Castlecaulfield Parish Church (St. Michael's Church of Ireland), Castlecaulfield, Donaghmore Civil Parish, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland 250th Anniversary Service September 1936

Extracted from the Belfast News-Letter, September 30, 1936

Extracted & Transcribed by Annie Crenshaw
crenshawannie[at]gmail.com

Formatted & Submitted by
Len Swindley, Melbourne, Australia
len_swindley[at]hotmail.com

is file of the 250TH ANNIVERSARY SERVICE HELD AT ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH OF IRELAND, CASTLECAULFIELD IN 1836 forms part of the vast archive of 4,000+ pages of genealogical records relating to COUNTIES TYRONE, DONEGAL, LONDONDERRY & FERMANAGH provided without charge or subscription by CoTyroneIreland Welcome to the Premier Website & Research Tool for Cos. Tyrone, Donegal, Londonderry & Fermanagh Genealogy (cotyroneireland.com) A complete list of records pertaining to CASTLEFIELD AND DONAGHMORE PARISH, COUNTY TYRONE on this website can be found at the foot of this file.

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"Governor Walker's Church - 250th Anniversary"

Subtitle :  "Fifty Clergymen at Service in Castlecaulfield - Sermon by the Primate"

The 250th anniversary of the Parish Church of St. Michael, Castlecaulfield, County Tyrone, was celebrated at a special service yesterday.  The Lord Primate, Most Rev. Dr. d'Arcy, preached, and there were 50 clergy-men present.  The Primate was received at the door of the church by the rector, the Rev. R. B. Blackwell-Smyth, and the church wardens, Captain Y. A. Burges, D.L., and Mr. John A. Frizelle. The service was conducted by the rector and the lessons were read by the Dean of Armagh and the Rev. Canon McEndoo, M.A., of Dungannon. The Primate dedicated a number of gifts to the church, including a credence table, presented by the son and daughters of John Simpson, Killyliss, and Rachael Simpson; a brass table desk, to the memory of Thomas Edward Hall, Reascor, presented by his widow and family; and a brass alms dish, in memory of Charles Wesley W. Lucas, presented by his parents, sister, and uncle.

The village of Castlecaulfield was founded in 1614 by Sir Toby Caulfield, of whom Viscount Charlemont is a direct descendant. The old parish church was in the village of Donaghmore and was much damaged during the rebellion of 1641. The remains of it were gradually taken away, and at last the local Roman Catholic priest was permitted by the then rector to remove whatever remained of the old building to furnish part of the materials for a chapel. The present church in Castlecaulfield has the date 1685 in the church tower. It originally consisted of the nave and tower, and the transepts, chancel, and vestry room were added about 1860. The church bell has been recast on more than one occasion, and the present bell bears the inscription "Second to none in weight and tone. - Thomas Hodges, Abbey Street, Dublin, 1859."  The tower clock was erected in 1906 by Colonel Ynyr. H. Burges as a memorial to his son. A part of the original church furniture, a wooden pulpit, known as Walker's pulpit, was acquired by the Methodist Church in the village, and later made into a chair for the use of worshipful masters in the Walker Memorial Orange Hall. The vestry minutes are complete from 30th September, 1741, and some of them make quaint reading.The list of rectors and vicars of the parish dates from 1389, and the curates from 1622.

WALKER'S MONUMENT

When this church was built the Rev. George Walker, hero of the siege of Derry, was rector of the parish. Walker was killed at the Battle of the Boyne, and was buried on the battlefield, but several years later his widow had his remains deposited in the church at Castlecaulfield on the south side adjoining the chancel. In the wall above she placed the monument which bears the following inscription:- "Near this, O reader, are deposited the remains of the Rev. George Walker, Doctor of Sacred Theology, formerly Rector of this Parish. He, by whose vigilance and valour Londonderry in the year 1689 was rescued from the enemies of William and the Faith, fell mortally wounded on the banks of the Boyne for the same cause against the same enemy in the year 1690; to whose remains and memory his inconsolable widow, Isabella Walker, has erected this monument in the year 1703. But his fame shall be more durable than rock, nor shall future ages less than the present admire a soldier so pious and a minister so intrepid.”

In 1838 repairs to the church were carried out, and the then rector, the Rev. Thomas Carpendale, and some other gentlemen considered the time opportune for ending a controversy on the question of whether or not Walker was buried in the chancel. Search was made, and about four feet below the surface were found two coffins and between them a box.  The first coffin contained a complete skeleton pronounced to be that of a female, and therefore believed to be that of Isabella Walker. Beside it lay a small oak box, about 24 by 16 inches, containing Walker's remains - a few bones of the arms and thighs and a portion of the skull.  The remains of Walker and his wife were transferred to two oak boxes, and the grave was newly cased with brick.  On 25th October, at seven o'clock in the morning (in order to avoid a large crowd), the re-interment was carried out.

25/- [SHILLINGS] A YEAR

The church also has a complete list of the churchwardens from the year 1741, and sextons from the year 1751. The sexton of that date received 25s[shillings] a year. The Primate, in his sermon, said that was a beautiful and a historic church, and owing to the history of their land old churches were not common. It had been erected by the Rev. George Walker, the gallant defender of Derry, who was honoured throughout Ulster, and rightly so. Walker imparted courage to Derry's gallant defenders. The choir led the praise service, Miss Burn, Moneymore, presiding at the organ.

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Further records for CASTLECAULFIELD AND DONAGHMORE PARISH, COUNTY TYRONE can be found at:

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Donaghmore Parish Records, County Tyrone

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