An Incomplete History of the Moffatts of Clabby/Tempo, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

Author: Roger Cousens

Submitted by
Roger Cousens, Melbourne, Australia
rcousens[at]unimelb.edu.au

Formatted by
Jim McKane, Ontario, Canada
jamckane[at]gmail.com

The Author, Roger Cousens, is Professor Emeritus, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
Here he writes about his wife's maternal ancestors.

For detailed source information, please see the Original Document

Introduction

For over two centuries, the Moffats were stalwarts of the Clabby/Tempo community. Today, there are no Moffats from this line that we know of remaining in the area, although there are some related through maternal lines and a considerable number overseas. This research focussed on just the area close to Clabby/Tempo, but I indicate links to other groups where there is documentary evidence (particularly those from the Ballinamallard area - which in turn links to the Irvinestown area - and to Kinawley parish).

The name comes from Scotland, so it is probable that the Moffatts of the area came with the settlements of the first half of the seventeenth century, under James I. The 1630 muster roll lists: William Moffett (Lowther's land, i.e. Irvinestown region); William and Symon Moffet (Balfour lands, Magheraboy); William Moffet (Lord Hastings' land, Tyrkennedy); John Moffet (John Dunbar lands, Inishmacsaint). However, it is impossible to determine exactly where they were living. By the early eighteenth century there were several concentrations of Moffatts in Fermanagh, Tyrone and the neighbouring counties. Much of the early period covered by this account was a time in which there was high illiteracy; the spelling of the name (Moffett, Moffat, Moffatt, Moffit, Moffitt) seems to have varied from document to document, depending on who was writing, and eventually evolved differently in different branches of the same family. I have, therefore, largely disregarded spelling in piecing together this history.

 

My wife's researches on her family in Canada pointed to just a few names (Moffit and Faris) and a single townland (Tonyglaskan). I began to build trees for every family group using those names that I located in the area of Fermanagh to the east of Enniskillen, initially from transcripts of church baptisms, marriages and burials, census data and Griffith's Valuation. An existing tree for one family group on a commercial website was used as a 'scaffold', but all sources were checked (such trees frequently contain errors and leaps of faith). Coverage was later extended to other parts of Fermanagh when trying to establish the sources of new incursions into the Cabby/Tempo area. The townlands given in these records were used to search the place and name indexes of the Registry of Deeds, Dublin, available online as 'Transcripts of memorials of deeds, conveyances and wills, 1708—1929' at FamilySearch.org.

Copies of some documents were sourced from PRONI by a paid genealogist. Other researchers came to my attention through online groups for Fermanagh and Tyrone (in particular Carole Elliott of New South Wales who had already done excellent research on the Moffatts of the area around Ballinamallard); they provided hints and shared their resources. The data compilations on the IGP-Fermanagh site were particularly helpful, in addition to the vast resources on sites such as Ancestry and Family Search. I managed to find some local living ancestors through these sites, as well as through creative sleuthing using Facebook and web browsers. Other important sources were archives of local newspapers. The result was a matrix of information on the Moffats of the area, connecting across the local landscape and over time. I present the results as best I can to reflect those connections.

First Camgart phase

The most dominant group of Moffatts - and possibly the first in the area - were those based in the townland of Camgart. This comprises some parts of the village of Clabby. Some documents refer to Clabby and some to Camgart: whether this is of any significance, I am unsure. Clabby manor house, which is specifically mentioned in regard to the Moffatts, was in Camgart (the manor stood where St Margaret's rectory now stands).

Compilations of churchwardens for the parish of Enniskillen show that a William Moffit was living at Camgart as early as 1728 and possibly 1705 (two sources differ). The first documentary evidence is a deed of 1732, where Constantine Maguire of Tempo Manor provided a source of funds for two boys: John Armstrong of Tullyolagh South and William Moffit junior aged eight, son of William Moffit of Clabby. It is tempting to speculate that William senior might have been the William Moffet buried at Fivemiletown church (1678-1763) who was married to Mary (1783—1760). That would put Mary at 41 when William junior was born.

