CHRIST

CHRIST’S CHURCH

AGHNAMULLEN

            The Huguenot Breakeys are buried in the Church yard  (sic) at Aghnamullen.  Thomas C. Breakey of Drumskelt stated in his “Memoirs”[1] that his Huguenot ancestor, William De Breakey (d. 1698), was the second Protestant buried in Aghnamullen graveyard.  In the years following, other Breakeys were buried in Aghnamullen Church yard.  Miss Florence G. McMahon, Hostess, Christ’s Church, is very much interested in the Church’s welfare and preservation.  She is well informed on the history of the old Church and told us the graves of a number of Breakeys were situated along the stone wall enclosing the Church yard.

            Originally, Aghnamullen was a Roman Catholic institution.  When Oliver Cromwell expelled the monks and Romanists from the Church, Roman Catholics continued to keep the graveyard until the Church of Ireland (Episcopal) took over.  A soldier by the name of Burgoyne was the first Protestant buried in Aghnamullen graveyard, and the Roman Catholics reacted by twice throwing his remains out on the county road.    The third time they were buried and watched over for weeks by yeoman.

            The following items relating to Aghnamullen were found in Shirley’s History of County Monaghan, published by Pickering and Company, 196 Piccadilly, London, in 1879:

Page 348  The Parish Register of Aghnamullen begins: baptisms and burials in 1801,Marriages in 1802.

                  Found in the cellar of the Rectory before 1830, some remains of a much older book which appears to have been a miscellaneous entry of births, marriages, burials, etc., going back to 1768.  This is now carefully preserved with the other parochial records.

Page 348  Inscriptions in Church yard:

                  John Thompson died in June, 1771, age 70

                  Thomas Humphry Thompson died April 17, age 73

                  Josiah Thompson died the 8th August, 1771, age 34 years

                  Eunice Thompson died March 28, 1777, age 38 years[2]

Page 470  Ordnance survey name Bough.  The village of Scotstown is in Bough townland which is owned by Mrs. H. Westenra (in 1879) (Lady Rossmore?) and others.[3]

Page 497  Balladian, Parish of Ballybay, Ordnance Survey name Balladian.  Explanation: Pass of the Two Birds.  Present proprietor (in 1879), Mrs. Emily Leslie.

                  Derry Valley, Parish of Ballybay.  Ordnance Survey name Derryvalley.  Explanation: Oak Wood of the road.  Present proprietor (in 1879), Mrs. Emily Leslie.

Page 504  Creeve, Parish of Clontibret.  Ordnance survey name Creeve.  Present proprietor (in 1879), E. S. Lucas.

Page 338  Scots House is near Hilton, Currin.

            The minister of Aghnamullen Church (Christ’s Church) is presently (May 1968) The Rev. William Lumley who lives in Ballybay.  He is also minister of Christ’s Church in Ballybay.  On May 25th the Rev. Lumley went with us to Christ’s Church in Ballybay in search of records, baptisms, marriages, etc., of Breakeys.  The Rev. Lumley has quite a large collection of old record books belonging to several churches in his care, including some from Aghnamullen.  These are stored in a large iron safe in an anteroom just inside the Church.  Unfortunately, the records pertaining to Aghnamullen were quite recent and no Breakeys were found.  The older records are presumed to have perished when the Public Records Building in Dublin was destroyed during the 1922 Rising.

            Miss McMahon told us that Mr. Art Montgomery of Carnaveagh House was well informed on the history of Aghnamullen and urged us to contact him.  We did this by telephone and he came to Riverdale House, Ballybay, our hotel, on 25 May 1968.  Mr. Montgomery was descended from a Cromwellian settler and his interests had been with them.  He knew of the Williamite settlers only in a general way so was unable to help us in our search.

August 1968

 Edward P. Breakey, Ph.D

 Belvedere

 Sumner, Washington

 

Transcriber's note:

    The following photograph of Christ Church, Aughnamullen, is courtesy of Jane Breakey Poor, Missouri.

 

 

 

 


[1] MS in the Library of the Presbyterian Historical Society, Church House, Fisherwick Place, Belfast, North Ireland.

[2] This interest in the Thompsons is due to the use of the names Thompson and Humphry as given names for Breakeys.  Connection?

[3] Due to the thoughtfulness and generosity of Mr. Kevin Sherry of Monaghan, Nettie and I had the pleasure of meeting and visiting with the present Lady Rossmore at her home near Monaghan on 29 May, 1968.