This document is based on "The History of the Parish of Creggan in the 17th and 18th Centuries". by Rev. L. P. Murray P.P. This history was published in the Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society in 1934. At the time of the census ten townlands of the Fews and Creggan Parish were in what is now County Louth.
In the preface to this article Fr. Murray states that the 1602 Census of the Fews had never been published. We believe that it has not been published since it appeared in Fr. Murray's history.
The Fews is a barony in South Armagh. Geographically, it roughly corresponds to Creggan parish. Turlagh MacHenry O'Neill was chief of the Fews at the time of the 1602 Census. Turlagh was half-brother to Hugh O'Neill, the Earl of Tyrone, by his mother. The Pale bordered the Fews to the south in Co. Louth. The English had already encroached on the portion of the Fews that extended into Louth. Hugh O'Neill was to the north and waging war against the English. Turlagh was trying to stay a middle course to keep from being overwhelmed by his stronger neighbors. Turlagh played both sides. He accepted money from the English and fought against them with Hugh. In 1602 Turlagh received an English pardon for his entire clan. This pardon was the reason for the 1602 census of the Fews, to identify the clansmen who were being pardoned. It is the earliest Irish census that is still in existence.
After 4 years of war, by the time of the census the clan is decimated. (Note: Fr. Murray says 4 years but the conflict is generally refered to as the Nine Years War.) Before the troubles started Turlagh MacHenry maintained 50 horsemen and 200 kerns. (Note: A kern is an Irish light infantry soldier.) This is documented by the English who are contributing to the maintenance of this force. When the census is taken the clan has only 20 horsemen and 21 kerns.
The census was compiled by the clan and the families are grouped together. Irish is very much the primary language of the clan. The inconsistent English spelling of family names is not an issue as the people are all primarily known by their Irish names. The census lists all the males of the clan who are capable of bearing arms and any females who were property owners "in their own right".
The occupation is given for all except a group of about 75 names/families. Fr. Murray dismisses this group as peasants or "mere tillers of the soil" and this portion of the list as "unordered". He excludes this group in his compilation of a summary list of families of the Fews.
My feeling is that this portion of the list is just as hierarchical as the rest of the list only a different criteria is being applied to determine the "order". I tend to think that property ownership is the measurement used to group this portion of the list. I think that those at the top are probably "land holders" and that they are followed by "house holders".
The continental fuedal system is never fully imported to Britain and even less so to Ireland. At this time the peasants were all free clansmen and there was peasant proprietorship of land. We know at least some of this group of clansmen were property owners because there are some women listed here.
Tenants in this society were not the "tenants-at-will" of the post-Cromwell Ireland. Some of them had extensive holdings of thousands of acres. Unfortunately the record of this census does not contain any information on property or where in the Fews these families dwelled.
Pardon To: |
---|
Tirlagh McHenry O Neale, chief of the Fues; |
Sara Ny Neale, his wife; |
Henry O Neale, Art O Neale [______________]; |
Henry O Neale ) |
Brian O Neale ) Sons of Donell McPhelim Roe; |
Neale O Neale ) |
Con O Neale ) |
Brian O Neale ) [__________________________]; |
Henry O Neale ) |
Patrick O Neale ) |
_____ O Neale McBrain Ballagh ) |
Con O Neale McPhelim ) Gentlemen of the Fues. |
Henry O Neale; ) |
Art O Neale; |
Breen O Neale; |
Phelim O Neale; |
Neale O Neale McCon; |
______ O Neale Mc[________];; |
Brian McEghir | husbandman |
Aghie McEhire | yeoman |
