History: Lynch's Castle at Knock ( Summerhill)

Lynch's Castle, at "Knock" -Summerhill, County Meath

Lynch's Castle in what is now Summerhill was likely built in the late 1400's. It sat on the edge of the Pale, the area controlled by the English king. Lynch was a "Marcher" lord- one whose estate sat on the edge of the Pale- thus vulnerable to attack. This was an area of much conflict during the middle ages.

The Anglo-Norman Lynch family came to Ireland with or after Richard de Clare, known as Strongbow (around 1200) when he seized control of Dublin.


 "Peter Lynch of the Knock" was inhabiting the castle in 1524 although it was probably built at least 40-50 years before this. At that time King Henry VI granted monies to every (noble) man within the Pale who wished to build a castle. Peter Lynch was a tenant of a greater feudal Lord, Wellesley, who ruled from Dangan Castle, just a few miles to the north of Knock.

Cross of Peter Lynch on the Summerhill Village Green
http://www.tara.tcd.ie/handle/2262/39761

His son, Gerald Lynch forfeited the Estate after the rebellion of 1641 when Cromwell's troops took the castle and 800 acres of Lynch's land. In 1642, the castle was besieged by the (Irish) Earl of Ormonde. When the castle fell, all of the male defenders of the castle were executed. Gerald escaped but was accused of treason. In the 1660's, after the restoration of the British Monarchy in England, he appealed to have his lands restored  but failed. It is said the he lived out his days in a poor cottage not far from his old home.

In 1652, the castle and lands were given to Dr. Henry Jones, a protestant Bishop and scout for Cromwell's army. Jones sold the land to Sir Hercules Langford in 1666. The only Langford heir, Mary, married Sir John Rowley in 1671. The modern history of the site comes in 1732, with the building of Summerhill Demesne and Estate village following the marriage of the Hon. Hercules Langford Rowley.

This castle was occupied from the early 1600's until about 1850. It followed the plan of most tower house castles of the time.

There were actually two such castles at Knock- one was later converted to become part of the ice house for Summerhill.

Sources:

History of Summerhill

https://lynchscastlesummerhill.weebly.com/history-of-lynchs-castle.html

https://liaml05.wixsite.com/genealogy/lynch-castle

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lynch-5104

Griffith's Valuation; Understanding the Details

Griffith's Valuation was completed in County Kilkenny by July 1853 and in County Meath by July 1855. In lieu of a census, this is the most accurate information we can get about our Irish Ancestors just before they immigrated to the United States.

I understood a lot more about the Valuation after I read this article; "Is there more in Griffith's Valuation than just names?" You might want to read it yourself, but I have put some notes on the article below.
http://www.leitrim-roscommon.com/GRIFFITH/Griffiths.PDF

Griffith's Valuation is divided by the civil parish or administrative area (not the catholic church parish) and the townland- a small group of farms.

Relatives
Overall, we learn more about our ancestor's possible relatives in their own townland and adjacent townlands. Most people walked from place to place, so close relatives were often within a walkable distance (although people walked much longer distances in those days than most of us do now!)

Spouses
Spouses, also, were generally met and courted within walking distance, and it could be assumed that they likely lived within the same Roman Catholic parish, where the young people would see each other at church on Sunday.

Neighbors
Within each townland, the names within the valuation were listed in the order valuated, not necessarily the order of the adjacent farms. So- it is necessary to look at the maps to see who lived next to each other. (Still, townlands are generally so small that most people within them were close neighbors.)

Farm/Economic Status-
"Large Farmers" held more than 30 acres.
"Small farmers" held 5-30 acres. "Cottiers" or "laborers" held less than 5 acres.
Leases did not expire at the end of a year; they went on indefinitely unless the tenant chose to move elsewhere or the landlord took the tenant to court.
It was not unusual for a farmer to subdivide a holding to ensure the economic success of all. The names of the subdivided tenants are enclosed in parentheses. This was often done with relatives; sons, brothers, or son-in-laws. So if there is a different name within the parenthesis, it would be wise to check this person out as a possible marriage connection; perhaps a son in law or brother in law. During and after the famine, things changed. Many leases were limited to one year; at which point the tenant could be evicted if rents were not paid.

