Burrows Working Tree....Alexander Burrows of Drum Memorial of a Deed of Settlement 7th of August 1848

(update from a DNA cousin ...Ardvarney was the house of the Elliotts in Dromahair.  Perhaps David was not able to transcribe this from the original.  Dromahair is 6 miles from Manorhamilton.  Another correction would be Edward Frazer of Annagh, not Amagh.  Thank you Kathy!) 

  This transcription was shared with me several months ago by David Burrows, who has done extensive research over many years into the Burrows of Sligo.  His research has been invaluable and truly appreciated.  This is a memorial of a deed of settlement.  I had to do some research of my own to find out about registered deeds and  what a memorial was....

  There is a wonderful website called The Registry of Deeds Index Project Ireland that can be found at irishdeedsindex.net.  The purpose of the project is to provide finding aids for the records held at the Registry of Deeds in Dublin.  The Registry of Deeds is located in Henrietta Street, Dublin, Ireland, and is a repository of records of wills, land transactions and other deeds dating from 1709.  What I didn't know was that the original purpose of the Registry of Deeds was to enforce rules limiting the land transactions of Catholics...just a part of a sad and long chapter of Irish history to be sure.  The Registry of Deeds is, however, a rich source of genealogical information, especially when looking at family relationships.  I was very happy to receive this transcription from David. It provides some background information on Alexander Burrows of Drum before his last will of 1889 and gives some insight into the content of the letters I have been sharing. 

  This is a memorial of a deed.  The original deed was executed the 13th day of November, 1835 and was a deed of  marriage settlement. It was much like a modern day pre-nuptial agreement, except that in the past these agreements were meant to make provisions for when a husband or wife predeceased the other, not in case of divorce. Original deeds were kept by the parties to the deed or by their legal representatives. 

  This deed was a written agreement stating that Alexander Burrows and Frances Elliott intended to be married.  It stated that the bride's father Adam Elliott was going to provide a marriage portion (L400 sterling) and that Adam Elliott was transferring his property in Manor Hamilton, County Leitrim,  to Frances and Alexander to benefit from jointly, and to benefit Frances if Alexander might predecease her. Trustees were put in place to guarantee the provisions of the deed for Frances if Alexander died before she did. The trustees were Thomas Irwin of Moorfield and Alexander Burrows of Carrowcrin  (I am not sure which Alexander Burrows this was.  It could have been Alexander Burrows of Drum's father). The property would be passed down to any children that Alexander might appoint in his will (which he did in 1889).  

  The memorial of this deed was registered the 7th day of August, 1848.  A memorial was essentially a copy of the original deed and was a sworn true representation of the original deed.  A memorial could be a verbatim copy of the original, or a broad synopsis setting out the main features.  A memorial needed to be signed by at least one party to the deed, and at least one witness to the original deed.  So, at some point, Alexander felt the need to register this deed with a memorial in 1848. Registered deeds had precedence over unregistered deeds.  There was a strong incentive to register a deed with a memorial if the grantee thought there might be a dispute sometime in the future. This deed was registered some 13 years after the original settlement, which was not unusual. Most deeds were registered months after execution.  By this time Alexander and Fanny had at least 4 children.  

  This memorial is very important as it gives us the names of my great great grandfather's mother and maternal grandfather.  Those are  names and relationships I can add to the working tree.  It also provides additional names and places:  Thomas Irwin of Moorefield, Alexander Burrows of Carrowcrin, Elliott Burrows of Carrowcrin, Randle Phibbs of  Heathfield (subsequently of Grange) and Edward Frazer of Annagh. These relationships need further research.  Irwin, Phibbs and Frazer are names that are deeply intertwined with the Burrows  through marriages and give me some dna connections to other cousins.  

