions and original copies for free at the Ask About Ireland website link at:
    http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml

    Below are the individual Griffiths Valuation indexes for George and William Sharpe in Ballingarrane:

    Griffith's Valuation Record Information

    Tenant
    Family Name 1 SHARPE
    Forename 1 GEORGE

    Landlord
    Family Name 2 SHIRE
    Forename 2 ANNE

    Location County LIMERICK
    Barony CONNELLO, LOWER
    Union RATHKEALE
    Parish NANTINAN

    Townland BALLINGARRANE

    Place Name BALLINGARRANE
    Place Type TOWNLAND
    Publication Details
    Position on Page 13
    Printing Date 1852
    Act 9&10
    Sheet Number 20
    Map Reference 21 J

    AND

    Griffith's Valuation Record Information

    Tenant
    Family Name 1 SHARPE
    Forename 1 WILLIAM

    Landlord
    Family Name 2 RYNARD
    Forename 2 CHRISTOPHER

    Location
    County LIMERICK
    Barony CONNELLO, LOWER
    Union RATHKEALE
    Parish NANTINAN

    Townland BALLINGARRANE

    Place Name BALLINGARRANE
    Place Type TOWNLAND
    Publication Details
    Position on Page 22
    Printing Date 1852
    Act 9&10
    Sheet Number 20
    Map Reference 24 A
    ____

    Attached to this reply are the hand-written Griffiths Valuation entries for George and William Sharpe. There is an attachment for each of them because they were not recorded one after another in the valuation for Ballingarrane.

    First, the Griffiths Valuation attachment for George Sharpe.

    He is the 7th Occupier down from the top of the page, just after Patrick Hall. Griffiths valuation shows that George leased a house and small garden from an Immediate Lessor named Anne Shire. The house was valued at 8 Shillings. The garden had no value placed on it. The total valuation for George’s lease was 8 Shillings.

    In the second attachment William Sharpe is the Occupier recorded just below Christopher Rynard, who happened to be his Immediate Lessor. George leased a house and offices, which were valued at 16 Shillings. The total valuation for George’s lease was 16 Shillings.

    An “office” referred to an outbuilding such as a barn, stable, blacksmith shop, piggery, etc.

    Neither George or William would have been required to pay a tax on their leases, as only those properties valued over 5 Pounds were subject to the tax.

    That George and William did not lease any land with their houses is an indication they were not farmers, but were in a trade or profession.

    DANIEL SHARPE

    I also located a Daniel Sharpe in Griffiths Valuation, who held a lease in the townland of Knockbarry, Civil Parish of Liscarrol, County Cork. See the Griffiths Valuation index from the Ask About Ireland website below:

    Griffith's Valuation Record Information

    Tenant
    Family Name 1 SHARPE
    Forename 1 DANIEL

    Landlord
    Family Name 2 CUSSEN
    Forename 2 ROBERT

    Location
    County CORK
    Barony ORRERY & KILMORE
    Union MALLOW
    Parish LISCARROLL

    Townland KNOCKBARRY
    Place Name KNOCKBARRY

    Place Type TOWNLAND
    Publication Details
    Position on Page 12
    Printing Date 1851
    Act 9&10
    Sheet Number 16
    Map Reference 11
    ____

    The Griffiths valuation printing date for Knockbarry was 1851.

    A copy of the original Griffiths Valuation for Knockbarry, attached to this reply, shows that Daniel did not lease a house in Knockbarry, but only land. The land was a little over 2 acres in size and valued at 10 Shillings. Daniel is the Occupier just to the right of map number 11.

    Daniel did not lease a house in Knockbarry, which means he may have been living with other people in Knockbarry, or in a nearby townland.

    The 1860 marriage record for Daniel Sharpe and Ellen Walsh, shows that at the time of marriage Daniel was living in the townland of Glenfield, County Cork. Knowing this I wanted to see how far Glenfield, Cork is from Knockbarry, Cork. I went to Google Maps, which shows there are actually two adjoining townlands named Glenfield. These are Glenfield North and Glenfield South. The map shows that Knockbarry is less than 5 miles south of Glenfield North and Glenfield South. See the map: https://tinyurl.com/yuv8pra5

    There is the possibility that Daniel was living in Knockabarry Lower, when he was married, which places him even close to Glenfield North and Glenfield South.

