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legmoylin

Location

Legmoylin is a townland of 342 statute acres 2 roods and 36 perches in County Armagh about three miles east of Crossmaglen. The village of Silverbridge is at its northern tip. It is bounded on the north and northeast by Carrive (in the Forkill Parish), on the southeast by Tullydonnell O'Callaghan, on the south by Glassdrumman and on the west by Carnally.In the Tithe Applotment Books the area is shown as 200 acres 2 roods and 26 perches (Plantation Irish measure).

Name of townland

Leac Maoilain, "Moylain's flat stone" Fr. Murray gives Leac Maoilinn, "The flat stone on the hill-brow" (1).

There is no other townland of the same name in Ireland.

Ordnanace Survey Name Books: Creggan Parish (2)

LEGMOYLIN (OSNB ii 38): A bye road from N.T. Hamilton runs thro' this Td. Silver Bridge is in the N. end of the townland. The soil is light but well cultivated and gives tolerably fair crops. About 5 miles from N.T. Hamilton.
It contains 342..2..36 of which 12..1..13 is uncultivated and Bog.

Griffiths Valuation records that, apart from 28 acres belonging to James Jeffers, the Townland was owned by Walter McGeough Bond.

Census of Ireland

In the 1901 Census a total of 82 people were enumerated in 18 families, a ratio of 4.6 people per family. The position in 1911 was a total of 66 people in 16 families, a ratio of 4.1 people per family. There were ten thatched houses in 1901 and eight in 1911.

Native Irish Speakers

Of the 18 households enumerated in 1901, six contained at least one native Irish speaker. Since theirs was the last generation to have been born into a predominently Irish speaking environment, their names are recorded here. All were born in Co. Armagh -

  • Mary McAteer, farmer, widow, aged 90
  • Michael Murphy, farmer, aged 90 and his wife Catherine, aged 70
  • James McShean, farmer, widower, aged 76
  • Catherine Murchan, farmer, widow, aged 60
  • Owen Rafferty, farmer, aged 70, his wife Bridget, aged 68 and their daughter Lizzie McDonnell, a National School Teacher, aged 44
  • Bridget Ferron, farmer, widow, aged 84

Population Decline

The following table sets out the number of houses and population enumerated in the townland in each of the 11 Censuses held between 1841 and 1951.

  1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911 1926 1937 1951
Houses 27 27 25 25 25 21 18 15 14 14 10
People 141 129 120 111 123 96 82 61 64 56 44
People per house 5.2 4.8 4.8 4.4 4.9 4.6 4.6 4.1 4.6 4.0 4.4

In the period of 110 years, the number of households reduced by 63% and the population by 69%. The reduction between 1841 and 1851 reflects the effects of the Great Famine and the continuing decline over the next century to the lack of rural employment opportunities leading emigration, to America, Australia and Great Britain.

Family Connections

The forge recorded to James Rowland in the 1935 Revaluation was owned by Bridget Fearon. Bridget's husband, Peter, who had operated the forge, died in 1930. After James Rowland the forge was operated by Michael Boyle, a brother of Felix and my uncle.

Terence Boyle was my Great Great Grandfather. His brother Edward (Ned) Boyle is recorded as living in Tullydonnell Gage in 1854. Terence had at least three sons, Patrick, John and Michael. Patrick inherited the land in Legmoylin. His three sons and one daughter never married and the land was bequeathed, in 1954, to his grand nephew, Felix Boyle, grandson of John. Felix married Katie Fearon, daughter of Peter and Bridget Fearon (1911 Census - Peter Ferron). The land has now been sold.

John Boyle married Jane Murphy from Tullydonnel Gage and moved to that townland where he acquired some of her father's land. That property remains in the Boyle family.

Terence also acquired land in Tullydonnell Gage in 1859 which was passed to this son Michael Boyle in 1880. That land was eventually acquired by Peter Boyle, brother of Felix - and it remains in the possession of his family.

Names of House and Land Holders

All the Valuations since Griffiths identified those with houses in the townland and those who while living elsewhere leased or owned land there. The Census of Ireland enumerated only households in the townland. The following table uses this approach.

Although the data is not strictly comparable since the information was gathered for different purposes and used varying criteria, the details provide a comparison of the names of house and land holders who were listed in the Townland at the different periods. While we can not discern the direct lines of descent it is clear that many are from the same families.

Census of Creggan Tithe Applotment Books Griffiths Valuation Census of Ireland Census of Ireland First NI revaluation Second Revaluation
1766 1828 1854 1901 1911 1935 1957 1972
               
  Households/Land Households Households Households Households Households Households
Patrick Coleton Daniel Burns Bryan Boyle Patrick Boyle Pat Boyle Michael Boyle Henry Carragher Kathleen Boyle
Morrice Cowan Ann Caragher Terence Boyle Bernard Carragher Bernard Carragher Henry Carragher Bridget Fearon Michael Creegan
Barney Murphy Owen Fearon Henry Carragher Bridget Ferron Peter Ferron Bridget Fearon Peter Grant M.G.Donnelly
Denis Murphy Terence Fearon James Fearan Michael Grant Michael Grant Peter Grant Patrick McCann Peter Grant
Edmund Murphy John Jeffers Terence Fearan James Jackson James Jackson Denis Lavelle J. McGill Michael Hanratty
John Murphy Richard & James Jeffers Richard Jeffers Mary McAtear James McArdle Patrick McCann Francis McShane Gerard Hughes
Owen Murphy Richard Jeffers Peter Magill Patrick McCann Patrick McCann Michael McDonnell Mary McShane Michael Mallie
Widow McElroy Francis Louth Henry McCann Owen McCardle Alice McConvill Catherine McShane Patrick Murphy Arthur McAvoy
John McGinnise Peter Magill Christopher McEteer Alice McConvill Michael McDonnell Francis McShane Rose Tebbs & Bridget Moynes Patrick McCann
Owen McVeagh Peter McCann Patrick McPartlin James McShane Catherine McShane Hugh Moynes   Francis McShane
Daniel McVeigh Michael McInryre Bridget McShane Catherine McShean Francis McShane Mary Moynes Land Mary McShane
  James McParland Patrick McShane Henry Mc[illegible] Mary Mines Peter Murcan Felix Boyle Michael Toal
  John McPatland Roger McShane Patrick Mines Mary Morris Patrick Murphy Michael Creegan  
  Arthur McShane Catherine Myhan Mary Mines Owen Murchan Margaret Swinburne Bernard Grant (Carrigans) Land
  Hugh McShane Michael Myhan Catherine Murchan Rose Murchan   Mary A. Grant Felix Boyle
  Patt McShane Patrick Myhan Rosey Murchan   Land R. Grant Bernard Grant (Carrigans)
  Widow McShane Michael Murchan Michael Murphy   Bryan Boyle Michael Mallie R. Grant
  Bryan Mines Margaret Murphy Owen Rafferty   Michael Moynes Arthur McEvoy Arthur McEvoy
  Henry Mines Catherine Myhan Jun     Margaret Murphy R.R. Tebbs R.R. Tebbs
  Thomas Mines       James Rowland (Forge)    
  Edward Murphy            
  Matthew Murphy            
  Francis Raverty            
  Thomas Raverty            
Note:
1. Hugh Macauley, "Creggan", Journal of Creggan Local History Society, No.6 1992 p.37
2. G. Jarvis (up to 1835) as compiled by A.J. Hughes in Seanchas Ard Mhacha Vol 15 No 1 1992 pp 97 - 112.
[Back to Townlands of Creggan]

Last Updated on 10 October 2004
Email: pdevlinz@btinternet.com
© Patrick Devlin 2004