Wisdom Wednesday ~ Inscriptions on the Kilmallock Chalices and Family

 In St. Saviour's Church Limerick is the second of the Henry Burgatt chalices and on that chalice are three inscriptions in Latin. When they are translated and considered in context they seem to illustrate more of the family of  Geneta Fant and John Burgate.

The first inscription  reads "Dom. Callaghanus O'Callaghan et Juana Butler vxor ejus fieri fecerant pro conventu Killocensi: ord. " which may read loosely  " Donated by Callaghan O'Callaghan and his wife Juana Butler of  Killocensi.

Second Inscription is " Henrico Burgatt. Orate pro Mauritio Gibbon, filio Comitis Albi. Requiescat in pace. 1639 "  and probably reads and means " Henry Burgate. Pray for Maurice Gibbon, son of the Earl of white (FitzGibbon the  White Knight)  Rest in peace. 1639.

 

Third Inscription is Thos. Burgat  and under it is Joana Butler.

 

It is  possible that Henry Burgate is praying for his brother-in-law Maurice Gibbon who was son of Gibbon FitzGibbon called the White Knight. Maurice FitzGibbon married Ellen/Helen Burgate. 

It is also possible that it refers to Joan ( Juana) Butler's son from her first marriage to Maurice Fitzgibbon. Maurice "Oge" Fitzgibbon the 12th White Knight who died May 30,  1611 at the age of fourteen.

Henry Burgate was the uncle of the 13th White Knight and was Prior of Kilmallock Abbey  in 1639.

I have also just found that Anne Browne of Awney was wife of  Thomas Burgatt senior. He dies in 1688 and his widow marries Foulcke Monslowe  and petitions for the lands he lived on in Ballyregan.

                                                                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mappy Monday ~ Fants near Baile an Fhóntaigh in Desmond Wars

"Desmound is a parcel of the Countie of Kerry and is deuided into three Baronies and an half. The South part doth bound with certayne mountaynes of Bear and Bantry beginninge from Killmallockoshista and continuinge to O Leary and O donouans landes in the countie of Corke."

This is a momentous period time for our family, from the dissolution of the religious houses between 1537-1547, to the Desmond Rebellions ib 1569-1583. They are attainted for treason, lost their lands, fortunes and their lives.

A James Ffant of Fantstown ,we know was attainted for the murder of Patrick Ffant, at a town gate in Kilmallock in 1583 or 1586( accounts vary). Was he the James who owned the Castle or did he just live nearby? It is said that Genet Ffant who married John Burgatt was his daughter, and since we know that Thomas Burgatt was castle tenant in 1586, we assume this to be true. Possibly also Thomas Burgatt was given the wardship of Genet  and thus was able to marry his son to her. We know they married and lived in a manor at Galbally Abbey in 1604, and that their children were born about that time. We do not know how old they were when they were married, although it is quite possible they were still quite young.

Another James Ffant who works for George Thorneton the Marshal or President of Munster was pardoned for some treasonous activity at this time and since the Marshal was pardoned in 1583 it was likely that was the date. James was said to be a tenant  in Ballanny Tipperary, further away.

In 1595 a grant was given to Captain Robert Collum, of the various lands of James Ffant and Robert Ffant in various places in Limerick, as well as two messuages  in Kilmallock town. Messuages meant a house and outbuildings with the land adjacent to them, and attainted usually meant  treason at this time. John Faunt from Fantstowne was a Kerne (soldier) in 1567 and as a horseman received a pardon in 1584. Also receiving pardons were Richard, Limerick yeoman and James and John Fant of Clangibbon Cork. It is quite possible some of these were brothers to Genet and for sure were related to her.

Others appearing in records at this time were Nicholas Oge Ffant and his wife Margaret Coyne, Patrick and Stephen. We know these folks all survive the Civil Wars which went on for eleven years.
They surely lived nearby at this time  but begin to move away to Tipperary and Cork and other places not in Ireland.

This is a description of the area  then called Fantstown,
Baile an Fhóntaigh or  the town of An Fóntach (le Faunt) from Limerick Diocesan Heritage Project
" The village of Bulgaden is about 3 miles from Kilmallock off the R515. The parish is called Bulgaden/Martinstown but in old editions of the Catholic Directory the parish was known as Bulgaden and Ballinvana. Today the parish is made up of parts of the old parishes of Ballinvana (which was also called Athaneasy) and Kilmallock. Ballinvana has also been called Kilbreedy Major and Fantstown over the years in various sources."