Patr. roe McEhire | yeoman |
Coolie O Quyn | husbandman |
Kaele O Quyn McEdm | horseman |
Hugh O Quyn | priest |
Edm [_______] O Quyn | |
Kaele McArt O Quyn | husbandman |
Patr. O Quyn | husbandman |
Doncho O Quyn | yeoman |
Patr. Gromy O Quyn | husbandman |
Hugh O Quyn | yeoman |
Patr. O Quyn | yeoman |
Kale O Quyn | yeoman |
Glassney McShane | horseman |
One McShane | horseman |
He[_________] | yeoman |
Phelim McShane | horseman |
Neale McShane | yeoman |
Art McShane McOne | husbandman |
James McShane McOne | horseman |
Rorie McShane | horseman |
Art McTohile roe McShane | husbandman |
Brian Art McTorilagh McShane | husbandman |
Brian oge McShane | husbandman |
[_________]Shane | horseman |
Rorie McShane | [_________] |
Torylagh McShane | yeoman |
Kahere McShane | horseman |
Henry McShane | yeoman |
Henry Rawane McShane | husbandman |
Glessny McShane | yeoman |
Patr. McShane | husbandman |
John Shenle | horseman |
Patr. [________] | [_________] |
Feriagh McCardle | husbandman |
Patr. McCoolie carragh McCardle | horseman |
Coolie Carragh McPhillip Duffe | husbandman |
One McCardle | horseman |
Patr. Ballagh McCardle | yeoman |
Phillip McCardle | husbandman |
Conoghe McCardle | horseman |
Donaghe oge McCardle | horseman |
Feragh McCardle | yeoman |
Patr. McCardle | priest |
Patr. McCardle | husbandman |
Torylagh bane McCardle | yeoman |
Henry McCardle | husbandman |
Edm. bane McCardle | yeoman |
James McCardle McCoolie more | horseman |
Bryan McCardle | yeoman |
Torilagh McCardle | yeoman |
Coolie McCardle | yeoman |
Shane McCardle | yeoman |
Shane McCormack carragh McCardle | husbandman |
Torilagh McCardle | husbandman |
Frances Lewis | woman |
Art McMurchie McOne | husbandman |
Redmon McMurchie | husbandman |
Kilty McMurchie | husbandman |
One buy mor McMurchie | husbandman |
Phelim duff McMurchie | husbandman |
Donchie McMurchie McCarberagh | husbandman |
Patrick McMurchie | husbandman |
Manus McMurchie | yeoman |
One beddie McMurchie | horseman |
Torilagh McMurchie | husbandman |
Brian McMurchie | horseman |
Art McMurchie | husbandman |
Donogh McMurchie | husbandman |
Donill McMurchie McPatr. | yeoman |
Donill McMurchie McEdm. | yeoman |
Donchie McMurphie McOne | husbandman |
Patr. bane McMurchie | yeoman |
Patr. McMurchie | yeoman |
Donchie duff McMurchie | yeoman |
Patr. McNeale McMany McMurchie | husbandman |
Many McNele McMurchie | yeoman |
Phelim McNele McMurchie | yeoman |
One McMurchie McJames | yeoman |
Patr. McCormach McMurchie | yeoman |
Cormack McMurchie | yeoman |
Donchie oge McDonchie McMurchie | husbandman |
Donchie duff McMurchie | tenant |
Patr. Gromy McMurchie | tenant |
Shane Gromy McMurchie | tenant |
Coolie McGlassy McMurchie | tenant |
Edmund McMurchie | tenant |
Patrick McMurchie | tenant |
Donill McMurchie | tenant |
Moris McEvire | husbandman |
Torilagh McEvire | husbandman |
Cormack McEvire | husbandman |
James McEvire | husbandman |
Moris McCowane | yeoman |
James og McCowane | yeoman |
Shane McCowane | yeoman |
Rorie McCowane | husbandman |
Torilagh McCowane | husbandman |
Patr. O Brengan | horseman |
Patrick McGarway | tenant |
Doniell McGarway | tenant |
Brian McGarway | tenant |
Torilagh McGarway | tenant |
One McGarway | tenant |
Mlaghlin McGarway | tenant |
One McGarway | tenant |
Donell McGarway | tenant |
Nele O Lowhan | husbandman |
Donill O Lowhan | husbandman |
Murtagh O Lowhan | yeoman |
Donill O Lowhan | yeoman |
Patrick O Hullig | husbandman |
Mlaghlin O Hullig | husbandman |
Brian O Hullig | husbandman |
Manus O Hullig | husbandman |
Patr. O Hanraghtie | tenants |
Hugh McEvicker O Hanraghtie | tenants |
Hugh McPhelim O Hanraghtie | tenants |
One O Hanraghtie | tenants |
Patrick O Hanraghtie | tenants |
Donill O Hanraghtie | tenants |
Phelim O Hanraghtie | tenants |
James O Hanraghtie | yeoman |
Donill O Hanraghtie | yeoman |
Patrick O Hanraghtie | yeoman |
Gilleduff O Lorkan | yeoman |
Nele O Kellychan | tenant |
Brian O Kellychan | yeoman |
One O Kellychan | tenant |
Patr. O Kellychan | tenant |
One McShane O Kellychan | tenant |
Rorie O Kellie | tenant |
