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Johnston Moreton, "man of property"

LeitrimKiltubbrid (Leitrim)

I have just added my 4th g-grandfather, Johnston Moreton of Liscarban, to the "ancestors" database and am wondering if any traces of him remain. Do civil records or COI records exist for this parish? I have a note... somewhere... that he never married and that the two daughters I know of (one of whom, Anne, was my 3rd g-grandmother) were illegitimate, although acknowledged by him. Not sure if that's really true, since they were given large dowries and married "gentlemen". He died in Liscarban/Liscarbin in 1805 and must have been born sometime in the first half ot the 18th century. I have no birth record or marriage record for either himself or his daughter Anne, who married Lewis Hawkes Morton, Esq. in the late 1780s. Many thanks for any insights you can offer!

DianeFarr

4 replies

Diane:

Full civil registration started in Ireland in 1864 although non-Catholic marriages were registered starting 1845.

The earlier Church of Ireland records for Kiltubbrid parish were destroyed in the 1922 Public Records Office fire in Dublin. The earliest records available start in 1884.

I checked the 1833 Tithe listings for Kiltubbrid parish and located a James Moreton. The townland spelling does not exactly match up with current spellings but it could be Drumadykey. The James Moreton listed did not lease a large holding a little over 4 acres but there appears to have been a mill on the holding. The 1857 Griffiths Valuation listing for Kiltubbrid parish did not show a Moreton or Morton.

http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/reels/tab//004625896/00…

Roger McDonnell

Castlemore RoscommonIrelandXO Volunteer

The Hibernian Journal or Chronicle of Liberty dated 25.10.1784 has a report on a meeting in Leitrim regarding electoral reform which mentions Johnston Moreton.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you so much! This must be the "National Convention" he was chosen to attend ... I have a newspaper record of his selection for the delegation the previous summer. Most of the delegates had "Johnston" in their name. Are you thinking that "John Morton" in the clipping you attached is Johnston Moreton? The print is hard to read. It seems that the Convention's notion of electoral reform was blatantly anti-Catholic, but without knowing how bad it may have been before the Convention, it's hard to judge. The stated aim of the reform was to more equally represent the people, but the vote seems to be reserved only to rich Protestants. Since it mentions residence, perhaps the nature of the reform was to prevent absentee landlords from voting? I am charmed by the exclusion of "potwollopers" and am off to Google to determine what they may be.

I have been reliant on newspaper records to determine marriages, births and deaths for this branch of my family... it puzzles me that I can find no marriage notice for Anne Moreton to Lewis Hawkes Morton, but so far I have had no luck.

Thank you for the information on James! Very helpful.

gratefully,

Diane

DianeFarr

Can't edit my previous post -- I see that "John Morton" is from Wexford and that you intended to draw my attention to the bottom snippet regarding Johnston Moreton of Leitrim, not the article signed by John Morton. It seems, however, that the Convention and the electoral reforms are the subject of both articles. The delegation from Leitrim appears to have a different notion of "reform" than John Morton's, since they express (in advance of the meeting) an interest in emancipating their country from "the odious shackles of an all-gripping oligarchy." Fascinating! I hope this may be evidence of my ancestor's interest in real reform, despite his obvious personal wealth.

DianeFarr

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