Homes and farm structures

The term "house" implies a dwelling place. There are different classes of houses which are taxed at different rates, based on the materials they are built with and their condition. The term "office" includes all of the outbuildings on the farm; sheds, barns, etc. This would include cow barns, piggeries, storage sheds, etc.

(add on- details from Griffiths on house ratings)




Maps

One of the most exciting elements of Griffith's Valuation is the inclusion of maps which show the exact land plot that our ancestors lived on. This can be compared to Google Maps to show where to find that land today.

You can explore Griffith's Valuation here!

http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/single_layer/place_name_search.pdf

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/

More information on the valuation here:

https://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Griffiths-Valuation.html

Our Allens in Laracor Parish, Meath (Laracor is the civil parish name- these Allens lived in the Summerhill Catholic Parish)

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&Submit.x=53&Submit.y=11&Submit=Submit&familyname=Allen&firstname=First+Name&baronyname=&countyname=MEATH&unionname=&parishname=LARACOR

History: Summerhill attacked during the Irish Confederation Wars- The Historic Battle of Dungan's Hill

We have to wonder if our ancestors were at Umberstown and Dangan in the 1600's. We know they were certainly there by the 1700's, so it is very likely. If so, they witnessed, and perhaps took part in, a bloody battle of epic proportions and its terrible aftermath.

In the 1600's there was a fine house and old castle in Knock (now Summerhill,)  a fine stone house in Dangan with a bridge and mill, and a few cabins in Umberstown and other townlands. There were  small castles in the surrounding townlands of Readstown, Little Freffans, Adamstown, and Laracor.

If you visit Summerhill, you will see this ancient stone pedestal on the village green It is the cross of Peter Lynch of Knock, who had been associated with the Irish Catholic rebellion of "Silken Thomas" (a Kinsella) in 1535. By 1609 there was a new castle on the land and the 1640 survey showed Garrett Lynch of Knock owning 590 acres, with two castles, a mill, an old chapel, and many cottages.

                                      Ruins of Lynch's castle in Summerhill

But in 1642, while Gerald/Garrett was away, the castle at Lynche's Knock was attacked by the forces of the Protestant Irish Royal Army under James Butler, Earl of Ormonde.  All of the male defenders of the castle were executed. This was one bloody scene only 3 miles from our ancestors' cottages at Dangan. But a far worse battle was yet to come.

James Butler, Earl of Ormonde

The Irish Confederation Wars (Eleven Years' War) 1641-1653

From 1642-1649, the Irish Catholic Confederation, based in Kilkenny, ruled 2/3 of Ireland. It had been formed by Catholic nobles, clergy, and military leaders after the Irish Rebellion of 1641, which sought to regain Irish Catholic rights. It held allegiance to the Catholic king of England-King Charles I. 

The Irish Confederation Wars (Eleven Years War) lasted from 1641-1653. The Irish Catholic Confederation allied with English and Scottish Royalists against the English Parliamentarians. Small bands of civilians were raised by local lords to attack the opposing side.

During this horrific war over 25,000 Irish were killed on the battlefield, and over 200,000 civilians died from famine and disease, with 12,000 being transported to the West Indies by 1660. 

In 1645 King Charles I was defeated during the English Civil War, with Parliamentarians taking power. In June 1647, James Butler, The Marquis of Ormond, who had been loyal to Charles, agreed to surrender Dublin to the Parliamentarian army under Col. Michael Jones.

The Battle of Dangan (Dungan) Hill

http://bcw-project.org/military/confederate-war/dungans-hill

At first, I thought this referred to Dangan. Luckily I was off by a few miles. The Down Survey refers to a place called Dunganstown, with a large bog, which is just south of Summerhill. Still, these armies of thousands of men would have marched very close to our ancestors cottages as they passed down the main road from Trim and the horrible battle took place just a few miles from their homes. If they were indeed living there at the time, the battle itself and the aftermath of that battle, would have had a terrible effect on their lives. The map shows the proximity of the battle to the townlands of our ancestors- Umberstown and Dangan (bottom left.) Dungan hill and bog, the site of the horrific battle, was only a few miles away. (Map is not aligned north/south.)

