On a recent trip to the UK, I was able to spend a weekend in Fermanagh near the town of Kesh on Lower Loch Erne. My Morrow and Allingham ancestors lived nearby before emigrating to Australia in the 1840’s and 1850’s. I purchased an Ordinance Survey map of the area.
The image shown here is a scanned portion of the map and I added some text to show where significant places are located.
The photo above shows Loch Erne from a look out on the small scenic road from Castle Archdale Forest into Kesh.
This road also passes through the townland of Crevinish (indicated on map as Morrow Land 1828). This is where my Morrow ancestors were living in 1828 according to the Tithe Applotment Books (The Tithe Applotment Books “were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in order to determine the amount which occupiers of agricultural holdings over one acre should pay in tithes to the Church of Ireland. There is a manuscript book for almost every civil (Church of Ireland) parish in the country giving the names of occupiers of each townland, the amount of land held and the sums to be paid in tithes” – source The National Archives of Ireland). Four Morrow brothers – James, Richard, John and Robert are listed in the parish of Magherculmoney and townland of Crevinish in 1828.
The ruins of Crevinish Castle are also in the townland. Unfortunately the ruins are now part of a holiday village and caravan park, but I ignored the No Tresspassing signs, climbed a few gates and took the photo of the castle ruins above.
The local parish church attended by the Morrow family was St Mary’s Church at Ardess. The church has been flagged on the map above and I took the photo above when I visited the church.
The Allingham family lived not far from Crevinish on Boa Island. Elizabeth MORROW (1799-1891), sister to the four Morrow brothers living in Crevinish in 1828, married Edward ALLINGHAM (1792-1869) in 1824. Edward was listed in the Tithe Applotment Books in 1832 in the parish of Drumkeeran and townland of Lustybeg (not flagged on the map, but an island off the coast of Boa Island).
The Allingham and Morrow families were also joined in matrimony in Australia (Armidale, NSW) in 1853 when George MORROW (1823-1906) (eldest son of Robert Morrow – one of the four brothers) and Isabella ALLINGHAM (1833-1907) were married. Isabella’s father, Robert, is listed in the Tithe Applotment book for 1828 in the parish of Templecarn in the townland of Mullans (see the text flagging the place on Boa Island on the map).
The local parish church attended by the Allingham family was Templecarne Church in the town of Pettigo (Pettigo is just over the border in the Republic of Ireland). The church has been flagged on the map above and I took the photo above when I visited the church.