Early Church Wardens, 1699, Bishop Mann Visitation of Church of Ireland Dioceses of Cork. Ref D121.1. 1827 Parliamentary Return of Vestries, 1851, 1861 Visitations
Title: The O Heas of southwest Cork Author: Collins, John T. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, 1946, Vol. 51, No. 174, page(s) 97107 Published by the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society Digital file created: July 16, 2015
Chancery Rolls, 1624, Bantry Pilchards, c 1600 Landing Spanish Soldiers in Kinsale, Unbought Wine Left Behind, c 1600 Donnogh O’Leary, Kilbarry, Dunmanway or Muskerry, 1628 O’Driscoll, Baltimore/McCarthy, Kilbrittain, James Gallway, Ibane (Clonakilty), O’Sullivan/Coppinger/O’Driscoll, Baltimore, c 1600 Whitcomb, Merchant, Kinsale, Daniel and Dominic Roche v William and Dorothy Gage, lands at Crookhaven, Kinsale, 1625 Morrogh O’Hea
1656. Petition of The Following, ‘That Daniell O’Donovand als O’Donovane of Curraghnylickey (Drinagh), Most Knew Him before 1641 Rebellion, as a Civil Honest, and Quite Gentleman’, Samuell Browne, Edward Renys, Edward Clerke, Francis Barnett (Mark) Mathew Perrott, Amos Bennets, Robert Osborne, Dermod O’Mahowby, Samuel Skinner, William Holcombe, Thomas Attridge, Barnabe Witcherly, Der. Coughlan, Will Corlless, Thomas Recraft (Roycroft), Mathew Sweethman (Sweetnam), Geyles Smith (Mark), Timothy Coughlane, Ja? Base, Abel Marshall, John Vallyes (mark), Ralph Fuller, Teig Has (O’Hea?), Phillip Otrrydge (Attridge), John Baily, John Abbott, Philip Madoxe, Rowland Neild, William Ottrydge (Attridge), Thomas Hungerford, Samuel Poole, James Dyer, Richard Nobbs, John Chamberlen (Mark), Bart Philpot, Richard Skines (Skuse?) (Mark), Henry Abbott (Mark), Richard Chambers (Mark), Thomas Duggen.
1718. Will of James O’Hea, Killkeirane, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, be be Buried in Ancestral Tomb, Timoleague, O’Heas in Convert Rolls.
On the forfeiture of O’Hea lands due to rebellion some held in trust by Townsend family on their behalf. later substantial lot of townlands let on favourable terms
James O’Hea, 1795, Greenfield. Son of James O’Hea, Kilkerran will dated 1720. Brother James, a Barrister, other brother John, officer North Cork Militia served in Wexford 1798. 1791 Meeting as ‘James Hea’, at the Kings Arms Tavern Cork of Members of Hanover Association (Landowners/Magistrates) re Whiteboys.
John O’Hea Esq, -1847), listed 1838, Shannon Square, Clonakilty. 1828 seeking reform of the House of Commons. Honoria Deasy who was a Daughter of Rickard Deasy married John O’Hea (Magistrate from 1838-1843) in 1826 and they had 10 children, the youngest Alfred who was born in 1847 just a few months before the death of his father. Attending an 1843 meeting in Clonakilty of Cork, Kinsale, Skibbereen Turnpike Trust. Resigned 1843 over dismissal of Magistrates for attending Repeal Meetings. Following a report to the Lord Chancellor regarding the activity of Magistrates sympathetic or attending a dinner in honour of Daniel O’Connell and Roche a number were superseded or resigned. Testimonial of John O’Hea, Esq., 1847 distribution for Clonakilty of New England Relief Committee Famine Relief. Died Clonakilty, Co. Cork, 1847. Included Thomas Allen, J.P., Allin and Co Shannonvale, James Redmond Barry Fishery Commissioner, J.P. Glandore, W. J. F. Barry son of Redmond Glandore, Rev. J. Beamish, Kilmalooda, Francis Bennett, Clonakilty, William Bennett Clonakilty, John Callaghan Clonakilty, Daniel Clanchy, J.P., Charleville, John Coghlan Clonakilty, James Comyn Cobh, C. Connell and Co Ballinascarthy, J. Nelson Crofts, Clonakilty, Eyre Croke Croker, Ballyra, Thomas Deasy, Clonakilty, Patrick Desmond Clonakilty, Richard Dennehy, John Donovan, Clonakilty, Jeremiah Donovan brother of Rickard, Midleton, Rickard Donovan, Clerk of Crown (State Solicitor) Cork, Joseph Dugan, Clonakilty, William Ffolliott, M.D. Clonakilty, Henry Franks Clonakilty (Probably of extended Kearney Garretstown House family), Alexander Grant Clonakilty, P. B. Grifin, G. F.Hardy Cork, Miss Anne Gallwey, Kilkerran, Charles Gallwey Kilcoleman, Michael Gallwey J.P. KIlkieran House, Henry Gallwey, Greenfield, William Gallwey, Kilcoleman, Major Hill Late 54th Regiment Clonakilty, Daniel Kelly Clonakilty, M. Irwin Clonakilty, J.E Lucas, Ring, Clonakilty, Dr. Lucas, Richsfordstown, O.H. Marmion, Skibbereen, Nicholas Daniel Murphy, Cork, Major J.H.O. Moore, 35th Regiment Jersey, Daniel McCarthy Skibbereen, John McCarthy Clonakilty, T. McCarthy Downing Solicitor, Skibbereen, Richard Boyle Norcott, Skibbereen, F.J. Power, Bank Manager, Clonakilty, Rev. J. Quarry, Clonakilty, Patrick Scott, Dublin, William Scott, Mamore House, Rev. Henry Stewart, Rathbarry, James Sweeny, Clonakilty, Daniel Sullivan, Clonakilty, James Toohig, Clonakilty, Winispeare Toye, Clonakilty, Thomas Richard Wright, Solicitor Clonakilty. Michael O’Hea, (1866-, 1895, Rock Cottage, Timoleague, listed 1913. Farmer, has Irish. 