The Down Survey describes the battle this way:

On Sunday, August 8, 1647, near Knock (later Summerhill) and on Dungan Hill, there was a great battle between the the Irish Confederates and the English Parliamentarians. The Irish Confederates were led by General Thomas Preston, who were planning to march on Dublin, which was held by the Parliamentarians. The Irish Confederate army consisted of about 4,000 foot soldiers pikes and heavy muskets, and a small cavalry of about 800 horses. They had been attempting a siege of Trim, but when the Parliamentarian force left Dublin, Preston decided to strike Dublin.

The Parliamentarian force, commanded by Colonel Michael Jones, had about 5,000 foot soldiers, a 1500 horse cavalry, and artillery. He caught Preston about ten miles south of Trim at Dangan. While the Irish cavalry waited on Dangan Hill, the Irish foot soldiers forces were hidden in a field of tall wheat preparing for a surprise attack, but this strategy made it hard for them to see anything. The Irish cavalry was then caught on the road by the English.

 The English won the battle, slaying nearly over 3,000 Irishmen, and taking over 900 prisoners, including surviving leaders. Three of Garrett Lynch's sons died in the battle. According to Irish accounts, the troops were slaughtered even after attempting a surrender.  The English, too, had heavy losses of over 2000 men. Preston, himself, escaped through the bogs with about 2000 men. He requested a burial of the dead, but received no reply. It appears that Jones wanted the bodies of the dead to remain as a haunting reminder of the battle. Some reports say that the dead were not buried until 4 months later. 

The Battle at Dungan Hill was a turning point that signaled the end of the Irish Confederacy.

In 1652, Dunganstown, the town of Knock and lands belonging to Gerald/Garrett Lynds/Lych , now an outlaw rebel accused of treason, were granted to Henry Jones.

 but despite this, Garrett did not recover his lands at Knock after the 1660 royalist restoration.

Forfeited estates after the battle included over 4,175 acres of land in Laracor's townlands. The owners who forfeited their lands included Garrett Lynch (743 acres in Knock/Summerhill) Valerian Wesley (Umberstown, Clondoogan, Clonmahon, Dangan,) Richard Lincham- an Irish Catholic ( Clondoogan, Adamstown, Collinstown, Somertown), Christopher Lincham (Great Freffans) Robert Rochfort- an Irish Catholic (Dangan) Garrot Smith (Dangan) George Stoakstowne (Stoakstown) and George Vaher of Dublin (Little Freffans)

Cromwell's War- 1649-1653

Cromwell, leader of the English Parliamentarians, invaded Ireland from 1649-1653.
In 1642, the Protestant Duke of Ormonde besieged and captured the castle at Knock. It was occupied by Cromwell's forces in 1647. Knock Castle and land was forfeited during Cromwell's invasion, and given to the Protestant Bishop of Meath, Henry Jones.

In July 1649 the castle at Trim was taken by royalists under the Earl of Ormonde, who gave directions that it should be destroyed if conquered by Cromwell, however the castle survived after he took it, and was occupied until about 1690.

Sources:

http://www.meathheritage.com/index.php/archives/item/me01814-summerhill-demesne-house-16th17th-century

http://bcw-project.org/military/confederate-war/dungans-hill

http://old.scotwars.com/battle_of_dungan.htm

Laracor Parish in early days

Trim- Its Ecclesiastical Ruins, its castle, etc. 1886

https://books.google.com/books?id=MvcRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=great+freffans+meath&source=bl&ots=_EN4IZR84Q&sig=jDyAIaBRNz-luY8R84_313-ujLM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-2MzzyqjcAhVCEawKHeAHBIM4ChDoAQhCMAU#v=onepage&q=great%20freffans%20meath&f=false

Places: Understanding our ancestor's Townlands in Ireland

This is a wonderful article on understanding townlands!
What is a Townland?  (click to link to the article!)

Quick answer; a townland is the smallest geographical division in Ireland. Townlands have survived since medieval times and many retain their Gaelic names or a translation of that name. Their boundaries usually follow natural features such as rivers.

