Roger Parke of Dunally: died 11th February 1819, buried 13th February 1819.
A Roger Parke, of Dunally, was buried in Drumcliffe churchyard in 1819. There is conflicting local advice about his age:
- Inside Drumcliffe Church: Sacred to the memory of Roger Parke Esq., of Dunally
who departed this life on the 11th day of February 1819 in the 90th year of his life.
- In Drumcliffe Churchyard: Roger Parke 11 Feb 1819 aged 85
The matter was finally settled when the burial records were compiled by Churchwarden Annie West and Rev. Archdeacon Forster:
- Roger Parke: 97 years of age, Feb 13th 1819, Parish of Drumcliffe. (i.e. Born 1722)
Logically, this would appear to be Roger Parke, the son of William Parke of Doonally (Dunally) who is referred to in the following Memorial from the Registry of Deeds:
Registry of Deeds, Memorial #31620 27 August 1719
A memorial, concerning Articles of Intermarriage, between William Parke (Doonally, Sligo), on behalf of his son Roger Parke, and Mathew Ormsby (Rathlee, Sligo), on behalf of daughter Isabella Ormsby. Marriage to occur on or before 28 August 1719. Mathew to give Roger 600 pounds (equivalent to 173,000 pounds in 2025). This was a large settlement and indicates that Isabella stood to gain much by the marriage. The couple were to live at Doonally with William. This would seem to indicate that Roger could have been much older than Isabella and expected to inherit his father’s estate before too long. The memorial indicated lands to be inherited by Roger as settlement to Isabella/Mathew.
Isabella was under the age of menopause, indicated by the birth of daughter Ann b. Abt. 1720 (married Gilbert King in 1744).
Roger was also the father of another son, Robert Parke, who he termed “natural son’ (illegitimate) in his will, leaving him 50 pounds.
This Roger died in 1726. On 3rd May of that year, a memorial (#31624) was registered to say that he had leased land in Leitrim from Alexander Johnstone on 23 May 1725 and this was witnessed by William Parke of Dunally. It might be assumed that his brother Robert’s son Roger was the inheritor of Dunally, and that he was the Roger Parke of Dunally that died in 1819.
On 15th January 1741, a memorial dated 14/15 June 1725 was sworn at quarterly sessions in Sligo (by Richard Gore – the only surviving trustee). On the same day Sir Richard Gethin swore, in memorial # 74024, that William of Dunally and son Robert of Rabrahan had sworn another deed of lease. In 1741, William and Roger were both deceased and the family structure was deduced to be (in 1725):
At first sight, the data extracted from the Registry of Deeds appear to be very confusing. If we carefully go through each memorial in chronological sequence, we are able to gradually discern family relationships within and between Sligo and Leitrim. Although the original Roger Parke’s sons William and Robert appear to have both been born in Sligo, by 1635 Robert Parke bought Newtowne, the castle on Lough Gill, some land and two islands. Thereafter, his branch of the family appears to have been based in Leitrim, whilst William’s branch was centered on Sligo.
The will of Roger Parke, died 1726 is revealing:
To my wife Isabella Ormsby an annuity of 80 poundsMentions his father William Parke of Dunally and Pasheendarrag. To Ann Parke, my daughter, 600 pounds and much land – to descend to Roger Parke, son of my brother Robert Parke of Rabrahane. Failing him to Charles Parke my second brother.Then to my third brother William Parke. Then to my cousin Edward Parke. Then to my cousin Francis Parke. Then to my sister Mary Parke.Then to Elinor Parke, daughter of my eldest sister Elinor Parke.
To my natural son Robert Parke 50 pounds
Now, Robert married Jean de la Fausille on 21st September 1719, and his son Roger appears to have been born before 1726, being mentioned in his uncle Roger’s will. Robert, according to Anstice G Parke, was referred to as ‘the unfortunate Robert’ in Dunally Parke papers.
Robert’s son Roger, however, could not be the Roger who died in 1819; although he was alive in 1726 he died young ‘at college’. He was not entered at Trinity College Dublin, so this was presumably Portora Royal College (Ennskillen), Kilkenny College, or one of the other major schools which were called ‘College’.
We must also remember Ann, the daughter of Isabella and Roger, who married Gilbert King and who was bequeathed 600 pounds and much land. She did not die until after 1793 and this land would not have been returned to any heir until after her death.
So, who was the Roger Parke of Dunally who died in 1819? The answer to this question was discovered in the family papers of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir William Parke of Dunally, who died in 1851.