 

 

William the younger was married to Jane; this could be Jane Kirk who married a William Moffat in 1750. William junior took over the Camgart lease in 1751. Freeholders/electors lists show (various spellings) for Camgart between 1747 and 1796, though at least the first of these would have been William senior; a William is listed as a churchwarden for Clabby in 1762 or 1770. The Belmore rent book gives William Moffett as collecting 'customs' at Clabby in 1786 (in other years the income item is not associated with a person). This probably means that William was filling the role of seneschal for the Manor of Clabby (see James under 'Second Camgart Phase' below). No death records have been found so far for William junior.

William and (presumably) Jane had three sons that we know of and at least one daughter. They were:

Armar (1758— ): By 1787 he was recorded as being from Lisnagole (between Lisnaskea and Maguiresbridge) and he is recorded in a 1786 deed in Strabane. He married Anne Knox, daughter of James Knox, an innkeeper of Strabane; they had one daughter, Mary. Anne was under 21 years of age in 1773 and two of her brothers were born in 1753 and 1755. Anne and Armar owned or leased properties in Strabane, near the Bowling Green. I can find no records of their deaths. Mary first married (James?) Greacy of Seskinore (or Liskinon: writing is poor) with whom she had at least three children (the eldest being Armor) and then, by 1833, Thomas Gilkerson of Clabby (a Thomas Gilkison was living at Camgart at the time of Griffith's Valuation, c. 1862). A court case in 1841 involved Thomas Gilkeson senior and junior; one of these is likely to have been Mary's husband. They had been assaulted by James Moffatt the seneschal of Clabby when he was trying to confiscate their cattle, assisted by Armor Gracey, Gilly Gracey and William Gracey (on Moffatt's side — presumably Mary's sons). What the court report does not say was that this was obviously a family quarrel!

William (1760—1841): A Rev. William Moffatt (of Parsons Green or Laurelhill, near the Monaghan border) appears in deeds involving Galbraith (including his 1810 marriage to Jane Cluff). A 1790 deed has William (b. 1724) giving the deeds over his Clonturkle holdings to 'his second son, William', who was not married at that time. A Rev. William in 1818 had lands in Clonturkle (Kinawley parish) and Cara (possibly near Clones, where he had a parish) according to one deed relating to security for his wife and daughters. He paid tithes on land at Drumorin in Drummully parish in 1828. In 1821 Rev. William and Galbraith obtained a grant to improve roads between Tempo and Clabby. From his age at death at Lough Oona, County Monaghan, in 1841, Rev. William was born in 1760. So he must surely be the brother of Armar and Gilbert mentioned in the deed for Rossmacole? He studied at Trinity College Dublin in 1777—81, but their records have no information on his origin; university study was unusual for a farmer's son at the time, so perhaps he had a scholarship? He married Hannah Allen, probably the daughter of the previous vicar of his parish, after 1790: they had three daughters Margaret, Rebecca Mary (1796—1872) and Matilda Jane (Rebecca's husband Andrew Murray was a solicitor and their son became high sheriff of Monaghan; Matilda's husband was a Surridge from Plymouth). William's parish in 1799 was Drumcrin, but that later merged with Currin.

 

Gilbert (1769—1847?): Gilbert, or Gilly, is somewhat of an enigma. Gilly Moffit of Camgart is recorded as a freeholder in 1788 (with regard to Drumhaly) and 1798. He is witness on a 1790 deed regarding his father and brother William. He is listed in the Belmore rent books under Camgart until 1820, but in no other document after 1800. There is a Gilbert Moffatt living in Abbey Street, Enniskillen, in 1836, but that is probably a schoolteacher from Barrack Street school. One possibility is that Gilbert was also referred to as Galbraith: from 1800 onwards a Galbraith is highly active at Clabby (and not mentioned any earlier). Galbraith married Jane Cluff of Ratoran (b. 1775), who was the same generation as Gilbert. According to a great grandson of a later Galbraith (1829—1913), that Galbraith was known to the family as 'Gilly'.

[N.B. There are Tempo birth records for Samuel Moffett, with parents Galbraith Moffett and Rebecca Hackett of Mullaghsillogagh, very close to Clabby; their second son William was baptised at Fivemiletown, but his parents were there given as Gilbert and Rebecca. It would appear that these Moffetts were not closely related to the Clabby Moffits. But the family, which still farms at Beagh near Fivemiletown, considers it to be the case that Gilbert and Galbraith were used interchangeably. A Google search found a comment that Galbraith means 'Scotsman in Ireland'.]