    This is circumstantial evidence that the Daniel Sharpe in Griffiths Valuation, and Daniel Sharpe in the marriage record, are one and the same person. Your information shows that Daniel was born in 1819, and so he would have been of legal age in 1851 to lease property in Ireland.

    I accessed Griffiths Valuation for Glenfield North and Glenfield South, but did not find anyone named Sharpe or Sharp leasing property in either townland.

    Continuing with Griffiths Valuation, I didn’t find any occupiers named Sharpe in Kilfinnane, County Limerick or Kilbolane, County Cork.

    This Google Map shows that Kilfinnane, Limerick, is several miles east of Kilbolane, Knockbarry, and Liscarroll, County Cork: https://tinyurl.com/mrymfxvw

    Kilbolane is not only a Town in County Cork, but it was also a Civil Parish. Civil parishes are no longer used as administrative divisions in Ireland, but are important to Irish genealogical research.

    Though I didn’t find the surname Sharpe in the Civil Parish of Kilbolane in Griffiths Valuation, the surname Bruce is recorded three times leasing property in the Civil Parish. A Jonathan Bruce is recorded twice. The other is John Bruce.

    Jonathan’s leases are in the townlands of Gortnagoul and Prohust. John Bruce’s lease is in the townland of Kilbolane, Village of Milford.

    Below are the individual Griffiths valuation indexes for Jonathan Bruce and John Bruce:

    Griffith's Valuation Record Information

    Tenant
    Family Name 1 BRUCE
    Forename 1 JONATHAN

    Landlord
    Family Name 2 EVANS
    Forename 2 EYRE

    Location
    County CORK
    Barony ORRERY & KILMORE
    Union KANTURK

    Parish KILBOLANE
    Townland GORTNAGOUL
    Place Name GORTNAGOUL
    Place Type TOWNLAND

    Publication Details
    Position on Page 50
    Printing Date 1851
    Act 9&10
    Sheet Number 1,2,6
    Map Reference 6

    AND

    Griffith's Valuation Record Information

    Tenant
    Family Name 1 BRUCE
    Forename 1 JONATHAN

    Landlord
    Family Name 2 BOWEN
    Forename 2 ROBERT C.

    Location
    County CORK
    Barony ORRERY & KILMORE
    Union KANTURK

    Parish KILBOLANE
    Townland PROHUST
    Place Name PROHUST
    Place Type TOWNLAND

    Publication Details
    Position on Page 55
    Printing Date 1851
    Act 9&10
    Sheet Number 1
    Map Reference 2
    ____

    Griffith's Valuation Record Information

    Tenant
    Family Name 1 BRUCE
    Forename 1 JOHN

    Landlord
    Family Name 2 MUSGRAVE
    Forename 2 WILLIAM

    Location
    County CORK
    Barony ORRERY & KILMORE
    Union KANTURK

    Parish KILBOLANE
    Townland KILBOLANE
    Place Name MILFORD, VILLAGE OF (PART OF)
    Place Type OTHER

    Publication Details
    Position on Page 56
    Printing Date 1851
    Act 9&10
    Sheet Number 1
    Map Reference 18
    ____

    A Google Map shows that the distance from Milford and Kilbolane in the north, through the town of Gortnagoul, to the town of Prohust toward the south, is only 3.2 miles: https://tinyurl.com/39tekrk4

    The following Google Map shows that Glenfield South is 4.1 miles south of Prohust, by the shortest modern-day route: https://tinyurl.com/mvfvn6wu

    Karen, by the 1901 census of Ireland there was still a Sharpe Family living in Glenfield South. The head of the household is 60 year old widow, Ellen Sharpe, a Roman Catholic and a “Farmer” born in County Limerick. She could read and write. Five of her adult children were in the household with her. The 1901 census shows the family are the “Residents of a house 6 in Glenfield South (Knocktemple, Cork).”

    The oldest child of Ellen’s is 36 year old William Sharpe, whose occupation is, “Clerk of the Pelly Sessions.” The word Pelly is a transcription error, and should be Petty, in other words, “Clerk of the Petty Sessions” Court.