Sir William Parke
Sir William Parke, in 1847, completed a form that he did not appear to sign or send, but was clearly obtained for sending to the offices of “Burke’s Peerage”, which purported to show some of his lineage. This is at odds with opinions developed by some more modern researchers. It could be assumed that that he was able to access sources that were later destroyed in the Dublin fire at the Four Courts, and one would have to accept that he had the details correct for i) his parents, ii) his siblings and iii) his children, and it is most probable that he also knew the identities of his grandparents and his paternal great-grandfather. His version of his lineage is recounted, below:
The form, itself, can be seen in the following images:
Somehow, the inheritance of Dunally jumped to a Leitrim family, missing cousins Edward and Francis – also, apparently, missing the brothers of Roger (married to Isabella). There are fascinating clues, strewn throughout the Registry of Deeds, about how this may have happened:
1717 Original Deed concerning lands and inheritance referred to in Memorial #74024
1719 Memorial #31620 on 27 August 1719 between William Parke of Doonally and Mathew Ormsby of Rathlee for marriage of Roger and Isabella Ormsby
1719 21 Sep 1719 marriage settlement between William Parke and John Fontanier for marriage of Robert Parke and Jean de la Fausille.
1726 Will of Roger Parke, Dunally. Widow Isabella Ormsby. Daughter Anne married Gilbert King. Mentions the son Roger of his brother Robert.
Note that the historian Anstice G Parke saw, in the State Archives/P.R. Office in Dublin, the original full-text ledger copy of Roger’s will and recounted that it contained much detail not found in the abbreviated extracts – e.g. mention of “Uncle Robert Parke” – who was possibly another son of William Parke of Pasheendarragh/Doonally.
1742 Memorial #74024, dated 15 January 1742, but registered on 22 May 1742, concerning a Deed dated 6 Jan 1717. The Deed was witnessed by Sir Richard Gethin, John de Butts, Thomas Osborn and Charles McCahelery. The Memorial was signed and sealed by Richard Gore in the presence of Thomas Burrows and Sir Richard Gethin.
The Deed was between William Parke of Doonally, Richard Gore and Robert Parke of Rabrahan (William’s son). It mentions William’s son Roger (wife Isabella) and appears to be giving rights over certain lands to Richard Gore and his heirs for a rental subject to the land being passed on to the same recipients as are in Roger Parke’s will of 1726. What differs, however, is that this memorial (attested after the deaths of William, Robert and Roger) also mentions “and upon default of such issue to the Rightful Heir of the said William Parke party to the said Deed in which said recited Deed it is mentioned”. This appears to be a substantial difference from the precis of Roger’s 1726 will.
The Registrars for Deeds in Sligo, Eubal Ormsby and John Irwin originally swore the Memorial on 15 Jan 1742 at a “General Sessions of the Peace” held for Sligo (was this a more legal inquiry into the heritance of Doonally etc.?)
Memorial #74023 was signed on the same day by Richard Gore in the presence of Francis Bill, saying that on 21 Sep 1719 he witnessed a Deed signed by William and Robert Parke between Richard Gore and John Fontanier concerning the marriage between Robert Parke and Jean de la Fausille. This is a memorial of a Lease/Release Made 14/15 June 1725 concerning the inheritance of the Doonally lands.
In the absence of more concrete evidence, what these various Deeds and Memorials appear to show is that William Parke was increasingly concerned with inheritance. He arranged marriages of Roger and Robert with daughters of well-known ‘gentry’ and made provision for their wives and the inheritance of the male line. For whatever reason, these sons, their children and their 1st cousins once removed (Edward and Francis) either did not inherit the lands, or sold them to the Leitrim family of Roger Parke and not the latter’s brother William who was father of Edward and Francis.
1744 #143568 dated 3 Jul 1744 between Gilbert King of Charlestown, Roscommon and Ann Parke spinster of Sligo and Sir Richard Gethin of Sligo and Arthur French of Frenchpark in Roscommon and Mathew Ormsby of Dromore in Sligo and Rev. Charles Dodd of Kingsfort in Sligo. Ann Parke’s marriage portion was 700 pounds. Deed is a marriage settlement – soon to married after this date. Large tracts of land mentioned for upkeep of Ann in event of husband’s death.
1793 Memorial #298382 30 April 1793. Parke to King April/May Ann King (nee Parke), Drogheda, widow of Gilbert King, Charlestown, Roscommon. Said Anne King was legally entitled to land (in Carrowmore, Carbury, Sligo) leased in 1734 to Eubal Ormsby. She agreed to sell this to James King. Mentioned are Thomas LD of Southell/will, Edward King, lawyer, Dublin and John King 2nd son of James King, Dublin.
There were many Deeds and Memorials and also cases in the Court of Chancery concerning land and money within the Parke families in Leitrim between 1741 the late 1750’s and it is probable that William Parke (married Jane Nesbitt) probably acquired/inherited the Dunally estates between then and the death of Anne King (nee Parke).
Inheritance of Doonally in Sligo
Leitrim families incorporating Sir William’s document