 

Elizabeth (1750—1836): Elizabeth married Henry Hetherington (1752—1787) of Cassidy in 1785. Henry was the grandson of Andrew Moffat (1698—1761) and Elizabeth Hunter (1693—1780) of Makenny, via their daughter Isabella (1724—1784), thus linking the Clabby and Ballinamallard Moffats. Elizabeth's birth date is based on her age at death according to an obituary. They had one child, Henry.

Meanwhile, at Crievehill

The first mention of a Moffitt at Creevehill is William, a freeholder in 1751 (also in 1767). This coincides with the year that William junior took over the lease on Camgart. A deed from 1763 saw a lease by William Moffett of the farm Tatentigart (a later lease clearly shows that this is on Crievehill townland). This specifies that it is for the lives of William's sons James and John, as well as 'Armar Moffett the son of William Moffett of Clabby'. The most logical reason for this is that the lessee was providing for his two sons and a grandson (although Armar's brother William would have been aged about three and is not mentioned). This could mean that William senior of Camgart moved to Crievehill with his other two sons around 1751, leaving Camgart to his eldest son and his family. Note that the William buried at Fivemiletown died in 1863, so this could have been succession planning. However, the weakness in this theory is that a William Moffit is recorded as a freeholder for Creevehill in 1767 and as a churchwarden for Tatingart in 1777 or 1787 (depending on the list). Both dates are after the death of William of Fivemiletown in 1763 and before any other William is recorded as being born at Creevehill.

In 1784, James Moffett of Tatnategard was intended to be married to Jane Moffet, daughter of James Moffet of Topped Mountain. This is another link between the Ballinamallard and Clabby Moffats: Andrew and Elizabeth of Makenny had a son James (b. c. 1730) living at Topped Mountain. It is unclear which James she married: the original James would have been around 60 by then; he had more than one child by 1809 but we do not know if one of these was a James. There is a death record for William Moffit of Crievehill aged 56 at Tempo (i.e. b. 1843); his birth year of 1787 would be not long after the marriage of Jane and James.

In 1809 James' eldest son William took over the lease of 39 acres at Crievehill, a house and office (see also 1815 deed; James' brother John and Armar of Strabane were also still alive at that time). In 1815, William was a Staff Corporal in the Fermanagh Regiment of Militia. William paid tithes on 16 acres at Crievehill in 1832, but after his death in 1843 there is no further record of Moffits at Crievehill.

Over at Topped Mountain/Mullyknock James

Moffet of Topped Mountain is not directly descended from the Clabby Moffetts, though he and William senior of Clabby may have a common origin. James was the son of Andrew and Elizabeth Moffitt of Makenny (mentioned earlier); his brother William was born in 1720 and James' birth has been estimated as 1730. It would seem that another Moffit was already living at Mullyknock (same townland; perhaps a relative?): a William was a churchwarden in 1739 (or 1770 depending on the source). A William married Elizabeth Irvine in 1736 in Enniskillen church, but whether they were from Mullyknock would be a guess. James was a freeholder by 1751 (also in 1775 and 1788). We have no date of death for James senior, but he could have lived at Topped Mountain until then. The Belmore rent books list an unspecified Moffett paying rent at Topped Mountain until at least 1820.

 

 

A James junior is first mentioned as a freeholder in 1798. A Peter and a James were freemasons in Enniskillen in 1795 and at Topetmountain in 1796, while Elizabeth was given as James senior's daughter in Elizabeth Moffatt (Hunter)'s 1778 will. A Jane of Topped Mountain married James of Crievehill. James senior would therefore seem to have had at least four children: Jane, James, Elizabeth and Peter. Of these, we know most about Peter. He married Margaret Myles and went to live at her father's property in Drumhirk townland in Cleenish parish (not to be confused with Drumhirk in Enniskillen, to be mentioned later). He also rented land at Drumsilla and Aughavoory. Peter and Margaret had at least one son, Peter; a Francis was a witness to a deed in 1842 and may have been another son or a grandson. A Francis Moffit (with father Peter) married Priscilla Fallis of Monea in 1845. Peter senior was buried at Tempo church in 1845, aged 80 (b. 1765). No other records of James senior, his wife or any of his children have been located.

