APPENDIX. THE CLORAN PAPERS. DERMOT OGE'S WILL. I. H. S. JUNE, 1693. I DERMOT OGE CLORAN of Lissine, in the county of Galway, Gent., doe, in the name of God, intend to write somthings in this paper booke that may be useful for myselfe and instructive to my son after my death, and alsoe to O'Shaghnussie, when God is pleased to restore him to his rights. I will not write any thing in it but truth, as if I had made it as my last will and testament, and if I should die without making a will, I desire that notice may be taken of what I will write in this booke touching my will, so far as to the contrary, a statement doe not or will not appear unless I write som lynes in the blanks rather than blott anything, upon further consideration, and for this reason that som after my death may blott som of my writeing, to conceale my declaration and will giveing, as an example that I made many other blotts, which danger I intend to prevent. I say that I am now in as good health as I was any time this ten years past; but considering my age, which I suppose to be 55 years, or thereabouts, doe alsoe consider it most conuenient to write somthing, that may direct my son and heire, Edmond Cloran, who is now but ten years of age next 14th August, 1693, and write somthings touching my will, and to leade O'Shaghnussie, who is now a student or souldier in Ffrance. As to my will, I declare it onely to my son, and the rest of my children's use, not hindering my wife, Margaret Lynch, of anything she ought to have eyther by law, or by the contract of her intermariage, for she is worthy of more than I can give or leave her. If it bee God's will that I provide for my eldest daughter before I die, and that my eldest son, whoever he may be, inioy* my interest at Lissine, and my mortgage at Cloan, my second son and daughter are to get two partes of my cattle, and corne, and the other, with the houshould stuff, I leave to my eldest son, that is to say, this division to be made after my wife's division aforesaid. * Inioy is the old way of spelling enjoy. I desire Captain Francis Forster, of Rathorpe, to divide between my children as he will think most just and concionable, calling to his assistance my brother-in-law James Lynch, my brother, Mathew Cloran, Mr. Pyers Butler of Ballygegin, my brother-in-law Mr. Ulick, Mr. Henry Burke, of Kilcarurane, and Mr. Connor Hogan, of Kilkeedy, alsoe my brother-in-law, and the husband of my eldest daughter, or such of them as will joyne with the said Francis Forster. And if O'Shaghnussie come to the country, or be in this country at any time, when this occasion may serve, I pray him to be the first and chiefest person to divide and agree all matters between my wife and children, and between seven children, and to stand their prop friend, as his forefathers were to me and my forefathers. Memorandum, that still my meaning is that my debts and legacies shall be first paid before any division, the particulars of which I hope to mention hereafter, as well as I can order and remember, and that my meaning is that the aforesaid Gentleman shall and may decide all differences between as well my wife and children as above between my children (if any should happen), and that on any difference between them, they are to desire O'Shaghnussie, Captain Forster, and the rest of the aforesaid gent", to send with their letter of summoning both plaintiff and defendant to appear before them on a certain day, and in case of refusing to appear then, and that they could without excuse appeare, then, upon such neglect, the said gentlemen's order I declare to be binding, and that it doth agree with my will and testament, as much as if I were deciding the matter, I say that in case all the said gentlemen cannot appear to decide such difference, that three of them may doe after the rest be summoned (if in the country), provided O'Shaughnussie, Captain Forster, or my brother Mathew be of the three or their heires), I ioyn with the aforesaid gent", my nephew Hobart M'Coog and his brother Myles. [The nephew alluded to by Dermot Oge was Hubert M'Hugo, Esq., who was a member of an old and respectable family in the county of Galway. The M'Hugos of Grouse Hill, near Gort, were a junior branch of the De Burgh Sept, and derived their patronymic from a chieftain of that warlike race. They possessed large property in the neighbourhood of Grouse Hill, and in the good old days when duelling was in fashion, were remarkable for the number of Fire-eaters and Blazers amongst them; but, like many other county Galway families, they lost their broad acres by paying more attention to the turf and the billiard table than to their rentrolls. They were intermarried with the leading families in the county, and one of the last of them, Walter M'Hugo, of Grouse Hill, was father of Joan, who married Edward Forster, of Jockey Hall.] DERMOT OGE'S ADVICE TO HIS SON. My advice to my son, wh I pray him to take and observe : Son,-The first thing you are to obserue is, that if y" have true loue and feare of God, y" can prosper, and without the same y" cannot prosper. If y love and feare God, y" will have a settled mind euen in aduersitie—of small effects y can haue enough—y" will not be troubled with the gnawing worme of troubled consience, euen at y' death time-indeavour to follow all rules of vertue, imitat those y" finde of good behaveour, follow ye straight rule of honestie by wch y cannot but doe well; by following the same y" will satisfie God y'self, and y' nibours the fame thereof will yet y" an employment in all y dealings, y" will be trusted, yr if you will be respected, and in fine, God will bless y", and yr conscience and minde will be quite and easie. And to obtaine this felicitie, y must euen hate as well as shun all euill company, which is the mother (directly) of all euill. I haue taken notice in my time of sortes of people, that come by the way of ciuill [civil,] care from very little effects to have exceeded in wealth, great ones that by following honestie theire credid was great. I saw people very well decended of good patrimony, and of good learning and breeding com to little or nothing by means, they did not follow God's rules, but rather kept bad company, thinking they had enogh to spend, and did think it ye best way for courtship's sake to keepe a lude way without thinking of God or his law. It is a good old proverb, "How can he fall if he falls, not from prayers?" In breefe, I tell y" that none can be in any good way to serue God, or himselfe, or in any way to prosper, but by keeping his minde and his deedes to please God. Y" will finde by all good reading that ye Roman religion is ye first, and onely true religion, and y" will finde by y' reading how these kingdoms, by the schemes of England, and the laws of the K. of England, and other good bookes, that that religion was trodden on by Acts of Parliament since K. H. 8., his time, and som in his time which confused seuerall coustous folish ungodly inclined persons of our country. I adiuse y follow the old path of godly people, yallue not ye pomps and glorie of those that feede theire body, and not onely starues, but destroye theire soule. Loue praying euery day, miss not an ench of honestie, keepe lent in good comanie, haue a charitable minde, respect respectable persons, trust not flatterers or such as profess y" kindness without reason. Be uerie loueing to yr friends, but have a care y" doe not trust ym too much ; comon uoge [vogue], and dealings will let y" know what disposition people are of; fawne not on any, for it would proue yr weakness. Imitat still those of good repute-learne as well as y" can which of ye people of ye country proved true to their nibours, and kinde to y' predecessors; loue and serue such people, for it is like they may serue y" soe if you prove soe to ym. What land or houlding y" will haue, haue it in divisions and parkes; ouer stocke not y' land; let not y' tenants in comon with y"; giue them their share aparte; be civill to ym; be not ouer or rigid with ym, but let them not be y' fellowes; keepe due civill distance, which ym minde alwayes to keepe up y' mearings, which will make y" and y' nibours liue in amitie and good nibourhood; quarell not if y" be not ouer much put on, but if y" be wronged aduise wth good choice people; but I doe not aduise y" to be dominierd, where y" can lawfully preuent; be sure y" doe not be scene in bad companie, drinking or con |