1834 July 2^nd.[1] Will of Margaret JACKSON

 

SOURCE: 1WR/1834/F/497 National Archives, Dublin

Will of Margaret JACKSON[2] dated June 10^th, 1834.

Executors James Jackson[3]; James Alexander[4], Representatives of George Bartley[5].

 

£1000 charged upon [?] property	To pay with as little delay as possible to John Hatchett[6] Esq. the treasurer appointed by the building committee of the new Church situate in the town of Monaghan/ as and for testatrix subscription and layout and expand same on finishing[7].   If there be any surplus in consequence of further subscriptions said surplus in trust to Rector. And church wardens of Monaghan to apply same in any charitable purpose they may deem most expedient connected with said parish of Monaghan.
And the unity of 50 pounds  each [?] [?]} [?] only so far as [?] shall come out of [?] property
I release all claims and demands testatrix may have on account of three bonds and a promissory note paper to her husband.	In the death of either Annuity. [?] of the one dying.
4. £500 pounds 5. £100 pounds 6. An annuity of £50 pounds 7. An annuity of £50 pounds	Charged on real and [?] property} libel only so far as the same shall come out of the [?] [?]

 

NOTE: When I encountered this document several years ago, I didn’t take the time to photocopy the next 3pp. I doubted that such a wealthy woman would have any connection to the family story that I was building about the JACKSONs from Urker near Crossmaglen.

 

Wrong! Thanks to a scrap of paper in PRONI D/991/5/7, I now see where she fits into a branch of our story. It turns out that this Margaret JACKSON was the widow of a successful leather merchant, Richard JACKSON. His will was dated 30 April 1831. The other scraps of their story are as follows:

 

1.           Amongst the many tablets in the Monaghan parish church this day, a very handsome marble slab 
reads: " Sacred to the memory of Richard and Margaret Jackson," then describing his many 
benevolent acts, and his having given a large donation toward the erection of this church[8]. 

2.           AMONGST the inhabitants who did not emigrate was a Mr. Richard Jackson, a leather merchant, 
who by industry, frugality and honourable business principles amassed a small fortune. Mr. Jackson 
was a prominent member of the small body of Methodists in the town, and gave liberally to every 
charitable institution, as well as to the support of the Church of his choice, and, like the good 
centurion, "he built them a synagogue," and presented it to the Conference. Nor did he stop here, 
but proceeded to erect for himself "a monument more lasting than brass," in the purchase of a plot 
of ground on which he built three substantial buildings, forming three sides of a square. The centre 
building was planned as a day-school for sixty boys, the right wing for forty girls, and the left a 
home for six poor widows of the Methodist Church, " ?ll reported." Canada may proudly boast of 
her excellent free school system, but Mr. Jackson was half a century ahead in this respect. The 
schools were not confined to Methodists, as persons of other denominations took advantage of the 
donor's liberality, and sent their children where they were sure to receive a moral and religious 
training. In the selection of teachers Mr. Jackson required that they should be members of the church,
 "apt to teach," and class leaders.  [9]