    The next oldest child in the household is 28 year old Cornelius, a “Farmer’s Son.” He is followed by 27 year old Mary Ellen, a “Farmer’s Daughter.” After Mary Ellen is 25 year old Margaret, and then 22 year old Ellen Bridget, each a “Farmer’s Daughter.” All the children were Roman Catholic, could read and write, and were born in County Cork. They were all, “Not Married.”

    The census transcription from the National Archives of Ireland website link can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/4xaeenjk

    Once the census downloads, make sure you tick the box, “Show all information” to view the full census page.

    For a copy of the original 1901 census of the Sharpe family, go to: https://tinyurl.com/2p8kv582

    If you scroll down to the lower right corner of the 1901 census, you’ll see Ellen Sharpe’s signature.

    When I was looking at the 1901 census for the Sharpe family, I had recalled that in 1860, Daniel Sharpe had married Ellen Walsh in the Kilbolane Church of Ireland, and that Daniel’s residence at the time of marriage was Glenfield.

    Could the Ellen Sharpe in the 1901 census living in Glenfield South, be the former Ellen Walsh? If so, she and perhaps her husband Daniel, would have left the Church of Ireland and would have become Roman Catholic sometime after their marriage on 1 February 1860. Hence, some, or all of their children would have been baptized Roman Catholic, as the five children in her household are all Roman Catholic.

    To find out if any of the children of Daniel Sharpe and Ellen Walsh were baptized in the Catholic Church, I went to the Find My Past (FMP) website. FMP is mainly a subscription website but does have some free collections. One of the free collections is for Roman Catholic Church parish register transcriptions of baptisms, marriages, and deaths covering the 32 counties of Ireland. Most of the registers are for the 19th century, but some go back to the 18th and even 17th century. There are also parish registers that extend into the 20th century.

    At FMP I found that Daniel Sharpe and Ellen Walsh had baptized nine children in the Catholic Church. Three of the baptisms took place in the Freemount Catholic Parish and six in the Liscarroll Catholic Parish.

    The Freemount Catholic Parish was located in the Civil Parish of Kilbolane. The alternate name for the Freemount Catholic Parish was Milford. A tiny section of the Freemount/Milford Catholic Parish is in south Limerick, with the majority of the Parish in north County Cork.

    The Liscarroll Catholic Parish was located in the Civil Parish of Liscarroll. The Liscarroll Catholic Parish is in north County Cork.

    Below is an index of the names, years of baptism, and parish church of baptism as found at the FMP website for Daniel and Ellen’s 9 children. Some of the first names of the children are in the Latin form. The surname spelling for some of the children is Sharp and others, Sharpe:

    Edmundus Sharp, 1864, Freemount/Milford
    Daniel Sharp, 1866, Freemount/Milford
    Maria Anne Sharp, 1868, Freemount/Milford
    Margaret Sharpe, 1871, Liscarroll
    Cornelius Sharp, 1872, Liscarroll
    Patrick Sharpe, 1874, Liscarroll
    Mary Bridget Sharp, 1876, Liscarroll
    Johanna Sharpe, 1877, Liscarroll
    Adventus Sharpe, 1879, Liscarroll
    ____

    Daniel and Ellen were married in 1860, which means there is the possibility they had one or perhaps two children before 1864. If so, these children may have been baptized in a Church of Ireland parish. Most Church of Ireland parish registers are not online. Then too, up to 50 percent of Church of Ireland parish registers were destroyed in a fire at the Four Courts Building, Dublin, during the Irish Civil War in 1922.

    In addition to the baptism records, I also found the civil registration birth records for the nine Sharpe children at the free Irishgenealogy.ie website.

    At your request in a follow-up reply, I can send you the FMP baptism transcriptions for the children as well as copies of their original baptism records from the National Library of Ireland. I can also send you the civil registration birth records for the nine children.

    Accessing the 1911 census at the National Archives of Ireland website, I did not find Ellen Sharpe, which mean she may have died between the 1901 census and the 1911 census. But I did find her oldest child, 48 year old William Sharpe, and William’s 35 year old wife Kate. The census shows there were the “Residents of a house 5 in Glenfield South (Knocktemple, Cork).”

