Many thanks for all your hard work, Frances, but the Edwards don't seem to get any less confusing, do they? I'll put them in separate messages in reply to try to sort them out in my mind.

When you write about the schoolmaster do you think he was a different man to Edward the parish clerk? CR thought they were the same person - schoolmaster moved on to become the parish clerk in 1776.

His (the parish clerk's) burial was definitely X Mr Edward CORKHILL Clerk of This Parish 44 years May 21 1820, with his Epis will bk 1 dated 21 Oct 1819 which you summarised. The election for the new clerk was held on 14 March 1821.

This Edward was married to Margaret Christian (will). CR said no children. You found the 1778 deed of sale “excepting one of the cowhouses sd Edward Corkill holds by lease for a school house for use of parishioners' children for term of 8 yrs” which presumably had not run out on his election to parish clerk in 1776.

The deed also mentions "several slate houses wherein Robt Christian junr(of Baldroma) now resides..". CR wrote that his 2nd wife Margaret Christian was from Baldromma.
Marriage: Edward Corkhill / Margaret Christian 7 Jun 1815. Mr Edward Corkhill widower & Miss Margaret Christian.

Do you agree with CR that these records are for the same Edward Corkill? But he clearly wasn’t the Ballasloe one, so who was he?

Sue