3. This information from E.M. Morphy fits with an official report [10]. The late Richard Jackson Esq. who died in 1831 supported a charity in his will for a boys and girls school. After his death, the management of the charity was taken over by his wife and after her death it was entrusted to the minister and church wardens of the Methodist parish. Unfortunately the leases on lands that were to produce £84.7.3 were not producing that much at the time of his death. At the time of the report (1858), it was even worse. The leases had expired and the executors maintained that they were not required to pay the deficiency anymore. Legal proceedings were threatened by the school master, to see whether the executors’ actions were legal, and in the meantime his salary was reduced as were all other payments on account of the charity. One of the other problems found at the time of the report concerned the quality of the teachers. They had to belong to a congregation which was very limited in number, and also the trustees didn't feel that they had the power to dismiss someone who was unfit. Unfortunately, the present master was judged to be unfit - at least by the inspectors of the day. It was a small school. Out of the 87 male students ostensibly on the rolls, 37 were in attendance. The girls fared better – 16/16 were in attendance. Both boys and girls were day pupils and all attended free of charge. Of the boys, 50 belonged to the United Church [?], 36 were Protestant dissenters, and one a Roman Catholic. The girls were all members of the United Church. It seemed that the students were promoted regardless of ability and the assistant Commissioner found them to be generally quite ignorant of every department of study, even of the more elementary branches of English education. Apparently the principal object of the school was the diffusion of scriptural instruction. The master admitted that he warned the pupils to attend when an inspection was going to happen and that he himself received advance warning as to when the inspector’s visit would take place. In short, the school was not a roaring success, but understandably so.
4. Another version from Dennis Carolyn Roche[11] : The old Methodist preaching house in Dawson Street at the rear of the present minister’s residence, was built in the beginning of the century, and the present preaching house was built in Dawson Street about the year 1861. The other little preaching house in Market Street was built under the following peculiar circumstances. The late Mr. Richard Jackson, who amassed considerable wealth in the leather cutting trade, was very charitable to the different Protestant sects, and dropped his reservations about building a handsome church on the [? – tear in page] of backstreet now Market Street, which came to the ear of a rather clever townsmen, who forthwith [? – tear in page] to Mr. Jackson asked a lease. Jackson replied that he intended keeping it for the purpose of building a house of worship on it: to which the other replied, if you will give it to me, I'll build a house to the honour and glory of God that will be a credit to Monaghan. Then Jackson gave a lease, I went away for a change of air during the summer months. On his return he went to see the result of his generosity, and saw the fine drapery establishment, at present owned by Mr. James Mitchell. When he met the then occupier and recipient of his favours in the street, he asked him “where is the house to the ‘Honour and glory of God’ you promised to build?” “Oh here it is here”, said he, pointing to a little preaching house at the end of Mr. Mitchell's. Jackson merely said, “I did not think you’d deceive me by leaving only a hole in the wall”. Jackson went home and altered  his will, and struck out a large legacy which he had left to the builder of the ‘Honour and Glory of God.
5. I suspect the husband of Elizabeth was the same Richard JACKSON who was the High Sheriff of Monaghan and who lived at Laurel Lodge[12] in 1826. According to Pigots, he endowed a school in 1808. His wife, who survived him, left £1,000 to put a steeple on St. Patrick’s Church (C.of I.)[13]
6. Given his trade, this Richard JACKSON is most unlikely to be related closely to the JACKSONs of Coleraine and more likely related to the JACKSONs of Drogheda. In casting about for a potential ancestor for him, I find it interesting that a Richard JACKSON who lived in Drogheda in the late 1600s, early 1700s was also a Sherriff and as well was also a merchant who dealt with hides (amongst other things). NOTE: I am working on a page on the possible links of the Drogheda JACKSONs to the JACKSONs of Urker, Crossmaglen.
7. Pertinent bits from Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland include:

 

Monaghan ... The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Clogher, and in the patronage of the Bishop : the tithes amount to £553. 16s. 11d. The glebe-house is a neat thatched residence, and the glebe comprises 38 statute acres, valued at £114 per annum. The church, a very handsome structure, in the later English style of architecture, with a tower and spire, was erected on the site of the former edifice in 1836, at an expense of £5330, of which £100 was a legacy, with interest, bequeathed by the late Dowager Lady Rossmore ; £1000, a bequest of Mrs. Jackson ; £2000, a loan from the late Board of first Fruits, the remainder being raised by subscription. The interior contains some handsome monuments and tablets of white marble, to the late rector, the Rev. Mr. Montgomery, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, the families of Lucas and Cole, and the lady of Col. Westenra.

 

... a free school for boys was founded by R. Jackson, Esq., who endowed it with £22. 10s., per annum and a house rent-free; a. female sewing school is also supported by the same gentleman, who endowed it with a house rent-free and a salary of £16 for the mistress ;.

 

... An almshouse for six poor widows was founded by the late Richard Jackson, Esq., who endowed it with £25. 19s., per annum, charged on lands in the parish.

 

8. In PRONI D991 there were several scraps of paper that had been thrown into a box by some well meaning family member collecting material on various related families, but the following bits lack context, so I don’t know what to make of many of them:

 

D991/5/1/3: D991 Estate papers, correspondence, photographs of the Boer War, and genealogical papers of the Bartley, Thompson, McKean, Gardiner and Jackson families. (200 documents)

James JACKSON of Clonco[rn][14] had two sisters Miss Peggy John JOHNSTON of D[__in?] street Monaghan

 

Mrs Jane HARDY mother of Margaret HARDY aunts of Mrs. Dr. REYNOLDS Mrs HARDY had three daughters

Mary Anne = Richard JACKSON

John William Richard Christopher

James Jane Anne Johnston

Mary Kidd Kent

Ellen

Margaret Reynolds

Lizzie Proctor

Eliza & Margaret HARDY

 

MR JACKSON brothers: James John Peggy Jane

Brother Richard JACKSON son Dick of Annaglough

Mary Anne HARDY = Richard JACKSON Slacksgrove [?][15]

 

D991/5/7

Richard JACKSON will dated 30 April 1831

Robert 22 March 1834

Anne JACKSON died 27 April 1839

Richard JACKSON died 22 Jan 1834

Mrs. JACKSON died 2 July 1834

UPDATE: [From H.B. SWANZY, Esq., Newry, 1896.]