Brian og O Kellie | tenant |
Brian O Kellie | tenant |
Torilagh O Corry | |
Patr. O Corry | |
Many O Corry | |
One O Corry | |
Many O Hanlon | tenant |
Shane O Hanlon | tenant |
Brain O Hanlon | tenant |
Hugh O Hanlon | tenant |
Glessny O Hanlon | tenant |
Art McGloskie | kern |
Brian McGloskie | kern |
Mary McGloskie | kern |
Patr. McEldony | yeoman |
Shane O Boyle | kern |
Brian O Boyle | kern |
Tohile O Boyle | kern |
Richd. O Boyle | kern |
James boy McCoime | kern |
Donchie McCoine | kern |
Art McCoine | kern |
Patr. Gorry | kern |
Patrick O Hire | kern |
Mlaghlin McElyre | kern |
Patrickn McElyre | kern |
One oge McElane | kern |
Elin McElane | kern |
Kayle McConwayle | kern |
Hugh McConwayle | kern |
Redmond McConill | tenant |
Alexander McConile | tenant |
Gilleseoge McConile | tenant |
Brain McConile | tenant |
Art McGlaskir | kern |
Brian McGlaskir | kern |
Many McGlaskir | kern |
Cormock McEneny | husbandman |
Brian oge McEneny | husbandman |
Brian McEneny | husbandman |
Manus Cahan | horseman |
Dorby Cohan | horseman |
Garry Cahan | horseman |
Mlaghlin O Cawertie | |
Patr. O Murygan | |
Hugh O Haghie | |
Patr. O Duffedie | |
Rorie McGwigine | |
Nele McTowchie | |
Feagh McCronila | |
Donill O Culline | |
Hugh McEveighe | |
Hugh O Hanaghane | |
Nele O Lurkane | |
Rorie McSirry | |
Rorie McCawill | |
Art McHenry | |
Brian McHeany | |
Patr. O Tohile | |
Shane O Kenan | |
Patr. McEghile | |
Donchie McEghile | |
Donchan O daly | |
Donell O Dolan | |
Phelim reagh McConwell | |
One McConway | |
Murtagh McConway | |
Brian oge McGirraty | |
Patr. Modder McGerrety | |
Sowrly McConill | |
Patr. O Mollan | |
Terrilagh Ekeslan | |
One O Cumar | |
Thos. O Shele | |
Tege O Ferrall | |
Hugh O Ferrall | |
Donchie O Fearnmy | |
Hugh McEvard | |
One McEtanny | |
Rich. O Cahan | |
Donill McEcheran | |
Tirlagh McEcherane | |
Coole O Crowle | |
Thos. O Bwyle | |
Patr. O Towill McDonogh | |
Phelim O Tohill | |
Patr. McGwerke | |
Patr. McRorie | |
Phelim McElrowhe | |
Shane McElrowhe | |
Edmund O Mulish | |
Phillip O Mulish | |
Teige Moynagh | |
Shane McWyline | |
Hugh McEchalle | |
James buy O Calane | |
Mlaghlen duffe | |
Patr. McGillernewe | |
Conogher McCreverty | |
Patr. O Conry | |
Anne Geoghan alias Fitzgarrald | |
One oge O Haghie | |
Murcho O Casie | |
Patr. O Karewlan | |
Hugh McElchrive | |
Morris Leynagh | |
Edm. O Brian | |
Patr. McCunny | |
Henry O Brien | |
Shane duff McCoddane | |
James Leynagh | |
Cormock O Kellechan | |
Manus O Lennan | |
Nele McKinny | |
One McCawell | |
Teige O Kessidie | |
Finolly ny Cahir | |
All of the Fues; | |
Stephan Dowall of Dundalk | Merchant |
Anne Dowdall, his wife |
Murder Committed before their rebellion, intrusion on Crown lands, and debts to the Crown excepted from their pardon. [Date destroyed] Lord Deputy's warrant dated 24 June 1602.
In his 1934 article, Rev. L. P. Murray P.P., counted the families (excluding O'Neills) in the census and created a summary list with totals for each family. Fr. Murray counted 6 families of McConvilles (MacConwell). Fr. Murray only included families from the first portion of the census, those with occupations listed. When we compared the census to Fr Murray's list we noticed that there were more McConville families than the 6 Fr. Murray counted. We initially thought that this was because of the various spellings of the names that Fr. Murray did not consider some of the forms as McConvilles. On closer examination we find the O'Cahans with 3 families in Fr. Murray's summary and a 4th O'Cahan in the second portion of the list. With the exception of the O'Cahans and McConvilles there is only one other family that is represented on both portions of the list.
MacEghire | 3 |
O Quyn | 11 |
MacShane | 19 |
MacArdle | 19 |
MacMurphy | 35 |
MacEvire | 4 |
MacCowan | 5 |
MacGarway | 8 |
O Lowhans | 4 |
O Hullig | 4 |
O Hanratty | 10 |
O Callaghan | 5 |
O Kellie | 3 |
O Corry | 4 |
O Hanlon | 5 |
MacGloskie | 3 |
MacEldonie | 4 |
O Boyle | 4 |
MacCoime | 3 |
MacElyre | 2 |
MacElane | 2 |
MacConwell | 6 |
MacEnerney | 3 |
O Cahan | 3 |