The Silver Bowl: 1761 Dec 1 Marriage agreement

1761 December 1 DONALDSON-MOFFET

DEED 213-254-140992

MARRIAGE AGREEMENT

Donaldson to Donaldson regarding the 1st day of Dec 1761 at 11 o'clock in the forenoon.

to the Register appointed by Act of Parliament for registering Deeds, Wills and so forth –

A Memorial of Articles of Agreement bearing date the thirteenth day of July One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Nine made and concluded between Alexander DONNALDSON [1]of Cloghog[2] in the Parish of Creggan and County of Armagh in behalf and in favour of his son Samuel DONNALDSON[3] of the one part and Mary MOFFET [4]otherwise PARK[5] of Freeduff[6] in the said Parish and County in behalf of her daughter Elizabeth MOFFET[7] of the other part -reciting that whereas a marriage was intended to be solemnized between the said Samuel DONNALDSON and the said Elizabeth MOFFAT, if said marriage should take effect it was thereby Covented and agreed upon by the partys thereto and the said Alexander DONNALDSON did thereby transfer and make over to his son Samuel immediately the fourth part of his farm in Cloghog as a marriage portion, he the said Samuel paying the ground rent and taxes that should come due on the fourth part and keeping it in his own hands and the said Alexander did thereby further engage at his death to give to the said Samuel one half of the said farm he the said Samuel paying yearly to his brother John DONNALDSON [8]one pound every year during the said lease if the said Alexander should so order it by his last will and testament but in case the said Alexander's wife should outlive him that then this said Samuel should be entitled only to the third part during her life and the said Mary MOFFET did for herself Covenant to give to said Samuel DONNALDSON as a marriage portion with her daughter Elizabeth two pounds yearly out of her lease of Dowdallshill[9] during the lives of Samuel and Thomas MOFFET[10] and the said Mary did also by the said agreement engage to give to the said Samuel after the expiration of five years out of the said lease the sum of ten pounds yearly for the space of four years which said agreement is witnessed by the Rev Alexander McCOMBE[11] of the Fews in the County of Armagh and John COULTER[12] of (blank) in ye Co Louth farmer and this Memorial is also witnessed by the said Alexander McCOMBE and by Robert MURPHY[13] of the City of Dublin Gentlemen. Samuel DONALDSON

Signed and sealed in presence of Alexander McCOMBE and Rob MURPHY.

The 6th day of August 1761

[1] Alexander DONNALDSON (1671-1776) married Alice McILVEEN and they had eight known children.

[2] Cloghoge AKA Cloghoge. Parish of Creggan, a townland of 929 acres in the Parish of Creggan. DONALDSONs still live there and run substantial farms.

[3] Samuel DONNALDSON (1725-Abt 1805) married Elizabeth MAFFETT about 1761. They had 6 known children. He was the son of Alexander DONALDSON & Alice McILVEEN.

· Irish Edition of Alexander ban Donaldson p.249 From his father he got one half of the fourth quarter of the Northern part of Cloghog

· Irish Edition of Alexander ban Donaldson P291After his children joined the United Irishmen his fortunes declined somewhat because of property destruction by the English troops. Samuel suffered from rheumatism and was unable take care of himself so he lived with his son George.

[4] Mary MOFFET AKA MAFFET. I assume her maiden name was PARK. I know nothing of this family. There are two documents that may relate: PRONI T436 Maffett, Samuel & PRONI T437 Maffett, William

[5] PARK – I have no known connection yet.

[6] Freeduff, Parish of Creggan.

[7] Elizabeth MOFFET AKA MAFFET

[8] John DONNALDSON born about 1710 and had three children. The name of his wife is so far unknown.

· SOURCE: From Drumhammond, Co. Monaghan. SOURCE Oct 13, 2004, email from Peter McWilliam.

· Irish Edition of Alexander ban Donaldson p. 251 He took over 127 acre farm in Monaghan, but no record of him staying.

· Irish Edition of Alexander ban Donaldson p. 249 lease from his father for Drumhammon, Co. Monaghan. "DONALDSON, JOHN born about 1710 was mentioned in his brother Samuel's will, also in his father's will of 1770. It is possible that the father of Alex was named John as they tried to follow tradition on naming the first son after the father. John took over the 127 acre farm in Co Monaghan and started his family, but I can find no records of them staying on that piece of land. They may have moved back to Co Armagh or went to other areas. It has been said that many of the Monaghan families went to America."

[9] Dowdallshill , Parish of Dundalk, Co. Louth. This is a townland with many family connections. One of the more interesting ones is that Thomas COULTER (1658-1754) married Anne MAFFET (1671-1736) and one of their children, Joseph COULTER died at Dowdalshill in 1796.In the notes at the Dundalk Library, there is one that says: In 1796 Uncle Joseph (92) died and left a lot of property, including to Joe, Dowdallshill.

[10] Samuel and Thomas MOFFET – I would assume these to be brothers of Elizabeth MOFFET AKA MAFFET.

[11] Rev Alexander McCOMBE born in Rathfriland, Co. Down.

· SOURCE: The Creggan Presbyterian Congregation Kevin McMahon. Journal of the Creggan Local History Society. Vol. 10. 2001-2002. He was ordained in 1734, at the Fews Barracks, about three miles from Creggan Church. He leased nearly 460 acres in the townland of Altnamakin as well as 66 acres at Tullyvallen. He was the youngest of 7 brothers and over 6 feet tall. He bathed every morning in a nearby stream, breaking the ice to do so in the winter. During the early part of his ministry, he preached at Creggan in the morning and then travelled on foot to Dundalk – nine miles away – for the evening service. He also kept a malt kiln and mill to grind barley. His two story home was built on Altnamackin and named Osier Hill. In 1743 when the Freeduff meeting hall was burned to the ground, his testimony figured predominantly in the ensuing enquiry.

[12] John COULTER I suspect this is the John COULTER (d 1774) who married Martha COWEN. He was a brother of Barbara COULTER (married BRADFORD) of Cavananore. Also see note under Dowdallshill for MAFFET-COULTER connection.

[13] Robert MURPHY