CHARLES McYLREA jnr & MARY BELL als BRIDSON

MARRIAGE CONTRACT - 1737 (Malew)

Articles of Agreement in the nature of Articles of Marriage concluded and agreed upon by and between Charles McYlrea snr and Margaret his wife on the one part and Charles McYlrea jnr and Mary his wife on the other part, being all of Fildraw in KK Malew First it is agreed upon that the said Charles McYlrea snr and Margaret his wife do hereby settle upon his son Charles and Mary his wife the half of all his lands now in present possession and the other half after their decease free and debtless with the half of all their goods be it of what kind or nature soever now in present possession by him the said Charles jnr and Mary his wife to be enjoyed from this day Secondly it is agreed upon that Charles McYlrea jnr is to get and enjoy the whole team, plough, gears and the whole crop of Fildraw after the decease of the said Charles snr and wife with all the rest of the husbandry gears Thirdly it is agreed upon that the said Charles McYlrea jnr and Mary his wife hereby give unto their father and mother Charles snr and Margaret his wife the half of all their goods in lewe? of the above then the goods all to be equally between them (excepting their wearing apparel and the cash) and the said Charles jnr and wife do give unto the said Charles snr and wife half the benefits of the Creggans called Mylrea’s Creggans during their life, they paying half of all the charges and labour that attends the same towards the occupying thereof and Charles jnr do hereby oblige himself to give unto his father and mother the half of nine pounds and ten shillings and do hereby acquit and discharge his said father of all debts and demands which his said father owed him heretofore on any account whatever Fourthly it is agreed upon that if in case the said Charles jnr dies before a year and a day then and in that case Mary his wife is to …. all her own goods that she brought with her with the cash she brought Fifthly it is agreed upon that if in case there be corn in the abovesaid Creggans at the decease of the longer liver of the said Charles snr and his wife then the said Charles jnr and wife is to get the whole crop thereon Sixthly and lastly for performance hereof and everything therein contained all parties herein contained do hereby bind and oblige themselves in the penalty or forfeiture of sixty pounds to be paid in the nature of all fines according to law As witness their hands and marks to their names this 13th October 1737 Charles Mylrea, Margaret McYlrea her mark X, Charles McYlrea, Mary McYlrea my mark X

Witnesses present at the signing and delivering hereof Thomas Norris his mark X, John Quark his mark X, William Stole

I Charles McYlrea senior aforesaid do hereby own and acknowledge to have received from my son Charles the half of the within said nine pounds and ten shillings which was promised me as within said As witness my hand this 13th October 1737 Charles Mylerea

Witness Thomas Norris my mark X, John Quark my mark X

28th July 1738 John Quark and William Stole two of the subscribing witnesses came and have made oath that the before Articles of Agreement or Marriage was duly executed by the said Charles McYlrea senior and Margaret his wife and Charles McYlrea jnr and Mary his wife in their presence and this before me Charles Moore

At an Abbey Court holden at Ballasalley the 2nd June 1739 The within Articles of Agreement or Marriage Contract having been proved before the Deemster and now openly published in Court and no objection offered against them are therefore allowed of and confirmed according to law J.Murray, Dan McYlrea, Charles Stanley, John Quayle, William Christian

[Ref: SSS May 1739 #95]

NOTES

  1. Fildraw
  2. Charles snr was the older son of John McYlrea & Elizabeth Shimmin, b1687; Charles jnr was his only surviving son and heir, b1718
  3. These Articles of Marriage were concluded in October 1737 some time after the marriage of Charles jnr & Mary Bell als Bridson, of which there is no record. Charles jnr was probably 19 at the most when he married
  4. Their first child, also named Charles, was baptised May 1738. This child died at about 3 years of age. Four other males were born in subsequent years but nothing of their fate is known
  5. The Marriage Contract followed the traditional pattern of giving half the estate now, with the rest of the estate when the longer liver of the parents dies; and the young couple giving somethng to the parents, in this case, the Creggans, land that was left to Charles jnr by his (presumably) great uncle, Charles Shimmin in 1723 when the boy was only 5 years old. In 1740, the parents surrendered their share of the Creggans for £40, plunging Charles jnr into more debt
  6. There is much about the Malew Mylreas of the 1600s and early 1700s that does not hang together so extreme caution must be exercised
  7. For further insights into the Malew Mylreas, please refer to Mylreas in Ballaquaile and Fildraw

Associated Documents

Last updated: August 2013