1896 donor Rosscarbery Church organ fund. 1901 Subscriber Clonakilty Agricultural Society. 1901 Officer Clonakilty Agricultural Show. Attending 1898, enormous funeral of Dan O’Leary, JP, aged 71, Clonakilty, probably draper. Contributor the indemnity fund 1899 for the election petition of John Walsh. Butlerstown, Vice Chairman, 1904 Timoleague Athletic Sports. 1910 member Courtmacsherry Regatta Committee. March 1916 Courtmacsherry recruitment drive. In the early years of World War 1 there was strong support from all classes regardless of religion or politics in Ireland towards recruitment to assist the British. There was hardly a townland in the country that did not have recruits. Additionally the farmers prospered due to high food prices. However at least in nationalist Ireland from mid 1916 and into 1917 when conscription was suggested the mood changed. Perhaps around 50,000 Irish born men perished for nothing, an epic disaster for young Irish men. Ireland was a colony, in contrast to another small Northern European State, Denmark was independent and neutral. It is thought that about 800 Danes died in the conflict.
Probates in Ireland are an absolute disaster zone, mostly all that survived post 1922 destruction of the Public Records Office in Dublin is a 1 line name sometime and address or occupation. This is an attempt to add to some of these listed from other sources or give information on the family.
Prerogative Wills
Prerogative and diocesan copies of some wills and indexes to others, 1596 – 1858
Before a will can take effect, a grant of probate must be made by a court. If someone dies without having made a will, the court can grant letters of administration for the disposal of the estate. Since 1858, grants of probate and administration have been made in the Principal and District Registries of the Probate Court (before 1877) or the High Court (after 1877). They are indexed in the calendars of wills and administrations (available on this website for 1858 – 1922).
Before 1858, grants of probate and administration were made by the courts of the Church of Ireland (the Prerogative Court and the Diocesan or Consistorial Courts). Almost all of the original records were destroyed in the Public Record Office in 1922. Most of what appears on this site are indexes to the original wills.
For the pre-1858 ecclesiastical courts, will books containing copies of the originals survive for the Prerogative Court (1664-1684, 1706-1708, 1726-1728, 1728-1729, 1777, 1813 and 1834) and some Diocesan Courts – Connor (1818-1820 and 1853-1858) and Down (1850-1858). The will books for Armagh, Belfast and Londonderry are in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
The records can be searched by name, date, residence and district or diocese.
Died 12th April 1668 George Walters Whiddy Island and probably London, listed 1659 census Gent. Transporter of deportees for Cromwell. The old Public Records Office pre destruction had a will of 12th November 1703, Dioceses of Cork and Ross of William Walters, an English seaman, legatee Biddle of Kinsale. In his will he was posessed of 70 ploughlands in Bantry and Bere and an agent for the transport of soldiers to the King of Spain Paddy O’Keeffe papers, Cork Archives. McLysaght Analecta Hibernia, No. 14, 1944, Transcriptions, Conor Papers, Manch, Kinsale Corporation from 1594. [12 April 1668] Account of the Will, land claims and debts of George Walters, Whiddy Island, in the Beara Peninsula. Includes a copy of his Will made in 1668 at Backland], Devon. Geoffrey Shelswell-White has put the information together from various sources including additions from Hutchins Note Book
Died 12th April 1668 George Walters Whiddy Island. In his will he was posessed of 70 ploughlands in Bantry and Bere and an agent for the transport of soldiers to the King of Spain
A meticulous conservation project has begun to safeguard one of Ireland’s oldest surviving paper documents, The Guardian writes, dating back to the medieval period.
