John Humphrys, of Glenstal
The will of
"John Humphrey", of Glenstal, was proved 1811.
Entry in
[Vicars' index of wills 1536-1810].
This will was burnt in 1922.
This must be this John Humphrys of Glenstal.
John Humphrys,
born est c.1750.
Farmer at
Glenstal, Co.Limerick.
Listed as "gent" and "farmer".
He must be "John Humphris" son of "John Humphris" of Glenstal,
who is one of the three "lives" used in
[Deed, 1756]
for a lease of Knocknagorteeny, Abington par,
to James Canter.
A lease for several persons' lives
often used infants.
So John might be born c.1750.
That birthdate also makes sense since he signed a deed in 1782, but separated from his wife in 1802.
(One might separate in late middle age, but rarely older than that.)
He mar
Ellen Glessane.
Gets long-term lease of Glenstal in 1782:
He is John Humphrys,
of Glenstal,
farmer,
who in
[Deed, 1782]
gains a long-term lease of
Glenstal
from
Hyde of Co.Cork.
The lease is for 80 years or the 3 lives
of himself and his two nephews.
Yearly rent £113.
|
Sets up Simon in 1797:
He is party to
[Deed, 1797]
which is marriage settlement of his nephew
Simon Humphrys.
He
sets up an annuity for Simon's wife out of his lands at Glenstal
in case she should survive Simon.
Unknown deed of 1797:
[Tenure Book for Glenstal, 1850]
shows 7 different Humphrys plots in Glenstal,
all leased from Barrington.
It says they are all held
under a long-term lease of 1797
(pre-dating Barrington).
What is the 1797 deed?
It does not seem like
[Deed, 1797]
which is a marriage settlement
for Simon Humphrys setting up an annuity.
It seems like it must be some other 1797 deed,
an update on the 1782 deed.
Though
[Deed, 1817]
did not mention a 1797 deed, and just said the lands were held under the 1782 deed.
|
John and Ellen separated 1802:
John and Ellen separated by
[Deed, 1802]:
"that dispute had arisen between said John Humfreys and Ellen his wife
whereupon they had agreed to live separate and apart".
He agrees to pay her the yearly sum of £30 for maintenance.
Sets up Patrick in 1807:
By
[Deed, 1807]
"as a marriage portion"
at the marriage of
Patrick Humphrys,
he granted unto Patrick that part of Glenstal
as "was held by John Humphrys deceased the father of said John".
Later,
papers connected to
[Deed, 1817]
refer to:
"That part of said lands of Glenstall claimed by Patrick Humphrys as having been in the possession of
John Humphrys John".
Probably sets up John Humphrys David in 1810:
He is probably John Humphrys, of Glenstal, farmer,
in
[Deed, 1810].
This is the marriage settlement of
John Humphrys David
(may be John Humphrys, son of his brother David).
John Humphrys of Glenstal grants unto John Humphrys David
an annuity of £50 yearly payable out of the lands of Glenstal and
"Brittis", Co.Limerick.
This must be Brittas, Co.Limerick.
Probably died 1811:
He died before
[Deed, 1815].
He must be
"John Humphrey", of Glenstal, whose will was proved 1811.
[Deed, 1815]
says that by his last will he granted
other parts of Glenstal to
Patrick Humphrys.
Cracked Jack must have married Humphrys heiress of Glenstal:
-
How did
John Humphrys, "Cracked Jack",
inherit Glenstal if he was from Doonane?
- The family story is that "Cracked Jack" was from Doonane and he came to Glenstal
when he
married a Humphrys cousin of his who was already in Glenstal.
-
[Claire Humphreys]
said Cracked Jack married his cousin,
who "had inherited the family home in Glenstal",
which was "Humphrys family seat for some generations"
before this.
- It is true that Humphrys had been in Glenstal since at least 1756.
- William's grave
shows Cracked Jack was from Doonane.
-
There were other Humphrys in Glenstal.
So for Cracked Jack of Doonane to inherit the main house,
he must have married the Humphrys heiress.
- Conclusion: Cracked Jack must have married Humphrys heiress of Glenstal.
Was Cracked Jack's wife daughter of this John Humphrys of Glenstal?