    The census shows that William and Kate were Roman Catholic, born in County Cork, and could read and write. William’s occupation was, “Clerk Petty Sessions Court.” The census also shows that William and Kate were married for 9 years. They had no children.

    In the household with them are two servants. The oldest is 50 year old Patrick Gorman, a “Farm Servant.” He was Roman Catholic, born in County Cork, and was a widower. The other “Farm Servant” is 17 year old Margaret Bradley, a Roman Catholic born in County Cork. She was single. Both Patrick and Margaret could read and write. You can access the 1911 census transcription at the following National Archives of Ireland link: https://tinyurl.com/34zkdp8r

    Once again, make sure to tick the box, “Show all information.”

    For a copy of the original 1911 census of the household of William and Kate Sharpe, go to: https://tinyurl.com/2n5h8s28

    The 1911 census shows that William and Kate Sharpe were married for 9 years. If that’s accurate they would have been married circa 1902. With this information I looked for their Civil Registration marriage record at the irishgenealogy.ie website and found it.

    William Sharpe and Catherine Hawe were married in the Roman Catholic Chapel of Dromina, County Cork, on January 21, 1902. At the time of marriage both William and Catherine were of “Full” age. William had been a bachelor and Catherine a spinter. The occupation of both William and Catherine was “Farmer.” William’s residence at the time of marriage was Liscarroll. His father was Daniel Sharpe, a “Farmer.”

    Catherine’s residence at the time of marriage looks like “Corrough.” Her father is John Hawe, a “Farmer.”

    The priest who married William and Catherine was James Browne C.C. The initials C.C. stand for “Catholic Curate.”

    The witnesses to the marriage were Cors. Sharpe and Ellie Hawe. The name Cors is the abbreviation for Cornelius. You can access a copy of the original marriage record for William Sharpe and Catherine Hawe at the irishgennealogy.ie website after following the prompts at: https://tinyurl.com/fw68fyzx

    I couldn’t find a location called Corrough near Dromina, County Cork. I believe this town is actually spelled Curraghcloonabro West, as that’s where I found 23 yar old Kate Hawe, her parents John and Deborah, sibling Elly, as well as four other siblings. Elly Hawe in the 1901 census would be the witness, Ellie Hawe, in the 21 January 1902 marriage of William Sharpe and Catherine Hawe.

    To access the 1901 census of the Hawe family in Curraghcloonabro West, go to: https://tinyurl.com/2vfbu4ut

    The name of the Catholic Church in Dromina is Saints Peter and Paul, but according to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/Buildings of Ireland website, the church was constructed in 1936, and so would not have been the church where William Sharpe and Catherine Hawe were married in 1902.

    For more information and a slide presentation of the exterior and interior of Saints Peter and Paul Church in Dromina, go to the Buildings of Ireland link at: https://tinyurl.com/43fdpy42

    A Google Map shows the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church is a 3rd of a mile south of the Dromina Town centre: https://tinyurl.com/2rywvf4h

    But, an Ordnance Survey Map from the late 19th or early 20th century shows the location of the R.C. Chapel was closer to the Dromina Town centre. The map is attached to this reply, and is from the GeoHive website.

    The R.C. Chapel in the Ordnance Survey Map of Dromina is where William Sharpe and Catherine Hawe would have been married.

    THE BRUCE FAMILY IN THE 1901 CENSUS

    Earlier in this reply Griffiths Valuation had shown that John Bruce had leased property in Killbolane, Village of Milford, County Cork. The printing date of Griffiths Valuation for the Village of Milford is 1851.

    I found the person I believe to be John Bruce’s son, 45 year old John Bruce and his 37 year old wife Ellie in the 1901 census, along with their two children, 9 year old Mary and 7 year old John. The census shows they are the “Residents of a house 33 in Milford Village (Milford, Cork).”

    The Bruce family are Roman Catholic. John Bruce, the father, was born in County Cork. His wife Ellie was born in Ashford, County Limerick. Their two children were born in Milford, County Limerick. John’s occupation is “Clock Repairer.” He could read and write, but his wife Ellie could not read and write. The children Mary and John are shown to be “Scholars,” meaning students. Mary could read and write, but her brother John could not.