The document in question is an ecclesiastical register, approximately 650 years old, that once belonged to Milo Sweteman, the archbishop of Armagh from 1361 to 1380. Experts at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) are now working to repair its fragile pages as part of a broader initiative to preserve vital historical records from the medieval period. The register, which contains drafts and copies of legal papers, letters, receipts, and wills, offers a fascinating glimpse into the ecclesiastical workings of the time.
Sarah Graham, the head of conservation at PRONI, explained the rarity of such documents, noting that paper of this age is incredibly scarce in Ireland. “Paper that pre-dates 1450 is particularly rare,” she said, adding that the material used in the Sweteman register likely came from Italy and Spain, regions that the archbishops frequently visited. This discovery came from research into the document’s watermarks, shedding light on the trade of paper in medieval Europe.
The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast.Albert Bridge / CC licence
The Sweteman register is not the first to undergo this meticulous conservation process. The register of Archbishop John Swayne, dating from 1418 to 1438, has already been completed, with a digitised copy and translated summary now available online. This project is part of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland, an effort to reconstruct the nation’s historical archive, which was largely destroyed in a fire during the Irish Civil War in 1922.
Henry Becher (1664-1738), TCD in 1683 aged 19, son of Thomas Sherkin Island, 1705, witness to 1717 deed with Emanuel Moore. Henry Becher was Thomas Becher’s eldest son. He married Henrietta Owen in 1698. His heir was John Becher. Henry died in 1738.
Henry Beecher, (1759-1780), 1779, Creagh/Creaford, Skibbereen. 1765 11 July Cork City Newspapers. “To be Let, part of the estate of Henry Becher(aged 5) during his minority. Lands of Gortadrohid, Ardnagreena on harbour of Baltimore etc. contact Michael Becher guardian. 1779 Hibernian Magazine Dec 1779 “Henry Becher of Creaghtford to be a J.P. of the Peace for the Co of Cork”. 1780 Hibernian Chronicle 25 Dec 1780 “Died Thursday last, Henry Becher at Creagh near Baltimore.” The guardian Michael Henry Becher [1735-1778 was his uncle & my 4 x Great Grandfather. He was married to Catherine French. Poor Henry is the one who died after a shooting accident on his 21st birthday.
John R. Beecher, Hollybrook, Skibbereen, listed 1856, sitting Skibbereen 1861. 1856 Ballydehob Presentment sessions. May have married Catherine Jermyn only child of Henry and Mary of Aughadown, 1805 he assigned property to Richard Hungerford and Becher Fleming to provide £225 pa should she survive him.
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John Townsend Beecher, 1760, Anne Grove, 1755 Faulkner’s Dublin Journal 22 Feb 1755 “17 Feb Married last Thursday John Townsend Becher Esq To Miss Donovan, d Rev. Morgan O’Donovan, Magistrate, Ballinacalla, with £5000. Died 1761, at her lodgings near South Gate, Mrs Beecher, relict of John Townsend Beecher of Ann Grove”. Possibly, 1771 Limerick Chronicle 10 Oct 1771, “Thursday last at Cork Colonel John Becher of Hollybrook to Miss Bab. Townsend of Skibbereen.”Michael Beecher, 1777, Creagh, Skibbereen, member Atlantic Society literary society. Subscriber of 1766 ‘The History of the Irish Rebellion’, Cork, 1766. 1778 Dublin Hibernian Journal Aug 24 1778, “Died-Near Bandon Michael Beecher of Creagh Esq.” 1789 Cork Evening Post 12 Jan 1789, ‘Last Sat George Pigott Rogers Esq. to Mary Twogood Becher, dau of the Late Michael Becher of Creagh, Esq’. Michael Alleyne Richard Beecher (1839-, 1875, Ballyduvane, Clonakilty, Resident, £130, 1870, 2,101 acres, listed 1916. Landed proprietor, widower 1901. 1884, signed a protest against the dismissal of Lord Rossmore, Head of Orange Order, Monaghan. Sampson T.