  There are many deeds and memorials hidden in Dublin, just waiting to be transcribed.  All of the memorial books and indexes at the Registry of Deeds were microfilmed by the Mormons in the 1950's.  The work of transcribing each entry is currently being done by many volunteers. I want to thank David for finding this microfilmed entry, finishing the transcription and sharing it.  There must be many more deeds and memorials tied to the Burrows and allied families buried in these volumes reaching further back into the past.   The search continues.....

Registry of Deeds Transcription Books

https://irishdeedsindex.net/index.php

Information on deeds and memorials was taken from this website. 

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The following tree is our "working tree".  It will change as we do more research, fit more pieces together and verify family members.  This is the basic tree as of now. 

Alexander Burrows of Carrowcrin (based on his will of 1834) father to....

*

      Johnston Burrows m. Mary Moysten  parents of  Mary Anne Burrows (m. George Foster) parents of Georgina Foster (see Thomas Burrows below)

               Alexander Burrows of Drum (based on his will of 1889) m.  Frances "Fanny" Elliot, youngest daughter of Adam Elliott (based on  the Memorial of a Deed of Settlement 1848, original marriage around 1835) parents of.....

*

1. Margaret Burrows Porteus (married Robert Porteus) of Clara

*daughter Frances "Fanny" Porteus Graham 

2. Jane Burrows (married Adam Elliott White) of Sligo.  The White family lived at WhiteHall (Whitehall), County Leitrim, Ireland.

 *son Robert Alexander White born at Whitehall, County Leitrim, Ireland.

3. Adam Burrows (was living in Drum in 1890; lived at the asylum in Sligo sometime after that.  )

4. Alexander Burrows (married Elizabeth Jane Hurd in America) my G G Grandparents; they lived in Grass Valley, California.

5. John Elliott Burrows (came to America) m. Margaret O'Leary in St. Louis. Children Frances Burrows Riley and Thomas A. Burrows.

6. Thomas Burrows (bequeathed house and land in Drum and was to look after Adam per will of 1889.  Left for America shortly after his father's death).  M. Georgina Foster b. 1871 d. 1890.  Per marriage index Ireland, Civil Registration of Marriage, she married Thomas in 1888.  This relationship was also mentioned in Emy's letter of 24 June, 1890). 

7.  Ismena  "Emy" Burrows (spent time in America but went back home to Ireland to claim her inheritance, per letters written in 1890)

8. Elizabeth Burrows (came to America) and married Hermann Bucher in 1892 in New York; was called Emma (based on letters written by Hermann Bucher)

The Will of Alexander Burrows of Drum August 6th, 1889 and the Possible Location of Drum House

 "The last will and testament of Alexander Burrows of Drum in the Parish of Ballysumaghan in the County of Sligo"....this is an enlarged section of the beginning of his will. 

     

 The Will of Alexander Burrows Witnessed 6 Aug 1889 Ireland Wills and Grants of Probate, 1858-1900 Ancestry.com (it begins on the right hand side, bottom corner). 

Page two, left hand side

  In my last several posts I have begun to share letters that were written by Jane Burrows White and Ismena Burrows, daughters of Alexander Burrows, my third great grandfather.  They were written in 1890 to their brother,  my Great Great Grandfather Alexander Burrows, who was living in Grass Valley, California.  They were written in June, August and December of 1890 from Jane's home in County Leitrim, called Whitehall (or WhiteHall).  Their father passed away on the 9th of August, 1889 in Drum, County Sligo, Ireland.   These letters give a glimpse into the family dynamics as they tried to resolve conflicts over the will,  even a year after their father's death.  

This map shows the counties of Ireland.  County Leitrim shares half its western border with County Sligo.  Both  are in the Province of Connaught, in the Republic of Ireland. WhiteHall was located in the area of Tullycooley (Tullycoly Townland)  County Leitrim, very close to the border with County Sligo. 

  In order to understand the context of the letters,  we need to look at the will itself. This was the will that Alexander  Burrows finalized on the 6th of August, several days before he died. He added a codicil the next day on the 7th of August, 1889.  He passed away on the 9th of August, 1889.  The will was proved in Ballina on the 18th of January, 1890. 