And at Clonturkle

There was clearly a link between William junior (b. 1724) of Camgart and Moffits in the Clonturkle (spellings varied considerably) and Toneywall area. The first Moffit I can trace there is a Thomas, who had a son John in 1732. A will of 1770 for Thomas Moffett of Clinluskell was probated in 1782. William of Clabby had separate and joint holdings with Thomas in the 1700s of lands at Clonturkle/Fartagh/Molly (later passed on to his son William), west of Loch Erne in Kinawley parish — a distance of 20 miles from Clabby. It is pure speculation as to why this would be, but a possibility is that they were related: Thomas must have been older than William: perhaps an uncle or an older brother? A Thomas was a freeholder in 1751, 1788 (with James) and 1798 (after the first Thomas was dead, so this must be another Thomas). James of Clonturkle and William of Clabby were both freeholders for Molly in 1788, with Andrew and William for Clinturtle in 1796. Rev. William Moffitt of Clabby still had a holding there in 1818.

By 1787 the Clonturkle Moffits were leasing land at Carn and Tonywall. From Kinawley church records, it appears that John had offspring Thomas (who married twice), James, Andrew and May (Mary?); also Jane, Catherine, Margaret and Mary. James had an Andrew in 1772, who married Margaret Wilson; their eldest daughter Elizabeth married John Armstrong of Sydare in 1801. The Kinawley branch of the family became prolific and spread to other townlands such as Springhill. According to family trees on Ancestry.com, there were possibly a James and William of John's generation; an Andrew (1782—1858) married Margaret Robinson in 1803 and they had several children; his father was apparently a James, who also had William in 1784, James in 1785 and Thomas in 1787. Two brothers from Tonywall, James Spiers and Andrew Moffatt, migrated to Orillia, Ontario around 1830 — the same destination as William Thomas Moffit of Tonyglaskan (see later). Without access to Swanlinbar church records it is difficult to research any further.

Second Camgart Phase

A William, perhaps William (b. 1724), was still paying rent on Camgart in 1804, but from 1811 the names of James and Galbraith mostly replace him. A William is still paying rent on Drumcor until 1820 (assuming that Drummoar in the rent books refers to this), but William would have been in his nineties by then. Of his sons, Rev. William had departed for his parish near Clones and Armar was in Strabane; Gilbert is again mentioned until 1820 as paying rent, but no references to him have been found since then.

Just three names appear consistently for Camgart/Clabby in the early part of the nineteenth century: Galbraith (who might be Gilbert), James and another William. Although this was a period for which documentation is scarce, the names James and Galbraith appear suddenly as established farmers and members of the Clabby community. Where did they come from? Or were they there all along? William junior entered into a number of deeds, as did (his relative?) James at Crievehill, and neither of them mention a Galbraith or a James of the right age. William is somewhat younger than the other two, but still his parentage is unclear.

 

 

Galbraith (1769?—1847): Galbraith was farming in a number of locations, not just at Camgart. According to his marriage agreement in 1810, he had land at Drumcorr, Leam (since at least 1800), Aghacramphill (since 1806), Clongart and the corn mill at Clabby (on Drumcor townland?). In 1832 he paid tithes on land at Leamb (8 acres), Pubble (13 acres), Ralorin (Ratoran, 91 acres), Drumcor (65 acres), Camgart (55 acres) and in 1833 on Rossmacole (originally leased by William junior for the lives of his three sons).

Galbraith married Jane Cluff of Ratoran in 1812. At some point — but by 1828 - they took up residence at Ratoran until his death in 1847 and hers in 1840. She was the daughter of William Cluff of Ratoran and born in 1775. Her sister Annie married William Quinton junior of Enniskillen; they had a son William Galbraith Quinton and moved to Lancashire. Annie was given probate of Galbraith's will (a deed of 1831 ensured that money from Jane went to Annie), but this dragged on until at least 1863 because they could not locate her.

