DAVID McLEROY

GREAT ENQUEST - 1702 & 1703

Maughold

May the 28th, 1702

We the Great Enquest of the Garfe Sheading have this [day taken]? these depositions following, touching a difference depen[...] betwixt David Mcleroy the one party and Robert Cretch the other party as followeth:

John Kerruish snr aged 6 years and Will Callow senior aged 5 years sworn and examined sayeth that from the house end of Ballnacarney from that broken brow above the deep pool and comes straight way up towards the easement of the crewcren and Balaknock and Ballaskegge is the mairaditch [mere dike?]..... they saw in maintaining betwixt the parties and goeth over the river to the ... easement and up on the side of the said easement, every one of the parties particularly making his own part of the fence belonging to them about the said easement with shutes to let their beasts out and in to their own lands and further saith not. John Keruish his mark X, Will Callow his mark X

Therefore we the Great Enquest do allow of the said mairaditch all appertenance towards that easement without any lett stop or molesting any .... of way for the ..... because of the .... above mentioned and this we give for our verdict touching on the matter as witness our subscription the day and year above said

And the said Enquest do say that as concerning the moreditch in differences betwixt Dav Mylroii and Ro. Creetch according to the depositions taken by them viz that from the lowest end of Ballnacarney from that broken brow above the deep pool and come straight way up towards the easement of the Crewcron and Ballaknock and Ballaskegge is the moreditch they saw repaired betwixt the parties and goeth over the river to the said easement and up on the side of the said easement every one of the parties particularly making his own part of the fence belonging to them about the said easement with shutes to let the beast out and into their own lands, according to which deposition they leave the said moreditch and easement

[Ref: Libre Placitorum (Book of Pleas) 1702]

 

Castle Rushen ...th October 1703

The above Enquest do say as concerning the way in strife betwixt Dav Mcylroii and William Callow Ballaskeige on the one part and John Cashin, Robert Corkill and Dan Callow on the other part that according to the evidences produced unto them the said way is to begin from the Nalackagh River and so through a garey of John Cashin's, and thence through a valley called Glen Shoine southward into a field of Rob Corkill's and then through the highway into a field of Dan Callow's on the north side of the aforesaid glen and so directly to the mountains on the farms of Ballagorry in the parish of KK Maughold. vide dep on the fils 1703

[Ref: Libre Placitorum (Book of Pleas) 1703]

NOTES

  1. mere dike = a boundary hedge or wall
  2. Turbary = the right to cut peat for burning, by extension  a place where such rights are or may be exercised
  3. Disputes between neighbours were not uncommon, and the importance of this hearing is simply that it seems to establish David Mylroii in the north of the island after his child named Richard was born (1690, Braddan) and before his daughter married there (1709, Lonan). Her Marriage Contract had her from Maughold. Several of the places (but not all) mentioned in the report are in Maughold - Ballaskeg, Ballagorry, Glion Shuin (Glen Mona) - which tends to support the idea that the Mylroies moved from Maughold to Lonan after the marriage in 1709
  4. Ballacarney in the Enquest report might be Ballabarney, tenanted by Robert Kerruish
  5. David married Margaret Cowne in 1680 in Braddan, and had his children there: Hen (MOLLEREIGH) 1685/6, Jo (MALLEREIGH) 1686/7, Richard (MALAREIGH) 1690
  6. A Margaret MALLAREAY was baptised in Braddan in 1681, although father listed as John; also a Robert MOLLEREIGH 1684; Jony MOLLEREIGH 1685; William Mallereigh 1690; Issable (1693) MALLEROY - as well as the children of William & Margaret Kinnish from Nunnery Howe*****
  7. Margaret McYlroy died 1723 in Lonan and David in 1733 (the burial records the location as Blondall which is a variation of the name of the land where both daughter Margaret and son Richard resided)
  8. David's origins are unknown, but his mother was Christian Cowne, found in his Marriage Contract. His father has not been identified although Henry Mallereay who died in 1675 seems like a good candidate, as he named sons David and John in his will, and David named his first two children Henry and John
  9. There were several "Mylrea/Mylroii" families in Braddan in the 1600s - 3 Nov 1685 MALLEREIGH Margt (d/o John) married JOYNER Robt & 22 Jul 1689 MALLEROY Jane (d/o John) married KILLEY Richd. These two women were the daughters of Catharine McYlroy als Moore; there was also Jane Mc ylroy, daughter of Amy Joyner als Watson and Hen Mc ylrea. Land records show a group of 3 men, variously named Mollereigh/Mcylroy/McLeroy from the early 1600s
  10. David was presented in Maughold in 1704 because his children Richard and Margaret had not learned their catechism
  11. Daughter Margaret married Daniel Cowne in 1709 in Lonan and in the Marriage Contract, David kept open the possibility of moving in with Daniel & Margaret if the said David McYlroy and his wife shall think fit at any years end to remove to and dwell with their within mentioned son and daughter the said Daniel and Margaret, that then they are to have half the said tenement with half the crop of corn and hay
  12. At the time of the marriage, David and his family lived in Maughold so it must be assumed that the land in dispute in this Enquest action bordered Lonan, but was in Maughold
  13. Son Richard married three times: Isabell Moore 1714, Ellinor Ffargher 1732, Mary Quark 1740. He died 1749 leaving nine children
  14. Recent DNA studies show that this family have Viking heritage, as opposed to the Mylreas who are Celtic - David was not a Mylrea after all, despite the similarity in surname
  15. Lonan parish registers from the early 1700s have not survived in their entirety so extreme caution must be exercised when attempting to draw conclusions about these families and their relationships

Associated Documents

Last updated: Mar 2020