1890

The will contains clues as to the area the Burrows lived in, what they did for a living, and how much land they owned by 1890.   I have added maps and other bits of  research information for reference points throughout the transcription of the will.   I would like to say thank you to my Burrows DNA cousins for all their research into the area and for sharing their information.   This is my transcription that I did last summer.....I have underlined family names to help with the context of the letters.

Will of Alexander Burrows 1889

The last will and testament of Alexander Burrows of Drum in the Parish of Ballysumaghan in the County of Sligo, I hereby bequeath to my son Thomas Rutledge Burrows the house and land called Drum in the Parish of Ballysumaghan in the County of Sligo for his use and benefit with all cattle stock and crop standing or otherwise in the above mentioned land with goods and chattels in the house of Drum and I desire the land called Lurgan owned by me to be sold and out of the proceeds of sale the sum of two hundred pounds to be held in trust and invested for the benefit of my son Adam Burrows and the Rev'd Thomas Henry Moulsdale I appoint trustee for the [same?] and the said Thomas Henry Moulsdale is to see that my son Adam Burrows be paid quarterly the interest on the above mentioned sum of two hundred pounds for his sole use and benefit.... 

 Screenshot of Drumederalena Townland, Co. Sligo.  Drum is in the purple area.  Rosses Point is circled in the top left hand corner.  Jane White went to Rosses Point in June of 1890 (see post from 20 March 2022). townlands.ie

 A close up of Drumederalena Townland (Drum), County Sligo.  You can see the dotted line marking the division between Co. Sligo and Co. Leitrim.  townlands.ie.  Was Drum House located here? I believe so.  

Tullycoly Township in relation to Drum House (small orange dot).  WhiteHall, the home of Adam and Jane Burrows White,  was located in  the area of  (Tullycoly) Tullycooley, but is no longer standing. Note the county division line between Leitrim and Sligo. townlands.ie

...And I further bequeath from the proceeds of the abovementioned sale of my farm Lurgan the sum of one hundred pounds to my granddaughter Francis Burrows the daughter of my son John Burrows now residing in America.  And a further one hundred pounds I bequeath to my daughter Jane White the same to be paid out of the proceeds of the above mentioned sale of Lurgan.  To my son Alexander Burrows now residing in America I bequeath the sum of one hundred pounds the said sum to paid out of the proceeds of the sale of Lurgan farm......

 Lurgan Townland, County Sligo,  screenshot.  It is two miles from Collooney.  townlands.ie  The location of the orange dot is where I believe Drum House stands today. 

Newspaper article from 1890 shared by DNA cousins.  This gives wonderful descriptors for where the farm was located, and what the land was used for. 

 The farm in Lurgan was put up for sale on Wednesday, the 19th of February, 1890 a month after the will was proved. Note the location..."The farm is situated within about two miles from Collooney, seven miles from Sligo Town, and about five minutes walk from the Ballysumaghan Rectory.  Places were not very far from each other in this area.  

 ....I further desire the sum of one hundred pounds to be paid from the sale of Lurgan for the benefit of the Church and Parish of Ballysumaghan the said sum to be used in such a manner as the incumbent the Rev'd. Thomas Henry Mousldale and Church Wardens of the said Parish may consider most beneficial. ...

Civil Parish of Ballysumaghan,  County Sligo,  in purple.  townlands.ie

  Note where the orange dot is. The blue X is where Lurgan Farm was located. The yellow circle denotes the Ballysumaghan Church of Ireland. 

Googlemaps

 Location of Ballysumaghan Church.  It is around 3 miles from where Drum House is located.  Also note the location of Fannybrook in the left hand bottom corner.  Other family members lived in this location. Fanny (Frances) was a name that repeated often in the Burrows lines. 