- The family story is that Humphrys of Glenstal only had one daughter,
and was so anxious to keep his land, he brought in his nephew from Doonane (Cracked Jack) to marry her.
-
This fits the above John Humphrys of Glenstal.
He got a lease of Glenstal in 1782.
It looks like he had no sons,
which is why he is setting up various male relatives.
But maybe he had a daughter, which is how Cracked Jack could inherit the main house.
-
This would explain Cracked Jack possibly calling his eldest son John.
- The story is that Cracked Jack was his nephew.
But if Cracked Jack and his wife
were 1st cousins,
that would probably
need William of Doonane
to be son of Humphrys of Glenstal.
More likely they were cousins, but more distant cousins.
- One problem: If John was born c.1750, unlikely to have daughter marrying before 1788.
Maybe he was born c.1740
(though that makes date of his marriage separation 1802 less likely).
- Conclusion: Unknown if Cracked Jack's wife was daughter of this John Humphrys of Glenstal.
Would make sense for inheritance, but dates don't quite fit.
We start our line as follows:
- --- Humphrys,
of Glenstal, Co.Limerick,
might be identical with John Humphrys of Glenstal above,
had issue:
- (dau) Humphrys,
mar pre-1788 to John Humphrys, "Cracked Jack"
[born est c.1760]
and had issue.
Cracked Jack's father
William
was of Doonane
(as shown here on his grave).
So how did Cracked Jack inherit Glenstal?
The story that he married Humphrys heiress of Glenstal must be true.
Timmy Humphreys
said there was a
story that Cracked Jack's wife (Humphrys of Glenstal) was a descendant of a marriage between Humphrys
and
Grady (or O'Grady) of Cappercullen,
which was how Humphrys got their land
at
Glenstal.
Nora Costello
heard this story also.
The
story was that Humphrys met
Standish O'Grady
at a fair in Newport.
A match was made between Humphrys' son and O'Grady's daughter.
O'Grady gave land as a dowry to his daughter.
However, there is no real evidence of this.
- First, it is not clear if the Gradys ever owned the Humphrys land at Glenstal.
-
They did own the neighbouring townland Garranbane,
and the one beyond that, Cappercullen.
-
They also owned a location on the E side of Garranbane, with many different spellings:
Scartavaryvog or
Skartivarryoge or
Scartvavaryeoge or
Scartvaryouge or
Scartovyvoge or
Scartiearyvay.
This vanished as a placename before the OSI maps.
This may correspond to part of Glenstal townland, and may in fact be the Humphrys land.
- Grady owned Garranbane and (the above location) from
1734.
- Grady rented Cappercullen from Lord Carbery.
- Humphrys
got an unusual (for Catholics) lease of Glenstal in
[Deed, 1782]
but they got it from
Hyde of Co.Cork,
not from Grady.
-
(Later, after 1818,
their landlord was Barrington of Glenstal Castle.)
- There is a "Deborah Hyde" in the
Hyde tree,
dau of Arthur Hyde and Anne Price.
"Deborah" is a name in the Humphrys family
shortly after that time.
-
Is it possible that Humphrys got Glenstal when he married a daughter of Hyde?
- Grady apparently owned
Brittas
near Glenstal
from
1672.
Still held it in 1737.
- Humphrys
had Brittas in
[Deed, 1810].
-
Is it possible that Humphrys got Brittas from Grady?
Maybe Humphrys did get land at Glenstal or Brittas from Grady.
But there is no evidence of a marriage.
Humphrys barely appears in the extensive records for the Grady (O'Grady) family.
There are these scraps:
- David Humphrys
witnessed the marriage settlement
[Deed, 1789]
of
Standish Grady of Elton,
son of
Standish Grady of Cappercullen.
He might be:
-
David Humphreys.
Acting High Constable of Owneybeg 1812.
High Constable of Owneybeg 1813.
Owneybeg is the Barony in Co.Limerick that includes the Glenstal area.
It covers Abington parish and two other parishes.
- There is a deed of 1812 in
[Grady papers, Glenstal].
Rev. Standish Grady
and Simon Humphrys.
He might be
Simon Humphrys of Murroe.
References
Sources yet to be consulted
