1753 May 29

PRONI T662/30

DEED 244-174-157206

Rev Patrick SIMSON[1] of Mount Pleasant & John & Andrew COULTER[2] of Cavananore[3].. SIMSON demised for rents to COULTER, townland of Dungooly[4] late in possession of SIMSON and now in possession of John and Andrew COULTER[5] 52A 6P & Bog Parish of Foughart, Co. Louth. For life and lives of Grizel SIMSON[6] third daughter of the lessor Patrick SIMSON Joseph COULTER[7] only son of the lessee John COULTER and John McNEAL[8] of Foughart, Co. Louth Gent. … rent £16.1.9 …they had to grind their grain at Dungooley & pay SIMSON …then an addendum Oct 5, 1765 – “Wheras Grizel SIMSON is dead … Henry MacNeil KENNEDY[9] son of George KENNEDY[10] nominated as life to replace hers. Then another addendum August 15 1769 “I do hereby renew the within lease for the further term of the life of Samuel BRADFORD[11] son of John BRADFORD[12] of Cavananore in the County of Louth in the room of John MacNEALE one of the lesseses within named who is dead the fine for renewal and all Rent and Arrears being first paid me – witness my hand this 15th day of august 1769. Patrick SIMSON WITNESS William GREEN[13] & P. Simson KENNEDY[14].

[1] Rev Patrick SIMSON of Mount Pleasant aka Rev. Patrick SIMPSON (NOTE: I am operating on hunches for this connection) was the second named Presbyterian Minister in the Dundalk Presbyterian Church (which was founded in 1560 and is one of the oldest non-conforming churches Ireland). He was allied to the M'Neill family. It is recorded in local history that two brothers, Archibald and Malcolm M'Neill, officers in the army, landed at Dundalk in 1688, fought in the great battle of Ballymascanlon and succeeded in taking the castle formerly occupied by the Scanlons—a Celtic family, who were afterwards driven into exile. Soon after their settlement they brought over from the Island of Islay two Presbyterian Ministers, the Rev. Patrick SIMPSON and the Rev. Mr. Drummond, one of them to minister at Dundalk and the other at Scanlon Castle, near which a Presbyterian church had been built on the ancient site of which the present church of the Protestant Episcopal Communion now stands. The Minister's house and farm then occupied the site of the present residence of the MacNeill family, Mountpleasant. Archibald MacNeill gave £100—a large sum in those days—towards the building of the old Presbyterian church in Linenhall Street. Mr. SIMPSON died in 1760, at the age of 99 years, and was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Drummond, who also died in Dundalk in 1778, aged 38 years. His remains lie alongside those of his predecessors in the family burial ground of the MacNeills. SOURCE: Tempest’s Jubilee Annual 1909.

Gravemarker: SIMPSON. This Burying Place Erected/by Margaret Simson widow/to the Memory of the Late/Rev PATRICK SIMPSON/Dissenting Minister of/Dundalk who departed this/Life October the 5th 1780 aged/99 years. SOURCE: http://www.faughart.com/inscriptions-page22352.html
In the 1829 publication, Ordination Service by the Dublin Eustace Street Congregation (page 64), we learn that Mr. SIMPSON had not joined the ejected members till near the conclusion of the discussions, when he told the Senate that he observed much partiality in them, and he would have no more to do with them, but would take his lot with the nonsubscribers. His elder, Capt. McNeill, concurred with him in this determination. This generous adaptation of a persecuted cause shows a very noble mind. I have the pleasure of being acquainted with several descendents of this excellent man, who are not unworthy of their progenitor.
The History of Dundalk and its Environs from the Earliest Historic Period. John D’Alton and James Roderick O’Flanagan. Dundalk. 1864. p311 it states that `he had no family`. Perhaps he had no sons.
In the Kintyre Mag: Malcolm's daughter married Rev. Patrick SIMPSON, the son of old Lachlan Buidhe's fifth daughter Isabel McNeill and her husband Rev. David SIMPSON, Minister in Islay. Rev. Patrick was Minister of Dundalk. He was second of four Scottish Ministers in that charge. He became quite an extensive landowner and was in great demand as a preacher of Gaelic. He took part in the translation into Gaelic of a catechism and with others was charged with the task of preaching in Gaelic to Highland soldiers stationed in Dublin. http://www.kintyremag.co.uk/1999/27/page6.html
He was one of the Non-Subscribing or New Light Presbyterians, one of 16 parishes in Antrim in 1725.

[2] John COULTER (?-1774) & Andrew COULTER (?-1775) of Cavananore . They are brothers, sons of Samuel COULTER and Grizel SIMSON aka SIMPSON aka SYMPSON.

[3] Cavananore – a townland of 219 acres in Upper Dundalk, Co. Louth

[4] Dungooly, Parish of Foughart, Co. Louth

[5] John COULTER (?-1774) married Martha COWEN and had a son, Joseph (see beneath) and his brother Andrew COULTER (?-1775) They are brothers, sons of Samuel COULTER and Grizel SIMSON aka SIMPSON aka SYMPSON.

[6] Grizel SIMSON third daughter of the lessor Patrick SIMSON. She died sometime between 1737 and 1765.

[7] Joseph COULTER (bef 1753-aft 1791) only son of the lessee John COULTER and Martha COWEN.

[8] John McNEAL of Foughart, Co. Louth Gent

[9] Henry MacNeil KENNEDY

[10] George KENNEDY. NOTE: Is it possible that he married one of the three daughters of Rev. Peter SIMPSON aka SIMSON aka SYMSON?

[11] Samuel BRADFORD (1739-1818) son of John BRADFORD (1705-1779) of Cavananore and Barbara COULTER (1721-1795)

[12] John BRADFORD (1705-1779) of Cavananore. He was the husband of Barbara COULTER (1721-1795) and she was in turn the daughter of Samuel COULTER and Grizel SIMSON..

[13] William GREEN

[14] P. Simson KENNEDY NOTE: Is it possible that he is a grandson of Rev. Peter SIMPSON aka SIMSON aka SYMSON?