 Ballysumaghen Church and Cemetery. The Reverend Thomas Henry Platt Moulsdale was Rector of the Parish for 8 years and was buried here as were several Burrows.  A DNA cousin visited there several years ago and said that the corner area where the Burrows are buried has been long forgotten and not maintained.  

 ....I also desire a further sum of one hundred pounds to be paid out of the proceeds of the sale of Lurgan to my daughter Margaret Porteus for her use and benefit.  I also desire the sum of ten pounds to be paid to Mrs. McDonough for her kindness and attention to me during my illness the said sum of ten pounds also to be paid out of the proceeds of the above mentioned sale of Lurgan.  The residue of the above mentioned proceeds of the sale of Lurgan after all my just debts and funeral expenses are paid to be equally divided between my grandchildren the daughters and sons of Adam and Jane White for their sole use and benefit.  The sum of three hundred pounds now invested in the Provincial Bank in Sligo the receipt of which will be found amongst my papers I bequeath to my daughter Esmenia otherwise called Amy Burrows now residing in America......

 The Provincial Bank on Stephen Street, Sligo.  Built in 1877.  Now the Allied Irish Bank. Ismena needed to come back home to Ireland to claim her inheritance (see post of 4 April, 2022).

  ....All my property situated in the town of Manorhamilton in the Parish of Cloonclare in the County of Leitrim I bequeath to my son Adam Burrows the same to be held in trust by the above mentioned Rev'd. Thomas Henry Moulsdale and the proceeds of rents to be paid quarterly for the benefit of the said Adam Burrows.  And I further request that my son Thomas Rutledge Burrows take charge and look after my son Adam Burrows and in case of the death of the said Adam Burrows my son Thomas Rutledge Burrows is to inherit the above mentioned interest in my said property in the town of Manorhamilton and the above mentioned sum of two hundred from the sale of Lurgan.....

 Googlemaps

 

 Alexander Burrows owned property in Manor Hamilton.  This may have been acquired through marriage when Francis Elliott married Alexander Burrows of Drum (currently being researched).  

  ....I desire that William Crawford [?] and the Rev'd. Thomas Henry Mousldale should act as executors.   Alex'r Burrows  Witness E. Tyrrell Cummings Aug. 6th 1889

Thomas Henry Mousldale incumbent of Ballysumaghan Aug. 6th 1889

I further request that my watch chain be given to George Armstrong now working with me and all my clothes be given to my son Adam Burrows  Alex'r Burrows  Witness E. Tyrrell Cummings 7th August 1889

Thomas Henry Moulsdale incumbent of Ballysumaghan 7th August 1889

Will of Alexander Burrows 1889

Will book 1865-1891 FHL Film No. 100925 No. 534/535

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  Where exactly was Drum House located?  I received this piece of information from a DNA cousin from Australia  that I recently made contact with.  It turns out that he had been in contact with Auntie Claire many years ago, and unfortunately they did not stay connected with each other.  It was serendipitous that he and I reconnected after all these years.  I am not sure when this was printed, but it was sometime after 1986.  It looks like a real estate listing. 

  The current Drum House, taken from a 2018 real estate listing found on the internet and shared by another DNA cousin.  It is hard to tell, but the garden pathway looks similar to the one above.  

  Drum House side view.  This looks like the same house.  

 Drum House view from the fields. 

  Drum House.  Notice the small lodging house in the front of the property.  This was described in the first real estate listing, and was a later addition, as were some of the outbuildings. 

  

Drum House location with footprint of buildings circled in orange. 

    Sooey Townland, County Sligo  in purple.  Notice the footprint of Drum House circled in orange. 

 Alexander Burrows specified that William Crawford was to act as one of his executors. William Crawford (senior) was a farmer who was from Sooey.  In Jane White's letter of June 26th, 1890 she wrote that William Crawford was in the presence of Alexander Burrows several days before he died, and that a year later brother "Adam etes (eats) in Crawfords as no one is in Drum to cook for him".  I found Sooey Townland on the map in relation to the current Drum House.  If you walk across the fields, it is a mere 1-2 miles, depending on exactly where the Crawford farm was located. William Crawford was most likely a close neighbor familiar with the Burrows family.  It is not hard to imagine that we have found the Burrows'  Drum House!