    Also in the household is a visitor, 27 year old Kate Jordan, a Catholic born in Ashford, County Limerick, which is the same town where Ellie Bruce was from. Kate’s occupation is “Domestic Servant.” She could not read. She was single.

    To access the 1901 census transcription of the Bruce household from the National Archives of Ireland website link, go to: https://tinyurl.com/5y9curbv

    This link will take you to a copy of the original 1901 census for the Bruce household: https://tinyurl.com/2rnwtdnj

    Because Kate Jordan and Ellie Bruce were from Ashford, County Limerick, I suspect they were sisters, which indicates Ellie Bruce’s maiden name would also be Jordan.

    If the family of John and Ellie Bruce were recorded in the 1911 census, the number of years they were married would also be recorded.

    I found 56 year old “Fireman” John Bruce, his 44 year old wife Ellen, and their 17 year old son John in the 1911 census, showing they were the “Residents of a house 6 in Milford Town (Milford, Cork).”

    The Bruce’s were Roman Catholic. John was born in Cork City. Ellen was born in County Limerick, and son John, who was a “Postman,” was born in County Cork. He was single. John, father and son, could read and write, but Ellen could not. The census shows that John and Ellen had been married for 20 years as of 1911, and in that time had 2 children, with 1 child living. This means that John and Ellen’s daughter Mary had died between the 1901 and 1011 census enumerations.

    It is interesting to note that in the 1901 census John was working as a “Watch Repairer,” but in the 1911 census he is now a “Fireman.”

    The 1911 census transcription for the Bruce household in Milford can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/npntnbwu

    If you do not tick the box, “Show all information,” the census page will not show you how long John and Ellen were married or how many children they had, or how many had died.

    For a copy of the original 1911 census, go to: https://tinyurl.com/2p89bf9z

    Going back to the irishgenealogy.ie website, I next looked for the John and Ellen/Ellie’s marriage record, the birth records for their children Mary and John, and Mary’s death record.

    I found the marriage record showing that John Bruce and Ellen Jordan were married in the Roman Catholic Chapel of Milford on 29 May 1891. At the time of marriage both were of “full age.” John had been a bachelor and Ellen a spinster. John’s occupation was “Watchmaker.” Ellen was a “Domestic Servant.” Both were living in Milford at the time of the marriage. John’s father is John Bruce, a “Watchmaker.” Ellen’s father is John Jordan, a “Labourer.” The clergyman who married John and Ellen was William Coughlan, P.P. The initials P.P stand for “Parish Priest.” The witnesses to the marriage were Patrick Nunan and Johanna Twomey.

    The marriage record for John Bruce and Ellen Jordan can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/49sumezn

    The Catholic Church in Milford is called the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. But, according to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage/Buildings of Ireland website, the church was constructed in the year 1903, 12 years after John Bruce and Ellen Jordan were married. For more information and slide presentation showing the exterior and interior of the church, go to the Buildings of Ireland website link at: https://tinyurl.com/3sysafx7

    A Google Map shows the location of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in Milford: https://tinyurl.com/yweprc5v

    The following link will take you to a Google Street View of the church: https://tinyurl.com/5a7t9sk7

    An Ordnance Survey Map of Milford, attached to this reply, shows the old location of the R.C. Chapel in Milford, in the town’s triangle section. This is just west of the present-day Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. The Ordnance Survey Map if from the GeoHive website.

    The following Google Street View shows the location of the old R.C. Chapel, in the left foreground, and the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, in the background toward the right: https://tinyurl.com/55rxd9p2

    This next Google Street View shows the plaque commemorating the location of the old R.C. Chapel in Milford, which was constructed in 1823: https://tinyurl.com/yrpkucjx

    John Bruce and Ellen Jordan were married in the old church, and their two children likely baptized there.

