Cemetery: Bona-Margy - MAC DONNELL VAULT - with MACNAGHTEN

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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Antrim Index
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Contributed by C.Hunt & M. Taylor

CEMETERY: BONA-MARGY - MAC DONNELL VAULT - WITH MACNAGHTEN

[405]   REPORTS FROM COUNTIES - COUNTY ANTRIM
[From Colonel Vigor's Notes]

BONAMARGY or BUNNA MAIRGE - [the Mouth of the Margy River]

Sir Randall MacDONNELL was buried at Bonamargy, but the Rev.
George HILL says there is not a trace to be found of his
leaden coffin in the vault he had built for himself. On the
east gable is a tablet with this inscription: -

“IN DEI MATRISQVE VIRGINIS | HONOREM |   NOBILISSIMUS ET
ILLUSTRISSIMUS |   RANDULPHUS McDONNELL | COMES DE   ANTRIM
| HOC SACELLUM FIERI CURAVIT   ANNO DOM 1621"

LEWIS'S description of this place is as follows: -

"It was a religious house founded in 1509 by Charles
McDONNELL for Monks of the Franscican Order and one of the
latest of these establishments which were  founded in
Ireland; the remains of the chapel are the most perfect.
This is the burial-place of the ANTRIM family, who have put
a new roof on a small oratory erected over the ashes of
their ancestors: over the window of which is a Latin
inscription scarcely legible, importing that it was built in
1621 by Randolph McDONNELL, Earl of Antrim"

The following quotation relating to Bonamargy is taken from
MASON'S "Parochial Survey":-

'Amongst the ruins of the old abbey at Bona-Margy, near
Ballycastle is a small oratory or chapel which was built in
the beginning of the 17th century by the first Earl of
Antrim and which as the vault underneath it was used for
many years as a burial place for the Antrim family has been
re-roofed within a comparatively recent period,

On the eastern gable of this chapel over the window is a
Latin inscription in Roman characters recording the name of
its founder and the date of its erection.  This inscription
from exposure to the weather is now almost entirely
illegible and carious versions of its legend have been
printed.

But we believe that originally it ran as thus: -

[406]  "IN DEI DEIPARAEQUE VIRGINIS HONOREM, NOBILISSIMUS
ATQUE ILLUSTRISSIMUS RANDOLPHUS MAC DONNELL, COMES DE ANTRIM
HOC SACELLUM FIERI CURAVIT AN. DOM. 1621"

'There is every reason to believe that in the dark chamber
or vault underneath this mortuary chapel were laid the
mortal remains of its founder the first Earl of Antrim, and
also perhaps of his father, the famous SORLEY-BOY who died
in the year 1590 in his castle of Dunnywyeny   which is in
the immediate neighbourhood on Bona-Margy.

In neither case however is there to be found within the
vault a vestige  of a coffin bearing any inscription to the
effect or which can be identified as the coffin either of
the SORLEY-BOY or his son.

The actually existing coffins, seven in number, are laid
upon a deep stone shelf or ledge which occupies one side of
the vault; of these two coffins which are made of wood in
duplicate, have at present no lids or covers of any kind and
consequently exhibit no inscriptions.   But they do exhibit
to public view the skulls and other bones, mostly of a black
colour, of their former occupants, who may or may not have
been SORLEY-BOY and his fortunate son, the first Earl of
Antrim.

The other five coffins may still be identified as follows,
taking them in the order of their position on the stone
ledge, which, it will be observed is not the order of their
ages'

'Farthest from the door of the vault and next to the
opposite wall is the coffin of the second Earl and first
Marquis of Antrim, who was the son of the founder of the
chapel. This coffin is of lead and has not at present any
outer wooden covering, although it is doubtless it was
originally thus furnished.

On the breast plate are three inscriptions in three several
languages -  Irish. English and Latin. The Irish
inscription, which is uppermost, is the effect that, as
hitherto, calamities had happened to Ireland every seventh
year, they would now, in consequence of the death of the
Marquis of Antrim, happen every year.

The English inscription is as follows:-

"THE MOST HONOURABLE RANDLE. LORD MARQUIS OF ANTRIN, BORN
THE 9TH DAY OF JUNE IN THE YEAR OF GOD 1610; DIED THE 3RD
DAY OF FEBUARY 1682"

The Latin inscription which has evidently been renewed by a
modern hand, now reads thus: -

"INVICTUS PATRIE, CAROLI, RANDELLE, DEIQUE, HOC PLUMBO
RESIDES AUREUS IPSE PUGIL. COJUS IN ADVERSA BELLORUM SORTE
REBELLES FLECTERE VEL FINIRE NON POTUERE FIDEM"

[407]Of which the following is a translation:-

"O Randall, unconquered friend of country, of Charles and of
God; thou now liest in this lead; thyself a golden warrior
whose fidelity in the adverse lot of battles rebels were not
able either to bend or end."