There are no records of any offspring. Two servants were named in a court case in 1824, when apparently he was still living at Clabby: an unrelated Andrew Moffatt and Margaret Owens. Galbraith was highly active in the community. In 1821 — giving his location as Drumcorr — he and two others (one being Rev. William) received a grant to maintain the surface of the road from Tempo to Fivemiletown (Tattinweer to Corcreevey) for seven years. No doubt he had vested interests with respect to the mill at Drumcor. He was the founding treasurer of the Tempo 'Brunswick' Constitutional Club in 1828, part of a short-lived and unsuccessful movement to prevent Catholics from accessing both houses of Parliament. He was a churchwarden for Clabby in 1815. When he applied for freehold for Drumcor in 1829, he was based at Ratoran. In the Valuation Office books, in 1835 he is listed as having a house and office at both Ratoran and Drumcor. He subscribed to the famine relief for Tempo in 1847 (about a quarter of the Tempo population was considered to be destitute). In 1829 Galbraith was a character witness for John Rutledge, who was sentenced to death for his part in a land dispute with Captain Constantine Maguire of Tempo. Rutledge was one of a party that shot at Maguire and his men; the affray may have started on Galbraith's bog at Ratoran.

James (dates unknown): The first mention of a James at Camgart or Clabby is in regard to his 1812 marriage to Mary Ann Hamilton (daughter of James Hamilton of Carnalea, near Fintona in Co. Tyrone). At that time, he held lands at Camgart, Tasmuckle, Mosshill (or Bosshill), Mochatton (or Bochatton) and Glengart; most of these names do not correspond to townlands, so they were presumably tates. James paid tithes on 59 acres at Camgart in 1832 and rented out 49 acres in 1840 (about the same area as plots 15 and 22 combined on Griffith's Valuation). In the Valuation field books he has a house and offices, but received a discount 'for want of yard'.

He was appointed seneschal to the Manor of Clabby by the Earl of Belmore in 1821. In this role he had minor powers that included confiscation of stock; on one occasion he went too far and was convicted of riot and common assault. The pound is shown close to the village in the Ordnance Survey map of c. 1840, in plot 22 of Griffith's Valuation. He registered for freehold to a property in Carnalea in 1829. The last record we have is for 1841. He is not mentioned as a landholder in either Camgart or Carnalea by the time of Griffith's Valuation.

Where did James come from? Armar only appears to have had a daughter, while Rev. William had three daughters; both men had left Clabby by the 1790s. There are no records of a Gilbert marriage or children (though that does not necessarily mean that there were not any); Galbraith married in 1810 (though he might have had a previous wife). James married in 1812, so he could have been the same generation as Galbraith. One possibility is that he came from the Crievehill branch of the family (James senior had an eldest son called William, so there must have been other sons). Or he could have been James junior from Topped Mountain: he may have lost their lease when his father died; his sister Jane married a James of Crievehill (unclear whether it was James senior or a son).

William (1802—87): His birth date is estimated from the 1851 census. As a young man, William was involved in altercations — probably involving drink — particularly with Catholics (such as the priest in Tempo and a James McCusker) that ended up in court. William Scott, in the 1824 trial says he was living with William and his only faults were 'drinking too much and spending money betimes'. In 1829 he assaulted James Taylor, a magistrate, and was imprisoned for 18 months with hard labour and made to keep the peace for 7 years. Some of these events involved Galbraith's servant Andrew. An 1825 trial mentions the arrest of William's 'brother': James the seneschal could be his older brother, but the 1824 trial included William and a James as defendants and yet James the seneschal was a character witness for some of the accused. James could have been William's (and another James') father by a marriage prior to Mary Ann Hamilton.

 

William and his wife Jane married in 1831 and had five children while living at Camgart: (Elizabeth (b. 1834), James (b. 1836), Andrew (b. 1838), Mary Jane (b. 1840) and Catherine (b. 1842). By 1844 they were living at Drumhirk near Clabby where they had four more: Margaret (b. 1844), Sarah (b. 1845), Jemima (b. 1850) and Anne (b. 1853). Jane could have been a Campbell (an elderly Campbell was living with them in 1851). At the time of Griffith's Valuation they farmed 84 acres.

William's descendants, through his eldest son James, lived at Drumhirk until the late twentieth century. An Effie Moffett lived there in the 1970s. A maternal descendent started a nursing home there in the 1980s.

Tonyglaskan Part 1

Evidence on the Moffits who first lived at Tonyglaskan, at the start of the nineteenth century, is poor. There are some church birth, marriage and death records from the area, plus information from after several of them emigrated to Canada. The earliest Moffits (in terms of birth year) to die at Tonyglaskan were Andrew (1767—1845) and Mary (1767—1838). Andrew is a name that does not occur in the Clabby line, but it does in the Ballinamallard line. DNA evidence links Tonyglaskan ancestor Jane Cousens to the Ballinmallard line at some point. A possibility is that Andrew was another (perhaps the youngest) son of James of Topped Mountain; he was slightly younger than Peter (1765—1845) who for some reason was buried at the same church as Andrew (despite living in Cleenish parish). Despite thorough searches of all other on-line sources, I have located no Andrews in Fermanagh who would be appropriate (correct age and who had left their home area before having their family).