    Continuing at the irishgenealogy.ie website, Mary Bruce was born in Milford on 10 March 1892. Her father is John Bruce, a “Clockmaker,” living in Milford. Her mother is Ellen Bruce, formerly Jordan. John Bruce reported the birth to the registrar, W.P. O’Leary, who recorded the birth in the Kanturk Registration District on 28 March 1892. See the birth record at: https://tinyurl.com/mvwfujbn

    Mary’s brother John Bruce was born in Milford on 21 January 1894. His father is John Bruce, a “Clock Maker” living in Milford. His mother is Ellen Bruce, formerly Jordan. John reported the birth to the registrar, W.P. O’Leary, who recorded the birth in the Kanturk Registration District on 9 February 1894. John’s birth is number 52 in the register: https://tinyurl.com/ybfcjaer

    Mary Bruce died in Milford on 7 March 1911 at the age of 19 years. She was a “Labourer’s Daughter.” The cause of death was “Pulmonary Tuberculosis 1 year 3 months.” The person who reported Mary’s death to the registrar was her mother Ellen, of Milford. Ellen signed the death register with “her x mark” signifying she could not write. The registrar, James McCarthy, recorded Mary’s death in the Milford Registration District on 21 March 1911. Her death record is number 393 in the register: https://tinyurl.com/59zy6ny3

    Mary was not in the 1911 census, as the census recorded members of a household on Sunday, 2 April of that year.

    A search of the 1901 and 1911 census returns for Kilfinnane, Limerick, did not show that any residents named Sharpe/Sharp or Bruce were recorded there.

    At the GeoHive website I found a beautiful colour map of Kilfinnane, County Limerick, from the 1829 to 1841 time period. The map is attached to this reply.

    THE TITHE APPLOTMENT BOOKS

    The earliest record I uncovered for the Bruce surname that may refer to the Bruce line you are looking for, is in an Irish agricultural record called the Tithe Applotment Books. You had mentioned the Tithe Applotment Books and the Sharps in Kilfinnane, Limerick, in your message to Ireland Reaching Out on 9 November 2022.

    Under the Tithe Applotments farmers who owned or leased agricultural land in the 32 counties of Ireland were required to pay a portion of their income, called tithes, for the upkeep of the established Church of Ireland.

    Specifically I found one Tithe Applotment Book entry for a Jonathan Bruce, two entries for a George Evans Bruce, and one entry for a George Bruce, all in the Kilbolane Civil Parish, County Cork. No year is recorded for these tithe entries, but it would have been sometime in the 1820s and 1830s.

    The land that Jonathan Bruce farmed was in the townland Gortnagoul. This may be the same Jonathan Bruce you saw earlier in Griffiths Valuation, where he leased property in Gortnagoul.

    George Evans Bruce is recorded in two different townlands in the Tithe Applotment Books. One of the towns is Moanavraca, and the other, Prohust. Griffiths Valuation had shown that Jonathan Bruce was recorded in Prohust, County Cork.

    George Bruce was recorded in Milltown Castle in the Tithe Applotment Books. This George Bruce may possibly be George Evans Bruce, with a third lease in the Kilbolane Civil Parish.

    The Tithe Applotment Books can be searched at the National Archives of Ireland link at: https://tinyurl.com/yehnhde3

    JONATHAN BRUCE, TOWNLAND OF GORTNAGOUL

    For the handwritten copy of the Tithe Applotment Book page for Jonathan Bruce, go to: https://tinyurl.com/6dzfxhpn

    You can magnify the tithe book for better viewing.

    You’ll see several names recorded. They are called, “Occupiers,” meaning occupiers of the land. Jonathan Bruce is the second entry down from the top of the left-hand Tithe Applotment Book page. He is shown to be the Revd. Jonathan Bruce, though his religious denomination is not recorded. You’ll see a lot of numbers to the right of his name. These numbers refer to the amount of acreage he had, and the rent he was charged for each acre.

    So as not to get bogged down in all the numbers, the tithes for Jonathan Bruce amounted to 3 Pounds and 10 Shillings.

    If you would like a further explanation of the amount of acres Jonathan held, and the amounts charged for each acre, don’t hesitate to ask in a follow-up reply.

    GEORGE EVANS BRUCE, TOWNLAND OF MOANAVRACA

    George Evans Bruce in the townland of Moanavraca, is the 13th occupier down the right-hand Tithe Applotment Book page. He is recorded as George Evans Bruce Esq. His tithes amounted to 5 Pounds, 4 Shillings, and what may be ½ Pence. See: https://tinyurl.com/4hfu8kth

    GEORGE EVANS BRUCE, TOWNLAND OF PROHUST

    George Evans Bruce Esq. is the 12th occupier recorded down the Tithe Applotment Book page at: https://tinyurl.com/4zv5ush4

    His tithes to the Church of Ireland amounted to 20 Pounds, 6 shillings, and 11 Pence.