'Next to the above described coffin of the first Marquis of
Antrim and near to the entrance door of the vault is the
leaden coffin, covered with wood, of the second Marquis, who
was the sixth Earl of Antrim, bearing the following
inscription: -

"The Most Noble Randle William MacDONNELL, Marquis of
Antrim, Earl of Antrim, Viscount Dunluce of the Glens, and
Baron of Antrim: Governor of the County of Antrim, Knight of
the Most Noble Military Order of the Bath, and one of His
Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. His Lordship was
born the 4th November 1749 and departed this life the 28th
July, 1791"

'Beside the coffin of the second Marquis of Antrim and still
nearer to the entrance door of the vault, is the coffin of
Alexander, the fifth Earl of Antrim, which also is of lead
covered with wood and exhibits a very brief inscription as
follows':-

"The Right Honourable ALEXANDER, Earl of Antrim, died Oct.
13, 1775" 'Immediately adjoining the above is another lead
coffin enclosed in wood, with the following words engraved
on the inner coffin':"ANNE, Countess of Antrim, died the
14th day of January 1755, aged 37 years."

'This young lady was the second wife of the fifth Earl of
Antrim (who was three times married) and by him was mother
of the second Marquis. Her maiden name had been Anne
PLUNKETT, OF Dillonstown, County Louth. She died at
Glenarm.'

'Last on the stone shelf and nearest to the entrance door of
the vault is the coffin of Hugh SEYMOUR, seventh Earl of
Antrim who died in 1855, and whom many of our readers must
remember. This coffin is the latest which has been put into
the vault. It still has its outside covering of crimson
velvet in tolerable preservation, with coronet on coffin lid
and presents the following inscription :-

"Hugh Seymour MacDONNELL, 7th Earl of Antrim and Viscount
Dunluce, son of Vice-Admiral Lord Mark Robert Kerr, son of
William fifth Marquis of Lothian and of Charlotte, in her
own right 2nd Countess of Antrim and Viscountess Dunluce,
3rd daughter of Randle William, 6th Earl and 2nd Marquis of
Antrim, born 7th August 1812; died 18th July A.D. 1855 in
the 43rd year of his age."

[408]

'In addition to the above coffins, properly so called, there
is in the corner of the vault, furthest from the entrance, a
small square wooden box, with a leaden box inside, which is
said to contains the remains of a person called Ben BURTON,
who having been originally a domestic servant in the Antrim
family, afterwards became a rich banker in Dublin and asked
and obtained permission to be buried in this family vault.
But the truth of this tradition, with respect to the
contents of this box, is not universally admitted and is at
least questionable.'

'Above the vault whose contents we have now described is an
upper chamber which was the original chapel or oratory, but
is now completely empty. Outside of this oratory and in the
southern inside wall of the larger chapel of the abbey is
inserted a stone with the following inscription:-

"HERE LYETH THE BODY OF JOHN MAC NAGHTEN, THE FIRST
[SECRETAIRE TO RANDALL] FIRST EARL OF ANTRIM WHO DEPARTED
THIS M[ORTALITIE IN THE YEAR] OF OUR LORD GOD 1630"

'Beneath this tablet is another stone partly sunk in the
ground bearing an inscription, the upper line of which alone
is now visible, but even this is perfectly illegible.'
NOTED: N.B. This last inscription is not strictly correct in
one or two words and those within brackets are now gone (see
drawing)

The drawing on the opposite page (from a photograph kindly
sent us by Mr. WALSH of Belfast)represents the above
monument and inscription and the very disgraceful state in
which they and the building containing them are allowed to
remain. Surely some of the MACNAGHTEN family willnot permit
this state of things to continue. Eds: The inscription to
John MACNAGHTEN, cousin of the first Earl of Antrim, is
given in a note topage 182 of Mr. HILL"S book. We insert
here what will be found to be a more correct copy of the
inscription than that above given by MASON, who omits the
cross at the left side and the stops between the words and
makes other mistakes, as already mentioned:-

[409]  "HEIRE LYETH THE BODIE OF IHN McNACHTEN FIR[ST
SECRETAIRE TO RANDALL] FIRST ERLE OF ANTRIM WHO DEPARTED
THIS M[ORTALITIE IN THE YEAR] OF OUR LORD GOD  1630.”  N.B.
- The words within brackets are as given by Mason. We
believe this John was "Shane du MacNAGHTEN" grandnephew to
Randal M'SORLEY MacDONNELL, first Earl of Antrim.

Let anyone look at the drawing at page 408 and read the
report of Mr. L.A. WALKINGTON in the Journal of the R.S.A.I.
for 1893 (3 Qr.) and the question will we think arise, In
whose custody is this fine old ruin? and secondly, Is the
owner and are the neighbours utterly lost to all sense of
decency and respect for the resting places of their dead?
What will strangers think of them, or of us as a nation, to
allow such a state of things to be in this so called
Christian and civilised land in the year 1893?

SOURCE: Journal of the Association for the Preservation of
the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland, 1894. FHL# 1279252