Based on their residence when their children were baptised, it would seem that Andrew and Mary had at least five sons: Andrew (b. 1800 - all birth years are approximate, based on ages presumed at death), William (b. 1802), James (b. 1801), John (b. 1803) and Robert. There is documentation of parentage only for Robert (marriage record). A Francis (1818-45) died at Tonyglaskan, but Mary would have been 51. These men and their families were all living on an area of perhaps 60 acres, including bog, heading into the famine. Four of the sons - William, Andrew, John and Robert - emigrated to Canada. Only James remained behind. He and his wife Mary had one daughter, Margaret (b. 1836), while they were at Tonyglaskan. They moved to nearby Edenagilhorn where Margaret died when only six. James died there in 1858.

William Thomas Moffit (1802-92) married Martha Faris (c. 1809-1885) from Drummackan. Their first three children Andrew (b. 1836), James (b. 1839) and Mary Jane (b. 1844) were born at Tonyglaskan. They emigrated to Canada in 1847 where they had two more children, Thomas (b. 1852) and Robert John (b. 1854). Mary Jane does not appear in any of their records in Canada. They died in Orillia, Ontario. Martha's brother John and his family were on the same ship. Her other brother Thomas followed in 1863, as did her niece (by Martha's other brother, James) and her husband, David Armstrong, miller at Drumcor for Galbraith Moffatt (1829-1913) in 1868. Several of John Faris's wife's family, the Rutledges, also emigrated to the same area of Ontario.

 

 

John (1805-c. 1861) married Catherine Thompson of Killaculla, but later he turned up alone to live with his brother Andrew in Ontario. Robert (dates unknown) married Jane Kidney of Lisnabane (father John and Ann) in 1845, while Andrew (1800-83) married Jane's sister Sarah Kidney (1823-1905) in 1850. Andrew and Sarah had one child, Robert (b. 1851) before emigrating to Moore township, Lambton Co., Ontario, followed by three more there: Annie Agnes (b. 1854), William (b. 1857) and Sarah Jane (b. 1865). Robert and Jane had one child at Tonyglaskan (Andrew, b. 1846), but Jane appears on her own later in Mulmur, Simcoe Co., Ontario, where she married again in 1865 but soon separated. Ann,

Robert and William Kidney also moved to Simcoe Co., Ontario. Margaret (1834-1842) died at Tonyglaskan, but it is unclear who her parents were.

Back at Drumcor (and Tonyglaskan Phase 2)

Galbraith Moffatt (d. 1847) was clearly in charge of the mill at Drumcor in 1835. By the time of Griffith's Valuation, Andrew Moffett (1798-1895) had the house, office, 23 acres of land, corn mill and kiln, as well as 6 acres adjacent to his Drumcor block, in Camgart townland. The leat (or race) from Drumcor lake to the mill is shown in the Ordnance Survey map of c. 1840. The Ordnance Survey Memoirs in 1834-5 stated: 'Drumcur mill, breast wheel 14 feet by 2, charge one fortieth.'

There is no record of Andrew's birth and, as stated previously, Andrew was not a name previously used in the Clabby Moffatt line. There are no obvious candidates from other townlands. The other possibility is that he was Galbraith's former servant (see Camgart Phase 2). Andrew was married to a Mary (1811-71); they remained at Drumcor until their deaths. There is a record of a marriage between an Andrew Moffatt and a Mary Moffat in 1826, but no addresses given; if this was them, then Mary would have been only around 15 or 16, though her age at death may have been inaccurate (if born in 1811, she was too old to have been a legitimate daughter of James and Mary Jane of Clabby who married in 1812).