Burrows Working Tree...Ismena Burrows Writes to Her Brother Alexander Burrows on June 24th 1890 From White Hall

   This is a section of the passenger list for the ship Denovia.  Ismena Burrows, aged 30, arrived in New York on 1 May 1889 and eventually took work as a house servant. (New York U.S. Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists 1820-1957 for Ismena Burrows Ancestry.com). 

  A year later she was back in County Leitrim, staying at WhiteHall, which was the home of her older sister Jane Burrows White.  She wrote this letter to her brother Alexander several days before her sister Jane wrote to Alexander (see post from 20 March, 2022). These two letters may have been sent to California together. The transcription follows the letters. 

  Alexander Burrows of Drum (their father) had passed away on 9 August, 1889.  Ismena needed to come back home to claim her part of the will.  She also took the opportunity to write her brother "after many years silence".  

    

 Page 1 Front  (letter begins on the right hand side, as it was folded in half originally). 

   Page 1 Back 

  Front of possible insert (begin reading on right hand side).  The last page of the entire letter is on the left hand side.  It was signed "From your fond sister Ismena Burrows". 

Back of possible insert (begin reading on right hand side)

Transcription.....

(Page 1 front, right side)

                                                                WhiteHall

                                                          June 24th

                                                           "90"

My Dear Brother,

  I take the opportunity of writing you these few lines, after many years of silence.  No doubt you have heard of the many changes that has taken place in Drum this last 12 months, that dear old place is now almost left alone.

(Page 1 back, right side)

Poor Father is no more [it?] has pleased the Lord to take him home, after his long battle with this weary world.  I have been to America for 12 months[.]  Had to earn my bread hard but honest.  I had to come home to see after my 3 hundred lb [pounds] Father willed me when dieing [sic].  I can not tell you my sufferings in Drum, but only suffered as my poor mother did which you are well aware of.

(Page 1 back, left side, written vertically)

I suppose you have had a letter from Rev Mr. Molsdale, as I gave him your address.  He could not get it from any of your friends, till I came home, although [Mrs.?] Porteus had it[.] it was very unkind of her not to give it to him[.] did Jane White write to you.  She got your address from me.  Tom acted badly both to Father & me.  I hope the Lord will forgive him.

(Page 1 front,  left side)

Mr. Molsdale is very kind to me[.] he wants me stay home and not goe  to America[?] [?] to get a little farm for myself and Adam.  He is left Manorhamilton. Mrs. Porteus wants to get him into the asylumn [sic].  I dont wish him to goe there[.] poor fellow would die with grief.  He ain't so foolish [now?] as he was[.]  He is well cared for since Father died.

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 End of first letter.  I believe the next was an insert to this letter, but I am not 100% sure.  The paper and folds are the same.  She writes the right hand side vertically as in the last letter.  This letter is signed, whereas the above letter was not. I believe the content fits also.

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 (Insert front, right side) 

I gess [guess?] Jane White has told you all the news to tell.  I am in very delicate health presently, attending the Doc. My heart is broke[.] often I wish I was dead.  Drum is to be sold [for?] Tom ain't coming home.  He is far out in America.  got married to his second cousin Georgina Foster, daughter of George Foster, 

(Insert back, right side,)

Granddaughter to Johnston Burrows Carrowcrin.  She had no fortune & was only 17 years of age.

I would buy Drum if I got it cheap [cheap crossed out].  Will you kindly write to the Rev Mr. [?] Molsdale & ask him to sell it to me as he has the sale of it.  I am tossed about at present, having no home on earth but a bright one in heaven.