This monumental tomb

was erected by MR. JAMES SWANZY, of the city

of London, in memory of his family.

Here lies the body of HENRY SWANZY, Great

Grandfather of the said JAMES SWANZY, who

departed this life, August 7, 1742, aged 76 years.

Here also lies the body of ELIZABETH SWANZY

wife of the aforesaid HENRY, who departed

this life November 14, 1744, aged 33 years.

Here also lies the body of JAMES SWANZY

grandfather the aforesaid JAMES SWANZY

the departed this life June 18, 1784.

Aged 74 years. Here also lies the body of HENRY SWANZY

father the aforesaid JAMES, who departed

this life, March 26, 1792, aged 48 years.

Here also lies the body of ELIZABETH IRWIN

who departed this life January 7, 1808

aged 75 years.

Also the remains of ANNE SWANZY, who departed

this life 4 February, 1822, aged 82 years

mother of the aforesaid JAMES SWANZY who

died at Cape Coast Castle, on the coast of Africa

the 23rd of  Febry, 1823, aged 57 years.

Also the remains of RICHARD JACKSON, Esq.

of Monaghan, son-in-law of the aforesaid ELIZABETH

IRWIN, who died on 22 January 1834, aged 67 years.

Here likewise are deposited the remains of THOMAS

BIDDALL SWANZY, who departed this life the 31st

of January, 1836, aged 39 years.

Most of the inscriptions in Clontibret churchyard are given in Shirley's history of County Monaghan. The above, however, is omitted. There is a much older stone, now much defaced, for which the earlier names and dates were evidently copied on the latter monument, which must have been erected about 1818.

 

From all of the above and a few other sources, I have taken a stab at a stub of a family tree. How they fit into other JACKSON family trees from that time and place, I have no idea.

 

Descendants of Richard Jackson of Monaghan (his father was Joseph JACKSON)

 

1 Richard Jackson b abt 1769 d: 1831

.. +Margaret Irwin d: 02 Jul 1834

........ 2 William Jackson

................... 3 James Jackson

....................... +Mary Kydd  (NOTE: She is part of the KIDD family of Racarby & Tassagh, Parish of Keady, Co. Armagh – a family connected to linen).

............................. 4 Anne Jackson b: 21 Jan 1799 in Clones, Co. Monaghan d: 07 Apr 1829

................................. +Robert McKean b: 1789 in of Armagh d: 1837 m: 1819

........................................ 5 William McKean b: 24 Jan 1822 in Ireland d: 24 Aug 1906 in Millmount Keady, Armagh, Ireland

............................................ +Mary Anne Jane Bartley b: 31 Dec 1815 d: 12 Apr 1886 in Millmount, Keady, Armagh, Ireland m: 1844

 

 

Other possible connections include:

Memorial of the Dead, Volume 3 dated 1896/7 (2nd Volume) Page 328, Clontibret, County Monaghan. Gravestone Inscriptions relating to the Irwin/Swanzy Families (details not noted). In the same grave -...also Richard Jackson, Esq. Monaghan son of the above named Elizabeth Irwin. She died 7 January 1808 age 75. He died 22 January 1836 age 67...).

 

 

 

[2] Margaret JACKSON – I believe was born Margaret IRWIN. Her mother was a SWANZY. See also http://www.thesilverbowl.com/documents/TABLES/JACKSONs-Gravemarkers.html 
I have their connections back to SWANZY and SEAVERs in my family tree at .Rootsweb. SOURCE: The Families: French Of Belturbet and Nixon Of Fermanagh
 and their Descendants. The Rev. Henry Biddall Swanzy, M.A. Printed For Private Circulation. 1908. Dublin : Printed By Alex. Thom & Co. Limited. 
http://www.archive.org/stream/familiesoffrench00swan/familiesoffrench00swan_djvu.txt