Andrew and Mary's only recorded child was Galbraith (1829-1913). He married Jane Bamford (1829-1912) of Creevehill in 1852 (the spelling of her name is inconsistent; sometimes Banford). They had two children at Drumcor - William (b. 1853; later emigrated to Massachusetts) and Margaret (b. 1854; married James Bamford and died at Crievehill) - before moving to Tonyglaskan - which was presumably now empty. They then had a further 11 children: James (b. 1855; remained at Tonyglaskan), Andrew (b. 1857; later emigrated to Massachusetts), Mary (b. 1858; emigrated to Nova Scotia), Galbraith (b. 1860; died in Hong Kong), Robert (b. 1861; moved to Moy, County Tyrone), Thomas (b. 1863; became a police inspector, died at Drumcor), Elizabeth Jane (b. 1865), Edward (b. 1866; he was living at Drumcor in 1901; Galbraith's 1912 will says he went to Glasgow, but he died in Canada), George John (b. 1868), Isabella (b. 1870) and George Henry (b. 1872; moved to Newtownbutler).

Around the time of Andrew's death, Galbraith and Jane moved back to Drumcor, where they lived until their deaths. In 1901, their house consisted of 10-12 rooms with two front windows; by 1911, it had expanded to more than 13 rooms and four front windows. There was also a stable, cow house, calf house, piggery, fowl house, barn and two sheds. Only two of their sons, Thomas and Edward, were living with them in 1901, but by the 1911 census the home also accommodated George Henry, his wife Isabella and their seven of their children. Galbraith and Jane were dead by 1913; in his will, Galbraith left Drumcor to Edward, who probably did not live to take up occupancy. Drumcor was purchased by Andrew Savage soon after.

Galbraith's son, James Moffatt, remained at Tonyglaskan and brought up his family there. He married Isabella Gourley of Creeve in 1876. In 1901 there were only 5-6 rooms (and 7-9 by 1911), yet they had 13 children between 1877 and 1894; the house had three front windows. In 1901 there was a stable, cow house, piggery, barn and shed; ten years later there was also a calf house, fowl house and turf house.

Their children were: Irvine Galbraith (b. 1877; later emigrated to the US); William James (b. 1878), Mary Emily (b. 1879), Margaret Elizabeth (b. 1881; she married William Hetherington whose family still live locally. William's mother was Catherine Moffatt (b. 1843 in Makenny, one of the Ballinamallard group of Moffatts), Thomas Andrew (b. 1882), Robert John (b. 1883), Frederick (b. 1885), Isabella (b. 1886, emigrated to the US), Louisa Jane (b. 1887), Alfred (b. 1889, emigrated to the US), George (b. 1890; died in Flanders 1916), Annie (b. 1892) and Eva (b. 1894). According to trees on Ancestry, Isabella died in 1917 and James in 1931. Sometime between 1915 and 1929 Tonyglaskan was taken over by James Bradon (presumably Breadon, whom Eva Moffatt married in 1921). Eva was the last of the family to live there; she died in 1960.

Outliers

There were other Moffatts who lived in the area during this period, but they are hard to tie to any particular family covered in my research. The most interesting is the family of Rebecca (nee Hackett) and Galbraith (or Gilbert) Moffett, who lived at Mullaghsillogagh, just outside Clabby. Apparently he had been in the army, but his origin is unknown; he had a brother Samuel. They had three children: Annie, William (b. 1845; later bought a farm at Beagh, County Tyrone, near Fivemiletown, and his family still farm there) and Samuel (b. 1848). There is no death record for Galbraith (who also used the name Gilbert). By about 1862, Rebecca and Samuel had moved to Mullyknock (living in separate houses); he stayed until between 1882 and 1887, whereas she moved to Ratoran until a similar time. It is intriguing that this would be another Galbraith and that Rebecca moved to a townland that previously supported Moffatts (Topped Mountain = Mullyknock) and then to one where Galbraith of Clabby had lived (Ratoran). But this seems to be coincidence.

Lewis Moffitt paid tithes at Knocknastachan in 1832 and was still present there at the time of Griffith's Valuation (21 acres). He was married to Mary Drummond of Lismore, County Tyrone; his daughter Elizabeth married George Brunt of Drumash in 1861. An Andrew Moffatt and his wife Lucinda had a son William in 1865 at Moysnacht. A Mary Moffatt of Drummalia died in 1846 (b. 1770). At the time of Griffith's Valuation, there were Moffatt/ett families at Slatbeg, Relessy, Fardoss Mountain - to the south-east of Fivemiletown - and Rehack Glebe, all in County Tyrone.