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Maguires from Enniskillen

FermanaghEnniskillen (Fermanagh)

I am trying to trace further back through the Maguire family than what I currently know and also the whereabouts of the Maguire's property in Enniskillen.

I have a family photo that talks of Thomas Maguireat "The Orchard" who kept bees. Thomas is my 2nd Great Uncle and was born 2nd December, 1870 and died about 1950 to 1954 he never married or had children from the family information I have.

Thomas is my Great Grandmother Margaret Maguire'sb1867 brother and I believe this was the family property where she grew up. Margaret married my grandfather Charles Joseph Cosgrove in the Roman Catholic Chapel at Enniskillen on 7th November, 1887. They moved away to county Down after their marriage as Charles was in the Royal Irish Constabulary and they weren't allowed to serve where they had family ties.

Margaret and Thomas had another brother Patrick Ignatius Maguire b1860 who seems to have moved away to Maidstone in Kent, England then back to Ireland but to Belfast.There was also a sister Teresa b1867 died about 1952 but I don't have much information on her, but from the census she may have lived with Thomas until her death at the family property. Their parents were William Maguire b1819 and Susan Maguire (nee Gilgun) b1832 and they appear to have farmed the same property.

I have looked at the census for 1901 and 1911 where Susan, Thomas and Teresa where still living together and farming at house 2 and then 5 respectively at Drumlyon, Enniskillen Rural, Fermanagh. I would love to know the true address of this property and if it is still there today.

Thankyou.

scos@bigpond.net.au

2 replies

Cossie,

Some probate abstracts taken from the PRONI wills site. Susan & William’s wills are on-line, for Thomas’s you would need to get a copy from PRONI in Belfast.

Administration (with the Will) of the personal estate of William Maguire late of Drumlyon County Fermanagh Farmer who died 31 January 1889 granted at Armagh to Susan Maguire of Drumlyon Widow the Universal Legatee

The above will mentions a daughter Ann Maguire, who was still single and at home in May 1885.

Probate of the Will of Susan Maguire late of Drumlyon County Fermanagh Widow who died 17 December 1914 granted at Armagh to Thomas Maguire Farmer

Maguire Thomas of Drumlyon county Fermanagh gardener died 12 April 1954 Probate Belfast 11 May to Thomas Vincent Maguire gardener. Effects £1100 13s. 8d.

In rural areas, the numbers in the 1901 & 1911 censuses were the enumerators private numbering system and did not indicate any actual house number (and they varied from census to census). Your townland alone was sufficient to get a letter delivered or identify you, and rural houses didn’t have numbers then. Griffiths Valuation for 1862 lists William Maguire on plot 8 in Drumlyon which at that time was 4 acres, described as house, offices (ie outbuildings), land and an orchard. The Valuation Revision records list Susan on that same property until her death in 1914 when Thomas takes over. By then it was just 2 acres, though there was another Maguire property nearby on plot 10 which was another 4 acres, at one time in the name of Richard Maguire. Don’t know if there is any connection.

The Griffiths maps can show a modern map and from that I can see that the area has been developed. What was the Maguire farm/orchard is now in a sort of triangle formed by the Lough Shore Rd, River Lane and The Limes.  The Limes looks to be a new housing estate, so I suspect there’s been a fair bit of change since the 1950s. You can use Google Earth to check.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/searching-valuation-revision-books

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch

Drumlyon is indexed incorrectly in Griffiths as Drunlyon.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thanks so much Elwyn that has been a great help.

Sharon

scos@bigpond.net.au

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