    GEORGE BRUCE, TOWNLAND OF MILLTOWN CASTLE

    This Tithe Applotment Book entry is actually a handwritten note by a men whose names looks like A Atwell and W. Barry, stating that tithes in the sum of five-hundred and fifty Pounds were to be paid yearly to the Rev. George Bruce Esq. of Milltown Castle. The note is very faded and difficult to read, and you’ll have to magnify it to read the parts that are legible. A. Atwell and W. Barry were commissioners, according to the note, which you can access at: https://tinyurl.com/38yu83mh

    A Google Map shows the location of Gortnagoul, Moanavraca, Prohust, and Milltown Castle, County Cork: https://tinyurl.com/48pkx7yz

    On the map you’ll see that Gortnagoul, Moanavraca, and Prohust are not far east of the border with County Limerick.

    I had looked for but didn’t uncover the Share/Sharp surname in the Tithe Applotment Books holding property in any of the townlands within the Civil Parish of Kilbolane, County Cork.

    For the names of the townlands within the Civil Parish of Kilbolane, County Cork, go to the IreAtlas Townland Data Base at: https://tinyurl.com/npk2t3kh

    For a comprehensive explanation of the Tithe Applotment Books, go to the National Archives of Ireland website links that follow:

    http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp
    http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/about.jsp
    http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/aboutmore.jsp

    With Kind Regards,

    Dave Boylan

    davepat

    Friday 18th Nov 2022, 11:17PM
  • Dear Dave,

    Thank you so very much for all the time you have taken to research all this and put it together. It is a huge effort and is greatly appreciated by my cousin and I.

    You are right that Ellen Walsh is married to Daniel Sharpe, we are familiar with our great- great grandfather, Daniel Sharpe at Glenfield and we have spent the last few years working on putting together all his children. We know that Daniel was a protestant and married to a Catholic in 1860. It will be very interesting to study all the links that you have sent in much more detail.

    We know that a George Sharp is Daniel's father, from his marriage certificate. Our breakthrough came last week when my cousin used her father's DNA to trace beyond Daniel to Scotland via Kilfinane. I am very interested in looking more at the links that you have sent to the George and William Sharp.

    We shall have a good look at everything that you have researched, and study it in detail.

    Thank you so much again for putting this together for us.

    Very best wishes,

    Karen

     

     

    KRogers

    Sunday 20th Nov 2022, 10:33AM
  • You're welcome Karen. Thank you for replying and for your kind words. It's very much appreciated. Best of Luck with your research.

    Dave

    davepat

    Monday 21st Nov 2022, 10:54AM
  • The Bruce Family.

     

    Yes--George Bruce of Miltown Castle, Newtownshandrum, Charlevelle, Co. Cork married to a Miss Evans of Ashill, Kilmallock, Co. Limerick. These Bruces would have been a Church of Ireland family and George Bruce was a banker in Limerick before he married to Miss Evans. The house still exists minus two wings and is occupied by the Keane family.

     

    George Quain.

    Quain, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Wednesday 23rd Nov 2022, 10:01PM
  • That's interesting George as it is very close to the Sharpe's house at Glenfield.

    Many thanks for your comment.

    KRogers

    Thursday 24th Nov 2022, 04:00PM
  • Re--Bruce Family The family Vault was in front of the old Church of Ireland in Charleville (now County Library) there is nothing written on it only ''Bruce Family Vault''. There is a story told that in 1867 Bruce ( county sheriff) called around the countryside warning that if they were around he would be picking them up for illegal activity) true or false I have no idea.

    Quain, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Monday 28th Nov 2022, 10:59AM
  • Thank you Quain very much for your information. Is this the tomb you are talking about: https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/20806047/ch… With the two attached photos of a table tomb?

    KRogers

    Tuesday 29th Nov 2022, 08:37AM
  • You are correct that is the tomb of the Bruce Family. George Quain.

    Quain, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘

    Friday 9th Dec 2022, 12:12AM

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