The Down Survey of Ireland (1656-8) was one of the first national surveys of land in the world. Its purpose was to measure lands which would be forfeited by the Catholic Irish and given to Cromwell's followers.  The Down Survey of 1656-8 (click to link to the article) Each townland was measured, and towns, houses, churches, and roads noted.

Griffith's Valuation again mapped Irish townslands for tax purposes.

Our ancestor's Townlands:

County Meath

Allen's and Sweeney's Townland- Great Umberstown
(Barony Lower Moyfenrath, civil parish Laracor)
Great Umberstown consists of .69 square miles, 439 acres
link with map- Great Umberstown

Allen Blog- Making a Map of the Allen Farms in County Meath

Thank goodness for hedgerows and stone fences! These classic land markers have stood the test of time...

Hedgerows and an old stone wall near Richard Allen's farm in Ireland

If you take a look at Google Satellite Maps, and type in Summerhill, County Meath, Ireland, you will come to the area in Ireland where our Allen ancestors lived. If you zoom in a bit, you will see that the many fields of green are subdivided by clear lines of trees and hedgerows. In some areas, I recognize hawthorns, which grown on my land here in West Virginia. I am fairly certain that it is impossible to kill these thorny bushes, which soon grow into small trees. Cut them down, they sprout from the stump. So maybe it is no surprise that briary hawthorns, multi-floral rose, and old stone walls still divide fields in Ireland. In any case, this time they were a great help to me.

 Griffith's Valuation of 1855 lists each tiny townsland, the inhabitants, their acreage and whom they leased from. It gives a number key which corresponds to the 1855 Griffith's Map. I had found Richard Allen's farm, where Hugh Allen and his sibling grew up in Great Umberstown, (Laracor Civil Parish) not far from the town of Summerhill.

 Now I wanted to find the other Allens in the area who were likely his kin, as well as the Sweeny's, who were likely the kin of Richard Allen's wife (Hugh's mother) Margaret Sweeny. Here is a list of all of the Allens in Laracor Civil Parish in 1855.

Allens in Laracor Civil Parish


If you click on the largest "Original Page" symbol next to the name, it will go to the page which shows the person under their townland, along with information on their farms- who their landlord was, how many acres they leased, and how much tax they paid. Here is Richard and John Allen, Patrick Sweeny and their neighbors in the townland of Great Umberstown .

Great Umberstown townland- neighbors

On the left of this list is a key which shows the number of their farm on the Griffith's Map. Going Back to the Allen's in Laracor Parish list, after the "original page" symbol is a "Map Views" symbol. The one on the right will take you to the Griffith's Map. Here is what you find if you click on the map view for Richard Allen.

Griffith's Map View for Richard Allen in Great Umberstown

As you can see, you  have to zoom in and hunt a lot to find Great Umberstown, then zoom in until you find the number for Richard Allen's farm (4a.) It takes a while! And all of those tiny townslands are confusing! Where in the world is "Ballinrigg??

I wanted to get a better idea of where the Allen and Sweeny families lived in the area, so I decided to make a map of the farms from Griffiths- labeling them so I would have a better picture of where they lived and how far apart their farms were. I used Google Maps to create a map on "My Maps" and clicked on the Satellite View.

There they were- those tenacious hedgerows. They still matched up nearly exactly to the land plots in the 1855 Griffith's Valuation Map. I was able to follow the hedgerows on the Google Map to draw lines and map the properties. So- long story short, here is the map. Most of the Allen farms were within a half hour walk to the church in Dangan, and less than that to each other's farm. We have no proof at this time that they were related, but it is certainly highly likely. (Someday with more DNA evidence...)

 Here is a link so you can see the Allen farms marked on the map. You can click on each shape and it will tell you who lived there.  If you go back to You can also zoom in to explore how the farms look today. If you want to explore further, you can go back to regular Google Maps and find the farms (just follow the roads.) Street view appears to work well in this area so you can drag the little person onto the road to take a walk though our ancestor's neighborhood. Hope you enjoy!

My Google Map of Allens near Summerhill