(Insert back, left side, written vertically)

I am staying for a short time here.  Of course you have heard how Father's will ran.  You are left one hundred, Tom was left as much as all his childerin [sic] although he never had a child caused him so much trouble[.] I gess [sic] he brought[t] him to his grave[.]  If you write to me I will 

(Insert front, left side)

write you a long letter and tell you all [?] of news[.]  if you write to me please send it in care of the Rev. Mr. Molsdale

                        Ballysumaghen Rect.

                                    Colloony

                        Co Sligo

I must go bye bye_____

Hoping you are quite well

With warmest love

From your fond sister

Ismena Burrows

Write Tom

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  We hear from Ismena (called "Emy" in subsequent letters) in this letter.  She had just spent a year in America, and had returned to Ireland to claim her inheritance.  She seemed adrift, having "no home on earth".  Should she stay and try to buy the family home and take care of her brother? Should she buy a little farm as the Reverend Moulsdale suggested? She was certainly very unhappy with how the will ended up being written, intimating that Tom unfairly received more than all the others despite his poor behavior towards his family. Is she being overly dramatic about her health and her feelings of despondency?  It is hard to tell. Alexander Burrows (my Great Great Grandfather) committed suicide in 1904.  Perhaps there was a tendency towards melancholy on the Burrows side.... 

  

  My DNA cousins and I are still working on place names, locations, old and current maps of the area as well as research on neighbors and acquaintances to fill out the details of these letters.  One cousin, a descendent of Jane White,  will be taking an upcoming trip to Ireland to visit the area where WhiteHall once stood.  Supposedly there are a few outbuildings left standing, but the main house is gone. I can't wait to see what she finds!  

   I am adding Georgina Foster to the Burrows working tree. Her parents were George Foster and Mary Ann Moysten Burrows. Mary Ann's father was Johnston Burrows who was possibly the brother of Alexander Burrows of Drum. There was a 15 year difference in ages between Tom and Georgina. 

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The following tree is our "working tree".  It will change as we do more research, fit more pieces together and verify family members.  This is the basic tree as of now. 

Alexander Burrows of Carrowcrin (based on his will of 1834) father to....

*

      Johnston Burrows m. Mary Moysten  parents of  Mary Anne Burrows (m. George Foster) parents of Georgina Foster (see Thomas Burrows below)

               Alexander Burrows of Drum (based on his will of 1889) m.  Francis "Fanny" Elliot (based on the marriage registration of John Burrows and Margaret O'Leary) parents of.....

*

1. Margaret Burrows Porteus (married Robert Porteus) of Clara

*daughter Francis "Fanny" Burrows Graham

2. Jane Burrows (married Adam Elliott White) of Sligo.  The White family lived at WhiteHall, County Leitrim, Ireland.

 *son Robert Alexander White born at Whitehall, County Leitrim, Ireland.

3. Adam Burrows (was living in Drum in 1890; lived at the asylum in Sligo sometime after that.  )

4. Alexander Burrows (married Elizabeth Jane Hurd in America) my G G Grandparents; they lived in Grass Valley, California.

5. John Elliott Burrows (came to America) m. Margaret O'Leary in St. Louis. Children Francis Burrows Riley and Thomas A. Burrows.

6. Thomas Burrows (bequeathed house and land in Drum and was to look after Adam per will of 1889.  Left for America shortly after his father's death).  M. Georgina Foster b. 1871 d. 1890.  Per marriage index Ireland, Civil Registration of Marriage, she married Thomas in 1888. 

7.  Ismena  "Emy" Burrows (spent time in America but went back home to Ireland to claim her inheritance.)

8. Elizabeth Burrows (came to America) and married Hermann Bucher in 1892 in New York; was called Emma (based on letters written by Hermann Bucher)

This is the marriage registration of Adam White and Jane Burrows from 11 January 1866. Adam White was from WhiteHall, in the parish of Killenummery.  They were married in the parish church of Ballysumaghan, a short distance away from WhiteHall. 

 Ireland Select Marriages 1619-1898 Ancestry.com