Cemetery: Ballymore- Tandragee Churchyard

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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Armagh Index
Copyright

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Contributed by C.Hunt

CEMETERY: BALLYMORE- TANDRAGEE CHURCHYARD

"TANDRAGEE Church, or, as it was formerly called,
TAWNATELEE, or Mounterkenny, was built by Sir Oliver ST.
JOHN [afterwards Lord Grandison], in 1622. Tandragee, up to
this date, was the seat of the famous Irish chieftain,
REDMOND O'HANLON. The church was originally built with walls
4 ft. thick, and mounted with cannon. It was burnt down by
the rebels in 1671, and rebuilt by Captain HENRY ST. JOHN,
in 1671. He was murdered by the O'HANLON tribe the following
year."

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The following is a list of the rectors:_-

1622. NATHANIAL DRAYTON.
1666. CLADIUS GILBERT.
1668. RODGER JONES (sic).
1677. LAURENCE POWER, M.A.
1696. CHRISTOPHER SHEARES, B.A.
1704. WILLIAM MAJOR, M.A.
1725. THOMAS BLENNERHESSATT, M.A.
1732. CALEB DE BUTTS, LL.D. *"
1733. WILLIAM GODLEY, M.A.
1740. BARCLAY COPE, M.A.
1757. ALEXANDER BISSETT, D.D.
1759. HENRY LESLIE, D.D.
1803. THOMAS CARTER, M.A., who
      became Dean of Tuam in 1813.
1849. MORTIMER O'SULLIVAN, D.D.,
      the famous preacher and orator.
1859. ARTHUR MOLONV, M.A.
1886. WILLIAM M'ENDOO, B.D.
_____

"A curious epitaph is on a headstone of very plain
structure, the size of which is about 3 feet square. It is
evidently very old, but has no date.

It is as follows :-

" Here lyeth JOHN, ELIZABETH, and MARY, son and daughters
to DAVID WHALLEY."

"As you are now
So oust were we ,
As we are now
So shall you be."

_____

" The following is the oldest epitaph in this churchyard "
:-

"Here lyeth the body of NICHOLAS MARKS who departed
this life 1675, also his daughter who died 1721."

"Another headstone reads thus" :-

" Here lieth the body of JOHN WHITTEN of Tandragee who
departed this life Nov. 1774, also his son JOHN WHITTEN
who died Oct. 24, 1751."

"Amidst the patriot band for many a year
He shone in arms a graceful Volunteer,
Amidst the numerous candidates of grace
In glorious hope, he ran the Christian race
By faith sustained, in humble life he moved
A useful member, and by all beloved,
Then to his Saviour, yielded up his breath
Thro' grace triumphant, over sin and death."

                       [From the Rev. W. M'Endoo.]

Lewis, writing in 1837, says :- 'The church is a spacious
and handsome structure, in the early-English style, with an
embattled tower crowned with pinnacles, and was erected in
1812, at an expense of

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£2,200, of which £1,500 was a loan from the late 'Board of
First Fruits,' and £700 from Lady MANDEVILLE. The glebe
comprises 520 acres [!!]. There are three R.C. chapels in
the union.

'There are some slight remains of the ancient church, where
are two extensive cemeteries nearly adjoining each other, in
one of which "the noted REDMUND O'HANLON, the Irish
Rapparee,"is interred.'