Ruminations on early Creggan Church Records

Many mysteries could easily be cleared up if the records of Creggan Church went back before 1807, but they don’t. One mystery that hooks me is the presence of names in the Creggan Church Register of people associated with JACKSONs who come from outside the Parish of Creggan – in particular the names MASON and JONES. I would love it if anyone can shed light on these families. It could be a significant clue about other lines of JACKSONs who married into these families, and in turn that might click into the JACKSONs of Liscalgot & Urker in the Parish of Creggan.

Two of the earliest recorded burials in the Creggan Parish Register are:

In the very early baptisms, where records exist, we see:

Curiously, a son of a John and Anne MASON - John (1804-1807) - was buried at Creggan, and a day later their daughter Anne –assuming they are the same parents - was baptised. Within days, they must have experienced both the joy of a birth and grief over a child’s death.

In the marriages, there is an intiguing convergence of JACKSON, JOHNSTON, JONES & MASON (The names of JACKSON & JONES often come up in the landlord class in Creggan Parish. The name of JACKSON is usually in the context of tenant):

What is especially intriguing is that this same marriage was also recorded in the Register of the Parish of Aghold: Marriages. Pg. 793 1807. No.2 William Jackson of Parish Clough married Mary Mason of Union of Kilmore Co. Wexford by special license 13 Ag. 1807. Joseph Jenkins Curate solemnized by William Jackson and Mary in the presence of William Johnson Parish of Clough Co. Wexford and John Jones SOURCE: Email Barbara Dowling 26 Aug 2008 NOTE: The mention of Joseph Jenkins, curate, is interesting. This was the same curate mentioned in the banns recorded at Creggan.

This is where it gets even more intriguing. A John MASON was a witness to the will of a Samuel JACKSON in 1705 in Dublin. I recognize that a century separates these two events, and that he was connected to the JACKSONs of Coleraine, but based on my old birds of a feather approach, I just want to use something of a mental post-it note about it.

http://www.thesilverbowl.com/documents/1705Dec4-Samuel%20JACKSON.html

Other sightings of these rare birds include:

Archbishop Boulder’s Orders for the Government of the Vicars Choral in Co. Armagh, made about 1725, included two names of interest here:

1759 John Mason admitted July 20^th

1796 John Jones appointed July 19^th

SOURCE: Fasti ecclesiae Hibernicae: the succession of the prelates and members of the Cathedral bodies of Ireland.  Published 1848. Hodges, Dublin

 http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7026846M/Fasti_ecclesiae_Hibernicae

I also found one MASON-JACKSON connection at St Michan’s Church Dublin:

Marriage of JOSEPH MASON of N/R and ELIZTH JACKSON of N/R

20 October 1746  Joseph Mason locksmith and Eliz^th Jackson widow.

One of the Quaker JACKSONs – note the Castledermot connection – had a MASON connection:

Thomas JACKSON (1656-1716) He was born 30 Sep 1656 in Clery, Co. Down and died 15 Apr 1716 in Mountrath, Westmeath, Leinster, Ireland. He married Hannah BEALE on 29 Apr 1681 in Mountmellick, Parish of Rosenallis, Queens County. She died a mere four months later on 18 Aug 1681. He married secondly Dorothy MASON on 24 Aug 1683 in Newgarden, Carlow, Leinster, Ireland. She was from Castledermott [Co. Kildare] and died 22 Nov 1713

Then there are the Ballyboy Jacksons

WILLIAM JACKSON (Source: Mary Novak Tree, 1828 - 20 Nov 1895. Death reg 1828 -OND 1895 Parsonstown [aka Birr, Co. Offally aka Kings Co.]  ‘He giveth his beloved sleep. William Jackson, (Ballyoran).  Died November 20th 1895.  Age 67 years.  Also William Ashbury his son, died September 2nd 1897. Age 21years’  He married in Jun 1867 in Ballyboy, Anna Sissares ASHBURY3,4,6,8  1839 - 16 Nov 1913.  Dau of William Mason.   Marr reg Parsonstown [aka Birr, Co. Offally aka Kings Co.] ] 1867.  On 1911 census at 1 Main street, Frankford, Kings co. - 002651433.), b. 1828; d. 20 Nov 1895, late of Ballyoran, Frankford, Kings (Source: Will Probate, William JACKSON late of Ballyoran, Frankford, Kings Co Farmer d 20 Nov 1895 granted at Dublin to Anna JACKSON of Ballyorn the widow effects £632 9s.); m. ANNA SISSARES ASHBURY (Source: Mary Novak Tree.).

The Kilmore, Tipperary part in the 1807 marriage recorded at Creggan Parish may be a red herring. The marriage at Glenealy, Co. Wicklow of William JACKSON referred to Glenealy in the Union of Kilmore, Co. Wexford. Nonetheless, here are some places of where to find the Parish or Townland of Kilmore in Tipperary, thanks to www.seanruad.com :

Looking for the MASON family, I found other bits that may or may not be related:

Derrylahan (H4303) http://www.landedestates.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=3421
This house was the home of the Mason family in the 19th century, occupied by James Mason in 1814 and by William Mason in the early 1850s. The buildings were valued at £10 and held from Peter D. La Touche. William Mason of Derrylahan owned 228 acres in the 1870s.

Then there is the connection of Limerick & the names of both JACKSON and MASON:

http://www.landedestates.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=2405

At the time of the first Ordnance Survey Richard Mason held the townland of Cappanihane (772 acres), parish of Corcomohide, barony of Connello Upper, county Limerick. John Mason was the immediate lessor of the townland at the time of Griffith's Valuation. The 994 acre estate of John Mason, Walker Jackson Mason and Myles Jackson Mason in the barony of Connello Upper, including the houses Lisduane and Glenbrooke, was advertised for sale in January and June 1854. The rental included lithographs of both houses. Walker Jackson Mason fourth son of Richard Mason of Cappanihane died in 1882 and Mary Mason of Glenbrooke, widow of Miles Jackson Mason and fourth daughter of John Sullivan of Tullylease, county Cork, died in 1880. In the mid 19th century William Hart(e) Mason held a small estate closeby at Cooleen, parish of Bruree, barony of Coshma. In the 1870s he is recorded as owning 190 acres in the county. In 1854 he married Alice Bevan of the Camass family. In 1882 Joseph Mason died in Australia, he was a son of Joseph Mason of Cooleen and a grandson of Sir Richard Harte of Coolrus, county Limerick.

Landed Estates Database: http://www.landedestates.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/family-show.jsp?id=985

Mason (Masonbrook) - The early generations of this family, Robert Mason and his sons George and Robert of Loughrea, are documented in the Westport Papers. Robert Mason was an agent for Colonel John Browne of Westport in the early 1690s. In 1703 he bought part of the forfeited estate of Thomas Burke in the barony of Leitrim. Some genealogists suggest that there is a link between these Masons and those of Waterford and of Ballymacelligott, county Kerry. Melvin writes that the Mason family sold Masonbrook to the Dalys of Dalyston in the 18th century.

Daly (Dalystown) - In 1814 the Rt. Hon Denis Bowes Daly was the owner of the Dalystown estate, the son of Hyacinth Daly and Rose Daly. He had a long career in politics, representing both county Galway and Galway Borough as well as King's County (Offaly). He married Charlotte Ponsoby in 1780 but she died a year later. Melvin writes that when Denis Bowes Daly died in 1821 the Masonbrook part of his estates was placed in the hands of trustees to settle his debts. In 1834 it was sold by the Court of Chancery to James Smyth of Loughrea for £12,100.

Then when I troll through my own deeds research looking for MASON-JACKSON connections, I find: